The Wish List

Be careful what you wish for can certainly apply to the kitchen remodel. As I've dreamed about building my dream kitchen, I've collected articles from newspapers, magazines, the web and TV programs like "This Old House", "Flip This House", "Flip That House", "DIY" and the list goes on and on. Cute ideas, beautiful ideas, practical ideas, crazy ideas, impossible ideas!

Wishes come with a price tag. Be responsible and practical, settle on a budget for your remodel. Adding a little extra here and there can make a big impact on your budget. Take lighting for instance...did you know that light fixtures can cost you anywhere from $12 to $1200 (even more than that if you want to go that expensive)?

Adding trim to your cupboards costs extra, the type of ceiling you plan to install can cost extra. Even shelving that you add to a pantry can raise the amount of your budget by more than you expect.

I'm pretty much a practical gal. You won't see me shopping the specialty "cook type" stores. If I need a utensil, I'll go to Kohls or Walmart. If I need a new small appliance, you'll probably find me shopping the same stores. Think about how you work in your kitchen, how you entertain, and what's really necessary.

What I'm enjoying most about this journey is the simplicity in which I will approach my new kitchen - less is more. Packing away the old kitchen taught me that I really don't need all of the things I had hidden away in the drawers and cupboards.

Wishes can come true and wishes keep our minds fresh and our daydreams alive. But, wishes can get us into trouble and give us things that later we wish we had the cash we'd spent and the desire to rearrange or remodel in a much simpler way. Later will be too late. Think now about what you really "need" and enjoy watching the rest on HGTV.

Before the Destruction

What's a remodel without before and after pictures? Our kitchen was updated about 12 yrs. ago with new white Formica counter tops and beautifully designed diamond pattern back splash, and oh yeah, don't forget the paint and carpet. But, our cabinets are circa 1960's. A sliding glass door replaced the double kitchen window about 11 yrs. ago.Last winter Larry added our new pantry which has helped so much. Used to have to straddle the basement steps to reach for things. Now, it's convenient and located in the kitchen.

Those are the things that have been added since we moved into the house in 1979. However, we guess that somewhere along the way, the size of the kitchen doubled with the back of the house being extended. Probably sometime between 1959 and 1963. Check the next post for some more "before" pictures.