It’s funny how the demolition is so fast and the build up is so slow. This week marks two major events in the remodel – floor repair and wall painting. Our floor guy is the most patient person on the plant…and according to our neighbor, a “true artisan” when it comes to hardwood floors. That’s great news, because our repair certainly needed it. He pried up the floor piece by piece to fill in where the wall was and is “feathering out” the stain to match. Don’t let the pictures fool you – it doesn’t match yet. Continue reading
Month: January 2015
Week 2: Decisions, Decisions
Now that the major demo is over, some real decisions have to be made. Pinterest can only take me so far. On Friday we discovered that our original plan for the chimney style vent won’t work – the exterior vent runs into the a lower roofline on the back of the house. Bummer. That means hours and hours of research trying to find a solution that is within budget. We received the final costs for the cabinets with the continual upgrades that we keep adding…..and then take off. The good news is that Jeff will still get his dovetail cabinet drawers. The countertop costs came in above the estimate, but again, we added a bit of counter for a beverage bar that we’ll love once it’s done, so when I’m cooking out of my budget cookbooks for the rest of the year, I’ll only have myself to blame. Understanding how everything is priced out can be a bit confusing, but since this is not HGTV, we’re learning how this works in the real world. Continue reading
Week 1: Demolition
Demolition began on January 19 at 7:30 in the morning. Bob the Builder came by with his friend Scotty, said good morning, and then started moving things in. By the time I dropped the kids off, I walked into the house to this…
A trip down memory lane…
When we bought our 1926 colonial in 2007, we thought the very first thing we’d work on was the kitchen. It had to go. Terrible and oddly routed cabinets, hardworking appliances from 1982, and countertops that were installed in 1968. Clearly, everything must go.
Maybe not. After we painted cabinets, installed prefab counters, replaced the fridge, scored a hand me down range, replaced 2 dishwashers, had 2 kids, and realized we were 8 years in, we finally were ready to move forward on the kitchen we really wanted. But first – a look at where we’ve been.
Kitchen upon move in day, 2007. We think it was last renovated in 1968. At least that was the date of the newspaper we found in the wall.
Moving out. Good times.
Last looks.
Keeping the dishwasher too. But soon it will actually have the cabinet front it’s supposed to have.
Goodbye, wasted space….
Last look.
Peeking through the door…that will soon be gone.
But we are keeping the fridge. Love the Liebherr!
And it begins…
I admit that I have more than 99 cookbooks. But after kicking off our renovations with breathing plaster, sweeping dust, and drinking a cold beer on a Friday night, 99 cookbooks on the wall seemed like a somewhat witty title. So, that’s where I’ll start!
My goal is to take down a cookbook, use it for a week, and provide ratings, reviews, and general thoughts about each cookbook. Real reviews from a real family. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Sometimes I’ll throw a little real life in there. And perhaps it will answer the question of “do you REALLY need another cookbook?” (YES!)
99 cookbooks 