So….we’ve been in the house now for 8 plus years and we have finally started our renovations. I had to move my kitchen to that first floor so help me god! Adding on and expanded were out of the budget, so we had to rework what already existed. This project is the true definition of re-use, re-cycle and re-purpose! We threw NOTHING away. Door frames, trims, moldings, scrap, we kept it all. It all has to get painted anyway.
As I mentioned, the kitchen was upstairs, but just about everything else was too. Our dining room, bedrooms, family room with a lovely fireplace, and don’t forget that view!
Downstairs, a ginormous foyer that lead to two coat closets. A huge area of dead space. Not like you’re going to hang out in the foyer, by the front door and relax when the family room and kitchen are upstairs. Beyond the coat closets, a beautiful library with built-in shelves and desk/office. Yes, we filled it with lovely books, but we rarely went down there to enjoy it. Why would you want to be down there when everything else is upstairs? Across from the library was my sewing and craft room. It had a slop sink in it, and thank goodness for that. Without it, the plumbing for our new kitchen would have been a costly nightmare. I forgot to mention that this part of the house is built on slab, so no running the pipes under the floor. Our old library and sewing room are now our new kitchen and living area. We built a large walk in closet by the front door in that large area of dead space, and enclosed the area that lead to the garage. We now have a great spot to keep the dogs when they’re wet and full of mud.
Back to my kitchen, I mean our kitchen. Designing the kitchen has been an absolute blast. We were/are on such a tight budget, that it has been quite a challenge, but one that we have thoroughly enjoyed. My friends and family will tell you that I am the ultimate bargain hunter. The key is to educate yourself as much as possible about the products that you want. When that bargain raises it’s glorious head, remain calm and pounce with the determination of a jungle cat. Never let them see the exultation on your face. Save that for the car ride home when you scream like a little girl over the deal that you’ve just scored. What a glorious feeling!! The bargain hunting has been hard work, but it has been so much fun and well worth the effort. As we get more involved with the installation of the appliances, I’ll share those deals with you, and how you can find them as well.
Our old library
- My old craft room
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