Our new patio doors are in (yay!), the trash pile is now taller then me, and the exterior is ready for stucco. Meanwhile on the inside….
It is disaster zone 2.0. Remember how you could see the laundry machines from the front door ever since we knocked down that first wall? Well since they will have a new home in the laundry room, we knocked down the wall in the kitchen that used to separate the laundry (as well as the refrigerator and dishwasher) from the rest of the kitchen. This adds about 5 more feet to the kitchen… and girl likes some space in the kitchen.
We are going to continue on with the cabinets and countertop, right to the wall, so there will also be loads of counter space. You may also notice we put cabinet hardware in. These brass bar pulls are so clean and sleek and matched the pendant lamps perfectly.
Renovation Confession: I am the messy one in our household, I like to call it a “high tolerance to disorder” (sounds so much better right?). So anyway, going into this renovation I thought, “we had no problem with the chaos of the cabin renovation, I don’t know what the fuss is all about when people talk about the headaches and the drama of renovating a home”. Well, NOW I GET IT!
Living in construction for the past few months has opened my eyes to how much your surroundings really do affect you. It is unsettling to look around and see nothing in order, nothing clean, nothing styled pretty. It sounds silly but now I know why I go through the trouble of making things beautiful around me. It is because anxiety breeds in ugly. Seriously. The mess and the chaos, and the trash piles, and the construction dust, and the not having any clean laundry for weeks, and the still not being able to unpack everything (we moved 7 months ago), it has taken its unsettling toll. I’m working on how to climb out of it and will share some tips on living through a major renovation, as I am sure I am not alone in this (please say I’m not? ha). The weekend trips and time spent outside has definitely been my saving grace lately but I can say my tolerance has officially gone out the dirt covered window. On a more positive note, we are getting close to the end!
To see more on the renovation check here.
Patio Doors from Stock Building Supply // Cabinet Hardware by Lewis DolwinAdditional Sources: Alto Pendant Lamps by Cedar & Moss // Cabinet Doors & Drawer fronts by SemiHandmade // Stools by Organic Modernism // Cabinet paint colors: Pigeon & Wimborne White by Farrow & Ball // Floor Stain Color is Ebony by Minwax // Faucet by Brizo
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Oh my, I know what you mean! Living in a small (700 sq ft) home with five people (three being mess-attracting children), I can relate to how you feel; although renovation sounds worse – much worse!
“Anxiety breeds in ugly.” YES! That’s the perfect way of putting it. I have no doubt your home is going to be so magical once it’s done.
Girl, we have been living in construction chaos for just over 2 years now! With 3 lil’s. But you know what, it refines you. In many ways. And actually creates an ever humble heart, realizing just how blessed it is to be in this mess. We have a roof over our heads, in an amazing area, and lots of dreams for what is to come. And someday, we’ll get there. With LOTS of stories! And a lil bit of hair pulling along the way! Maybe mine… maybe my kids! (I kid.) 🙂 Hang in there. And enjoy the journey.
I had a feeling you would get the Lewis Dolin knobs and pulls. Gorg!
What you’ve done so far looks great. Why didn’t you just wait and do the kitchen all at once? Won’t you have a gap in the marble counter and backsplash and now you have contractors messing up your pretty new kitchen.
Ha thank you Kathleen!
Hi Melissa, Ha good question. Well, originally we were never going to add on a laundry room or extend the kitchen. We didn’t think it would be in our budget and it hadn’t even occurred to us until we were already almost finished with the first round of renovations. Of course ideally we would have done it all at once, but the contractors are taking good care of the new kitchen and yes there will be a seam in the marble, but they are confident that they can blend it so that it isn’t noticeable.
Wow ! This looks crazy ! So glad to hear your getting there with it finally though, it’s looking really fantastic I love your kitchen ! I can’t believe you’ve been living there that long with it like that I think I would definitely go a little crazy but at least your going to have a stunning home with your stamp on it by the end of it ! Noticed you’ve got some of your gorgeous napkins/tea towels in the corner there hehe 😉 Can’t wait to see the end result 🙂 x
I absolutely agree! We’ve been renovating extremely slowly and now that the first room is almost done I’m so glad that I’ll have one space that will be serene and finished.
I can hide from the rest of the renovation mess in there!
HI Sarah,
I love the brass/gold hardware. I am doing a kitchen reno and am debating doing the same but I wonder if stainless steel appliances will clash with it! What are your thoughts? If you go gold, do you have to go gold with everything?
I totally understand! We have been renovating our house since 9/2012 and now I am 32 weeks pregnant with our second child, I really (really) want it to be over. The werkmen who are here at the crack of dawn, the endless amount of dust, boxes in every room.. All will be well in the end. We just need to hang in there 🙂
Hi, What finish did you choose for the gold hardware? It looks amazing on the cabinets.
Your revelation is so dead on. This is always what I tell my clients, and it’s not until people really GET IT that they decide to be…intolerant of it. 😉
This is my go-to blog for my house remodel. You have great taste and ideas. Thank you for sharing them.
I see that you purchased the patio doors from Stock Building Supply. What brand are the doors and are they all the same brand? I’ve been searching and I’m coming up empty handed on finding decently priced doors that can be purchased unfinished in order to be stained.
Thank you.
WOW! I have been reading back through all your renovation posts and I admire your courage to live in the house during the process. My husband and I have been rebuilding a home from the ground up over the past year, living with his parents for the past 7 months and I totally get what you are saying about tolerance, space, mess – everything. I was laughing reading the past few posts because I literally was looking up airstream trailers last week to buy & live in at our property just to give us some semblance of a life with order and privacy. I feel your pain! Your renovation is beautiful and I really admire your work! xx, Beth