Thursday, July 5, 2012

The deconstruction of a reconstruction

or.....a day-by-day description of my kitchen renovations.

This is week two of the gut-and-rebuild of my little kitchen.  I have disliked this kitchen ever since I first saw the house.  For years I lived with farm kitchens where the kitchen table becomes the gathering place, and getting used to a teeny 1970s galley kitchen/laundry room took some doing.

Before


And while I have lived without a dishwasher for the past 7 years, I confess that my hatred of dirty dishes piled on the counter (and of washing them by hand) was a huge motivating factor in deciding to go for a reno.  While I may have some handywoman skills at building fences and fixing barns, they do not extend to kitchen renos so I hired people.

Week one was very slow.  V e r y   S l o w .  V e r y    V e r y  S l o w.

Day One:  They removed the cabinets.
Two and one half hours.
And yes, that is mold on the back wall (yuck!)

Day Two:  They removed two pieces of drywall
Twenty minutes.

Day Three:  They removed another piece of drywall
and cut the pass-through.
Forty-five minutes.

Day Four:  Electrician came to do some rewiring....
and discovered my electrical system is archaic.
Five hours, and I've added another project 
('Have all electrical fixtures replaced') to my 'to do' list.
Home ownership doesn't come cheap.

Day Five:  Electrician came again and cut hole for new potlight
as well as replacing some (archaic) boxes etc.
Three hours.

Meanwhile, during the same week, I finished making my boxes for my Square Foot Gardening;  painted an old ladder red to make something pretty to attach the squashes and cukes to (for vertical growth);   painted a bunch of old tires red and yellow, ready for growing lots and lots of potatoes (when the tops get a few inches above the tire, you pile on another tire, fill it with dirt until the tops just show,  and repeat and repeat.).

Square Foot Gardening,
with a splash of colour!


I fertilized the flowers, mowed the very-fast-growing new back yard lawn, built the sides and end pieces for the 10' long planter that will go at the end of the new patio (I had ordered two five-foot ones from the nursery, until half the order came in and the price was more than double what I'd been quoted - now over $500!-  for about $50 of material and a few hours of labour - so I'm making it myself.).

Spruce side and end pieces ready for staining
Ten feet x two feet x two feet


I hiked with Eddie, picked up the new-to-me dishwasher, did home visits for two rescues, and finished the front garden, changing it from this:
BEFORE (last year)

to this:

AFTER:  A few plants salvaged, some new plants added,
and river rock and stones over landscape fabric to keep
the weeds away


I made some more of my photo notecards and matted photos for a couple of fundraisers, prepped some display materials for a Hearts on Noses information booth, and delivered them to a farm where two Hearts on Noses piggies are being fostered (and thanks, Kimberly, for taking care of the booth in Victoria this weekend!).


Kimberly chats with fosters Piggy Sue and Sophie Lyn

Two sweet farm dogs

The ducks discuss the stranger with the camera

I get my Piggy Fix!

Hmmmm.....What Eddie would look like with a red mask?

Eddie:  How about wiv a red meaty bone?



Oh, and I played around with the new camera, practising with the macro setting and various lenses.







And now we are on week two of kitchen renos - a four day week due to the Canada Day holiday Monday. 


Stay tuned.....the reno is supposed to be finished July 9th ....13th ....16th.  


Meanwhile, we survive with a microwave, a coffee pot, and paper plates in the mudroom.......  


And I'm finding out that's all I really need!  Sooooooo.......


I'm doing a $15,000 kitchen reno WHY?  

10 comments:

EvenSong said...

Old houses are not fun to reno, due to all the nasty surprises that tend to show up! But why in the world are your "professionals" working in such fits and starts? Without the electrical work, I count less than four hours of work! Why did it take them a week? That sounds like MY summer schedule...
Your lawn looks GREAT! Now there's an expense that's paying off. And your developing garden looks lovely.

Jean said...

Evensong, we don't have the economic woes the States do, and most people in the trades have (and take on) far more work than they can handle. So instead of taking one job, completing it, then starting another, they run from community to community doing a few things on each house each day. I don't like it but believe me - these are far better than MOST of the local trades I've hired! Business practices here are deplorable - it is really my ONE complaint about where I live.

Sheryl said...

A microwave, a coffee maker and paper plates sounds good to me. Really, what more do you need?

georgia little pea said...

So you'll have a dishwasher, remember?

There's only so much takeaway one can tolerate, I'm finding out myself this week.

You are possibly the busiest blogger I know! Unfortunately, reading this reminds me that our little house is sorely in need of some loving as well. My god. Where do I even start.

Charlene and Storm said...

wow kitchen gutting eh, scary stuff, ours needs doing too, we got black mould all in the cupboards from the last owner never turning the heating on or cleaning at all!!! but we got to save up for that still. we got the bathroom redone so far tho and now we are starting on the hallway, yipee. its bad in a way tho isnt it, cos once you do one room it makes the rest look bad so you have to just keep on going then, he he he! :) xxx

Dawn said...

No one has commented on the amazing front garden reno! Looks really beautiful. Don't know if the "professionals" can create as much beauty and neatness as you have done with the back yard either.

Del said...

Because you deserve it!

Oh and Yes! Your garden reno is BEAUTIFUL! You can come help me okay?? Love the tires too!
Speaking from a tire mechanics' wifey's viewpoint :-)
Can't wait to see it all in growth.

Funder said...

Oh that kitchen sucks! I totally agree, galleys are awful and nice open farm kitchens are where it's at. Love your yard. It looks amazing!

Anonymous said...

I got my kitchen renovated 3 years ago..love it love it..so worth it..last year the main washroom, this year the ensuite..yep home ownership costs if you want your home to be to your liking..enjoy when it is done..in the meanwhile yes it is a pain to live in a construction zone..love your yard work
Cheryl

Anonymous said...

I love what you have done to the front Jean.
Once the mess is over I bet you will love your new kitchen and the mess will be all forgotten

Else