Pictures…
I don’t have much to say today. This weekend has been a “down” weekend. I don’t mean I’m feeling down, I mean my body took some down time. I had a completely lazy day yesterday. I put off yard work until today and allowed myself a day of reading, movies, and relaxing. [I did get up and go to my football game in the evening so I wasn’t totally prone!]
This morning we were treated to a much needed deluge of rain. No complaints from me as the ground was desperately thirsty. However, it did mean that my plan to deal with the piles of dirt in my yard did not come to fruition. There is no point in killing myself in thunderstorms and downpours and I sure didn’t want to have to haul the extra weight of wet dirt!!
That doesn’t mean I had two completely down days, though. I spent this afternoon putting together the final touches for the kitchen reno. My contractor has been reminding me regularly that I have to pick cabinet handles. Strange how sometimes it’s the small details that are the hardest to choose. I have searched online, gone to stores, and looked at Pinterest, magazines, blogs, etc. I could not make a final choice. Today was going to have to be the day. I went to my go-to hardware store where I bought my appliances, sink, and faucet figuring they would have what I want. And no. The handles I had looked at each time I’d been in the store turned out to be special order (which I would have known if I’d asked on one of those trips!) and, according to the sales associate, will take weeks to come in. Weeks!! I don’t have that kind of time.
After a quick call to my mom (I mean, really, aren’t moms great? You can reach out about anything and they always have an answer!!) she suggested another hardware store that I honestly should have thought of. Anyway, off I went and found what I think is going to be unique and fit in with the special elements of the kitchen. These too, are special order but only days, not weeks to arrive. Phew!
The other big choice that I’ve had to make this week was about the countertops. That was the appointment I was dreading. I thought it would take forever and either they wouldn’t have what I pictured or they would have so much I couldn’t narrow it down. I chose four options (for estimate purposes) and you can see them below. I’m not going to say which I’ve chosen but would love to hear from you as to your favourite. It’s already ordered so there won’t be any hard feelings if we don’t agree!
A couple of things that I learned this week:
1) When having a contractor do your renovation, be prepared to make decisions; I can’t tell you how many times he’s popped by my desk with a quick - do you prefer this way or that way? They might be small matters but they potentially could have a big impact on the overall design or, more importantly, the functionality. By the way, I’m not saying this in a complaining tone. I appreciate the thought that is going into the work.
2) Remember who the expert is. I am not an expert but I know what I want. He is the expert but can’t be inside my head. The reality might mean that I can’t have everything OR it might mean I have to compromise in another area. A friend pointed out that I should think in terms of function not just style. What do I want an area to “do”? That’s helped so much. I really wanted to increase the number of outlets available and until I thought about what I want to use that area of the kitchen for, I couldn’t aptly share my vision. Once I did, it was a problem solved for the contractor. He now understands the why and how for those outlets and I’m getting what I want and need.
3) These people - contractors, workers, etc. are doing everything they can to give me my dream. How awesome is that?! In return they have my respect and my gratitude. I know I pay them but it isn’t all about the money. It’s stocking the fridge with water because it’s been bloody hot. It’s a quick thank you at the end of the day. And, on their side, it’s been the friendliness when my dog wanders around and the helpfulness when the single dad came to pick up the old fridge and they carried it out. Kindness and respect go both ways and make for an easier time when dealing with what is so often a very stressful experience.
I’ve added lots of pictures below to share the “coming together” of the kitchen.
Top: we discovered a hole was cut through to the outside - you could fit both fists through it and pick the grass!!
Middle (from left to right): the old insulation and the door we found behind the wall; the outside wall where the original house ended; behind the old insulation
Bottom: adding wood to even out the wall and prepare for electrical and plumbing
New insulation, new outlets, completed underfloor!
Top: left is the cement poured to level out the floor (it’s quite slanted); right is the helpful barrier to keep dog out
Bottom: left is a very old board that had to be removed and will play a special role in the kitchen finish; right is above the old doorway - that’s floral print wallpaper!
Can you guess what roles these will play?
These are the four quartz choices for estimate purposes. Thoughts?