Hi guys, So, thanks to some suggestions (Lavender, I believe you were the one who inspired me) DH and I made a very important kitchen purchase... we bought a new microwave. Since the microwave was taking up so much space near the stove, and we couldn't fit it on the half counter (and it didn't go with any of our other appliances)... we bought a compact stainless microwave that WOULD fit on the half counter, freeing up a considerable amount of counter space by the stove. Honestly, it has already made quite a difference in opening up the space. Since the other microwave is still perfectly functional, I am hoping to sell it on CL to make back some of the money we spent. We also looked at some shelving options for next to the stove, but were unsuccessful in finding something that would fit in that space and have wheels to move it out easily. I will continue my search online. The shelf would have to be only 20" wide or less, and about 36" tall to be at a nice, functional height. I got a number of requests for more pictures of our kitchen to better illustrate the layout. Yesterday (before buying the microwave), I basically rotated myself counter-clockwise around the room to give you a 360* (or almost) view of the room. Also, to answer the question... our dining room is yellow, but I don't want it to stay that way, lol. For a while, I have been envisioning a "greige" in there, with picture frame moldings and chair rail painted in white. *** I have tried multiple times to post my pics on here. They have been resized but for some reason, they still look HUGE. So, I have just attached the link to my photo bucket album, which has pictures of our kitchen (before and after microwave), our big septic system project which was completed yesterday (my poor yard!) and what our house looks like with our furniture in it. Sorry I couldn't post more direct pictures. Oh, and I think my dog is in there too. Here is a link that might be useful: my kitchen pictures

We're almost a year into a full-house renovation, which will probably end up about 90% DIY. We'd DIY-ed smaller reno projects on our previous home, plus a full refit on a 40-foot sailboat, and all those previous projects had gone quite well, so we felt competent to take this BIG project on. I have to say there have been many times we've regretted it!! To be fair, there have been a lot of unexpected major surprises, though. We thought we'd be totally done (interior + exterior) by now, but I'd say we're about halfway. I think the WORST part is that we've had absolutely no time for our daughter.Every single weekend and after-work free time has been spent working on the house, often in dirty and stressful conditions. The house has been mostly piles of parts, materials and debris all year. Poor kid!!! I have been the project manager and GC and it's been nearly a full-time job at many stages. Researching, sourcing, and ordering parts and materials takes a long time! I've also been the designer for some pretty major changes, with input from architect friends and the talented folks on GW of course! I spent months and months at a drafting board last spring trying to figure out how to add another bedroom and make a workable kitchen, living, dining area. I concur with those above who say that even when you hire subcontractors, you have to be prepared to spend time and mental energy supervising. The times I did NOT do that were the times things had to be ripped out and redone later.... so even when you spend the $$ you still need to do some of the work. I guess that's why people hire General Contractors to do that for them. I'll add a tool that's indespensible for any major project: a compressed-air nailer!! We had access to both a framing gun and a finish nailer, and MAN did they make that work go so much faster!!!!! Tools, I agree, are so important. You just can't do a good job without the right tools. Or maybe you can but it takes a lot more time and frustration! In my Christmas stocking I got a pliers set and under the tree was a screwdriver-tip kit and a new screwdriver set from DH. Romantic, huh? But now he won't worry I'm borrowing his work tools (he works at a boat yard which is GREAT for us since he has access to the whole woodshop there with awesome woodworking tools.) Books: We find that the Taunton pro series is best for really useful info. Here's the scope of our project and what we've done so far: Landscape drainage- 25% DIY, 75% subcontractor Main living space (kitchen, mudroom, dining, living) reconfigured, including moving several bearing walls): -demo: DIY, including walls, tile flooring, subfloor, plumbing & electrical -rough framing: subcontractor -sheetrock: subcontractor -plumbing: DIY, major replace entire kitchen -electrical: DIY, major, rewire 4 new rooms to code -cabinet install: DIY -appliance install: DIY -counter install: subcontractor (marble) -hardwood flooring install and finish: DIY -slate tile flooring: DIY -window/door trim: DIY (ongoing) -backsplash tile: DIY (not done yet, she says sheepishly!) -paint: DIY -woodstove install: DIY -pantry cabinetry build and install: DIY -built in bookcases buiild and install : DIY -heating/radiators install throughout: DIY Master bedroom/master bath/new office-bedroom- -demo: 50% DIY, 50% subcontractor (it was a mold issue and the insurance paid for much of this work to be done in order to eradicate the mold) -framing: subcontractor with close DIY supervision! -sheetrock: ditto above, plus we had to DIY a bit of it. -electrical: DIY -plumbing: DIY except for basic DWV layout -heating: DIY -tile: Bill Vincent!! -radiant heat floor install: DIY -window/door/finish trim: DIY -tub, toilet, vanity, etc install: DIY -paint: DIY Exterior- remove all vinyl siding and re-side with cedar shakes; paint all exposed concrete areas; install 3 new windows; build 3 porches and one deck; paths and landscaping: all DIY Phew. Now I'm really tired. Ugh- back to painting trim and installing toilets and lights today!!!

I found this inspirational thread while searching for stained glass backsplashes. The idea of cutting my own backsplash tile out of stained glass to look like this has been tickling at my mind for the past couple days: We've only completed phase I of our renovation, and will wait a few months to replace the rest of the old cabinets (I painted them turquoise to have some fun in the interim months). Our kitchen renovation will come in right around the $10k mark, we think, in the end. Who knows what crazy ideas I'll come up with between now and May, when we undertake Phase II, of course. ;-) Phase I, Done!: --All cabinets, solid plywood/dovetail construction, RTA from Cabinets to Go: $5176 We assembled and installed, and will install the rest. --Stainless Steel Thermador gas cooktop, double ovens, and hood, $700 off Craigslist. --Viking microwave, 200 from Craigslist. --We did demo, removed the soffit (the first part of it, anyway, and will do the rest in May), did drywall patching, repainted the entire room. Cost: nothing but time and sore muscles. Well, the paint and primer cost about $80. --Granite countertops from a local shop that specializes in getting entire shipping containers full of common colors and selling them at a great price. The 3cm granite for the perimeter cost $1272 (including installation), and the island in May will cost about the same. So all told, figure about $2600. I'm still toying with the idea of a prefab island piece and installing it myself, which would save another $600. Minus the cost of the cookies it would take the bribe all my friends to help lift that sucker. --31 pulls, from Lowes, at $2.49 each = $77.19 --Ikea drawer kits and pulls to make my five secret toekick drawers, $150. --We're keeping the existing tile floor. It's not what I would have chosen for myself, but really, it's fine and looks plenty current. We already had the SS dishwasher. Free for settling for what we have. --$120 for fabric for the new curtains. $26 for the new curtain rods on clearance at Lowes. Nothing for the leftover fabric to re-upholster the kitchen chairs and nothing for the stain that was sitting in our garage to refinish the kitchen table. --Sink from Amazon ($405, free shipping) --faucet from Overstock ($176, free shipping) --Professional plumber and electrician to bring gas to the kitchen and move the electrical bits, $800. Grand total $10,510.19. Ok, so I've gone a little over. Isn't that always the case? ;-) Maybe closer to 11k once I've figured in the backsplash and lighting. I've been lusting after a fixture like this for years: I plan to make my own for over the island. I'm a tiara designer by profession, and have access to all sorts of wholesale Swarovski crystals. That project should run about $130. Backsplash, as I mentioned at the beginning of the post, is still being mulled over. So let's revive this marvelous post! What's new with you resourceful, crafty, thrifty, DIY-er types?

For me it's more I get visually bored after a while. However, moving things around is exhausting when you have as many books and bookcases as we do, so we only seem to do it every 10-15 yrs [smile]. We did a massive change of our MBR suite in 2015, but it needed it since it was a 1989 end-of-the-project-budget disaster. It was a "we can make do with this for a while" cheapo finishing after we originally bought the house in '89 and completely gutted it before moving in. Now it's the nicest room in the house, but it sure was bargain-basement ugly for almost 25 yrs. "Dated" would have been a kindness to apply to it back then! I would love to update my 1989 kitchen, but that would require a major investment in replacing cabinets, and my countertops from a 2003 update are still in flawless shape. Since the layout is still perfect, the frameless semi-custom cabs would cost 4x what we originally paid, to replace. Since the cabs are also in great shape, I have absolutely no justification for replacing anything but a dying appliance or two when it happens.