Living Through a Remodel
Our contractor is so patient, he even let DD get in on a little of the painting action.
UUGGGHHHHH!!! Am I right? We are 2 weeks into our kitchen remodel and the chaos and mess are frightening. I’ve put clients through this before but never have I been through this major of an upheaval. AND, as upheavals go…this is not so bad. We are not changing the footprint of the kitchen or replacing any of our appliances, so in reality, it’s fairly minor. I’ve done my best to minimize the disruption so here are a few tips I’ve learned.
Do a kitchen remodel in the warm months, it’s 30 degrees outside and I wish we could use the BBQ. Instead, we are on a first-name basis with the pizza delivery guy, who is very impressed with the progress we are making in the kitchen.
Make sure all of your items are delivered before the contractors start. I’ve had 2 unforeseen delays due to the new tariffs, both of them tile and both I was told were in stock before we began. I do have everything else hanging out in the garage and did prior to anyone getting started. By having everything your possession you eliminate any hold-ups that are out of your control and 2. there is no second-guessing yourself. The tile I chose for the pantry floor is on backorder for at least 3 months, possibly more. So I ordered a second tile that I “thought” was the same shade. When it arrived it was bluer than the sample so I stopped the painters, see above, while I ran around trying to check shades against the counters which were in transit from the stone warehouse and the fabricators.
Get Organized! For me, this meant clearing out a large space in the storage room for all of the items that rarely get used anyway and certainly were not going to be used while the house is torn up. Our dining room then became the pantry and I tried to keep things in a similar order as the cabinets.
If you can, set up a micro-kitchen. We have a wet bar so that has become our little kitchen for the time being. Before we began, I removed all of the items that would not be necessary and stocked it with all of the necessities.
Make a coffee station. I commandeered our bar cart, removed all of the drinks paraphernalia and set up the coffee machine, mugs, and canisters for coffee and sugar. This has been a real plus, we have both enjoyed having this designated area.
The demo on the countertops starts Saturday and the new counters will be installed Tuesday. yesterday I was able to see the slabs for the first time since they were honed. I think for the first time in my life, I know what if feels like to swoon.
Remodeling is a pain, but the more planning you do the more you can minimize the aggravation and ALWAYS keep in mind the beautiful end results.