!*!%$^*&(!! kitchen remodel (clearly a very long VENT/RANT)

[MissPrissy]

We did a semi-make over 2 summers ago. My kitchen budget got blown with another big expense we had to eat so new cabinets where out. We painted the cabinets and replaced hardware. We installed new countertops. We stripped walpaper, painted the walls and put up crown molding. It is not by any stretch my dream kitchen but it will make through another few years. THEN! Then I'll get my dream kitchen!

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

I am taking on one room at a time. The house was in pretty icky shape when I got it. I took a month to work on it before moving in and managed to get the bedroom and den liveable. In hindsight, that was probably the wrong order, but remodel and learn!

I didn't really mean to do the kitchen until summer. The blowing up of the dishwasher moved it up the ladder some. Plus my ignorance in knowing what a screwup it would become! Had I known, I likely would be eating on paper plates and disposable bowls right now!
This is actually only phase one of the kitchen. Phase two involves adding cabinets. The existing cabinets are in good shape and are paintable, so I was able to just replace hardware and clean them up. I still have new hinges to put on all the doors, bu there's no rush to that. Cabinets are the big money eater, I'm told. So that's some years down the road.
Redfeathers- the floor is an Armstrong vinyl. I found the original samples at Home Depot and Lowe's and then went to the Armstrong website and ordered the big samples to lay all over the floor. I think the style of it was Urban Settings and mine is in shades of grey. It has a slate grey under-color and then lots of flecks of greys and whites and black all over it. That same style came in variations with blue underneath and green underneath. Both of those were really lovely too. I was trying to keep my kitchen in the period of the house and was trying to keep it pretty neutral too so I went with the grey. The floor actually makes me think of the linoleum that my grandmother had on her kitchen floor when I was growing up (so decades and decades ago!).
It's so hard with the dogs running in and out of the muddy yard all the time. That floor stays smudged with dirt. You can only tell on the new floor when you see it at an angle (the dirt changes the shine of the floor). When you stand in the kitchen you can't see it at all! I still have to sweep and mop of course, but I no longer feel like it's a futile effort!
The new countertops are in that same color family and have the same dirt hiding qualities. Very nice since I can't convince the cat to stay off of them!

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

redfeathers- PM me your address and I'll send you the samples I collected. You can strew them about your floor too!
CG

 

[Redfeathers]

Thank you CityGirl. I just PM'd you.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Got it!
I PMed you right back!

 

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

What a pain in the bum!

Dh and I moved here 3.5 years ago. It was not what I wanted (it's a trailer, which I hate, and it's old and ugly.). I told dh that he needed to put an addition on it ASAP, otherwise it would be too small for the family.
Did I mention it's been 3.5 years? Anyway, he gets sidetracked. He put new cabinets in for me in the kitchen and a new floor. I painted it. It looks really nice. But the addition still isn't done, although at least he finally opened up the dining room last fall.

It's all a work in progress.. and when it's finally finished, we'll be ready to have it hauled off so we can start building our house

Hang in there. A tiny piece at a time.

(and shhh, don't tell the men on this board.. but there's no one to drag a home remodel like a man. Love 'em to death.. but... doing it all yourself, even if you have to hire someone, can be super smart. 'Course.. the above in no one is pointing fingers at ANY MAN HERE.. just all of the men I personally know..

)

BTW, LOVE LOVE the idea of leaving samples down, then picking the cleanest one. I should have done that! Never having to WASH THE KITCHEN FLOOR AGAIN! LOVE IT!

 

[Scrambled Egg]

Holy Chickens, Woman!!!!

Well, your sense of humor has survived and on the bright side, paper plates and take out are not such a bad thing!!! Good luck with your re-modle, one thing always leasd to another in house redos, mines' only 21 years and it happens that way. It'll work out great, look at all the help you just got and I learned a new phrase that I am still grinning about -- Holy Chickens, Woman!!!!

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

But I'm so far out in the country that no one will deliver to me! It's horrible. No pizza delivery. No chinese delivery. For a city girl it's like living in purgatory. Ahhh, well. I knew it before I moved out here. Although I do routinely call up Dominoes Pizza and argue my case. I mean, seriously, how much more expensive could it be to drive three more miles downthe road?

I am a slacker housekeeper. I hate cleaning the house. There are just so many other things to do. I'm contemplating hiring a housekeeper. It's kind of embarrassing, as it's just me and the dogs, but I work insane hours and am seldom home. I hate spending the little free time I have cleaning the joint. I'd rather be out playing in the garden or working on the coop! Sooooo, it was only logical to see which floor hid most of the dirt. The new countertops are the same color family and pattern, so they should be great too!

Someone got me started on "Holy Chickens" years ago. I love using it as it is kid safe and great fun to say. Feel free to use it as needed.

Oh well... I'm off to the sink place to get them to order another one. Fingers crossed that all will go well.