WOOHOOOOO!!! Crazy Christmas People unite!

I had another thread going about my demo that started on Monday, but I'll give the rest of the info. I'll have some more demo pics today or tomorrow.

Ours is a 1942 "ranch" house. Lots of character, but a downright yucky kitchen. It was the only part of the house that I didn't love when we moved in 11 years ago, and I've suffered all these years for this moment.

The kitchen was too small for us. The biggest problem being a lack of counter space. Next to the kitchen was the dining room we rarely used. So, naturally, we are tearing down the wall to make one big eat-in kitchen. I have another room (actually part of our sunroom) that I am making into our "formal" dining room. Works perfectly for us, since that was otherwise useless space. Put the furniture we don't use in the space we don't use. The cabinets will be ready to install in three weeks, so the GC and his crew are working on the demo and prep now.

They expect to be ready about a week ahead of time (left buffer time for the unexpected), so during that little lull, they will redo my laundry room/utility room. We have a really big (too big, really) laundry room that also has a bathroom (sink, toilet, and shower). The bathroom is not really suitable for guest use, since the laundry/utility room is usually so yucky. We think that it was originally considered the maid's bathroom (common in the South during the time the house was built), so it was also never really finished to look good. Anyway, we are building a wall in there, separating the bathroom area from the laundry/utility area, and sprucing up the bathroom area with some nice tile and a gorgeous antique marble sink. Given the location of this bathroom in the house, we will be using it a lot.

Finally, we will also be doing some relatively minor work out by the pool. Our screen enclosure suffered heavy damage in the 2004 hurricanes. We were planning to just replace the screens, but the structure was also damaged. We decided we wanted to add a roof extension to make part of the area covered patio. It gets brutally hot here in the summer, so we think we'll use that area a lot more with it covered. Anyway, this was more than we could afford after the hurricane (hurricane insurance is pretty lousy in Florida), so we put it off until now. At some point either in that week after the kitchen prep work is finished or after the kitchen is done, the crew will begin tackling the screen enclosure job.

oh also - our new stove has been sitting on our (covered) porch since October - our theory is that if it isn't installed by the end of the week we'll move it into the LR, wrap it in tinsel and put the presents inside the oven.... :)

Crazy you say. I just got my Christmas tree yesterday because I have no place to put it. Finally my 9 yo DS was complaining so much and the couple of presents that we did have wrapped were being placed under the fishtank, I broke down and got one.

We demoed the kitchen in July, yes that's correct July. DH is doing all the work himself. Since we knocked out walls we were able to keep the old sink and a tiny part of the counter in place, some cabinets, the old stove top and wall oven. I'm using my single dishdrawer on a rolling cart. He's been building walls, running plumbing and electrical all the while running into every problem known to mankind. He's finally texturing. Got the ceiling completed yesterday and threw out his back so it's another day of distractions and no progress. This is the overall theme of the remodel that has been ongoing since May 2004.

The cabinets were supposed to have been installed by now, that would have given me some room for the tree since I have the RTA cabinets stored in my living room. Keep in mind my 3 bedroom house is about 1140 square feet, in total.

I have stored outside my new cooktop, wall oven and microwave, the other dishdrawer and sink. It rained like crazy yesterday (while I was getting the tree). Now they are all covered with several tarps positioned in a way to create water runoff and are on skids but still!!!

As of this point no one has offered to host Christmas at their house so I guess I'll have a cabinet installation party at mine and provide whatever pizza delivers that day.

(Do I sound bitter - sorry! This remodel is beginning to wear thin.)

We are right in the middle of our project. Cabinet installation started today after a 12 week wait. They are looking great. We still have a long way to go. Christmas cookies in February sounds good to me. I hope we make it by then.

We ordered our cabinets and granite and flooring in May. May 14 to be precise. Demo started in beginning of June. We went all summer with no walls, no ceiling and no windows (just plastic sheeting- I soon got over security worries- wasn't going to stay home and 'guard' the house forever!)

We are doing most of a major home renovation DIY. I am the GC, and am wondering if so many of our delays are BECAUSE I'm the GC, or just BECAUSE...:>( We had more visitors this summer than ever before. Luckily it was a nice summer, and most meals could be eaten out on the deck. We also have a second kitchen in our basement, so I told everyone it was like camping with all the amenities.

For some reason, I don't remember why, DH took out the vanity in the basement bathroom, and took down the door, so we ended up putting a laundry hamper in the doorway for guests to use as a signal for when it is occupied. I'm on my way to pick up DD from the ferry, she'll be home for Christmas, DS came home last weekend, and unfortunately, the laundry hamper will have to be back in action, unless DH can be prodded to at least hang the door up (unpainted of course).

Good news is... granite has been installed (though with a variety of problems- one piece was just replaced today) and probably won't be resolved until end of January, into February. (I Just hope it doesn't drag on to May). OTR MW was just put up by DH last night- the brackets had to be couriered directly from Panasonic, and arrived Monday, almost 1 year to the day from when I first bought it- very long story and pages of notes on all my troubles with it. Windows for the whole house were ordered May 8, and the last one was installed November 3.

But, I'm pretty happy, I am 80% done a fabulous new kitchen, after living in a very poorly functioning one for 11 years. Sink and faucet have just been installed, and I ran the first load in my brand new ASKO DW last night- and I cannot believe how dingy my wine glasses have been looking- the one I took out of the DW this morning looked brand new!!!

The biggest thing, I think is how I am looking with fresh new eyes at everything, and amazed at what I've been ignoring for years! No room for a tree, but maybe drywall can get put up in LR tonight while I drive to the ferry, and we can take plastic off furniture and have enough seating for four for at least the holidays!

Well, we're kinda with you: our kitchen demo will start January 2nd. Tonight I'm feeling a little stressed because, thinking the kitchen reno would have started by now (ha ha! you all say) we decided to go away for Christmas (returning 12/30). So we have to make sure the kitchen is all packed up as well as the laundry room (which will become our ad-hoc kitchen) before this Sunday (when we leave), plus the usual other stuff like packing for the trip.

It's a (almost) whole-house remodel and we just learned this week that 1/2 will be the start-date, so I had to scramble to get a storage unit and movers (ground-level furniture will be stored off-site). So while we won't be without a kitchen for xmas, I guess I'm just feeling stress about it. Guess I shouldn't be here on the computer but off packing ....

I am really excited about everyone's projects and looking forward to reading and seeing your progress. Good luck!

Absolutely with you! We started at the end of September. We have widened our kitchen by five feet and are adding a bathroom, mudroom,and workshop on the other side. Plastering just finished.

Cabinets are going in tomorrow- Whoo Hoo! No tree yet.

DH and DDs and I are living in our family room with our "kitchen" set up in front of the fireplace. Santa may have a little trouble squeezing into our house this year. It's such a reassurance to read this thread and see there are other people as crazy as us!

I'm with you too--but not totally willingly. Our offer on this house was accepted 11 months ago, we closed on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, and started demo the Tuesday after Memorial Day. It's a total house remodel. Initial estimate from the contractor was that he would be done in October. I was able to sell our current house in July and rent back, and I asked him the "drop dead" date that I should put in the contract so that I could be SURE the house would be ready for us. He said beginning of December. I wrote Dec 31st into the contract. The moving truck is coming Dec 28th and as of today we have no paint on the main floor, half the kitchen cabinets, no countertops, no appliances and one working toilet for the 5 of us. The contractor still insists that they will be done by Dec 28th, but there is simply no way! I had resigned myself to camping out in the basement for a while (can't really complain, as we haven't had to live there the whole time), but then he got my hopes up last week that it was all going to move really quickly. Today it really became obvious that we would not have a finished house to move into and I've been feeling a little sad. Everything is in boxes, no tree, no decorations. I think I've got most of the Christmas shopping done, but am losing track...
On the plus side, my red Bluestar range, which is a month overdue, is going to be delivered on Saturday--that's a nice Christmas present!!

houscrzy
Oh, bless your heart. It is so difficult to get your hopes up over and over and then get let down. It's a rollercoaster without the fun. Try to keep it in perspective, the holidays are about love and family not the tree, the decorations or the presents (although that Bluestar will look fantastic with a red bow). This too shall pass.

Yes, you can add me to the list of crazy Christmas remodelers. I am adding a deck (mostly done, waiting for new Andersen French doors to arrive before I can really use it) and will soon move on to interior remodel (changing floorplan, gut and remodel kitchen and bathroom, make new powder room). After installing the deck, my contractor STRONGLY recommended that we replace the roof NOW rather than wait until the end of the project (as I had planned). I said fine, go ahead.

He tore SEVEN layers of roofing off my poor little house. I could feel it heave a sigh of relief. I even got to keep some of the beautiful original redwood shingles from the bottom layer, they were painted hunter green.

Then before the roof install was completed, the rain came :-(. Last night was tough, I came home to find only one leak, but it was pouring through a light fixture, and there was nothing to do other than change buckets regularly during the night. At 330 am the power went out in my entire street. I had to get ready for work by flashlight.

My contractor called me just now and said he'd just finished torchdown on the flat section of roof, which was the culprit for the leak. So hopefully my Christmas wish of a warm dry house will come true !

The exciting news is that I will meet with contractor tonight to finalise kitchen cabinet order, I CANNOT WAIT until this kitchen is done. I have been living with a temporary kitchen for two and a half years now, I am so ready for this.

oh boy!!! We had an upstairs addition added a few years back, and so I know waht it's like to be without a roof. Scary but you strangely get used to it. lol 7 layers of shingles! OMG.

I found out today that the guys expect to demo my kitchen starting on new years eve. happy happy joy joy. Oh well. I'll just start drinking early that day and I won't even care.lol

Here's a pic from the end of Day 3 (yesterday). Today didn't have a lot of visible change, other than the ceiling. The tongue and groove is about 1/3 finished in the pic, but it's almost completely done now. They mostly did wiring and plumbing work today, but that doesn't photograph as well.

Tomorrow, they are supposed to dig the trench in my slab to accommodate the plumbing and electricity for my island. It should be the messiest and dustiest day of the project.

Thanks vwhippiechick for the sympathetic ear. As I said to a friend today, I'd rather just have the contractor admit the hard truth, rather than insisting that he can deliver something that he really can't. But you're right--we're in the home stretch, and I'm sure we'll all remember this Christmas forever. I have to say it is somewhat liberating just NOT to decorate or bake or throw my big Christmas party.

ooh nice holligator

My guys are still outside (bless their hearts) doing deck work - just keeping them out of the house until after christmas. They told me that they start demo inside on the 31st. Happy New Year. lol. My yard is a nightmare! but my deck is slowly coming along. I have been so busy that I haven't taken any pics and by the time they leave it's practically dark out.

My new cabinets look so lonely without the shiny new stainless appliances. I am hoping the Christmas elves will use their stardust to move my 450+ lb range from the dining room into it's cozy spot. But I'm afraid we will be DIY'ing that too - maybe even on Christmas morning. May start a thread on how to do this without AAAACH! damaging my new travertine.

accck....this is when elves would really come in handy.

Well, we survived the dusty day on Friday, but boy they weren't kidding when they said to be prepared for a mess!! They did a pretty good job sealing off the area with plastic, but the adjoining rooms still had a layer of fine dust. We spent Saturday cleaning up dust, while they laid the pipes for water and electricity in the trench to the island.

Here's the bad part (hopefully not too bad). I had been waffling forever about aisle width around my island. I had read over and over again on design web sites that crowded aisles were terrible, wider was better, and that I should go with 48" or 50" if I could. Then, I come here and read that, as long as I have at least 36" I should be OK, and that too wide can be uncomfortable. So, on the side of my island facing my stove, I had a possible range of up to 48" to still have enough room on the other side. When the cabinet guy came to measure for the GC to know where to put the trench, I had to decide. I figured I didn't want to be crowded in that area, but I also didn't want there to be too much distance between my prep area and my stove. I was too unsure to go much against the "professional" recommendations, so I went with 45".

Well, I should have trusted my fellow GWers! Last night, we went to dinner at a friend's house, and I (of course) was looking at every detail of her kitchen (do you do this everywhere you go now?). I noticed that the aisle between her perimeter counter and island seemed about right, maybe even an inch or two too wide for me. So, she got out the measuring tape and we determined that her aisle was only 43"! Uh oh! Wait a minute. My range will stick out a little past the counter, so 43" might be perfect. There should be enough wiggle room to move my island placement 2" right?

Well, when we got home, I measured where they had put the pipes, and where they set them, they will sit at the very far back part of the cabinet base with a 45" aisle. So, if I'm measuring correctly in there, there's really no wiggle room.

So, the GC and one or two of his guys are working today (yes, on Sunday--he said he'd be here every day of the week if it didn't bother me--bother me?--ha!). They're coming to pour the concrete to close the trench in the slab. When they get here, I get to break it to him that I screwed up. Oh well, better to know now than after the concrete is poured, right??

I would probably just live with my mistake, but the other side of the island, where I left 48", is a major traffic zone when we entertain, and inches could really matter. Since the concrete isn't poured, if I can add a few inches to that and make my other aisle more comfortable for me, I think I should. Anyway, the GC should be here in a few minutes, and we'll figure out how bad my screw up is.

LOL, holligator, I just talked with my builder and I am going to be going through the messy phase later this week. Not looking forward to it, but at least it's after Christmas !

Much progress today, even if it is Christmas Eve ... I came home to a nearly finished deck ! and it's SO PURTY !

So far I am loving my builder, he really enjoys his work and loves to put in all those little details, like a couple rows of hand-cut fishscale shingles on my new roof, and the routing on the balusters for the deck. I hope I still think the same of him when we are done :-)

Happy holidays everyone ! for those with kitchens, enjoy them; for those without kitchens, enjoy someone else's ! ;-)

flatcoat,

That deck sure does look awfully perty!!!

Aren't you lucky to have a contractor that cares AND seems to be competent. I have had one horror story after another, even my DD (who's only 24), asked me yesterday, has anything gone right yet? Kitchen guy took away the granite for the pony wall on Wednesday (to bring back Thursday or Friday at the latest- yeah right! NOT!!!). Here's the closet to a Christmas tree that we're getting this year:

{{!gwi}}

I spent this afternoon plastering drywall, and DH spent it creating more gouges in my kitchen floor, by installing those plastic sliders that are supposed to prevent that- not sure hardwood is going to be that user friendly...

We were priming yesterday and cleaning the drywall dust the day before.

Cabinets go in on Saturday. Pretty exciting!

p.

Yesterday we did a cardboard mock up of our hood to see if it is going to be too low over our range due to a problem with our cabinet order. The cabinet guy ordered an over the hood cabinet that is too tall and since the cabinet + molding goes to the ceiling it pushes the hood down by 4 inches. Still not sure. Should get the range in this week and be better able to make a decision.

Holligator,
When you measured your aisle width did you take into account that the counters stick out from the cabinets? so a 45" aisle may turn out to be 43" more or less.

Jillypie, I did take that into account, but I did not take into account that they were having to build the wall out a bit to deal with some new pipes. I get to have my 42-43" aisle without any pipe moving! :)

My recessed cans went in yesterday, and it feels great to have some light in there. My GC told me that they will have all the prep work finished and ready for the cabinet guy by Friday--a week ahead of schedule!

I am really, really hoping that my cabinet guy can get everything finished on time. The whole job schedule depends on him. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

well all was quiet here christmas eve and yesterday but the guys were here at 7am today. uggh. I'm still recovering. They told me that by the end of today I really should have a huge portion of the deck done adn then I guess tomorrow the roof trusses are coming. Should be exciting.

right now though I am just getting the final pack up ready for demo on monday.

well they started interior demo today - 3 days early. The weather is just too crappy outside today. Its been nice for the past week and a half having the only work happening outside- but now they're inside and I feel like my house is no longer my own.

Pictures later.

Buffettgirl, we are on the same schedule ! Interior work starter today for me also. Fortunately I was out all day, so came home to jaw-dropping sight of the disappearing wall ;-)

This was the original lovely kitchen ...

And here's tonight's progress ... the wall on the right is now mostly gone, and the framing has been put in for the French doors to the deck !

Apologies for darkness, the kitchen light is out. The space feels HUGE ! :-)

The downside is that the plumbing work has started and I have no kitchen sink and no bathtub/shower. I have a toilet and a washbasin. I sure hope this continues to go fast ...

Woohoo - more progress for us this week. Refrigerator installed and stocked. Dishwasher in place but can't hook up till sink is in. Hood installed tonight. Looks great and working well. WOW this is wonderful!!!

This was my day end demo of the original toy room/computer room which will become the bathroom, small computer nook, entry, and closets. The linoleum tile underneath is in amazing shape and has a certain cool factor...I almost want to save some of it and use it right at the door way...but I probably won't. But it's very funky. And remarkably matches the colors I'm using in the rest of the house. Weird? We also found a piece of wall signed and dated by the previous homeowner when he built the house. I had the guys cut it out so that we could bury it in the new walls. I"m going to send a picture over to the son of the previous owner..he lives 2 streets away.
click the link below the thumbnail to see the full image.

today has turned very sunny and warm and no impending ice or snow so they're back outside framing the walls of the deck and possibly getting to the roof.
This weekend we move all the appliances and finish emptying out the kitchen. Next week the major demo starts.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

How are my crazy christmas people doing ??? the ones who just started in the past few weeks?

my guys are working tomorrow and today we're packing up whats left of the kitchen - stove moved to the cellar, fridge moved to the dining room, to begin life without a kitchen for a few weeks. They expect to do the bulk of the demo of the kitchen space tomorrow because the weather is going to be really lousy. on friday they did a lot more deck work because the weather was nice:

We are doing GREAT ! despite my little problem yesterday (see thread titled "Public service announcement").

New beam, new rafters, new skylight, new french door framing for the kitchen ...

The framing and enclosure over the horrible dangerous scary basement stairs is GONE !

The dog is confused (not hard to do) ...

The new door to the bathroom has been framed ...

And there is a very tantalising peek out to the shiny new stained gorgeous deck, waiting for the french doors to arrive on Wednesday (eeek !) ...

The guys are here working a half-day today. They are going amazingly fast ... the electrician was here yesterday and removed all the old knob and tube wiring, and the builder says that they will rewire the house on Friday and Saturday, so I need to have all my lighting fixtures and placements picked out by then. Wow.

We are about one day of work away from being ready for the cabinet installation. Unfortunately, the cabinet installation won't happen for at least another week. Here are some pics of the drywalled (but not finished) walls, the filled in trench, and the finished ceiling. DH will be painting the ceiling today, and I think the GC's crew is coming tomorrow to finish the drywall and put in the subflooring.

New Year's Eve and we had help installing the dual fuel range! Two guys with muscles like you only see on the Bowflex commercials! They were great! It is up and running but still some glitches. Two center burners had wrong size ignitors so we are "cooking with gas" but just on 4 of 6 burners. Also DH had installed an outlet for the plug but we find that alas it must be hardwired. But we were able to connect it in order to test. Best cornbread I've ever made! Fifteen minutes in the convection oven. I may turn out to be a good cook after all. WOOHOO! They are returning next week with parts.
So does this now make us "The Crazy New Year People"?

Got the range hardwired today and fully in it's place. It looks great. I have rethought the "Bowflex Muscle" comment and I think I must amend it. They were less Bowflex and more linebacker muscles. Anyway they did a great job and we were so happy to start the new year with a working stove. Tonight I made sugarfree brownies for DH. My countertops are cardboard covered with a vinyl tablecloth but hey whatever works. Happy New Year!

Well, we had a week off over the holiday - they worked through Christmas Eve to get the stove installed, and will be back tomorrow!

We installed our Revashelf corner cabinet swingout, however, and although the kitchen has been functional, we still have no dining area and thus have been perched on the peninsula (which is a lovely place for morning coffee, but a little tricky for a game of Monopoly, as we discovered!)

But, it's all good. Can't WAIT to get this all finished, though - I'm guessing we have another 3 weeks or so to go: finish up wiring and lighting, tile floor, install wood floor, install DW, move fridge (and hook up water line to it), finish demo of old kitchen, paint and clean up. Nearly there!

Working away here (it's 11 pm New Year's night and DH is busy on plumbing in the new bathroom space). We should have a working kitchen (in the real kitchen space, that is, and not in the family room) in 2 weeks or less. We returned home after Christmas away to find all perimeter cabinets installed. We have since installed the wall oven, microwave, fridge (complete with ice and water), new sink, and most lights. DH is a crazy man! He works at his real job all day long and comes home to put in more hours. Contractor says he feels like the shoemaker in the "shoemaker and the elves" and wants to see what we have done when he comes in in the morning.

I can't wait to see pictures of everyone's new spaces!

Happy, happy 2008 to all!

Nica

My guys didn't end up here on new years eve but they were here first thing this morning and they are making quick work of the kitchen/bath. I can't wait to peek in at lunch time. We're all set up in our makeshift kitchen, fridge and pantry in the dining room, stove and dishwasher in the cellar. I am spoiled, I told dh to do whatever he had to do to hook the stove and dw up down in the basement. So at least I can cook. And we don't have to wash everything by hand or eat every meal off of paper plates with plastic silverware.

oh and maybe we're now all Crazy New Years people???

And we don't have to wash everything by hand or eat every meal off of paper plates with plastic silverware.

See, I've just whined about that enough to my friends that we have gotten a lot of dinner invitations! ;-)

Other than bagels, sandwiches, and the occasional premade meal out of the freezer, we have been eating out or at friends' homes. It's getting old, but the end is almost in sight.

LOl...well my parents are 2 short streets away - I'm saving that option for a few weeks from now when I'm really really tired of hiking up and down the cellar stairs to cook.

I also have to start looking at crockpot recipes...though I've never in my life cooked anything in a crockpot, so I'm lost there.

Yeah the crockpot is looking pretty good right about now, but I pulled out the rice cooker (it was at the top of the pile of stuff anyway) and made rice and veggies for dinner last night. Truly gourmet :-) but I was so sick of fast food and going out. Yesterday for the first time they demo'ed some plaster walls, and the freaking dust from that is EVERYWHERE.

More huge progress, my guys worked every day of the holidays except Christmas and New Year's day. Things are really taking shape, lots of walls have come out, and the new halfbath and closets have been framed. The gorgeous new 4'x4' skylight has been installed over the new vaulted ceiling in the kitchen, and it has already made a dismal dark space FAR better, along with bigger door openings. It will be even better when the sun tunnels go in :-)

This is actually a cool picture, you can see the original 100-year old redwood siding where the original exterior wall of the house was. They slapped an addition on the back of the house in the late 1940's (and must have been drunk while building it, since it is SO out of square ... my poor builder spent hours yesterday framing the closets because the floors and walls are so out of whack).

I haven't had a shower/tub for over a week, my only working plumbing fixtures are the toilet (whew !) and the teeny lavatory sink. It's a little disconcerting using the toilet because there are no walls around it anymore :-)

I am so excited to get home after work today, my French doors are arriving and I sure hope they get time to install at least one of them ... then I can finally walk out onto the long-awaited deck. Also they just called me to ask for some little details on tub positioning, so maybe (just maybe), I might have a tub soon. Luxury !

oh wow...looks great!!! I don't know how you're managing without good water (shower/tub). uggh. I'd go to a hotel (if I had any money left, which I'm doubting I would lol) At least we still have an entire upstairs complete with shower and a basement with large sinks. So plenty of running water.

here's the progress at my house from yesterday:

I just peeked in a while ago and everything is gone but for a few old studs and some pipes to upstairs that need to get moved. Can't wait to see it tonight when it's all cleaned up. I think they'll be framing the new spaces tomorrow (which means cutting new windows and doors) I hope.

This part happens so quickly - the rest goes slower. .

OMG OMG OMG TODAY THE FRENCH DOORS WENT IN !

Sorry for shouting, but I am SO EXCITED ! I was so worried about these, they cost a bomb (to me !) and I kept stressing that they wouldn't fit or that I would hate them. But I LOVE them, and it finally feels like my vision for my kitchen is coming true !

Over the last couple weeks, the "kitchen" has gone from this dark and dismal dungeon-like space ...

to this open, light-filled, airy (and somewhat breezy !) space ...

And I don't even have drywall yet ! ;-) Imagine how insufferably excited I will be when I have CABINETS ! LOL.

Hope everyone else's Christmas projects continue to roll onwards.

Marching ever onwards! The dining area floor goes in tomorrow (I think), the kitchen 3-spot medallion halogen track went in today, and the dining room ceiling fixture is going up soon (they're trying to finalise all the wiring, despite a pesky problem with one 3-way switch - that was there before the fact - that keeps misbehaving. They think they've finally figured out the problem, though, so here's hoping said light fxitures will soon produce light!)

More importantly, we've been functional for over a week now and I CAN'T STOP COOKING! Goodness, I'm even washing dishes ... BY CHOICE (dw doesn't go in till after the floor tile is down, so probably next week, or maybe even the end of this week). I luuurrrrrvveeee my not-finished-but-still-fab kitchen!

wow...progress!!!

I have everything totally gutted and yesterday was the last little bit - the chimney (which was removed on the 2nd floor during the last reno) was now removed from the 1st floor and the basement. Today they're framing the new spaces and tomorrow the electrician needs to come - and I'm still stressing over where to put lights! arrg. (I started another thread looking for help on that)

All my windows and doors arrived yesterday too and I suspect I may have at least one new one in today. I MAY even have a shower in place (but I haven't peeked through the plastic in a while)

Supposedly my foreman is going to layout the floor for me today if he has time so that I can figure out the lighting.

Our tile floor went in Christmas week, and they finished up our ceiling yesterday. Cabinets are being installed today! Can't wait to get home from work to see what they actually look like!

We were sailing during the holidays but now things seem to be moving soooooo sloooowly. We made a decision on the faucet and ordered the Danze Prerinse. Just received it today. Got it on Ebay from Mayfield Plumbing and saved over $85 compared to locally. Ordered and received our Ticor sink from Galaxy Tool Supply. Same experience as everyone else - great. Now debating backsplash choices, Tapmaster and soap dispensers. Big deal coming this week is templating for soapstone. Wow this is so much fun!

Wanted to post earlier but never figure out how to add pictures. But I am a CCP and proud of it!
We started 2 weeks before Christmas and I couldn't believe how much change there was! Then my "team took off 24 thru Jan. 2. The good part was that we were able to get a good feel for the space as all of the cabinet bases were in by then. We had 22 people for Christmas Eve and everyone was amazed at the change. (I had a cater :-))
The bad part was they found out after taking the beam out b/t the kitchen and dining room to join the ceiling that the two ceilings were different. One had an added dry wall piece. So, we had to tear the whold kitchen ceiling down when we didn't expect too. As of today, we now have a ceiling. Two steps forward, one back! My floors will be put in this weekend, and next week they will make the cabinet fronts. Good luck to you all!

No pics today, but there will be some soon. Lots of prep work has been going on for the past couple of weeks, but the progress has been slow--at least in appearance. The subflooring is installed. All the plumbing and electrical is in and my recessed cans are up. The new ceiling is finished and has received many coats of paint. It could probably stand one more, but since my husband decided to take on the painting himself, that probably won't happen. Funny, I'm quite certain that he'd demand it if it weren't him doing the work. :)

He has also stripped the one window that had been painted. Luckily, it had been stained and varnished before that, so the paint is coming off easily. If it weren't for all the corners and crevices, it would have been super easy. A coat of plain old "antique white" paint has gone up everywhere else. We're waiting until the cabinets and countertops are in to settle on a paint color--probably something in the sage family.

Right now, we are starting a flurry of activity. My floors will be installed today. My fridge and dishwasher were delivered yesterday and are sitting in my living room. The range comes on Monday. The cabinets should go in on Tuesday and Wednesday. The countertops shortly after that. The hood was a special order, so it's taking a bit longer.

So, in about a week, I expect that all that will be left to do is finish work. Install the pendants, replace molding and install trim pieces, etc.

Several of our acquaintances have been through the kitchen remodeling experience recently. At a Christmas party, we were talking about our plans. Our hope is to have things finished enough for our annual Mardi Gras party to be held as scheduled on February 2. We started demo on Dec. 17, and we expect to be finished by Jan. 25. People laughed. They said it would never be done in that amount of time.

Now, it is possible that my Ventahood won't be here, and I still haven't even chosen a light fixture for the dining area. We haven't ordered our barstools or the new "antique" farmhouse table. I also don't plan on doing a backsplash until later. But, other than those things, it's looking very good for having this thing finished on time. My husband bet a couple of beers that night at the party, so I know he has his fingers crossed! :)

Ok, I'll chime in (anything to delay waking the kids up). Our contractor is already talking about his "next job" as we should pass the rough in inspection (plumbing, framing, electrical, and gas) this morning. Gas people are coming today to hook up the cooktop, granite went in yesterday, and I am threatening to move all my stuff into cabinets over the weekend. (Of course, then I'll have to cover it all when we finally decide on a paint color!) So next week should see the remainder of the sheetrock work plus a whole lot of little things on the punch list (which is finally short enough to put on one sheet of paper!)

Guess I need to decide on pulls/knobs for the cabinets. Luckily we have a friend who is an interior designer who is willing to trade dinner for choosing paint colors . . .

Our work started the Monday after Thanksgiving and looks like it will be mostly done by next week. (knock on wood). DH is probably excited and looking forward to getting back to sailing on Second Life in the evenings instead of crawling on hands and knees in the crawl space!

vwhippiechick, where did you go sailing over the holidays? Our cars are h2oSAIL and h20FAM . . .

Cheers to all!

Here is a link that might be useful: link to our blog

Mommycooks - Wasn't actually sailing, but that would have been a nice way to spend the holiday season. (not sure if I would consider it more fun than remodeling) I meant the remodel was moving along smoothly and quickly ;-) and I was bemoaning the fact that things had slowed down. But we are moving again and got the countertop template completed last night. So we should be able to mail that to the soapstone fabricator today. Now I have an issue with my knobs/pulls that I am trying to solve.