Ahoy!

Its hard to believe that we started the kitchen facelift a mere month ago. Perhaps even four score and seven days. Whatever that means.
Minus the luscious Hale Navy paint, we started with this monstrosity only because the living room paint choice was failing on a painful level. We figured change the appliances, toss some paint up and call it done.
Then came the discovery that 1950's cabinet construction is a wee different than today's; there would be no new frig without sawing down an upper cabinet and repairing the leftovers.
We are still working on that portion of the program. Call it a demolition intermission of sorts.
But half of the shiny new appliances are in and boy, does a little paint and a hunk of stainless transform things in a hurry.
An electrician friend has become the fourth member of our family this week: hanging out late, rewiring, reworking, and redoing the icky boob lights and homemade electrical circuits that threatened the safety of our shelter.
Twas an unexpected expense to say the least.
Thank God all those HGTV and DIY network episodes prepared me to leave a separate budget for those special monetary surprises.
It's a work in progress of course, but I'm reveling in the joy of our blossoming home. And life. I feel really, really good things coming our way. The house is booming with good spirit and enthusiasm: after a very tough year and a half, it feels good to feel good and to feel good about feeling good.
We are thankful, grateful, and oh so giddy about what's to come. The energy is so bountiful that we are sending good vibes and air kisses to you all as well.

Deconstruct, Reconstruct

As an aside, I'm writing from my phone today. Which was annoying from Go anyhow, and now I'm seeing, quite clearly mind you, my complexion in the screen protector cover.

 

 

Can we say frown lines and brow furrow wrinkles?

 

 

Another tally on the CON side for you, 2011, another tally on the con side indeed.

 

 

Anywhoozle. The bees have been buzzing at Casa Plumage lately and most of the work has involved undoing the work of the prior owners.

 

 

Enter: Demolition.

 

 

When we moved in, it was a well known fact that the kitchen would need a little botox now and eventually, an entire facelift and boob job. Probably a tummy tick got good measure, too. 1973 was probably a great year for the old Plumage Kitchen. Hell, even the back of our BEAST of a GE frig boasts of "1979 Energy Standard" compliance. Oh yeah baby, that's it, that's the stuff of every energy bill paying homeowner's fantasies.

Behold:

The kitchen reno began a couple weeks ago when the living room painting failed on an epic level. Rather than sort out the frustrating choice of color in there, we wandered next door to the kitchen. You know, the bigger, more complicated, wayfrickenmore expensive project.

Ah, old appliances, crappy boob light fixtures and faux brick. Where to even begin the fun!

We soon found out from an electrician that one of the stove's burners wasn't working because the previous owner had jerryrigged some sort of home made circuit board beneath it. We then found illegal wiring and flammable insulation shoved over an electrical outlet all within a 12" space.

This is why you don't open Pandora's box, kids. Leave well enough alone and live gleefully in the bliss of ignorance.

So we figured what the frack and went on ahead and took the saw to the cabinets, the sledgehammer to the gingerbreading and schmeared it all with the most heavy handed layer of luscious navy blue paint you ever did imagine.

It will all be encrusted in a shiny coat of brand new stainless this weekend. I had jokingly told Chris that I would accept a new kitchen in place of an engagement ring, but I did that thinking a reno was more of a 2020 -something project.


There's that foot in my mouth again!

 

 

But I guess when a professional cries Fire Hazard, things expedite a bit.  The new frig is too tall for the previous opening, thus the jigsawing apart of the upper cabinets. We look forward-slash-dread the day that we decide what to do with the current 40" range and hood opening. And we most certainly look forward to taking the washer and dryer OUT of the kitchen and jamming it back DOWN in the basement where it belongs. I have beautiful, seed-glass-front dreams of a built in sideboard for my Grandma's Blue Meisen, all of my serving pieces, and of course a wine cooler.



Who knew that The House Before the House had the potential to potentially become The House.