A Triumphant Kitchen Remodel with a Toaster Oven

Dust and disorder ensued. But not the usual takeout. "Don hooked up our gas cooktop, along with two tiny fridges my son had at college," Deborah says. They kept the old fridge plugged in, too, so that she could freeze meals made in advance. Kitchen gear went in labeled boxes stacked in the dining room "so if we had guests or I needed something, I could easily get it out."

Don stapled plastic to the laundry room ceiling to block debris loosened by the work overhead. The laundry sink became the dish-washing station, and the microwave and a clever rice-cooker accessory joined the party.

Shown: Homeowner Don Post mans the cooktop in a temporary kitchen with towel-covered planks for countertops.