Getting to experience a little more of spring-like weather in Nashville this weekend- kind of just enjoying the calm before the kitchen storm…Cabinets are scheduled for delivery on April 22nd!
March 29, 2008
March 28, 2008
The whatzit gets nailed to the whozit, now?
M and I have successfully finished the first two legs of the kitchen race (flooring and design/purchase of cabinets, respectively), but I’m afraid the marriage widowmakers of remodeling are still ahead.
Yes, the actual installation of everything else.
If we had to chart where we are, and how ready we are for the experience, it would probably equal being at sea level for a climb to the top of Mount Everest. Or maybe base camp one- where you’re still acclimating to the frosty Himalayan air, and thinking “It doesn’t look that tall- and it’s not that cold”.
I knew we were in a little deep when the kitchen designer asked if we were installing the cabinets ourselves, and then went into a speedreader’s version of the prep work and alterations we’ll have to do for just the crown moulding on the cabinets.
It probably didn’t help either that while doing the floor, I cracked under the pressure of clicking boards together. In my defense, it is a bit harder than it looks. Especially if the boards aren’t cut at perfect 90 degree angles, but who’s keeping track right? Certainly not the flooring manufacturer…
Luckily, we do have a couple of experienced sherpas that will be guiding us up the mountain- my parents and M’s brother- so we’re not completely alone. And ancient lore tells me that once you get one in, the rest will fall into place- but it all rests on the accuracy of the first one. No pressure though.
Believe it or not, even with the challenges, I’m excited about our plan- and wonder how we ever lived with our stone-age kitchen for so long.
Cookie sheet slots! Who knew? Self-closing drawers! Who knew? Under cabinet mounted task lighting! Who knew? Cubbie holes to hide your stash of gold from pirates! Who knew?
Our sherpas probably did.
March 26, 2008
March 25, 2008
I think the kitchen is a “spring”…
Tonight we finalize our kitchen design…and try to recover from the sticker shock.
At least we have the beginnings of an inkling of a potential shade for the walls. The middle one- Crisp Celery…maybe…if it doesn’t look too murky with our lighting…
And, I love that all the colors have food names- fitting for kitchen wall color, no?
March 23, 2008
March 21, 2008
Curses! Blast! Foiled Again!
We had planned to take a break from all the kitchen fun* this weekend, and do some traveling for the Easter holiday…
So naturally a huge winter storm is blowing through the area- dumping up to a foot of snow in some of our “viewing area”.
If it comes down to sleeping in the airport, or putting down flooring…it’d be close, but I’d chose the flooring.
*In this case, fun may be used sarcastically, ironically, or out of frustration at the slow pace of progress.
March 19, 2008
All You Need is Love…and a Flooring Expert.
The floor is in the midst of being put down…and naturally it’s taking longer than expected.
So, until some decent pictures of the new (ahem, completed) floor are ready…
Happy Love Thursday everyone!
March 17, 2008
Demolition Derby
On our kitchen floor…
Today officially kicked off the demo of the floors…and good lord, the PO liked staples. An overabundance of staples. An overabundance of long pointy staples. Have I mentioned all the staples?
The picture is just one edge of a 6″x6″ tile. Our kitchen has about…oh…200 tiles or so. That’s ok though- I’ve always wanted to build up my forearms like Popeye.
Other than that, the ripping up of the prior flooring is going pretty fast. We debated for a couple of days, but finally decided to install laminate flooring. I love the look of the refinished floors, but the work that would have to be put in to restore the floors would cost more than the budget for the rest of the kitchen…so we’re going with the next best thing. (At least I hope it’s the next best thing- I tend to second guess myself sometimes.)
We spent most of Saturday picking out the laminate, only to discover that it didn’t match ANY of the woodwork in the kitchen once we got it home…and we have about 6 different tones of wood in the kitchen alone. So, we took it back, and got a much more complimentary color. Not a perfect match, but better. The bonus is that it’ll help tie in the new cabinets to the old woodwork- which will help with some of that headache.
In other renovation news- we bought our new doors! I’m excited to have them put in- they should be done by the time my parents visit this spring!
March 16, 2008
Blast from the Past (You may want to shield your eyes)
Current floor…
The 1960’s horror underneath…
The plywood underneath that…
And then the felt and glue…sigh…
