PrairieSong Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Our remodeling project began with demo on Jan. 23 and we've been sorta camping out in the basement with electric skillet, crock pot, etc., washing dishes in a dish pan in the bathroom. The project was stalled by the drywall guys who didn't come on schedule. The main contractor was very frustrated and angry. He started getting names of other people, but finally an older guy came in and did it. Oh, and one of the guys who was supposed to finish the drywall worked one day, then came another afternoon for FORTY-FIVE MINUTES and mysteriously left. He sent me a text two weeks ago that he had not been paid (found out he actually had, and we don't pay him directly anyway) and was going to put a LIEN of $300 against us. He is a liar according to the contractor, and he had some choice words with the drywall sub contractor for ever sending that guy. Soooo...the counter tops are scheduled for next Tuesday! Then the tile guy will do the back splash and the plumber will hook up the sink and gas stove. The electrician has a few things to finish which he can do anytime. I am a pretty patient person but it has been getting OLD living without a kitchen. I. Can't. Wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~*Beatrix*~ Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Hooray! I really am happy for you! I had to respond because I have been there and done that! We did our kitchen last fall and it was largely DIY. Took forever! I did dishes in my laundry room, had my microwave plugged in in the foyer, and had a double electric burner, coffee pot, and toaster on my dryer. Fun times! Three months later, we were done enough to have running water and a stove again, and so I was able to use my new kitchen for the first time at 2am on Christmas morning. It was such a good feeling. Now I will leave out the part about our new kitchen flooding only 3 weeks later and having to be completely ripped out and done AGAIN thru insurance... but it was done by Easter! I would love to see befores, progress pics, and afters when you are done! What style are you going for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted March 22, 2013 Author Share Posted March 22, 2013 Hi Beatrix, I'm glad to hear from someone who survived kitchen remodeling and lived to tell the tale! So sorry about the kitchen flooding! Glad insurance covered it. Our house is an 80's three bedroom ranch, 1500 sf, but seems bigger since we knocked out a wall between the kitchen and dining room. Our cabinets were falling apart and the vinyl floor was very ripped up. The living and dining rooms had old carpet but now all three rooms have hickory floors. Our medium oak cabinets have been replaced with natural maple ones that extend all the way to the ceiling. Before, I kept anything that did not fit in the cabinets, on top of the cabinets. I don't have very good before pics but I do have some of demo. Today we painted. The kitchen and dining room are a medium green color that contrasts with the light maple cabinets. The living room is light gray with one dark gray wall where the sofa is. We will put art work there. We took out a massive brick fireplace that nearly covered that whole wall. It was inefficient so we never used it. I think my style is maybe traditional/eclectic. I am not ultra modern or country. I love natural materials like wood, stone, and pottery, and I love a good bargain! Dd and I found a mirror on clearance at Tuesday Morning that will probably go in the entryway. All it needs is some black paint to cover the scuffs. I have an eclectic collection of art from stuff my kids did to the sampler made by my great grandmother in the 1800's! Hopefully I can make it all work together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 I am a pretty patient person but it has been getting OLD living without a kitchen. I. Can't. Wait. We are on the same schedule! We started our kitchen renovation in January by knocking out a wall. We started putting in some new Ikea cupboards in early February. We took out the kitchen sink and stove in early March, and expect the get the new ones in this weekend - maybe... This is a DIY project (apart from the plastering and major plumbing). I'm doing most of it myself, but then will come up against something that needs dh's input, and there we stall until the next weekend because he is crazy-busy at work. It stopped being fun quite a whle ago! We are cooking on the bbq, and on a little mini camping stove that burns liquid fuel. We have an outside sink. I hope everything falls into place and you have a kitchen by Easter. If not, at least you'll have an excuse to eat lots of chocolate (my solution to most of life's woes)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted March 23, 2013 Author Share Posted March 23, 2013 We are on the same schedule! We started our kitchen renovation in January by knocking out a wall. We started putting in some new Ikea cupboards in early February. We took out the kitchen sink and stove in early March, and expect the get the new ones in this weekend - maybe... This is a DIY project (apart from the plastering and major plumbing). I'm doing most of it myself, but then will come up against something that needs dh's input, and there we stall until the next weekend because he is crazy-busy at work. It stopped being fun quite a whle ago! We are cooking on the bbq, and on a little mini camping stove that burns liquid fuel. We have an outside sink. I hope everything falls into place and you have a kitchen by Easter. If not, at least you'll have an excuse to eat lots of chocolate (my solution to most of life's woes)! Wow, you're amazing!!! No way could I do all of this stuff. I could learn to tile, I'm pretty sure, but I wouldn't want to hang cabinets. I like to paint though. That is easy as long as I have a wet rag for mishaps. Dh has his own business and is working crazy hours now. He'd rather pay someone else to do this than attempt it himself. He's a wonderful husband and provider! I can't wait for his schedule to calm down so he can relax in the finished house a bit more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~*Beatrix*~ Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 Patty, it sounds beautiful! I love the sound of the gray paint and the green and all the natural wood. So peaceful. We put down new flooring as well and very nearly went with natural hickory, but ended up with a handscraped birch in a darker, warm brown. We went with white cabinets from Ikea. We, too, knocked out a wall, and the pantry behind it. It enlarged the kitchen and made the whole house feel larger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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