I can't stop....and it's scary!

14 years ago

We're nearly done with our kitchen (floors were postponed after some mild basement flooding) and I've found that everywhere I look there's more to be done and it feels like I have to do it now. It's almost like I'm afraid to have our GC leave.

I've had him replace our front door, our powder room and asked for quotes to replace all of our windows. Our house definitely needed attention but did you find that once you started renovating you couldn't pace yourself? Everything looks so much worse now that the kitchen et al are looking so beautiful.

I keep reminding myself that our economy hasn't fully stabilized and although I'm blessed with a good job and a great employer, things could still change overnight. I know I should slow down but.....I really don't want too!

Did this happen to you?

Tracy

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Comments (7)

lauriec
14 years ago
completely there! we have talked about having him come every month and do what is on the list. i just keep thinking of more things that have needed doing..

L
pinch_me
14 years ago
Yes. Mine is coming back for the bathroom this summer. In the meantime, I am doing the little stuff. Painted a door and hung it this week. And it's only Tuesday! I have two left over boxes that refuse to find a home. I am tempted to set them next to the garbage can. The living room looks empty with no construction things in it. And I still spend too much time here. I spend too much time looking at things people have put in their kitchens. Mine is done!! Quit looking!! I didn't want the bathroom to become my life but I see it happening.
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I am in exactly the same place with my red oak floors :( my floors look just as orange as in the pictures... and the variations and wood grain are much more pronounced than I wanted. I have the flooring company coming in on Monday to put down the third coat of poly - do I have any options at this point? Or just a matter of it mattering less once I get more used to the new color...? I had this same level of shock and discomfort with my wall color (had to leave my apartment for the evening just to soothe myself!), but once they sanded the floors - I realized I loved the wall color, just that my old floor finish was clashing with it. Now after staining the floor - I am back to feeling they really clash... and I really wish I had just opted for no stain and a natural finish instead... I’d take that look over what I now have any day. At least - that’s how it feels right now. To the original poster - @lacollar - (or anyone else with a similar experience) - did you eventually get used to (or even fall in love with?! :)) your floors... even though at first it felt like the choice of stain color was a huge mistake? Has anyone tried tinting the final coat to tone down the orange/reds? Does that work? Appreciate any help/advice. Thank you all!
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jsweenc
14 years ago
We knew going into it that we would be doing more than just the kitchen. The question for us was where to start. We decided that by doing the kitchen first we'd have a refuge, be able to maintain sanity and have the routine of good meals while the rest was being done. Not that we've done that with the kitchen reno...

I do plan to enjoy my kitchen and use it to the fullest regardless of how the rest of the house looks.

It's just the opposite with us; our GC keeps wanting to move forward and do more and we keep putting the brakes on. Get the kitchen finished first, we keep telling him. Somehow we've still managed to begin residing the house and working on the LR walls (but that is open to the kitchen and makes sense). He can't stand the fact that I want to leave the crown molding off the ceiling where we will next knock out a wall. I finally told him if he really wanted to put it up, go ahead.

Every month. Not sure whether that's a great idea or a crazy one for us. But great if it is working for you!
plllog
14 years ago
I'm so over it! I didn't have to wait to do more. Mid-remodel a storm blew down the bougainvillea that arched over my kitchen slider, bringing down the light fixture. My GC sent a crew.

Then the main water line to the house burst. My GC sent a crew.

There's still work to do on the kitchen, though I find myself, curiously, in no rush now that I can cook, and have my living room and dining room back.

So I'm turning my GC loose on my brother's garden!

(Of course, there's stuff to do on the house. I'm just delaying... )
gillycat
14 years ago
i remember reading a short story a while back. I don't remember it exactly but it was that the lady noticed the sheers in the kitchen were grubby so she washed them. When she rehung them ( so white and sparkly clean) she noticed that the window sill looked old.
So she got some paint and painted it. Lovely, but he windows were not good.
So she replaced the windows. then the wall looked awful etc etc etc until the whole house was renovated.
At the end of it all her husband commented that now that everything had been done the sheers looked dusty and didn't she want to just wash them.......
kateskouros
14 years ago
our house is almost done ...although i'm not quite sure what that means on an actual time frame ...and so i was talking to dh about how i will need a new project. i had this great idea to start a little business redoing homes and flipping. i can't stop. EVER.
weissman
14 years ago
Actually, while you have a good job and the money, do whatever you feel needs to be done. You'll be glad you did and appreciate it so much more later should things go badly with your job. I know this isn't conventional wisdom, but I'm really glad I did my major kitchen renovation before I took early retirement.

I can't stop....and it's scary!

Comments (7)

lauriec

pinch_me

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