Kitchen Remodel

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Kitchen Demo – Day Two

IMG_8666 (600x800)IMG_8643 (600x800)Here’s what it looked like at the end of Day Two. Bottom photo is Day One, top photo taken of the same space, Day Two.

IMG_8670 (600x800) Another view looking into the kitchen from the family room. And a “surprise” – a waterline in the middle of the wall we’re taking down. It needs to be moved, obviously, which they say shouldn’t be too difficult.

IMG_8669 (600x800)PreLooking into the family room from the kitchen. Top shot Day Three, bottom shot pre-demolition.

IMG_8673 (600x800)Look guys, original wallpaper! Which, okay, our house was built in 1960, but it was still a cool find. It looks very cheery. And very Grosse Pointe. IMG_8676 (600x800)IMG_8622 (600x800)The garage closet is down. We saved a row of kitchen cabinets to install in its place. Although I think we’re doing the install, not the builders. And by we, of course I mean my husband.

My husband’s office is in the basement. On Day Two, a bunch of plaster came falling down through the laundry chute. Lots of dust flying around and both of our throats were chalky and sore. The dog, not having his usual leather chair to sleep in, slept on our new floral couch (which now has dirt stains and hair all over). I bought paper plates and bowls. And did the Neti-Pot before bed. It’s going to be a long 6 – 8 weeks.

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Kitchen Demo – Day One

IMG_8664 (450x800)At 7:30 in the morning on Day One of the kitchen demo, there’s a knock on the door. It’s the hauling service with our dumpster. “Where do you want it?” What, seriously? I’m in my bathrobe. Do I look like the Project Manager? Anyway, we figured it out and the dumpster gets dragged on our driveway. At this point I’m thinking to myself, wow, that’s one big dumpster. I guess they don’t mess around.

In the light of day (it was still dark when they came), there is a huge (I mean huge! Look at it!) scrape up our driveway. Turns out, it was in fact the wrong dumpster. We were supposed to get a smaller one with rubber tires (shown  ). The demolition hasn’t even started and we already have collateral damage.

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IMG_8641 (600x800)There was just one guy here (I met him, but am blanking on his name), taping off the doors (two doors, one leading from the family room to the entryway and the other between the kitchen and dining room), putting down cardboard and pulling the cabinets off the walls. This is what it looked like around lunch time (above).

IMG_8643 (600x800)And at the end of the day.

IMG_8646 (600x800)A patch of linoleum under the cabinet that was closest to the dining room.

IMG_8661 (675x800)Our Habitat for Humanity donation stacked neatly in the garage.

A few days before the demo, I posted on Facebook, asking for crock pot recipes. Maybe I didn’t have a kitchen, but I still had electricity, right? After just one day of demolition, I put the crock pot in the basement. It is not seeing the light of day until that kitchen is done.

 

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And We’re Off!….The Day Before Demolition

PreAfter weeks of planning and designing, the kitchen remodel (and when I say kitchen, I mean kitchen and family room) is finally underway. The day before demolition, we let the girls draw on the walls (I had already defaced them with my paint samples), which they were super excited about. Of course I had to join in with my own drawing. It was really fun.

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It’s hard to see the crayon in the photo, but they colored quite a bit!

IMG_8623 (600x800)That afternoon (a Sunday), my husband also re-wired the thermostat in the garage, as it was located in the closet that was going to get torn down. He crawled up into the roof and did whatever one has to do to re-wire these things (I’m so glad I married a handy man because I am extremely unhandy).

As he was walking around up there, he punctured his head with a nail (“Hey, remember when I went to the doctor and she gave me a tetanus shot?” he yells down).

IMG_8622 (600x800)New thermostat location where wire is coming out of the wall. And a drill. So a drill was involved.

IMG_8625 (600x800)We also had to move the fridge in order to get the couch down to the basement. Which meant disconnecting the water line. Or something. Not to mention move everything out of the kitchen cabinets and pantry closet (I am so done moving!!).

IMG_8626 (600x800)One last shot of the family room before the demo. And Sam, once again, getting in the shot.