Column: Driven by Decor: Third Time’s a Charm

Or so they say….

As a homeowner, there are some things you expect to replace three times over a span of eight years. Certain light bulbs, probably the doormat to the front door and maybe even the shower curtain.

At the almostvillagevanillabox, we are on our third oven since 2014.

When we moved into the house, the kitchen was relatively new because the previous homeowners had remodeled it shortly before it sold. Cabinets, lighting, flooring, counters and appliances had all been updated, and at 4 years old, in our mind they were new. 

It’s July 2017. We had Jamie’s brother and family over for swimming and dinner. I remember I had some shrimp in the oven as an appetizer. I went into the kitchen to check on the shrimp and the control pad that displays the temperature and time above the oven door was blank and the oven was no longer running. I checked the breakers – everything was fine – but none of the buttons worked on the stove. 

The next day was Monday and I started to place a few calls to local repairmen. I was told to call the manufacturer or an appliance store because it sounded like the computer panel burned out. The appliance store told me that a new computer panel would cost nearly as much as a new appliance and since the oven was “already 7 years old,” it was about time to replace it.

Come again? Time to replace it? It’s new! Ok, nice. Good. Ugh… 

We replaced it.

It’s November 2018. We have a few people over on a Friday night and we are making pizza and chicken wings. We were using the air fryer to cook the wings but it didn’t hold too many, so I threw about 18 on a sheet pan and stuck it in the oven at 425 degrees to crisp them up. A few minutes into the cooking process, I could see condensation forming around the digital numbers on the oven display. The screen then went blank.

It was deja vu.

I called the appliance company on Monday to tell them what happened and they wanted nothing to do with me after realizing that the appliance was now 16 months old and over the one-year warranty they offer. For reasons still unclear to us to this day, we did not opt into the extended 5-year warranty. They suggested I call the manufacturer, who after some hardcore whining and complaining had mercy on me just this one time and agreed to replace the computer panel, only charging us for a service call.

It’s October 2022. It’s a beautiful, warm Saturday afternoon. I decided that before the oven gets a workout during the upcoming holiday season, I would run the cleaning cycle. I could not remember the last time I did it, but it could use some freshening up and I should take advantage of doing it now since I can still open the windows to remove that funky odor that happens while an oven is on the self-cleaning cycle.

Two hours into the three-hour cleaning, the computer screen that tells me the time and that the oven was locked while on the cleaning cycle went blank. 

I actually cried.

Sunday afternoon I was at the appliance store. This time, the sales representative told me that most appliances only last around five years (which absolutely floors me, but that might have to be another article). She had two models in stock that were immediately available and didn’t need to be ordered. Both options were double the amount that we spent last time. 

Buying an oven was the last thing I wanted to spend money on (you may remember we have a huge outdoor project going on) but what could I do? I needed this appliance sooner than later. I gave a prayer of thanks that we have the ability to cover this financially, finalized the purchase and scheduled it to be installed five days later on Oct. 28.

What the sales representative neglected to say was that the brand of oven I selected was only compatible with its own cooktop. The appliance installer told me after he arrived. The oven I selected could only be installed with my current cooktop if I moved the gas line and modified the cabinets. He suggested I could order this particular brand’s cooktop, but it wasn’t in stock so it may take a few months to receive. 

The installer went on to say that when ovens like this, which most of the time are intended to be installed into a wall (hence, wall oven) are installed in cabinets there can be problems because the area is not well-ventilated for heat to escape. He suggested we return the oven I ordered and modify our cabinets and counter to make space for a range oven.

And oh, by the way, he had a guy to do the work.

The installer was the most helpful person I have ever met in the appliance business. 

Before he left he made a call and arranged for Dave to modify the cabinets and for Joseph to cut the granite counters. This past Saturday they did both and by Monday morning the range was installed. 

The work and the oven were less than the wall oven I selected a few weeks ago.

Before the cabinets were modified, I noticed that there is a sticker that was placed under the wall oven and inside of my cabinets that said “Self cleaning appliances generate intense heat during the cleaning cycle…we recommend removing all doors and drawers from the cabinets while operating the oven on high heat to prevent damage during the cycle.”

You don’t say? I’m glad that tidbit of advice was in plain sight all these years.

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When she’s not reporting on small-town life in and around East Aurora, Shelly is usually knee-deep into planning a new project for the 1980s-almost-village-vanilla-box her family lives in. To catch a glimpse of the progress on her decorating adventures, follow her on Instagram at almostvillagevanillabox. If you or someone you know should be featured in this column, email her at shelly@eastaurorany.com.