Do we embrace the old or gut it?
Kimberly Tande
4 years ago
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Helen
4 years agoSammy
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoRelated Discussions
The joys of fixing your old kitchen BEFORE you gut it...
Comments (5)We are in RF, off York. It has been SO fun watching Michael! His house is right around the corner, and we belong to Meadowbrook too, so it has been pretty neat. My 5 year old said to me the other day, "Mommy can Michael Phelps move houses?" Not sure what he meant, he elaborated, "you know, can he pick up houses and cars becuase he is so strong?!" So cute. Anyway, the MD TKO getogether should be great! I was just getting into being TKO on GW when Igloochic was here last year- so I am looking forward to it. Anyway, I know what you mean about the stiff drink. DH had that last night after the plumbing was done. I asked him if he wanted to replumb our kitchen (and downstairs bathroom) DIY, and he told me he was an emergency only plumber. To be fair- our kitchen/bathroom is a HUGE job, as it will require new pipe chases through the roof and the addition of vetning in the bathroom (none was done by the contracor I am suing right now, long story..). We have been here for a little over 5 years. Pretty much nothing had every been done to this house. I have the original 1942 kitchen (with a 1970s formica countertop "upgrade"). The only "improvements" that were made are "upgraded" outlets (3-prong) which I am now concerned are not grounded is some places, and two additional closets which were constructed with 2x4 (that is how they are finished on the inside) and luan sheets instead of drywall on the outside. So far we have done the windows and doors, replumbed the upstairs bathroom, tripled the basement bathroom size, and finished the rest of the basement into a family room with cabinetry built ins, and redid the laundry room (partially). Even with the kitchen we have soooooo much more to do. But the kitchen is the priority, unless something else breaks......See MoreWhich floor? Embrace the grey, or traditional wood look?
Comments (44)OK, floors are in and I am happy for the most part. In some areas I love the look. But in our main living space it looks a bit sterile, and it is certainly louder in there with so many hard surfaces. I knew I would need rugs, but right now am at a loss about what to do next. Part of me really misses the "pop" that the blue and white floor had, but having one continuous floor connecting the living areas really does make the whole house look bigger. I brought home a neutral rug from home goods; not a keeper. IRL it needs more contrast. Trying a few sample boards but am totally confused at this point. The floor actually has more brown in it than I thought so wondering about pulling that out a bit more. I couldn't get a good shot of the seating area since DH was putting his tools away most of the afternoon! I hesitate to post this because it looks better IRL than this. Light wasn't great this morning when I took this but just an idea....definitely a rug here under the table and yeah, I think I'll be painting the table and chairs in the spring. Probably a separate thread just for that topic, LOL Bathrooms are much improved! One more shot of the kitchen early this morning with lights on. I'm happy to have the carpet gone, but I need to get everything to look like it belongs together. The floor looks great with anything white, like the cabinets, and with blue, like most of our furniture, which has bold, clear colors like the ones in the painting. But I don't want white rugs. And with so much going on with the open floor plan, I don't want them to be too busy because there is a lot going on in one large space. I've been staring at this too long so some fresh eyes would really help. I will need three rugs I think; one under the table, another in the TV area where we have two couches, and another in the entryway where the painting is. Thanks so much for your thoughts....See MoreNew house. Kitchen gut! Totally lost with what to do! Help!
Comments (103)Great stuff! Gas line change, you will need a pro for, I don't know if it gets more expensive the further you move it, but something to consider. If your DH can move the plumbing for the sink, that's all to the good. You're getting some great suggestions here. Go to an actual IKEA and look at the cabinets. Some of their products are indeed shoddy, some lines are excellent, and you should be able to tell in person which are good and sturdy for your needs. While I don't have IKEA cabinets, I did go in person to pick out IKEA furniture which are things I remain totally satisfied with. Countertops: friends in my new neighborhood recently remodeled their kitchen, and while I KNOW they put their range in a truly stupid spot (they didn't seek anyone's advice...) they did go with laminate countertops which look awesome. Yes, they could have afforded granite. Both Formica and Wilsonart have wonderful selections to choose from, and it's no longer your grandmother's formica… you don't have to have those seams anymore, you can have a variety of edgings without any seams. Well, maybe not triple ogee with summersaults, but you get the idea. And they're pretty hardy surfaces... even the stuff in my old home with the seams that dated from the late 60's only have two unremovable stains at this point in their lifespan. Something to consider, and easy enough to replace when the time comes, should you choose. Best of everything on pulling your kitchen and your house together!...See MoreDo You Believe "Gut" Feelings are Something that Shouldn't be Ignored?
Comments (39)I think there is a difference between gut feelings and intuition. I am skeptical of my gut feelings but not of my intuition, although both can be wrong at times. My gut feelings can be wrong about 50% of the time, but my intuition has a much higher accuracy, historically. My gut feelings can be reflex reactions, and those can never be trusted, and I do not. When I have an intuitive feeling, I recognize it for what it is and pay attention to it, whether I act upon it or not. I've been in the woods when I could sense that there would be a bear in the near vicinity, and in each case, there was, and I was able to backtrack to avoid the bear instead of facing it head-on. Once I sensed a bear behind me, and it was a good thing that I did. I've also had premonitions that would strike me instantly, and these turned out to be extremely accurate, even though I did not want to believe them when they struck me. I never wanted to believe them when they happened to me and generally kept them to myself, only to regret later that I did not reveal them to others to warn them. According to Einstein's unified field theory, there are at least ten dimensions, which you can read about in Michio Kaku's book Hyperspace, in which he discusses string field theory. I also believe that some sort of time travel is possible, to visit probable futures, and that this can be done sometimes while asleep and dreaming but also sometimes while conscious and accessing another dimension. This has happened to me on many occasions, and when I dream of the future just before it happens, it is the most accurate, but if I dream of it very far in advance, the probable future has more opportunities to change. When a dream comes to reality, I feel like I am experiencing déjà vu , but I often realize that it is really just something that I have dreamed previously and not actually experienced before. This happened to me much more frequently when I was much younger. As a child, I also had a lot of dreams that seemed to be of my previous deaths, but I have no way of knowing whether this is the case or not. Fortunately, I do not have these dreams any more. I tend to have extremely vivid dreams, many of which cause me anxiety and are difficult for me to awake from. While having these dreams, I am generally convinced that I am awake and not dreaming, even though I have identified certain clues to let myself know that I am dreaming and not awake. One that did not work was trying to pinch myself during a dream to confirm that I was asleep, but when I did this, I felt the pain of the pinch, and this only served to convince me that I was awake. Another clue is when I recognize that I am hopelessly lost and will never be able to find my way home on the streetcar or by walking back on the path I have just been on, or that I am in a house or building that keeps morphing as I am walking through it. I then say to myself, this only happens in dreams, and so I must be dreaming, but I am not always convinced, as I do have a tendency to get lost in real life. This might be why I have collected maps....See Moreaziline
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