Our Kitchen Remodel

My life is in total disarray.

We are currently in the throes of remodeling my kitchen.

It is not a job for the faint of heart.

We have practically gutted it as this kitchen was in pretty big need of a facelift. Our house was built in 1977, and I'm pretty sure that it hasn't been touched since then -- hence the wallpaper that looks like the same wallpaper on the walls of my grandmother's upstairs bedroom. And the bar. And the cupboard placed above the bar that impedes all sight into the living room. And the handles on the cupboards...

Yeah. Pretty much everything.

Initially, we were just going to take down the cupboard above the bar and paint over the wallpaper. And then Gina and Eric came to visit.

Now let me just say...Eric and Gina flip houses on the side. Their minds explode with ideas and then they turn those ideas into reality. It's a beautiful thing - an art form really. And so when they came to visit? They threw out a million ideas: You should move this cupboard over here! And put the bar here! And then you could paint the cupboard like this. And how about adding a subfloor to the dining room so that you just have a sunken living room instead of a sunken living/dining room?

And on and on. Of course, all of their ideas sounded fabulous, and so by the time they left? Well, I had visions of a brand new kitchen dancing around in my head. Initially, Roy balked. So much work! Eric did this for a living - he was fast! And even though Roy is very capable and can pretty much do anything that involves his hands, it would take a bit more research and time. But over time, he became a bit more accustomed to the idea and finally, little by little, he acquiesced.

And so on Monday, January 8, we began.

Roy's first  calculations were that this remodel job would take 3 weeks, start to finish. Snap of the fingers. But we are now three weeks in and ... well, it's going to take a bit more time than originally anticipated.

That's just the way life rolls sometimes.

And it's ok. My kitchen will be something to behold once it's done. I'm so excited. In the meantime, let me give you a glimpse of life in the Seals' home over the past few weeks:

This is my kitchen before it all began. This was actually taken just before we bought the house. But note the uneven flooring, the bar, and the cupboard above the bar. Also, see how there is this "boxing" above all the cupboards? Yeah - all of that is gone.

Job #1? Move everything out of the kitchen....and into the living room. 

And then? Tear out the cupboard above the bar.

Eric came over to share some of his knowledge and help Roy take off the popcorn from the ceilings.

And then we started on the subfloor in the dining room.

And this is me in beast-mode. Let's take a moment to be impressed:

Subfloor complete! (This took at least 4 days...maybe more...)

And this is how my kitchen has looked as Roy worked on sheet rocking, and electrical, and creating doors for cupboards that didn't have doors...and so on. Pretty much everything - and by himself as I don't know how to do any of it...And all without complaining. He's a trooper.

 

But yesterday? Well, yesterday we were able to hang the cupboard that was originally above the bar...(This is how Roy is feeling about this project right about now...)

So, we still have a ways to go. But we've made a lot of progress! Once we've finished it, I'll post some photos so that everyone can enjoy the final product.

I can't wait.

In the meantime, Roy and I are heading off to a cruise to the western Caribbean  this coming Sunday. We're cruising with Tami and Chas, and our good friends Debbie and Carlos. We're pretty danged excited.

Happy weekend, Friends!