We took the plunge!
The kitchen renovation process honestly started with the realization that we spent about 5-6 hours a week hand-washing dishes. Dishwashers are certainly not necessary, but they really are not to be underestimated, not only for the time they can save, but also because of their ability to sanitize wooden spoons and baby bottles. So in the Spring, we asked an architect to draw up some renovation plans, then selected a general contractor for the job. While we love DIY house projects, the kitchen is a huge undertaking that needs to be done perfectly, and my DIY efforts are a bit more restricted these days. So after working to come up with drawings everyone was comfortable with, and choosing our contractor, Chris from CRR Construction, we settled on work to start late July through August.
We tried to schedule the renovation for when we would be out of town for the majority of the work, and we planned to stay at the house in between work trips and vacations over the next 5 weeks. However, when Ken and I arrived at the house late one night from a week-long work trip to California, we quickly realized staying at the house might not be the best plan...
{Yes, that is a box of pizza, paper plates, and plastic forks. Yes, we did eat it sitting on the wood trunk at the foot of our bed. No, we did not realize until after we finished that there was no trash can or trash bags in our kitchen to get rid of the (empty) box. Yes, our room smelled like stale pizza in the morning.}
So the next morning we "moved out" and stayed with friends in between traveling over the next few weeks. Ken and I are very thankful for the multiple families who let us crash in their guest bedrooms and shared their morning pot of coffee with us!
Demolition finished, and initial construction steps in place!
All the cabinets, the old refrigerator, and light fixtures removed, the only hold-over was our oven.
Cords for the new lighting in place, doors removed in preparation for the half bath wall to be moved back 8 inches, and the door to the basement relocated from the kitchen to the dining room. This allowed us to maximize the cabinet/storage space in the kitchen.
More construction work to come...
What large-scale projects are you working on or considering tackling?
-Domestic in the District
the suspense is killing me! Can't wait to see the kitchen in person! As for the dishwasher- I'd like to add an "amen!" Certainly not necessary... and in fact I'm thankful for all the years without one that taught me how to use fewer pots/pans/utensils when I cook... but boy are we thankful for our dishwasher!
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