Goodbye old friend
A blog about a new kitchen? How absolutely riveting?
I'm hoping so.
From what I can tell, most blogs are nothing more than a person rambling on about his life. Well, this kitchen project is going to be a big part of my life for the next couple of months. So I'm jumping into the blogosphere to share it with anyone who cares to join me.
And I'm sure this blog will build some sort of an audience. Despite the fact I know it is all a hoax, I'm still checking out Lonelygirl15 on YouTube hoping that the video soap opera of teenage angst, murder, and the occult will somehow come to an end. So I know blogging can be addictive.
While my blog won't feature a pretty 19-year-old, it will be a first-hand account of something that happened to homeowners all over this country.
Remodeling is big business. This job is the second most expensive purchase we have ever made, ranking only behind the house itself. As I said in my Feb. 1 column, I'm facing this project with a great amount of trepidation.
It's not that it is the most efficient kitchen, but it is my kitchen. Soon it will be gone. In its place will come a new one with new appliances and a new look. But will I like the look? Will the expansion of cabinets along the wall make the small space even smaller? Are the cabinets too dark? Is the countertop going to over whelm the room? I've been assured by my wife, Judy and our designer that I am going to love it when it is done. I don't see it. I mean I've seen the drawings and they look nice. But I can't get on board as joyfully as Judy would like.
But this blog is going to be about more than my neurosis and construction problems. It's going to be about living without a kitchen. Cooking has become second nature for me now. Will I be able to revert back to my bachelor days and eat out every night?
One advantage is that by being forced to eat out, it gives me a chance to explore restaurants around town. I'm not going to review them per say, but I will write about the places where I eat. And because I'll be eating on my dime, I'll be venturing into the smaller, less expensive places that may not get the attention they deserve in our restaurant review and dining notes pages.
I also look forward to your input. Oh, I expect there will be plenty of the "Quit complaining, you're getting a new kitchen" posts. I'm actually looking forward to them. I need that mantra to get me excited about the project. Share your thoughts and opinions. I'm hoping that those of you who have gone through this before will offer a tip or two.
So, let's start at the very beginning with a few before pictures. Like I said, it's not a great kitchen, but it is mine. Above is the view of the kitchen sink and the garbage can that Judy hates so much. The other view is along the long wall. As you can see, there's plenty of clutter.
So, it's time to get things started as I envision Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's Ty Pennington screaming into his megaphone: "Macdonald family, let's re-build your kitchen!"
I'm hoping so.
From what I can tell, most blogs are nothing more than a person rambling on about his life. Well, this kitchen project is going to be a big part of my life for the next couple of months. So I'm jumping into the blogosphere to share it with anyone who cares to join me.
And I'm sure this blog will build some sort of an audience. Despite the fact I know it is all a hoax, I'm still checking out Lonelygirl15 on YouTube hoping that the video soap opera of teenage angst, murder, and the occult will somehow come to an end. So I know blogging can be addictive.
While my blog won't feature a pretty 19-year-old, it will be a first-hand account of something that happened to homeowners all over this country.
Remodeling is big business. This job is the second most expensive purchase we have ever made, ranking only behind the house itself. As I said in my Feb. 1 column, I'm facing this project with a great amount of trepidation.
It's not that it is the most efficient kitchen, but it is my kitchen. Soon it will be gone. In its place will come a new one with new appliances and a new look. But will I like the look? Will the expansion of cabinets along the wall make the small space even smaller? Are the cabinets too dark? Is the countertop going to over whelm the room? I've been assured by my wife, Judy and our designer that I am going to love it when it is done. I don't see it. I mean I've seen the drawings and they look nice. But I can't get on board as joyfully as Judy would like.
But this blog is going to be about more than my neurosis and construction problems. It's going to be about living without a kitchen. Cooking has become second nature for me now. Will I be able to revert back to my bachelor days and eat out every night?
One advantage is that by being forced to eat out, it gives me a chance to explore restaurants around town. I'm not going to review them per say, but I will write about the places where I eat. And because I'll be eating on my dime, I'll be venturing into the smaller, less expensive places that may not get the attention they deserve in our restaurant review and dining notes pages.
I also look forward to your input. Oh, I expect there will be plenty of the "Quit complaining, you're getting a new kitchen" posts. I'm actually looking forward to them. I need that mantra to get me excited about the project. Share your thoughts and opinions. I'm hoping that those of you who have gone through this before will offer a tip or two.
So, let's start at the very beginning with a few before pictures. Like I said, it's not a great kitchen, but it is mine. Above is the view of the kitchen sink and the garbage can that Judy hates so much. The other view is along the long wall. As you can see, there's plenty of clutter.
So, it's time to get things started as I envision Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's Ty Pennington screaming into his megaphone: "Macdonald family, let's re-build your kitchen!"
posted by Dan Macdonald at
4:31 PM
12 Comments:
Dan,
I'm one of the silent readers (love the column!)out here who you will never hear from. But you've struck a nerve with the kitchen remodel. My husband Mike and I remodeled our kitchen about 3 years ago. Ours is an old house with a very small kitchen. It was pretty inefficient with NO dishwasher. Mike is a pretty handy guy and we've done other projects in our house so we thought we'd save a lot of money and do it ourself. So we did. Demolished everything down to the bare walls. We have an electrician friend who completely rewired the room. By the way you will LOVE the pot lights. Be sure they are put on dimmer switches. Finally the day comes when we are hanging sheetrock. A milestone because it means the demo is finished and the new is going in. Being avid runners, Mike and I decide to start the day with a run around our neighborhood. About a half mile from the house he falls...breaking his collarbone. All I could think of while he was on the ground screaming was "Who is going to hang the sheetrock?!" To make a long story short, the project took about 4 months (mostly because of the injury). I bought a two burner hot plate thinking I could make do. yeah right. I might have scrambled eggs on it twice. We got pretty sick of eating out.
I think Judy and your decorator are correct in saying you will love the finished product. My new kitchen still has not improved my skills (I am hopeless), but I love being in there! Good luck!!
Congrats Cathy, you're the first to comment on my blog.
I have no carpentry skills so we are hiring professionals to do everything.
Judy and I have talked about using our grill to cook meals. That's no problem as we'll have the refrigerator in the garage, but the problem I foresee is clean up. I'm sure that will be the subject of a future entry.
Dan
If you have a washer/dryer in your garage, you may be able to install a utility sink from Home Depot. It's not too daunting of a task, and it would provide a place to do at least some cleanup. Failing that, I would suggest lots of paper plates and microwaveable food.
Good luck!
Dan,
I think you will love your kitchen. Yes, it will be a pain in the neck dealing with contractors and making sure they do it right. But, the finish product is what you must look forward to.
Don't loose your faith and keep up the good work with your column, which I love.
Maria
Mr. B — As luck would have it, the laundry room is inside and is too small for a washtub sink. Don't mention that too loudly or Judy will want to re-do the laundry room next.
Maria — Thanks for the kind words. I guess my adversion to "pains in the neck" in general is what has prompted me to do this blog.
Dan
My husband and I remodeled our kitchen along with some other rooms a little over 3 years ago. What was supposed to take 4-6 weeks took 3 months. Some lessons learned - get a second, even third opinion - it may be too late at this point, but sure wish we had. We had "cans" installed in our kitchen ceiling because I needed/wanted more light. I have it and that's the good news, the bad news is that it is so hot in the kitchen now - even tho we removed a wall - that cooking anything in the oven better be worth it.
If you haven't totally decided on a specific countertop, I highly recommend quartz. That is the ONE thing I am most proud of and happiest/best decision I made during the entire project. If you are getting SS appliances, get non-smudge, it is absolutely worth the extra $$. I lost more storage space then I gained - didn't use a kitchen designer, trusted a local well known contractor - again, another reason to get a second opinion.
Regardless - you will love it! Oh, and add drawers - nice feature.
Dianne
Dan
Love your colums. My wife and I started our Kitchen remodel Jan 1 2006. We did every thing ourselves, except the countertop(granite, we love it). The project took about 4 months. we were only totally without a kitchen for 1 week. We also installed can lights, but fitted them with compact flourescents. Less electricity and less heat. Under cabinet lights provide nice ambient and task lighting. I let my wife pick out everything. Less hassle for me. Good Luck.
Believe me, Judy and the designer handled most of this project. My main input was on the oven and refrigerator — more about those items in a later blog.
I thought about the heat generated by the lights so we are definitely putting them on dimmer switches. But I'm glad you mentioned them, I may have to talk to the electrician to see if we can get them on seperate switches so that only half have to be lit at any one time. Just a thought.
DTM, (aka Dan the Man)
Since I cannot seem to get a mention in your column, I figured I would insert myself into your blog! Since your kitchen will be "shut down" temporarily, I, too, will be dining out with you and Judy when we're in town...of course, both kids will be along as well!!! Just a little thought to look forward to as the "safe haven" of your kitchen is being demolished!! See you SOON!!
Your favorite and only sister-in-law,
"Candy"
Dan, first of all we enjoy your column. From the posted pictures We can see why Judy wants to remodel. You need more counterspace for your cooking projects. We agree with you, eating out will get old by the time your project is completed, but it will be worth the wait. Good luck! Sam & Barbara
Sam and Barbara — I wish I had a wide angle lens to better show the kitchen. It looks more cluttered than it really is. Of course, Judy's opinion is a tad different on that subject.
Please check back often. With the project starting on Monday I suspect the posts will become much more frequent.
Hi Dan,
I always look forward to reading your column, and I'm excited for you about the kitchen remodel! I'll be getting vicarious enjoyment (and, no-doubt, sometimes horror) as I follow your progress, since our own kitchen re-do is still at least a year away.
I've already learned some things - (such as considering the heat-factor from the installed lighting)and I'm sure there will be many more lessons that will help prepare us for our project.
Again, thanks for sharing your experience, and good luck with all aspects! Judy
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