Thursday, February 26, 2009

Kitchen redo


I can't believe I am doing this. No not blogging. I'm starting another construction project. Each time I do this I say I won't do it again f.o.r.e.v.e.r but after some time has passed I get the itch again and samples start calling my name. This time it is my kitchen. It has needed some updating for some time now so I am taking the plunge. Should make for some good bloggy fodder wouldn't you think?


Tuesday I spent all afternoon at the cabinet place. I would really do better if I only had three choices instead of a hundredandplenty! There are just soooooo many different sizes, styles, colors, brands not to mention moldings, trims, stains, glazes and textures. I finally decided on white as I have always wanted to do my kitchen in white. Then I decided on the beadboard doors as I like beadboard. Done. I went home.


Wednesday I had to go back and finalize everything. I walked in and looked at the beadboard again and it just didn't have the same allure as it had the day before. Beside it were more white cabinets but with raised doors and I just kept going back to them. They have some beadboard between the cabinets so I would still have the effect. I hemmed and hawed for a long time and then decided to go with the raised doors.


Next I had to pick out the counter top. I had to choose between granite, quartz and Corian. I have Corian now and have loved it, no seams and cleans up like a dream. I finally narrowed it down to a sage green and white fleck through it and came home happy.


I didn't stay happy. Today I took said green sample to the tile store to pick out the wall tiles and floor tiles and it turned into a fiasco. I got there at 11:15 and at 2 o'clock we had not been able to put together anything that looked good. When the floor tile and the counter blended well it didn't blend with the wall tiles and vice versa. I wanted to scream. Finally I called my contractor and told him my dilemma and he headed over. After more searching through countless samples we decided to go back to square one and go back to the counter place and get something different.


I met him at the counter place and we started in again. I grabbed a giant Coke on the way over to give myself an energy boost for what lie ahead. It worked! Yippee! I am happy again! We picked a more neutral counter top which made it much easier to work with so we headed back to the tile place and by the time I got there he had found something that I really liked and it went well with the flooring I had picked out and the counter top. I'm exhausted. Amen.
To be continued......


17 comments:

Linds said...

I helped a friend redo a kitchen and believe me, I know the difficulties of too much choice! This is going to be fun - so post the "before" pictures for us to compare as you go along! I looked at my kitchen the other day and thought, good grief, it has been here a LOOOOONG time. It will not last forever. But it will do for now!

palmtreefanatic said...

oh my goodness! Sounds like a Fiasco is right!!!

Well I get the itch to do projects like this and so hate it while I am in it!!! I too like to think it is forever too BUT it never is is it?;)haha!
good luck with all the coordinating! Cannot wait to see it!

Susie said...

It will be such fun to watch your progress. I'm not sure if you were reading my blog when we remodeled our kitchen, but it was fun to document it as it went along.
Ours sort of took on a life of its own (as remodeling often does)!
One thing led to another and another, etc etc!
It's wonderful when it's done though. We did all the work ourselves and it was quite the experience!!
xoxo

sue said...

Hello, I'm Sue and "found" you via "mrs. mom"... your comment sounded very familiar and when I tracked you down... found that you are a Mainer too!!!! we must be "close" because we got all that wonderful snow last Sunday as well.... just thought I would say a quick hello and invite you to hop onto my blog if you so choose.... best wishes and God bless.....

Val said...

I so wish I could do this too. I am going to start some painting soon though. I am glad to hear that you love corian. We have granite in part of my kitchen and it is beautiful but I am not crazy about it. It absorbs everything. I set a container that had olive oil in it, not on it and it made a ring on the countertop. I was so upset. I don't want granite now so I am glad to hear that you love the corian. I am anxious to watch your progress.

sue said...

Hello again from Sue... we are in Acton (just a bit north of Sanford on the NH boarder).. I also saw your list of favorite movies... those are mine as WELL!!!!! so, I hope you don't mind that I am adding your blog to my "favorite list"... and will check in often.... fun to find another Mainer!!!! best wishes...

Needled Mom said...

I can't believe that you are ready for another big project. Guess you must like to have those guys around more than I do. ;)

I had just read that green was suppose to be the color of counters in the kitchen. Mine isn't green! I have the granite and love it. I think any solid surface is yards ahead of tile with grout for cleaning. I can't wait to see what it looks like.

I suppose you can use your folks apartment for cooking while you are without a kitchen???? I remember doing dishes in the bathroom sink for a few months. NOT a fun memory. Thank goodness for BBQs. xox

Dawn said...

I must say I am a tad envious. We had a whole plan ready to go, when we realized the budget couldn't handle it after all. I was sad and wished I hadn't even seen what could have been. Oh, well! Can't wait to see your end product!

Dawn said...

Me again - the snowmobile fiasco doesn't sound like fun to me! You're very brave.

Tammy said...

We are hoping to finally give our kitchen a much needed makeover at some point this year...
So glad you are making headway though! I can't wait to see some of the pictures, too! :)

Paula said...

Wow - So exciting - I can not wait to see pictures! I'm in this process with my living room, walls-floors-lights-etc.

Have fun!

Blessings~
P.

Suzy said...

Decisions,decisions,decisions!

We've built three houses in the last 33 years and it's hard to believe that picking new decor can become such a pain.Good luck and I hope It's over fast !

Carole Burant said...

Oooooh, a kitchen renovation!! How fun! NOT! lol Well it will be fun once it's all done but not before! lol Glad you were able to finally decide on exactly what you wanted, can't wait to see pictures once it's all done. My little kitchen needs a paint job...as Pa Kettle would say "Gotta paint that one of these days"!! hehe

Are you on your way with your snowmachine yet??? lol Good lord, isn't it ridiculous all the snow we both have? It's been a long winter so far. Today it's been staying around -5F but at least the sun is shining.

Take good care my friend. Love you! xoxox

Frazzled Farm Wife said...

That really is exhausting work....glad it is you and not me! After we built our house, I said it was going to stay the same forever that I wasn't going to make any more choices....ever!

Alice Grace said...

Your kitchen redo will be fun, once you decide on everything, I am sure! I need to redo mine, but will wait awhile on that. I will be watching to see what your choices are for the redo! Good luck!
And the snowmobile looks like so much fun!

Nancy said...

You sound like me when I was building our last home...it is so hard to match so many things in the kitchen! I think I spent more time on getting the best windows and the right sizes. All I say is that I will say lots of prayers for you! LOL I have white cabinets and love them! I am just taking down my wallpaper and going to paint my kitchen sometime this year...I like to change things too often but have no help, so it takes me forever to get my projects done.

Looking forward to watching your progress....just enjoy it...it will be well worth it in the end!

Oh, loved your graphic!!! You and T? or D? So appropriate for a kitchen post!

Drop over and check out our snow...and don't you laugh now! ha-ha It was a lot for our area as they just aren't equipped to handle this much snow here. At least the kids all enjoyed it as they don't get to play in snow very often.

Have a great week!

((( HUGS )))

Callie said...

OMG! I wish I had the money to do my kitchen. It is my nemisis!