I Have A Kitchen!
Pictures to come.... Tile ordered today! Hooray!
Showing posts with label kitchen updates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kitchen updates. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
It Started with Cabinets
We are into WEEK THREE of the kitchen remodeling. It wasn't a remodel until today when I realized that my good intentions, like most of 'em, lead me down a dark, dark path.
I've lived at Lazy Bee Farm for 15 years; the house was a shell when I purchased it. There was no electricity, no water, two windows, one floor missing, the porch was gone, three chimneys were in the floor, and more than a dozen black snakes (ewwwwww, black snakes) in the house. And a bat. My brother and I repaired the house to the point that I could move in and I did --10 weeks after purchase. It was Thanksgiving and we had one small heater. We were thankful for that! It snowed. And snowed. And snowed.... But, I digress.
Since that time, I have worked on the house and, to some degree, the farm. Every year there is a project -- new roof, replace windows, add heat, paint, paint, paint, build barns, chicken coops, plant berries, raise bees, feed and milk goats, and, finally, complete the kitchen. The first remodel was ten years ago. It was my graduate school present to myself! The first stage was done in 1998, the year I finished grad school. The plan to was to finish the cabinets (I could only afford half of them), the next year, but too many things came along in the meantime, so now is the time.
So, cabinets were ordered to finish the second phase. But then I realized that since I was adding cabinets, I would have to order a new countertop, so why not replace ALL of it? I did. Then, the sink was damaged. A new one was ordered (it was installed on Friday and I am still kissing it every time I walk through the kitchen).
Then, I realized that the wall was so damaged from removing the tile for the new countertop, it would have to be either replaced or retiled. Retiling it was. A trip to Winston-Salem, three days on the Internet, and I know what I want and will order it on Tuesday. But, with the new tile, I will need to paint. The samples are on the wall and, after two weeks of living with the samples, I know which red and which cream I want. It'll be done next weekend.
The curtains are still in the bag from the massive Sturbridge shopping trip in July and, I hope, will go up before January, at this point.
It is a dark, dark path when one innocently tries to complete a long overdue project. I should have learned this with the bathroom this winter, but I guess it is rather like labor. We forget.
Did I mention that I have to find new cabinet pulls?
I've lived at Lazy Bee Farm for 15 years; the house was a shell when I purchased it. There was no electricity, no water, two windows, one floor missing, the porch was gone, three chimneys were in the floor, and more than a dozen black snakes (ewwwwww, black snakes) in the house. And a bat. My brother and I repaired the house to the point that I could move in and I did --10 weeks after purchase. It was Thanksgiving and we had one small heater. We were thankful for that! It snowed. And snowed. And snowed.... But, I digress.
Since that time, I have worked on the house and, to some degree, the farm. Every year there is a project -- new roof, replace windows, add heat, paint, paint, paint, build barns, chicken coops, plant berries, raise bees, feed and milk goats, and, finally, complete the kitchen. The first remodel was ten years ago. It was my graduate school present to myself! The first stage was done in 1998, the year I finished grad school. The plan to was to finish the cabinets (I could only afford half of them), the next year, but too many things came along in the meantime, so now is the time.
So, cabinets were ordered to finish the second phase. But then I realized that since I was adding cabinets, I would have to order a new countertop, so why not replace ALL of it? I did. Then, the sink was damaged. A new one was ordered (it was installed on Friday and I am still kissing it every time I walk through the kitchen).
Then, I realized that the wall was so damaged from removing the tile for the new countertop, it would have to be either replaced or retiled. Retiling it was. A trip to Winston-Salem, three days on the Internet, and I know what I want and will order it on Tuesday. But, with the new tile, I will need to paint. The samples are on the wall and, after two weeks of living with the samples, I know which red and which cream I want. It'll be done next weekend.
The curtains are still in the bag from the massive Sturbridge shopping trip in July and, I hope, will go up before January, at this point.
It is a dark, dark path when one innocently tries to complete a long overdue project. I should have learned this with the bathroom this winter, but I guess it is rather like labor. We forget.
Did I mention that I have to find new cabinet pulls?
Sunday, September 27, 2009
But I Have A Counter!
I lived in this house for ten years without a kitchen of any kind. I purchased the house when it was just a shell; it had been empty for 20 years and had never been updated. No electrical service, no running water, no heat. It was just as it was when it was built in 1917 from the fallen chestnut trees cut from this very property killed by the blight. It is home.
So, when I completed the first phase of the kitchen, I was in my last year of graduate school and was working full-time teaching at the community college. It was a hectic time! My son was in high school and keeping up with him and myself was a challenge. Thus, most of the renovation decisions were made by my brother who is a historical resorationist. He liked green, so I had a green counter, walls, and SINK when I came home one day! Ack! My lovely butcher block countertops and white, single-basin sink were gone!
I lived with this arrangement for ten years, keeping my beloved sink in storage, waiting for the day to switch it out. The existing hole was just too big for me to make the switch and I had to wait until I could replace the counter. So, there it was. My lovely sink in storage and the horrible green sink taunting me every time I went to the kitchen.
Now, I am finally able to switch the countertop and sink out. No one every took more delight in demolition than I did when the green sink went out the back door! The butcherblock countertop slid right into place; perfect! We carried the sink into the kitchen and got ready to install it. The metal rim which holds the sink had been damaged! Oh no! Lengthy discussions were held on how we might save it. Nothing would work. We would have to have a new rim or a new sink.
About two dozen phone calls, one 200 mile round trip to collect a rim that didn't fit, and a lot of crying later, I realized I would have to find another single-bowl sink. Fortunately, two hours on the internet was all it required and the sink is now on its way. In the meantime, I am using my grandmother's enamel wash basin and doing dishes in the bathtub.
It will be ten days before the new sink is delivered, but I can wait. It has been many years since I really liked my kitchen. This week, I have decided, I will repaint it the creme and deep red I so loved in the previous kitchen. And, looking on the bright side, at least I have a counter!
What kind of renovation challenges have you faced?
Added later: Do you think dangling over the tub edge whilst washing the dishes can count for an ab workout?
So, when I completed the first phase of the kitchen, I was in my last year of graduate school and was working full-time teaching at the community college. It was a hectic time! My son was in high school and keeping up with him and myself was a challenge. Thus, most of the renovation decisions were made by my brother who is a historical resorationist. He liked green, so I had a green counter, walls, and SINK when I came home one day! Ack! My lovely butcher block countertops and white, single-basin sink were gone!
I lived with this arrangement for ten years, keeping my beloved sink in storage, waiting for the day to switch it out. The existing hole was just too big for me to make the switch and I had to wait until I could replace the counter. So, there it was. My lovely sink in storage and the horrible green sink taunting me every time I went to the kitchen.
Now, I am finally able to switch the countertop and sink out. No one every took more delight in demolition than I did when the green sink went out the back door! The butcherblock countertop slid right into place; perfect! We carried the sink into the kitchen and got ready to install it. The metal rim which holds the sink had been damaged! Oh no! Lengthy discussions were held on how we might save it. Nothing would work. We would have to have a new rim or a new sink.
About two dozen phone calls, one 200 mile round trip to collect a rim that didn't fit, and a lot of crying later, I realized I would have to find another single-bowl sink. Fortunately, two hours on the internet was all it required and the sink is now on its way. In the meantime, I am using my grandmother's enamel wash basin and doing dishes in the bathtub.
It will be ten days before the new sink is delivered, but I can wait. It has been many years since I really liked my kitchen. This week, I have decided, I will repaint it the creme and deep red I so loved in the previous kitchen. And, looking on the bright side, at least I have a counter!
What kind of renovation challenges have you faced?
Added later: Do you think dangling over the tub edge whilst washing the dishes can count for an ab workout?
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