REBIRTH OF THE ABBEY KITCHEN
With Abbey events drawing more and more participants, the need to expand the kitchen has become a necessity. With only a month to go before the arrival of Khensur Jampa Tegchok Rinpoche, the Abbey residents are putting their attention on the kitchen remodel to accommodate the larger groups we expect for the week-long teaching. As you can see, the change is already evident. Jampel is heading the project, which will make the kitchen more serviceable and expand the dining area to accommodate up to 25 people comfortably. We can’t wait to see the finished space!

It’s always fun to take a “before” picture. Here’s the kitchen just a day before the demolition began.

The dining room will replace the former library, which has lots of light, very high ceilings, and a beautiful view. The library will move to a quieter, smaller space away from the hustle and bustle of the dining area.

We soon discover that Venerable enjoys demolition work! Here she makes the first hole in the wall that will be removed to expand the dining area.

Okay, so a few of us like demolishing walls.

Cheryl begins the task of removing all the molding, which will be refinished in the workshop.

Jampel’s dad, Carl, who is a contractor, spends the week with us bringing lots of expertise and patience to the project. It is great having him at the Abbey.

Jampel takes down the old header of the bearing wall, replacing it with a longer one.

You can see into the old library that will be the new dining room

Venerable Semkye and Dallas strip off the old wallpaper in the kitchen. The wall will be textured and painted, which will make the room brighter.
Most of the counters need to be cleaned and refinished. Many will be repositioned to make room for a larger refrigerator, a new stove, and an additional sink.

The dynamic duo, father and son, pose before Dad departs. |