Miles to go before we rest…

But at least there’s a bit of light at the end of the tunnel…

Big Maple Boxes

The wall cabinets are up (and only in need of a couple of doors)!  The base cabinets…well, they’re in the kitchen, and bolted together, so that’s a start.  Please ignore huge gaping holes in the plaster and lathe…those are just design elements…We wanted to go modern destruction chic…Um, thanks.

Also added- wiring for a disposal, light and outlet- all thanks to M’s brother!  All those were on the list, but had been a “later” type of task.

Renovation Paparazzi

The pictures as mentioned before- crazy electrical wires, ugly cabinets, and the paint that use to be a margarita…

Sawdust in my Hair

Do you think anyone else notices the sawdust I keep finding everywhere?  Under my nails…In my shoes…Even in my hair? 

Or are people thinking I just have a really bad case of dandruff?

The cause?  (of the sawdust, not dandruff)  Kitchen demolition.  We took out the wall cabinets and soffit last night- and will be attempting to remove the lower cabinets this evening.  Turns out that the PO had tacked up drywall over the plaster to the soffit line, and then hung the cabinets.  So, when we removed the drywall, we discovered there had been a light fixture originally over the sink- and all that was left was a scary, scary hole with random wires (live wires??? who knows?  that’s the fun of it, right?) poking through.  Um, thanks PO.

Moving on…the new cabinets arrived on Tuesday- and man, if they were any better looking, I’d be cuddled up next to them every night instead of my husband… Ahem.

Anyway, agonizing over shades and wood tones was either in vain, or worth the effort, cause they match the other kitchen woodwork nicely. 

Tomorrow the plumber comes to move the water and waste lines, and then this weekend the cabinets go up.   

I, naturally, will be making a pest of myself as I take pictures of everything going on.  Just ignore any “dandruff” you might see in the upcoming posts…

Oh, and Happy Love Thursday!  The week is speeding by- so it’s nice to remember we’ll have a quieter summer of working in the garden coming up ahead…

A Seasick Margarita

Ever wonder what it would look like if a margarita became human and then proceeded to become violently ill in your kitchen?

No? 

Me either until this weekend when I attempted to paint my kitchen “Corn Husk” green.  A color that had promised to be bright and cheery, while remaining unobtrusive…

Quite simply, I was wrong.

First thought-  oh, my.  that’s a bit bright.

Second thought- maybe it’ll get darker when it dries.

Third thought-  Holy crap! It’s not getting darker!  Is it suppose to glow in the dark? 

Fourth though-  Stop Painting!!! I need new paint…NOW.

It’s fixed, but it was scary there for awhile…pictures to come…

 

Words escape me

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/garden/17akron.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Um…amazing?  Crazy?  Beautiful?  Sad?  All those rolled into one?

In a nutshell, it’s an extreme renovation story that involves 12 years, a falling-down house with a solarium (!), and the two owners who dedicated every free moment to fixing it up.  If anything, check out the before and after slide show- it’s really incredible.

As for my own (comparatively minor) renovation of the kitchen- painting is planned for the upcoming weekend- and maybe the building of a half wall…Stay tuned.

Love Thursday

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How can you not love a face like that?  Sure, the eyes are a bit blurry, and just might be saying “What’s with this camera in my face?  Does it have any treats?” but still…she’s one of my best models AND has been infinitely patient with all the renovations we’ve been working through the last two years- without a whimper or complaint.

Wish I could be that patient.

 

 

Drip…DripDripDrip…Drip

The contractor came today to look at moving our sink/faucet AND add electrical.

Yes, he’s an all around Renaissance man of the home improvement world

The good news is that it should be “No sweat”….and by the number of times he said it, I’m beginning to think that I could tackle the projects… Electricity and I are just passing acquaintances though, so I’m going to leave the liability to him.

To prep for the install, M & I went to a few different stores to see what was available-  our current sink takes up WAY too much counterspace, and the current faucet leaks if you turn on a hair too much- so it might be time to think about replacing both.

Sinks-  Acrylic or Steel?  Opinions?  We’re planning a self-rimming model (because of our future tile counter) and I’m not a fan of the stainless steel.  I would like solid surface- but they’re out of our price range.

Faucets- Attached are the pictures of the ones we liked- all would include a hand sprayer… Opinions?  While I kind of dig the black patina version, I’m afraid it’ll go out of style too soon.  We’re looking for a little longevity, too…

Couture Cabinets for Change

Ok.  So I don’t live in New York.

And I don’t think there is a company in Milwaukee that does this.

And I can’t imagine ripping out “near” brand new cabinets/appliances/countertops, so I can install my own “style”.

But this is still a cool idea for a whole new type of recycling.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/10/garden/10recycle.html?ref=garden

Eye of the Shark

The kitchen renovation has been taking up most of our attention lately- so this brief window of inactivity almost seems like the eye of the storm.

The cabinets come in just over a week- so by “storm”, I’m referring to the prep work still needs to be completed before we’re ready for the manufacturer’s delivery truck.  The same truck that’s circling increasingly closer and closer to our little bungalow to deliver our cabinets, while we gently float in a sea of “Plenty of Time”.   

And not to mix metaphors… but suddenly the circling truck makes it feel more like a shark preparing to attack the bloated amatuer renovators with splinters and installation arguments, than just a little wind and rain associated with a storm.

Err…Where was I again?  Oh, yes..the eye of the storm…er..shark…er…I’ve got some demo I think I need to do…