Since the studio will be closed for a couple of weeks for the reno, I figured an update as to why would make a little sense, and since i had received a ton of questions on instagram and facebook about projects we’ve started and paint colors we’ve used, i thought i would put it all in one place. One for me to help anyone looking for it, two to share mishaps and helpful tips (if i come across any) and most importantly for me to document the process for myself…im infamous for taking a bunch of personal shots and doing nothing with them!! Without further ado, entry number one in my renovation project…
How we started this whole shebang…
11 years ago, my soon to be and I bought a house. A cute little house. We seriously did love it, still do, well except for the kitchen. It was nice enough (livable) but not at all what I wanted or needed. (go ahead, everyone who knows me, laugh away…in case you don’t already know I do NOT cook…like nothing, ever…unless its quick … or take out).
any who, kitchen as it stands (as its been for 11 years) is just…meh. What a dislike most: Press board cabinets, Formica counters, some weird backsplash pattern that makes little to no sense. And my FAVORITE (insert sarcastic emoticon here) part of the WHOLE kitchen…the stupid BLUE tile floor. Stupid you say!? Yes, I despise it, so I can call it whatever names I like! For one, its blue…so there goes any artistic visions I’ve had over the last 10 years because we are forever stuck with blue, there’s not much you can do with a blue floor. And two, not only is the blue floor blue, it has grout lines you can drive a tracker trailer through. Those suckers are wide and deep. You can imagine with kids how fun that is. Just ask anyone who stops by my house uninvited, my vacuum is NEVER EVER EVER put away…it’s ALWAYS ready to be fired up for a once over in the kitchen, catching the crumbs and other mysterious things that can fall in between the unforgiving trenches. Of course vacuuming is followed by a tooth brush cleaning to keep said ridiculously deep and extremely annoying ditches of plaster (is grout plaster?) clean.
So 11 LONG years ago, we sat down we a very nice gentleman at Consumer Kitchens and Baths and he laid out a very nice little upgrade for us. Leaving the kitchen as is, replacing the cabinets, and upgrade to the counters, the usual. We had to some other projects in the works and we soon after got pregnant with Kira and then Lindsay and time got away (like a lot of time) and we never went ahead with the update, all the while never forgetting how much I wanted a new kitchen and how stupid that floor is.
There is a lesson here and the point of my story…I’m SOOOOOO glad we let the time get away from us. What we had planned then was not anything like the direction we are going now. It was a quick fix, inexpensive and most likely temporarily. As much as I hate to admit that my husband is EVER right, be patient. Don’t jump into it. Live and work in the space because after 11 years, I know EXACTLY what needs fixing, what works as it is and what doesn’t. I know 110% how my family works and what will work best for them in the space. And 11 years of HGTV, DIY network, countless hours on Pinterest and too many conversations with friends, clients and family that have inspiring spaces…we are HERE! 5 days away from demo…and I’m a little excited to say the least!
I may need some support around these parts. Someone to talk me down when the mess is too much. When my kids ask for the 894627 time “what can we do”, “there’s nothing to do”, “there’s nothing to eat” and when we’re tripping over ourselves and lumber, and dirt and debris…promise to let me scream it out!? And I promise to share any knowledge I learn from this experience, everything, including the kitchen sink…that’s not a pun, it’s a legit serious consideration and unknowingly a pretty big deal!
Till tomorrow peeps!