hey y'all,
The kitchen is still progressing. Working on little things like adding trim to the curtains and reorganizing a few things. Picked up a rug and some new dish towels:) Still have to paint the island and do some touch ups on the beadboard. But I was cleaning upstairs yesterday and noticed how cluttered the black and white family photo display in the hall had gotten so I pulled all the pictures down and am going to redo the display with a fresh selection of photos and arrangements. Happiness is in the details! I will post a pic when I get it all done in a few days. I just found a black and white copy of husband's grandparents as a young family with their children that I had reprinted a while back. Definetly want to add it to the group!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
pictures!!!!!
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| new shelves |
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| handles on cabinet doors! |
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| husband impersonating plumber |
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| contact paper shade for pendant in breakfast room |
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| curtains up! a little short not sure why since I used the same holes to hang them but I will pick up some ball fringe at Walmart to lengthen them with one day this week |
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| shelves up! |
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| under island, you can see the back of my bread box with the contact paper and the gallon of paint for the island when it is not to cold to paint it! |
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| countertop gap filled, painted and sealed |
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| countertop gap artfully covered by cutting board and cookie sheet. As a temporary fix it will do. till I get those gorgeous butcher block counters I am dreaming of! |
Odds and Ends and a little decorating
With the sink in I got busy on the part I like best, decorating. I hung my polka dot curtains on a new upgraded rod that I already had (1$ at a garage sale) and my new shelves. I was totally in love with the pattern on the shelf paper I found at Target. I used it to line the shelves in the cabinets, I put some on the wooden shelves I hung, I made a new sleeve for the light fixture with it, put some on the antique bread box that didn't match in the kitchen anymore then with the scraps I put a little on my antique Cosco 1950's metal stool and monogramed my watering can for all the kitchen plants, and put a strip on the utensils pot! All for 5 bucks worth of contact paper. I love that!!!!!!!!!
Then I layered in my winter cookie jars(snowmen) and platters and pictures and regular flotsam and jetsam that is all over my counters!
I still have to sand and paint the island and put new handles on it but it is to cold in the garage since we had a not so lovely ice storm in the last 24 hrs. So next above 50 degrees day I will get to that. But otherwise it's all done but the shoutin'! And the dishes. Darn, doesn't it seem like a fancy pretty new kitchen outta be left alone and not dirtied all up? But here stands one of my kids holding a box of hamburger helper begging me to make lunch. Lol, as soon as I get the mess cleaned up again I will post one last After picture of it all done!
Then I layered in my winter cookie jars(snowmen) and platters and pictures and regular flotsam and jetsam that is all over my counters!
I still have to sand and paint the island and put new handles on it but it is to cold in the garage since we had a not so lovely ice storm in the last 24 hrs. So next above 50 degrees day I will get to that. But otherwise it's all done but the shoutin'! And the dishes. Darn, doesn't it seem like a fancy pretty new kitchen outta be left alone and not dirtied all up? But here stands one of my kids holding a box of hamburger helper begging me to make lunch. Lol, as soon as I get the mess cleaned up again I will post one last After picture of it all done!
Budget
Kitchen Remodel Budget Already had:
paint 17$ Cabinet transformation kit 80$
beadboard 20$ Island 40$(at Goodwill last summer)
trim 10$
paint supplies 5$ liquid nails 2$
liquid nails and silicone 5$ tools
Shelves and brackets IKEA last summer 16$
Extra expenses as I went along
compression fittings 50 cents
dishwasher hose (after someone stepped on it and cracked it)10$
extra trim for beadboard when I ran out 10$
extra wood board for shelves 11$
wood putty 5$
spacers 5$
extra paint 17$
totals $57.00 original expenses plus $58.50in extra expenses brings my total to $115.50 in expenses plus the $138 I had previously spent on the kit and island and etc. so all together grand total $253.50
Now the sink project
sink and faucet 50$ (at Goodwill last summer)
first trip to hardware store 21$ putty and hoses
second trip to hardware store for more hoses and pipes 36$
third trip to hardware store20$ air gap and faucet ball repair kit
fourth trip to hardware store 10$ more hose
totals $177
not to bad when you consider the faucet alone sold new for 220$ and the sink is a 300$ porcelain deep basin sink, according to American Standard's website!
paint 17$ Cabinet transformation kit 80$
beadboard 20$ Island 40$(at Goodwill last summer)
trim 10$
paint supplies 5$ liquid nails 2$
liquid nails and silicone 5$ tools
Shelves and brackets IKEA last summer 16$
Extra expenses as I went along
compression fittings 50 cents
dishwasher hose (after someone stepped on it and cracked it)10$
extra trim for beadboard when I ran out 10$
extra wood board for shelves 11$
wood putty 5$
spacers 5$
extra paint 17$
totals $57.00 original expenses plus $58.50in extra expenses brings my total to $115.50 in expenses plus the $138 I had previously spent on the kit and island and etc. so all together grand total $253.50
Now the sink project
sink and faucet 50$ (at Goodwill last summer)
first trip to hardware store 21$ putty and hoses
second trip to hardware store for more hoses and pipes 36$
third trip to hardware store20$ air gap and faucet ball repair kit
fourth trip to hardware store 10$ more hose
totals $177
not to bad when you consider the faucet alone sold new for 220$ and the sink is a 300$ porcelain deep basin sink, according to American Standard's website!
Finishing up!
By Tuesday morning all the big projects I had palnned were finished except for one last coat of poly and putting the handles back on the doors and hanging the shelves. After I got the kids on the bus I went back to bed!!!! It was so nice to just relax a little and rest.
I spent the rest of the day cooking a decent meal for the kids and cleaning sawdust out of the other rooms!
Wednesday I finally got the last coat of poly on and put the handles back on. Trimmed out the beadboard around the outlets so I could put in the spacers and reattach the outlets and covers. This took a surprisingly long time!!!! Frustratingly when I went to hang the shelves I discovered the boards were to short to span from stud to stud so another trip to Lowes for more wood and then more painting. On Thursday husband decided we should change out the sink. We had bought a nice porcelain one with a higher end faucet at the Goodwill over the summer. But I had not planned to do the sink because I would do electric all day but plumbing makes me crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!! One stupid drip of water can cause hours worth of extra work. NOT my kind of project. But husband, possibly inspired by all the changes, felt like we could do it and since I thought it would be good practice for when we can afford to put in new countertops I agreed. Now I will post my budget for the remodel shortly but let me just say that even with the oops-es I had with the dishwasher hose, the paint and the shelf boards, the sink still had me beat. Not including the cost of the sink! We ended up having to redo all the pipes under the sink when they didn't line up with the new sink, besides the typical expenses of new gaskets and plenty of silicone! And for some reason moving the dishwasher in and out to hook up the sink caused it to start leaking too! I HATE, I HATE PLUMBING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today marks 2 weeks since I picked up a notebook and my laptop to plan an entire kitchen remodel on about 50 bucks. And except for the tools all over the countertops it is done!
Shelves hung, dishes put away, new sink in, new work triangle working beautifully! Yay! and honestly barring the sink project I did pretty good with my budget. I definitely spent more then intended but isn't that how it always goes? And I have the kitchen I have been wanting as far as layout and color scheme since we bought this house. Not to say I was able to do all I wanted. New counters and new flooring are definitely in our future but not right now and the changes I made make the space much more liveable for now!
Thanks for following along with me on this journey of chaos and frustration! I hope you enjoyed reading about my mistakes and successes. :)
I spent the rest of the day cooking a decent meal for the kids and cleaning sawdust out of the other rooms!
Wednesday I finally got the last coat of poly on and put the handles back on. Trimmed out the beadboard around the outlets so I could put in the spacers and reattach the outlets and covers. This took a surprisingly long time!!!! Frustratingly when I went to hang the shelves I discovered the boards were to short to span from stud to stud so another trip to Lowes for more wood and then more painting. On Thursday husband decided we should change out the sink. We had bought a nice porcelain one with a higher end faucet at the Goodwill over the summer. But I had not planned to do the sink because I would do electric all day but plumbing makes me crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!! One stupid drip of water can cause hours worth of extra work. NOT my kind of project. But husband, possibly inspired by all the changes, felt like we could do it and since I thought it would be good practice for when we can afford to put in new countertops I agreed. Now I will post my budget for the remodel shortly but let me just say that even with the oops-es I had with the dishwasher hose, the paint and the shelf boards, the sink still had me beat. Not including the cost of the sink! We ended up having to redo all the pipes under the sink when they didn't line up with the new sink, besides the typical expenses of new gaskets and plenty of silicone! And for some reason moving the dishwasher in and out to hook up the sink caused it to start leaking too! I HATE, I HATE PLUMBING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today marks 2 weeks since I picked up a notebook and my laptop to plan an entire kitchen remodel on about 50 bucks. And except for the tools all over the countertops it is done!
Shelves hung, dishes put away, new sink in, new work triangle working beautifully! Yay! and honestly barring the sink project I did pretty good with my budget. I definitely spent more then intended but isn't that how it always goes? And I have the kitchen I have been wanting as far as layout and color scheme since we bought this house. Not to say I was able to do all I wanted. New counters and new flooring are definitely in our future but not right now and the changes I made make the space much more liveable for now!
Thanks for following along with me on this journey of chaos and frustration! I hope you enjoyed reading about my mistakes and successes. :)
First set of before and after
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| Before pic. Notice work space between wall cabinets on left and peninsula on right, when the oven door was open you couldn't open the dishwasher. And if someone was doing dishes no one could be in there cooking. |
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| Sunday before |
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| before view from breakfast room |
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| 8 days later |
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| after view of work space |
My first thought Monday even before I opened my eyes was "Oh crap, Garrett comes home today and this mess has to be done" But I had promised to take Zach shopping for more Science fair supplies and Ean had been pleading to go shopping to find baseball card sleeves and Cole had his first computer class all to fit in to today. I hit the ground running and skipped breakfast to get busy on the cabinet doors some more. The kit was only a few steps. Degloss, 2 coats of base coat, glaze, topcoat. But each step had a 8 hr drying time and you can only do 1 side of the doors at a time! So it was taking what felt like eons to finish them. I cleaned, I put away, I organized! I panicked just a bit!
Then it was time to feed the kids again and head off to accomplish our errands. When we finally got back around 6:15pm I was really feeling the crunch. I got busy putting semi dry doors back on and tidying up. Garrett walked in and was shocked at the difference since he had left. Luckily he really liked the paint and the new cabinet finish and that conversation went way better then the one we had when he came home before! Doors back on with only one coat of poly to go so I posted my before and after pic on facebook and showered with my husband before falling in bed!
Then it was time to feed the kids again and head off to accomplish our errands. When we finally got back around 6:15pm I was really feeling the crunch. I got busy putting semi dry doors back on and tidying up. Garrett walked in and was shocked at the difference since he had left. Luckily he really liked the paint and the new cabinet finish and that conversation went way better then the one we had when he came home before! Doors back on with only one coat of poly to go so I posted my before and after pic on facebook and showered with my husband before falling in bed!
Day 7 The clock is ticking
Sunday was a day of rushing. I really felt the pressure to get done as quickly as possible. The strain of having such chaos and mess was really taking its toll on my special needs child. I wasn't sure how much more he could take. he had barely eaten, slept or relaxed since I started this project. And his constant pacing was starting to drive me batty! My poor baby!
I spent the day working on the cabinet doors which were taking forever!!!!! And lots of small tasks that had to get done. Trying to organize the cabinets, get dishes and food put away, clean everything. I swear the whole house had an inch thick layer of sawdust. I finished fixing the big gap in the countertops and sealed it with silicone. Started putting outlet covers on in the breakfast room. Pictures back on the walls. And in between I had to run to the store, feed my kids, referee their fights, try to keep them productive, work on a science project with Zach, etc, etc...........This was another day that I forgot to eat. But hey, I was losing weight while I worked on this project! Exhausted I showered, fixed some more food for the boys and we sat down and watched tv and played a little wii together. They needed me and I needed to unwind just a bit.
I spent the day working on the cabinet doors which were taking forever!!!!! And lots of small tasks that had to get done. Trying to organize the cabinets, get dishes and food put away, clean everything. I swear the whole house had an inch thick layer of sawdust. I finished fixing the big gap in the countertops and sealed it with silicone. Started putting outlet covers on in the breakfast room. Pictures back on the walls. And in between I had to run to the store, feed my kids, referee their fights, try to keep them productive, work on a science project with Zach, etc, etc...........This was another day that I forgot to eat. But hey, I was losing weight while I worked on this project! Exhausted I showered, fixed some more food for the boys and we sat down and watched tv and played a little wii together. They needed me and I needed to unwind just a bit.
New paint pictures
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| first paint color, looks almost blue, supposed to be a very pale green. |
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| In dimmer light it looks more green, so I was hoping for the best |
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| New green paint, late Saturday |
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| This is the point where I started feeling better about the whole process. The paint looked good and I felt like I could start putting things back together. |
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| Add caption |
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| too cold to paint in the garage so I spread the doors out on the floor in the breakfast room. |
Day 6 Saturday
I creaked and groaned my way out of bed on Saturday morning. By this point I was literally covered in bruises from cheekbone to shin. My hands were swollen and cut and bruised from the demolition and construction. But after pulling on my painting clothes and sweatshirt I headed down to find breakfast for the kids. Babies fed and coffee in my hand I pulled up my big girl panties and got to work on the cabinet doors. Finished up the frames with a little sanding for that distressed look, anything in my house is going to have eventually. Lol, before the finish dried one of the kids had already taken a chunk out of the side of a cabinet and I had to do touch ups.
But I couldn't help staring at the color of the wall thinkin' it just didn't look right. So I worked thru the early afternoon putting things back in the kitchen cabinets since the faces were done. Reorganized and cleaned out the clutter. Fresh cabinet liner paper and wiped down cabinets deserved more then just throwing stuff in;) Late afternoon I was feeding the boys some lunch and husband called asking how I liked the paint color and I finally admitted it just wasn't right. Too light, too white and with a weird blue undertone. Frustrated I told him I thought I needed to get a different color. He agreed that if I didn't like it I should fix it, so off I hurried to Lowe's with a different paintchip in hand. An hour and a half later I fed the kids again, sat them down with the Wii and got to work painting the room green. I knocked it out in about 2 hours and got back to the cabinet doors. Put the boys to bed and finished loading up the cabinets. I crawled in bed just after 1am, tired but much happier with the condition of the kitchen.
But I couldn't help staring at the color of the wall thinkin' it just didn't look right. So I worked thru the early afternoon putting things back in the kitchen cabinets since the faces were done. Reorganized and cleaned out the clutter. Fresh cabinet liner paper and wiped down cabinets deserved more then just throwing stuff in;) Late afternoon I was feeding the boys some lunch and husband called asking how I liked the paint color and I finally admitted it just wasn't right. Too light, too white and with a weird blue undertone. Frustrated I told him I thought I needed to get a different color. He agreed that if I didn't like it I should fix it, so off I hurried to Lowe's with a different paintchip in hand. An hour and a half later I fed the kids again, sat them down with the Wii and got to work painting the room green. I knocked it out in about 2 hours and got back to the cabinet doors. Put the boys to bed and finished loading up the cabinets. I crawled in bed just after 1am, tired but much happier with the condition of the kitchen.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Progress Pictures
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| Wednesday, patching walls and holes in floor. I trimmed wine corks to fit the holes in the floor and then wood glued a small circle of matching flooring to the top. Yep, i am that redneck. Don't be jealous I thought of it first;) |
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| About midnite Friday nite with the first oat of base on the cabinets and wood filled backsplash ready for a coat of paint |
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| End cabinet I built to store cookie sheets and large platters |
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| That's me! painting behind the refrigerator |
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| This is my "why in the hell are you taking my picture when I look like this" expression! |
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| Friday nite, painting done |
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| Top cabinets first coat of base, backsplash painted |
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| Friday nite, base coat on upper and lower cabinets, totally exhausted! |
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| Dawning realization that this color looks light blue instead of light sage green. NO!!!!!! |
Day 5 A Lesson in Patience
Day 5
A lesson in patience! I warned the dear one that Friday I was painting the walls! So after i made oatmeal, and passed out vitamins and got the boys off to school I put on my hideous painting shirt and jeans and got to work! Cut in alone took 4 hours. I was almost done when the oldest boy walked in from school. And husband was off on another trip. Really it was for his own protection! lol, he was trying to be a good sport about my neurosis! but it was probably best he didn't have to witness it!
So paint on walls, frozen pizza in oven, I began to paint the beadboard. "Dang, it was starting to look good!" Then the middle child, God love him, said"it looks like winter in here" and I stopped in my tracks! uhoh, I love warm colors. Winter is bad and doubts began to rise about this color!
Hoping for the best I tucked my babies in, well, they decided to sleep in the basement so they could stay up late playing video games. And got busy on the cabinets. Scrub with smelly goo, then coat with base color. About 2 am, so tired I could hardly see I sat down to have a snack, call my husband to say goodnite and just be still for the first moment since 6 am. Exhausted I drug myself up to shower and fall in to bed.
A lesson in patience! I warned the dear one that Friday I was painting the walls! So after i made oatmeal, and passed out vitamins and got the boys off to school I put on my hideous painting shirt and jeans and got to work! Cut in alone took 4 hours. I was almost done when the oldest boy walked in from school. And husband was off on another trip. Really it was for his own protection! lol, he was trying to be a good sport about my neurosis! but it was probably best he didn't have to witness it!
So paint on walls, frozen pizza in oven, I began to paint the beadboard. "Dang, it was starting to look good!" Then the middle child, God love him, said"it looks like winter in here" and I stopped in my tracks! uhoh, I love warm colors. Winter is bad and doubts began to rise about this color!
Hoping for the best I tucked my babies in, well, they decided to sleep in the basement so they could stay up late playing video games. And got busy on the cabinets. Scrub with smelly goo, then coat with base color. About 2 am, so tired I could hardly see I sat down to have a snack, call my husband to say goodnite and just be still for the first moment since 6 am. Exhausted I drug myself up to shower and fall in to bed.
Day 4 and 5 Wednesday and Thursday
I did not get much done with my shocked and bewildered husband under my feet. I focused on soothing and relaxing him. A girl has to do what a girl has to do!;)
What I did do was patch the drywall where the kids had taken chunks out with their beyblades and other various activities and scrub all the cabinets down in prep for their new color. A little shopping at Lowes and I got the rest of the trim up around the beadboard. That about covers it. But by friday morning he was beginning to come around and see how awesome and amazing it was going to look when I was done. I hope!!!!
I did not get much done with my shocked and bewildered husband under my feet. I focused on soothing and relaxing him. A girl has to do what a girl has to do!;)
What I did do was patch the drywall where the kids had taken chunks out with their beyblades and other various activities and scrub all the cabinets down in prep for their new color. A little shopping at Lowes and I got the rest of the trim up around the beadboard. That about covers it. But by friday morning he was beginning to come around and see how awesome and amazing it was going to look when I was done. I hope!!!!
Day 3 Tuesday
My poor husband is coming home tonite! He has no idea what I have been up to! it is possible he may kill me when he sees the mess I have made!!!!!!! So this is the first thoughts I have when the alarm went off. I was up and helping the kids get off to school. Then I needed to hook up the dishwasher and work on that gap in the counter! I got everything hooked up and turned on the dishwasher. Yay! no leaks! then the waste water started to flow thru the tube and I was shocked when it began spouting like a whale out of the tube!!!! EEK! So I shut it off and realized there was a hole in the tube. Off to Ace I go to get a new tube. Standing in Ace with the man who is helping me looking at me like I am a lunatic as I try to explain all that I am doing in the kitchen I feel a bit dizzy and realize I haven't eaten since yesterday at lunch. So new tube in hand I head for McDonalds and a huge coffee and pancakes. Back home I paused long enough to eat and suck down my coffee before putting the new hoses on the dishwasher, then fill the gap wiith more liquid nails,construct a cabinet in the space leftover past the dishwasher, clean up the huge mess from the night before and start cutting out more beadboard for the backsplash. I got the last piece up just as the little boys came home and cleaned up the gigantic mess of sawdust from the beadboard. Then I made my kids a decent dinner and sat to eat with them. After dinner I realized I was physically exhausted so I texted my husband and warned him that the kitchen was not what he was expecting! Then I took a hot shower and curled up on the couch with my boys, helped them with their homework and watched some tv with them.
I would say shock and dismay were husband's reaction. But I was sure he would come around;)
My poor husband is coming home tonite! He has no idea what I have been up to! it is possible he may kill me when he sees the mess I have made!!!!!!! So this is the first thoughts I have when the alarm went off. I was up and helping the kids get off to school. Then I needed to hook up the dishwasher and work on that gap in the counter! I got everything hooked up and turned on the dishwasher. Yay! no leaks! then the waste water started to flow thru the tube and I was shocked when it began spouting like a whale out of the tube!!!! EEK! So I shut it off and realized there was a hole in the tube. Off to Ace I go to get a new tube. Standing in Ace with the man who is helping me looking at me like I am a lunatic as I try to explain all that I am doing in the kitchen I feel a bit dizzy and realize I haven't eaten since yesterday at lunch. So new tube in hand I head for McDonalds and a huge coffee and pancakes. Back home I paused long enough to eat and suck down my coffee before putting the new hoses on the dishwasher, then fill the gap wiith more liquid nails,construct a cabinet in the space leftover past the dishwasher, clean up the huge mess from the night before and start cutting out more beadboard for the backsplash. I got the last piece up just as the little boys came home and cleaned up the gigantic mess of sawdust from the beadboard. Then I made my kids a decent dinner and sat to eat with them. After dinner I realized I was physically exhausted so I texted my husband and warned him that the kitchen was not what he was expecting! Then I took a hot shower and curled up on the couch with my boys, helped them with their homework and watched some tv with them.
I would say shock and dismay were husband's reaction. But I was sure he would come around;)
Thursday, January 19, 2012
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| My kitchen Sunday afternoon after making lunch for the kids, just beginning to clear countertops. |
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| Before view of kitchen from breakfast room. You can see the hated U creates a very small work space. |
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| Sunday evening after removing wall cabinet, all cabinets cleared and counters mostly empty |
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| Now I am making progress, counter cut, dishwasher disconnected and drawer unit moved, electric disconnected. This is when I called it a day on Sunday. |
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| A picture of the holes I left in the floor when I moved the dishwasher. That is where the electric came up from the basement. |
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| from the dining room doorway looking into the kitchen after disconnecting the dishwasher from electric and watersupply and cutting the copper pipe. |
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| Monday morning, corner cabinet removed. Time to move the electric for the dishwasher. |
I was so tired Monday nite and so frantic Tuesday morning I forgot to take a picture of the counter after we fitted it with the new end piece.
Day 2 Monday
monday morning I got the kids off to school, had to make coffee in the bathroom because the power to the kitchen was off. Made toast for the kids in the family room and off they went on the bus. I took my crowbar and hammer and headed for the corner cabinet. It took some serious effort to pull that built in apart and get it out of there. Then I moved the electric for the dishwasher in the basement rafters and drilled a new access hole in the floor of the kitchen under the kitchen counter where the dishwasher would have its new home. The smell of grinding wood and liquid nails was pretty strong! Once I got that done I went in the garage and set up my cutting area and marked the cut on the extra run of countertop I had in there from the previous owner of our house. It is an exact match to the one in the kitchen so I knew I could match them up. I measured and measured and measured until I was pretty sure I had the angle right then I started cutting. I had to cut a triangle shaped piece to fit into the countertop where i was removing the U or the counter wouldn't have the rounded edge on the front. So I got about half way through and wasn't having much success. I was chipping a bit and the saw kept locking up and I didn't know why. (Remember I only had the 10 min tutorial from a neighbor on how to operate this thing!)
Frustrated I stepped back and took a minute to evaluate. I was freezing in the garage. Wearing my slippers, only had 1 cup of coffee(this in itself could be causing major problems) and hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon. So like any good housewife I decided to clean up. I got mu broom and trashbag and cleaned up all the demo in the kitchen. Feeling better I changed clothes and went to lunch with a girlfriend. Stopped at Ace hardware and told the helpful people there what I was doing and what my problem was and bought what they told me I needed. I had to cut the pipe for the dishwasher and needed new compression fittings. I didn't know that is what they called them. I walked in with the cut end of the pipe and said "I need new ones of these little dohickeys" and of course they knew just what I needed. Thank Goodness!
Back home I changed into my work clothes again and went and measured all my cuts for the beadboard backsplash and marked them on the beadboard so I could start on that. Cut the first piece, much harder then I expected to cut straight! I am a small person and I found that with my small hands power tool buttons and handles are very much to big. It was a challenge to hold the safety and power button and still have a good hold on the saw to guide it. And being extremly short doesn't help for leverage and visual guidance.
But I cut the first piece drilled holes to start the cutouts for the electric outlet and light switch and liquid nailed it to the wall. Yay! I know people do this all the time but I was so pleased to put that first piece up there. Ragged edges, slightly 2 big cutouts and all I felt happy with it. The first positive step towards my new kitchen. Demo can be fun, and physically tasking! but it is demolition and I am a maker by nature not a destroyer. So this part felt great. Just as I was enjpying my tiny victory my oldest child came home from school. The horror on his face when he walked in the door would have been comical if it wasn't me who created the mess he was reacting to. He immmediatly headed for the basement and some video games but I corralled him into helping me take the cabinets I removed into the garage. Then I let him go hid. Poor baby. (He is 16) Then I wiped down all the cabinets, swept the floor, cleaned off the table and made dinner for the kids. My little ones(9 and 8) came in shortly after. They eat dinner when they get home.
As the kids were eating I started looking around. Oh my God, what a mess!
Just as I was feeling a little discouraged my friend Britt showed up with a bag of tools and plenty of energy. So we got to work cutting the end off the countertop. It took much longer then expected. Because it had metal bolts all along the seam I was trying to cut. I did not know they would be there. So it took us hours to cut through it, then cut a piece from the extra counter in the garage. And Britt taught me that my saw was locking up because I was trying to go to fast. You have to go slow! But how could I go slow when in 24 hours my husband was going to walk into the kitchen he was expecting to be freshly painted and discover I had ripped it apart! Then the moment of truth. Matching the angles up. And crushing disappointment when it was way off and the tiny adjustments we had to make in increments to try to get it matched. Hours and hours, finally exhausted we were left with 2 pieces that sat even at front and back and a half inch gap in the middle running down the seam. So we did what any girls from Ky who are doing construction and have no idea what they are doing would do. We filled it with liquid nails and nailed some wood pieces to the bottom to help secure it. See if all else fails, hit it with a hammer and then squirt liquid nails all over, really works!
Oh and in between all this, I helped my kids with homework, had them take baths and put them to bed. Then I sent a very tired Britt home, after midnite, to her own family with a very grateful heart for a friend who would devote her whole afternoon and evening to helping me. And I,exhausted, sore and a little scared of what I had done, went to bed wondering vagely how I was going to explain all this to my dear husband.
Frustrated I stepped back and took a minute to evaluate. I was freezing in the garage. Wearing my slippers, only had 1 cup of coffee(this in itself could be causing major problems) and hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon. So like any good housewife I decided to clean up. I got mu broom and trashbag and cleaned up all the demo in the kitchen. Feeling better I changed clothes and went to lunch with a girlfriend. Stopped at Ace hardware and told the helpful people there what I was doing and what my problem was and bought what they told me I needed. I had to cut the pipe for the dishwasher and needed new compression fittings. I didn't know that is what they called them. I walked in with the cut end of the pipe and said "I need new ones of these little dohickeys" and of course they knew just what I needed. Thank Goodness!
Back home I changed into my work clothes again and went and measured all my cuts for the beadboard backsplash and marked them on the beadboard so I could start on that. Cut the first piece, much harder then I expected to cut straight! I am a small person and I found that with my small hands power tool buttons and handles are very much to big. It was a challenge to hold the safety and power button and still have a good hold on the saw to guide it. And being extremly short doesn't help for leverage and visual guidance.
But I cut the first piece drilled holes to start the cutouts for the electric outlet and light switch and liquid nailed it to the wall. Yay! I know people do this all the time but I was so pleased to put that first piece up there. Ragged edges, slightly 2 big cutouts and all I felt happy with it. The first positive step towards my new kitchen. Demo can be fun, and physically tasking! but it is demolition and I am a maker by nature not a destroyer. So this part felt great. Just as I was enjpying my tiny victory my oldest child came home from school. The horror on his face when he walked in the door would have been comical if it wasn't me who created the mess he was reacting to. He immmediatly headed for the basement and some video games but I corralled him into helping me take the cabinets I removed into the garage. Then I let him go hid. Poor baby. (He is 16) Then I wiped down all the cabinets, swept the floor, cleaned off the table and made dinner for the kids. My little ones(9 and 8) came in shortly after. They eat dinner when they get home.
As the kids were eating I started looking around. Oh my God, what a mess!
Just as I was feeling a little discouraged my friend Britt showed up with a bag of tools and plenty of energy. So we got to work cutting the end off the countertop. It took much longer then expected. Because it had metal bolts all along the seam I was trying to cut. I did not know they would be there. So it took us hours to cut through it, then cut a piece from the extra counter in the garage. And Britt taught me that my saw was locking up because I was trying to go to fast. You have to go slow! But how could I go slow when in 24 hours my husband was going to walk into the kitchen he was expecting to be freshly painted and discover I had ripped it apart! Then the moment of truth. Matching the angles up. And crushing disappointment when it was way off and the tiny adjustments we had to make in increments to try to get it matched. Hours and hours, finally exhausted we were left with 2 pieces that sat even at front and back and a half inch gap in the middle running down the seam. So we did what any girls from Ky who are doing construction and have no idea what they are doing would do. We filled it with liquid nails and nailed some wood pieces to the bottom to help secure it. See if all else fails, hit it with a hammer and then squirt liquid nails all over, really works!
Oh and in between all this, I helped my kids with homework, had them take baths and put them to bed. Then I sent a very tired Britt home, after midnite, to her own family with a very grateful heart for a friend who would devote her whole afternoon and evening to helping me. And I,exhausted, sore and a little scared of what I had done, went to bed wondering vagely how I was going to explain all this to my dear husband.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Day 1 Sunday I needed a plan. So I sat down and figured up the costs of paint, supplies, beadboard and a bit of trim, oh and a bunch of Liquid Nails!!! I had a bit of cash and thought I could cover it but just in case I called my poor husband and got the ok for some extra funds, in case. In case I screwed everything up, and a case of beer. Hey construction makes a girl thirsty!
When I got home from the Lowe's I emptied all my cabinets into boxes and got right to work. First I took a cabinet off the wall and then I unscrewed the countertops and took out a base cabinet of drawers. Then I disconnected the dishwasher. Remembering to shut off the electricity and water first. Then I disconnected the electric from the back of the drawer cabinet that made the pininsula. I remembered to tape it all off so it would be safe too. Oh and my handy neighbor came down and showed me how to use a saw so I used that to cut the countertop U off! now it was gettin fun. Except for when I hit myself in the leg with the countertop and took a chunk outta my shin. I had enough bruises to look like I had been shoppin at a Macy's bargain basement sale! So I went to bed!
When I got home from the Lowe's I emptied all my cabinets into boxes and got right to work. First I took a cabinet off the wall and then I unscrewed the countertops and took out a base cabinet of drawers. Then I disconnected the dishwasher. Remembering to shut off the electricity and water first. Then I disconnected the electric from the back of the drawer cabinet that made the pininsula. I remembered to tape it all off so it would be safe too. Oh and my handy neighbor came down and showed me how to use a saw so I used that to cut the countertop U off! now it was gettin fun. Except for when I hit myself in the leg with the countertop and took a chunk outta my shin. I had enough bruises to look like I had been shoppin at a Macy's bargain basement sale! So I went to bed!
I Needed A Little Air So a week ago Sunday I decided I needed more air in my kitchen. So I did a little shoppin' down at the Lowes and walked into the kitchen with a hammer and a crowbar. A week later I had a whole new kitchen, kinda! Now, I had practically no money going in and since I only told my husband I was going to paint I needed to keep it on the down low and in the black! I'll post my remodel budget expenses later. My husband blissfully went on his way to work(he travels) and the boys were happily playing with their new Christmas video games so I got to work. That U shaped kitchen irked me since we bought this house and I was fixin to get rid of it!
Hey y'all,
My name is Jessica and I am a Kentucky housewife raising up 3 boys while decorating, crafting and tryin to be a thrifty shopper and not drive my poor husband crazy. I am new to a lot of this techy stuff so be patient with me if it doesn't look so great for a while till I figure all this out! I love to snuggle my babies on the couch, smash stuff with a hammer, and drink a little beer. Oh, and throw a party!!!! Didja eat yet? :)
I make a lot of mistakes but try to just pull my big girl panties up, throw on some lipstick and pearls and head for happy hour!! So if ya want to come along with me for the ride, be happy to have ya!
My name is Jessica and I am a Kentucky housewife raising up 3 boys while decorating, crafting and tryin to be a thrifty shopper and not drive my poor husband crazy. I am new to a lot of this techy stuff so be patient with me if it doesn't look so great for a while till I figure all this out! I love to snuggle my babies on the couch, smash stuff with a hammer, and drink a little beer. Oh, and throw a party!!!! Didja eat yet? :)
I make a lot of mistakes but try to just pull my big girl panties up, throw on some lipstick and pearls and head for happy hour!! So if ya want to come along with me for the ride, be happy to have ya!
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