And Then There’s Remodeling, Pt. 2
By Lisa Batten Kunkleman
When our “And Then There’s Remodeling, Part One” saga ended, we had just ordered granite choice number two by mistake. At this point in the process, did we even care? Not really. We had an island and cabinets sitting in the middle of our kitchen, ready to be topped with something. A large slab of just about anything would have been preferable to no top at all. We even threw a couple of our old,now removed doors on top to pretend it was finished. The doorknobs didn’t really work out.
The giant topless island didn’t slow down our young adult kids and their friends one bit. A Christmas cookie competition took place in spite of the mess. We carried on with meals cooked on our fifty-year-old appliances a little longer. Yes, you heard right. We had two fifty-year-old ranges that still mostly worked, minus a burner or two. Together they equaled about one and a half workable ranges. They really don’t make them like that anymore.
Then the painters came. Time to close off the kitchen from fumes and wagging dog tails. Lousy timing in a way, since they came on the same day as our son’s shoulder surgery. My husband and I had to divide and conquer. He stayed home with the painters while I tended to medical details, getting our son, Joe, through his difficult day. Fortunately, Joe wore a pain pump which dripped continual medicine, blocking his nerves for the first few days, so he was feeling pretty great. He did fantastic. And so did the painters. We all had a good day.
We arrived home from the hospital to “Acceptable Gray” walls in the kitchen and a “Ceiling White” ceiling. Real paint names. Appropriate names. Plastic once again covered floors and cabinets, but what an “acceptable” mess to come home to. The ugly honeydew-green walls were gone. Forever. That evening, family and friends attended our oldest daughter’s band concert. Even the patient attended. He had promised his sister, “I’ll be fine to go after surgery.”
We all said, “Yeah, sure you will.” Dang if he didn’t.
Next up, painting the cabinets white had to be done before the granite arrived. There was a problem. The granite people called saying they must deliver early morning or put it off till after New Years, two weeks away. Oh no, that wouldn’t do as we were having a small gathering to bring in 2017, and we were tired of looking at a topless island.
They only had men available to lift the heavy stone during early morning. We came up with a compromise. Promising if they’d give us time to get the painting done that morning, the painters agreed to help them bring in the island top. Done deal. Poor painters had no idea how heavy the six hundred pounds of granite would be, but they grit their teeth and brought that monster in the house.
Counter top in place, the installers put on toxic-dust-blocking masks and sawed a hole in the stone for our cook top. I watched while sparks were flying out of the cut stone. Precision is essential. One wrong move and they can ruin a stone. High pressure work. Cook top in, granite topping the island, paint on the walls and cabinets, we were rounding the home stretch of this remodeling adventure.The kitchen part at least.
Along came Christmas. A needed break for everybody and continued use of our one remaining copper-tone colored range. We baked our multi-layer chocolate “Jesus cake” in that oven for a last hurrah. Seemed a fitting farewell.
We’re still not done. The saga is “to be continued.”
January 19, 2017 at 5:44 pm
The Jesus cake would make everything better in my world..:)
January 19, 2017 at 6:17 pm
It was delicious. And even gluten free as my oldest daughter has Celiac. Gotta have our Jesus cake.
January 19, 2017 at 6:29 pm
It looks like a happy crew with the exception of the dogs. 🙂 It’s coming together nicely…congratulations, Lisa!
January 19, 2017 at 6:58 pm
Thanks Jill. I can actually sit at the island and eat or write or just stare at the new gray paint.
January 19, 2017 at 10:12 pm
Progress!
January 19, 2017 at 6:52 pm
What a journey with a medical procedure in the middle of it. The kitchen looks truly beautiful.
January 19, 2017 at 6:57 pm
Thanks so much. The surgery did add some spice to the adventure. And my other son’s earlier knee surgery in the midst of it too. Whew. House and boys on the mend.
January 19, 2017 at 7:30 pm
Glad to hear it!
January 19, 2017 at 9:29 pm
Absolutely envious kitchen! Well done!
January 20, 2017 at 2:28 am
Thanks. It took 30 years of marriage to finally do this. I’ve always felt like it was my mother in law’s kitchen since it was originally her house. Now it’s finally mine.
January 20, 2017 at 3:39 am
Aw, well, just to let you know – I would have gone with the same for walls and cabinet colors!!! good choices!
and yes, now it’s all yours…
January 20, 2017 at 3:40 am
Thanks again.
January 20, 2017 at 8:38 pm
I really enjoyed reading this! Your kitchen is much bigger than ours, so you have quite the project! Can’t wait to see the before and after – already looks great!
January 20, 2017 at 8:40 pm
Thanks so much. The process has made me want to take a break before tackling the laundry/bathroom. Look forward to seeing what y’all do.
January 23, 2017 at 7:04 pm
[J] And some folk do kitchens and bathrooms for a living! Aaaagh!
January 23, 2017 at 7:41 pm
Oh my gosh you’re right. House flippers. Oh that’s too much stress and moving around for me. I’m more of an oak tree person who takes roots and stays put.
January 24, 2017 at 12:41 am
Beautiful final result!
January 26, 2017 at 5:07 pm
Lovely family kitchen.. Lovely family.
Lovely to get to know you and your family.
January 26, 2017 at 8:45 pm
Aw. You’re so kind.