We have been doing lots of final organisation-y kind of things and a little work. Things seem to be moving slowly but I guess that's because we haven't done any of the "Oh my goodness what a difference that made" work yet. Replacing your ceilings and pulling up tile doesn't give you the "Wow" factor I'm looking forward to seeing at the end of this project. Assuming we ever finish. I'm expecting at this point to do an unveil for you all around Christmas. And so , because I don't have anything much to show you, I'm going to show you some of the colours we've picked out.
Walls
Bench tops
Kitchen cabinetry in this colour and style but I picked nicer handles. And I'm not having glass doors because I dont want to have to clean them.
We met with the kitchen designer (sounds impressive doesn't it ) last weekend and were informed that because we have requested some non standard stuff our kitchen components will take at least a week longer to be done than usual. So we're now looking at an install date of around August 9th which is only 3 weeks away. The old kitchen is being ripped out in 12 days, so we can tile before the new cabinets go in. Living here is going to be just like camping, which is not usually something I say "Oh goody" at the prospect of. Yeah I'm a princess. If I don't have a place to plug in my GHD as far as I'm concerned you're in the stone age. So, if you live close by you might like to take pity on us and invite us over for dinner. Or you can save the favour for when we do the bathroom and need a shower. Those of you who don't live close- you can send me dinners via mail.
With the exception of the ceilings and floors and the continual mess, the kitchen doesn't look all that different at this point. The new ceilings are in. Mr. P did a load of boring putty-ing (I'm sure there is a technical name for this I'm just not interested) on the ceilings to cover the seams. This is one of those necessary evil type things. I'll get excited when we have cornices again and the ceiling is painted. And my light fittings are in. And the kitchen is finished.
I have ceilings ! Ugly ceilings...
There are currently no lights in my kitchen because we are completely changing the configuration of the lighting for this area, which naturally can't go in until we have finished the ceilings so we've been using a 500 watt halogen to see. It's awesome because I get to work on my tan, kill the environment with power usage and stay warm all at the same time. It's like having the Australian summer inside in the middle of winter. The risk of blindness if I look directly at it is just an added thrill.
We have ordered our floor tiles. I went with an off white Italian ceramic. There are those among you who will tell me I am crazy for going with off white because it will show up all the dirt. Let me tell you it doesn't matter what we get it will show up the dirt, because we have two dogs the size of Shetland ponies who never learned to wipe their feet and I want off white. If you had lived with disgusting chocolate brown floor tiles for the last 8 years you'd want white too. And just to freak you all right out white tile haters , we got enough to do the entry, hallway and computer room as well. This is them. Rustic and textured.
And this is what we pulled up...(I'm selling them cheap if you're interested)
And this is what my kitchen floors look like right now. Pretty isn't it? I have no idea why it's green. There are floor boards under that muck somewhere. Quick- cover it up with white tile. I am seriously considering getting someone in to do the tiling at this stage and bugger the cost.
I have no splash back because I pulled it out already and I haven't decided what to replace it with. And I have no range hood either. This is the gorgeousness that is currently my cooking area.
I have ignored all the sanding I have to get done. I started doing something totally unrelated to the kitchen telling myself it's stripping and painting practice before I tackle those chairs, and the dresser ...and the table. I have changed my mind over what to do with the table about 30 times and think I've finally settled on something but I'm not going to say what it is so I can change my mind again later and not look flighty. This is what I have been working on today. I have realised I despise painting which is unfortunate because I have stacks of it left to do.
And after two coats of primer I have this...(Miss Mustard Seed said I had to keep this piece and she knows what she's talking about so I'm making something pretty out of it )
I have worried about whether everything is going to come together. Will the walls match the floors? Will it be too much white ? Am I crazy for trying to match two different styles in one space? Will warm white REALLY go with stark white ? This has been my crazy thought process this week. I am driving myself and everyone around me INSANE. Poor Mr. P. I think he's thinking about the "till death us do part" bit of our marriage vows a lot this week and not in a good way.
I am at a point where I think this is never going to be done, my life will never be normal again, my house will never be clean again , and I will never know where my plates and Tupperware have disappeared to . Conversely I am cacking my daks that I won't have things done before the installers get here. When I mention the bathroom reno in 6 months can someone slap me in the side of the head and point me towards all my posts about the kitchen.
Yours sincerely,
Princess whiny-arse.
P.S. I completely get that in the grand scheme of things this is so not a big deal compared to famine, terminal illness and world poverty. However I am a Virgo and we like order and cleanliness and predictability and control and I don't have any of those things at the moment. And Patty, I know you're reading this and all I can say is you'd better bring some good wine and some Valium next weekend. I need both of them.
17 comments:
Mrs. P, I think your vision for your kitchen is all going to come together in the most phenomenal way. I love hearing about the reno. Oh, and you can hire me to come and do your tiling. I've always wanted to learn. I'll practice on your floors and then I'll be all good and ready to do my floors when I get back. We'll work out the details later. Book me a flight and make sure it is one with out those hairy huge spiders with tickets on the connection.
xo -E
Must say I have been avoiding the Kitchen reno for quite sometime. We need a new roof first but then the kitchen will be not long after. We did our bathroom a few years ago and I would be happy if I could organise the kitchen all by myself but my husband will have his too cents worth and that is were the trouble will begin. We looked at the toilets 6 times and each time by the time we got home he had changed his mind only to go back to the display room and he would pick the same bloody toilet. Then there is the bath which he wanted the ledge by the wall so that the kids would smash there heads on the corner of the bath so we ended up with a bath spout that looks like well something big and really long and well I will let your imagination just run there because that is what it looks like. If we ever sell I will have to drape a flannel over it.
Must say I have been avoiding the Kitchen reno for quite sometime. We need a new roof first but then the kitchen will be not long after. We did our bathroom a few years ago and I would be happy if I could organise the kitchen all by myself but my husband will have his too cents worth and that is were the trouble will begin. We looked at the toilets 6 times and each time by the time we got home he had changed his mind only to go back to the display room and he would pick the same bloody toilet. Then there is the bath which he wanted the ledge by the wall so that the kids would smash there heads on the corner of the bath so we ended up with a bath spout that looks like well something big and really long and well I will let your imagination just run there because that is what it looks like. If we ever sell I will have to drape a flannel over it.
I can always send Maccas, I am sure that would survive the flight etc. Kris said Maccas survives indefinitely.
I do like your floor tiles, plain white is a pain in the backside to keep clean, but with a bit of texture and slight variation in colour they should be fabulous.
If you lose your Tupperware I can send mine down to you, I have enough for a Tupperware convention in my cupboards, drawers, shed etc.
Hang in there, not long to go now!
You could sign up for Meals on Wheels delivery......so long as the driver is a hunk......
Umm..... it's called flushing. (The cover the seam thing, not Amanda's bathroom reno story!) I did copious amounts of that at our last place. Then the new owners knocked the house down. Hope your flushing lasts longer!
Glad to see the reno is not getting you down at all and that you are you usual cool, calm, collected, whingeless self. (I never did get very good marks for comprehension)
I always think the hardest part of renovations is after you've torn everything out. You just have one of those, "Oh no! What have we done?!" moments. Hang in there. I've renovated two homes now, and have a bathroom addition that's been in various stages other than finished for the last 2 years. We call puttying 'spackling' here in SC. I've always found Double-Stuffed Oreos soothe me in these types of reno situations. Want me to send you some? Happy Sunday/Monday! :o)
Love what you've done with the meat safe..I have one very similar to that in my garage which also needs to be re-painted...I would ask you to do it but you would only whinge about it...so I won't.....your kitchen will be awesome...can't go past white...you can put other colours with it and have constant change.....so Priness Whiny-arse...pull up the big girl panties and get on with it....! Enjoy your week.....I used to be married to a Virgo so am hearing you on the order/cleanliness thing!
Well, lady, you have two choices. Leave it like this forever or put on your big girl panties and get to work.
OR, fly out here to Cali and have my husband cook you some delicious dinners. I would cook for you, but I don't even do that for my own family.
I think your vision will come together seamlessly and you will be so in love with your new kitchen we will never get another Slack Tea Thursday.
Thanks for making me spit tea once again.
It's going to be great, and all your work and worry will be worth it. Enjoyed the play-by-play on your progress. It may not be fun, but you're description is funny. Happy halogen tanning!
Ah, remodeling - the agonizing, the mess, the arguing, the money!!
Hang in there, it IS worth it- it just may take you a few years to forget this part. I think you'll like your white tile, it will be so nice and bright - and I love things that when I clean them, they look really clean!
Mrs. P., I like the white walls, tile with the black countertops. Very striking. I think it will look smashing! I have one word of advice, which is like all advice, you can take or leave. Will their be grout between your floor tiles or will they be snugged up right next to each other? If there is to be grout, I don't recommend white. I've been there, done that. They'll tell you that as long as you seal the grout, it will maintain it's white color. Nope! Nope! And nope! And unlike tile, grout is very hard to keep clean, being rough and a bit porous. In my tiling project we went with dirt colored grout for that reason. (See pics here: http://thedesertquilter.blogspot.com/2010/06/when-projects-collide.html ) With white tile, I'd strongly consider gray.
Okay, that's my 2 cents. I hope I didn't add to your stress.
Hang in there! I know it's going to be beautiful.
Oh, and I'm glad you're keeping that gorgeous shelf--even if you do hate painting it. :-)
It's your kitchen and you get to do what you want. Right now, it seems complaining, obsessing, and overthinking is top of the list, LOL!
This is going to be great! I think the colors are going to be so nice....but remember, it will get a lot worse before it gets great...so hang in there!!! I thought I'd pull my hair out when we redid out kitchen....uggghhh and it always takes longer than promised!
You're doing well, those breathing techniques are working..... continue to inhale deeply and count to 10. Actually the progress seems pretty good but I can understand you hating living in a mess, I would be like that too. Your piece of furniture is looking amazing, I am loving that heaps.
Keep smiling hun ......
I think I like living vicariously thru your renovation :-) I know I would not be coping either with the mess and all the decisions as I am a Libran.....Don't ask me to make a decision for you ;-) It's going to be great, you Virgo's have great taste! Remember you can always run over to your sisters for a calming hug and during the bathroom reno, even a shower!!
We got our basement finished last summer, and while that is a non-essential space and out of the way, the interminable mess and noise and disorganization of it drove me bananas. I can only imagine what you are going through with your kitchen! I hope you live somewhere where it is easy to order in or go out to eat. Like every meal.
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