Please show me your backsplash...

[Tekate]

((((((((MISSY))))))) Alopecia is scary, my college roomate has the form where you have a receding hairline, she's a professor at a college in PA, and she has spent oodles and oodles trying to get help, she had the shots etc.. nothing worked so she has a gorgeous new look of swooped bangs, we are both Irish so we decided we have an Irish woman's bane (that and rosacea).. one of my derms said if I could lower my stress level (WHAT!).. anyway, My heart to yours.. we are in this thing together.

re: your thread! YES!! it's great to see new people and we have ILS and her house to watch for a year.. so exciting.. love @ac117 's pix and Victorian!!! she's a Brooklyn girl too! renovation is so stressful but so worth it in the end. And ILS, the hugest stress of all in a way.. BUILDING! done it 2X.. one can go into shock at walking in and seeing your tile the wrong color etc.. or your foreman says: "no other owners come everyday" lol.. that was the Austin house.. men.

Hope David is doing a okay.

Kate

Kate thank you! You are so kind as well. I appreciate your good thoughts. I am so sorry you are dealing with a form of alopecia too.

I don't even know how to verbalize my feelings right now about all of this. Scared, overwhelmed are 2 that immediately come to mind. I wish it was "regular" alopecia as with that there is not any real pain but with this there is redness, inflammation, swelling and burning and itching and hair loss. It's surreal. I am doing my best taking this one day at a time and know I have the support and love of my dh no matter what. So grateful for him and the good in my life but scared about the here and now and the future. Living in the moment is hard when the moment generally sucks.

Discomfort and hair loss is challenging but I hope I will be strong and can handle what comes my way. Thank you so much for your kind comments and thoughts. (((Hugs))).


And so glad this thread is becoming a valuable resource for others and I very much look forward to seeing your pics and updates @Tekate and @ILikeShiny.

 

[Tekate]

Aw.... thank you !!!!!!

I understand about sparse updates, one week there will be tons of movement then a month of meh! We are all here to support you and watch this really beautiful home taking shape..

Builders money hahahahahaha! also painters jeez..

If nothing else, we all support each other, I think you started the term - or at least the first time I read it: "first world problem" ... I know my problems here are first world but none the less, I love my home, I feel lucky to be able to share this with people who care. I care and look forward to seeing a new refrig or a new chair to your house, to a new lawn, you know what I mean? We are all family.

Kate! You're welcome anytime!! I'm hoping I'll have better updates to share in the future other than "woohoo, the trees have red ribbons!" Unfortunately I think my updates will become quite sparse for the next 4-6 months, but once we get those permits things should start moving at a rapid pace... you know how badly builders want their money

I'll keep checking in though as I want to see everyone's progress (and maybe some new people will join this thread with new projects too). I didn't realize how valuable this thread would be when I asked my first question, but it's been a great resource and place to turn to for opinions as well as sharing indecisions/excitement

 

[missy]

((((((((MISSY))))))) Alopecia is scary, my college roomate has the form where you have a receding hairline, she's a professor at a college in PA, and she has spent oodles and oodles trying to get help, she had the shots etc.. nothing worked so she has a gorgeous new look of swooped bangs, we are both Irish so we decided we have an Irish woman's bane (that and rosacea).. one of my derms said if I could lower my stress level (WHAT!).. anyway, My heart to yours.. we are in this thing together.

re: your thread! YES!! it's great to see new people and we have ILS and her house to watch for a year.. so exciting.. love @ac117 's pix and Victorian!!! she's a Brooklyn girl too! renovation is so stressful but so worth it in the end. And ILS, the hugest stress of all in a way.. BUILDING! done it 2X.. one can go into shock at walking in and seeing your tile the wrong color etc.. or your foreman says: "no other owners come everyday" lol.. that was the Austin house.. men.

Hope David is doing a okay.

Kate

Thank you Kate. And yes @ac117 is a Brooklyn girl. We Brooklyn girls are tough cookies.

And though I am not Irish I play one IRL with my rosacea and pale skin that easily turns pink ...I think I will just have to find red locks when I go bald and play the role more fully. Kiss me I am Irish.

My biggest concern is that the inflammation won't allow me to wear a wig. And there is nothing I can do about my eyebrows. But I know Greg loves me no matter what and I have to love who I am and not focus on my appearance as hard as that is. I just hope the discomfort/pain isn't too great to bear.

And Kate big (((hugs))) to you. Thank you for being here.

Anyway back to the gorgeous renovations and beautiful homes everyone is so generously sharing here. It is such a wonder to see everyone's transformations.

 

[ac117]

@ac117 Wow, your home and reno is stunning. Beautiful. So inviting, jeez it's perfect.

I am sooooo sorry for the original problems with you contractor, if you haven't read my story with my pool reno let me know and I'll find it for you so you can read that I am hellishly sympathetic to you, being scammed, used, and having a tear out and starting again.. my heart to yours. Seriously, I can relate.

Your choices are warming to me, I love the water faucet thingy over the oven, wish I had one of them but there is no water line near my stove, I think it's such a helpful item to have, pasta! tea! rice.. etc.

Know we all understand sh--head contractors.. it's danged scary to do even a slight reno.

I'm so happy for you and your fireplace!!!!!! jeez... just awesome.

Kate

Thank you for the kind words Kate!!!

Ugh...I haven't read the thread but just your description makes me sick to my stomach. I had started reading a thread about reno nightmares a few months ago and had to stop because even though I felt like I wasn't alone, it was stressing me out even more!!! I'm so sorry you had to go through that...I'm so sorry for anyone who deals with unscrupulous contractors who just cause so many more problems. It's truly sh*tty.

We're working on unpacking first and foremost but I still feel like there's sooo much left to do. However, now that we're in the house it makes any progress made that much more satisfying.

 

[ac117]

Thank you so much Austina! the tiles are handpainted (which I guess I knew but forgot) so first time they came they were wrong or something (me being in FL I was oblivious) then the wrong size, the kitchen tile are hand painted glass tile, they came in 2x in the wrong size... ya gotta wonder.. anyway that was the hold up on tiling.. the boys are here to grout today, tomorrow new drapes thing goes up then I am fini! on to a bathroom reno when my husband feels ready to not coronary

thank you so much...

Kate

Wow, the tiles are amazing and handpainted?! That gives it even more depth and uniqueness...love!

 

[ac117]

Thank you Kate. And yes @ac117 is a Brooklyn girl. We Brooklyn girls are tough cookies.

And though I am not Irish I play one IRL with my rosacea and pale skin that easily turns pink ...I think I will just have to find red locks when I go bald and play the role more fully. Kiss me I am Irish.

My biggest concern is that the inflammation won't allow me to wear a wig. And there is nothing I can do about my eyebrows. But I know Greg loves me no matter what and I have to love who I am and not focus on my appearance as hard as that is. I just hope the discomfort/pain isn't too great to bear.

And Kate big (((hugs))) to you. Thank you for being here.

Anyway back to the gorgeous renovations and beautiful homes everyone is so generously sharing here. It is such a wonder to see everyone's transformations.

I don't think I could've handled any of this if I weren't a tough cookie!!!

I'm sorry you're going through this missy but you're tough too and I know you'll get through it!!! Greg is your rock and you're so lucky to have him!!!

 

[BlingDreams]

...And there is nothing I can do about my eyebrows...

Sure there is. You can get them tattoo'd back in. That's what I did . Find someone specialized in "micro blading", as that's how you want it done. They create each individual hair strand with the tattoo ink. I first had it done about four years ago when mine started thinning/receding from thyroid issues and will be having a touch-up in the next few weeks. In all that time, not one single person ever guessed I had tattoo'd eyebrows and when I'd tell people they were tattoo'd they were all "GET OUT OF HERE!!"

ETA: Here's an example, and this was done at a salon in Brooklyn if that helps!

 

[missy]

Sure there is. You can get them tattoo'd back in. That's what I did . Find someone specialized in "micro blading", as that's how you want it done. They create each individual hair strand with the tattoo ink. I first had it done about four years ago when mine started thinning/receding from thyroid issues and will be having a touch-up in the next few weeks. In all that time, not one single person ever guessed I had tattoo'd eyebrows and when I'd tell people they were tattoo'd they were all "GET OUT OF HERE!!"

Aww I am so glad it worked well for you @ILikeShiny. I wish I could do that. My skin is ridiculously sensitive and irritated and I would reject any tattoo/microblading and it would just cause more issues for me. I already discussed this with my derm though I already knew the answer. I so wanted that to be an option for me. Not to be dramatic but I will be a freak in appearance and that is a bitter pill to swallow.

I hope the years I have lived have given me (some) wisdom and the strength to deal with what lays ahead for me in this new scary journey I am facing. I have no choice but to make it work and be OK with what is to come and with what I am dealing with right at this moment.

I am grateful for PS and for you lovely PSers because your company and friendship here makes it a little bit easier. I know that might sound odd because I do not know many of you IRL (though I do know some of you who are even lovelier IRL than online hard to believe) but it is a fact. Having this outlet to share our joys and sorrows makes it a little bit easier. I know basically I am alone when it comes to dealing with this disease and its specifics as this is a very rare disease (LPP) and not much is known about it except that no good treatment exists.

Anyway thank you for chiming in and I always appreciate any thoughts and advice. (((Hugs))).

 

[missy]

ETA: Here's an example, and this was done at a salon in Brooklyn if that helps!

Wow that is amazing @ILikeShiny. I wish I could get this done. Thank you for sharing the photo. Beautiful.

 

[BlingDreams]

Aww I am so glad it worked well for you @ILikeShiny. I wish I could do that. My skin is ridiculously sensitive and irritated and I would reject any tattoo/microblading and it would just cause more issues for me. I already discussed this with my derm though I already knew the answer. I so wanted that to be an option for me. Not to be dramatic but I will be a freak in appearance and that is a bitter pill to swallow.

I hope the years I have lived have given me (some) wisdom and the strength to deal with what lays ahead for me in this new scary journey I am facing. I have no choice but to make it work and be OK with what is to come and with what I am dealing with right at this moment.

I am grateful for PS and for you lovely PSers because your company and friendship here makes it a little bit easier. I know that might sound odd because I do not know many of you IRL (though I do know some of you who are even lovelier IRL than online hard to believe) but it is a fact. Having this outlet to share our joys and sorrows makes it a little bit easier. I know basically I am alone when it comes to dealing with this disease and its specifics as this is a very rare disease (LPP) and not much is known about it except that no good treatment exists.

Anyway thank you for chiming in and I always appreciate any thoughts and advice. (((Hugs))).

Hang in there Missy. I know it's scary. The one thing I learned from watching my Mom go through 23 years of cancer was that new treatments are always lurking around the corner. Hopefully there will be some great breakthroughs for LPP in the not-to-distant-future that will help halt, if not reverse, its progress. It's great that you have Greg there IRL to support you too .

And hey, people find Sinade O'Connor and P!nk sexy with their baldness, so why not you??

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty/hair/g2906/famous-bald-women-with-shaved-heads/?slide=1

 

[missy]

• @ILikeShiny Haha I wish I would look like Sinade O’Connor or Pink!

So we are at the beach house now. My first visit here since end of December. I love the kitchen. The marble backsplash with super white grout is exactly what I envisioned and I love how clean bright it is and how it combines the cool with the warm. With the dark wood, the red brick and the white counters and cabinets. It is how I hoped it would be. Is it perfect? No. I would have needed a kitchen double the size at least lol but it’s perfect for this house and I’m pleased with it. AND we have so much more storage space and counter and island space. What a difference.

I have to add my DH did a smash up job cleaning the house and kitchen.

I won’t bore you with more kitchen pics because let’s face it I bombarded y’all enough with my kitchen pics.

But a quick pic of the backyard. It’s a gray morning but oh so pretty. Not staying the weekend as we just came for the day for me to check it out and also take inventory of what we need here but next time we come it will be for at least a weekend.

Took this while working out on my elliptical so not the best but see the birds? Hi birds and feral kitties. We are back.




It’s good to be back.

 

[junebug17]

So glad you love the kitchen Missy!!!

 

[missy]

So glad you love the kitchen Missy!!!

Thank you Junie! I am going to share an aerial view with you lovely ladies as I think it is a cool pic. You can see our pretty in pink cherry tree in the photo.




Looking forward to more renovation updates from everyone.

 

[Tekate]

@missy I love seeing pixs of your homes, they are inviting, lovely, and calming. (I always need a huge dash of calm).

I feel for your journey with the alopecia.. you know I have it also, part of one of my eyebrows is missing so I sort of cover it up with this new gel thing (new to me anyway).. it works, and I have to say I'm blind as a bat so I always get my glasses at eyebrow level - truth!.. Of course my eye brows are turning white.. it's weird.

My heart to your heart girl.. we are all perfect. We all have so much. We are family

((MISSY))

 

[missy]

@Tekate aww thank you so much sweet girl...you have no idea how much your caring concern and comfort help me. Tears welling up in my eyes at your kind comments and warm thoughts. (((HUGS))) to you and thank you.

 

[Tekate]

Aw.. hugs to you my friend.. lucky us and thank you

@Tekate aww thank you so much sweet girl...you have no idea how much your caring concern and comfort help me. Tears welling up in my eyes at your kind comments and warm thoughts. (((HUGS))) to you and thank you.

 

[BlingDreams]

We finally got a price quote for changing the gas fireplace to a wood burning one and I was quite surprised at how reasonable it was - under $6k . Unfortunately they can’t/won’t do a raised hearth but we can live with that.

 

[missy]

We finally got a price quote for changing the gas fireplace to a wood burning one and I was quite surprised at how reasonable it was - under $6k . Unfortunately they can’t/won’t do a raised hearth but we can live with that.

How exciting woohoo and how reasonable too! Sorry they cannot do the raised hearth but glad that isn't a big deal for to and I LOVE wood burning fireplaces so much. The smell and the sound and the whole aesthetic-it is just so romantic and warm and cozy. Cannot beat a wood burning fireplace.

 

[BlingDreams]

How exciting woohoo and how reasonable too! Sorry they cannot do the raised hearth but glad that isn't a big deal for to and I LOVE wood burning fireplaces so much. The smell and the sound and the whole aesthetic-it is just so romantic and warm and cozy. Cannot beat a wood burning fireplace.

Agreed. I was so surprised that absolutely no one had ever requested a wood burning fireplace for this model before, especially living in the northeast where "real" fireplaces are so common. We had to jump through so many hoops to make it happen because we were the first... structural reviews, architectural reviews, fireplace guys trying to determine if there would be clearance between rafters, etc... So glad it worked out in the end!

 

[elizabethess]

So great to see a new face on the thread! Please do share what you're drawn to and what you're considering. It's always so fun to see how others decorate

Hello! Popping back in. Our first of three apppointments to speak with a remodeler is this afternoon. Here is our starting point (picture taken from inspection, so... not our kitchen cart, etc.)



Since I'm really struggling with visualizing what I want, and I think the layout could be much more efficient (looking at you, fridge extending way into the natural walkway...) we're initially talking to design and build companies. @missy - earlier in the thread you said you used an architect. I didn't think of that, I'm wondering if we need to do that for bigger changes (I'm such a newbie, trying to learn on the fly).

My dream list: More storage. New appliances/sink/lighting. Cabinets that go all the way up to the ceiling. Move the fridge. New floor. Maybe a breakfast bar? If we had to keep everything the same, though, and just change the finishes I'd still be much happier.

Two reality checks so far: First: our timeline is probably too ambitious. Was hoping to finish before we moved in (estimated timeline to move 2-3 months) but we're hearing it may take longer, esp. depending on cabinets (semi-custom vs. custom, etc.) Second: budget. We have a chunk set aside, which we believed might get us a mid-range redo. Initial phone calls indicate our wish list is probably more like double that especially if working with a design/build vs. designing ourselves, acting as our own GC, or DIY. So, decisions- do we tame our wish list, do we go for a less full-service vendor, do we reconfigure budget. We're hoping to stay here a long long time and the current kitchen is dated and somewhat inefficient but perfectly usable so this is less of an investment and more of a "Darn it, this is finally our dream house and I want my dream kitchen" remodel.

@ILikeShiny I tend to go for neutrals and natural tones... wood, white, slate blues and greens. I think(?) I prefer wood cabinets to white (active toddler at home, white cabinets seem like they'd show every scuff and ding) and mostly-white counters with a little visual texture/swirl. So lost when it comes to backsplash but I found one photo (of a bar) I loved and of course it's hand-poured glass linear tile that's both out of budget and not made any more! See below:



Another photo I like (the wood island especially):


I also like the recent trend of grey or slate blue cabinets, but I worry I might be tired of them in a few years.



My biggest issue is the floor. When the previous owners got the house ready for sale, they were advised by the realtor to redo the kitchen floor which was a dirty old linoleum. So there is a brand new floor, but it's TERRIBLE. Not terrible in and of itself, it's a grey rustic wood-look Pergo which would look fine in the appropriate setting. It just doesn't go well with adjoining rooms, which have inlaid warm hardwood and off-white tile. Here's a cropped photo of where the 3 floors meet to show how bad it is:



Not sure what I could replace it with to tie everything together. Maybe I need to start a new thread called "Please show me your floor"

 

[missy]

Not sure what I could replace it with to tie everything together. Maybe I need to start a new thread called "Please show me your floor"

Hi elizabethness! I am a big fan of hardwood in the kitchen (I know not everyone is but for me nothing beats the look and feel of real wood floors) and if you have that in the rest of your house I would extend it into your kitchen. Personally I am not a tile fan because it is hard on our backs and also I don't love the look of tile. Of course it comes down to personal aesthetics and so there is no right or wrong. Continuing the same floor throughout the house gives it a nice open feel and wood is such a lovely option. Rich, warm and inviting.

Love that wood island you shared in the photos above and wow to that marble top. I love love love slate blue cabinets and if I had not dreamed about a white kitchen for all my adult life I might have gone with slate blue. Though I do see the potential of tiring of it but how can one go wrong with blue? It's only the most divine color ever IMO.

We used an architect to tell us what was possible to do and what we really were better off not doing and also just for his personal opinion on certain design aspects. He agreed with me re the brick and other design ideas so of course I liked him very much.


Timeline of course depends on what you are doing and how many men are on the job and are they on the job every day. Our custom cabinets took 6 weeks to be made I believe. And as for budget double it and you should be pretty close to what it will end up being.

Hope your first appointment is going well today and I want you to get that dream kitchen of yours!

 

[elizabethess]

Hi elizabethness! I am a big fan of hardwood in the kitchen (I know not everyone is but for me nothing beats the look and feel of real wood floors) and if you have that in the rest of your house I would extend it into your kitchen. Personally I am not a tile fan because it is hard on our backs and also I don't love the look of tile. Of course it comes down to personal aesthetics and so there is no right or wrong. Continuing the same floor throughout the house gives it a nice open feel and wood is such a lovely option. Rich, warm and inviting.

Missy, thanks for responding! First appointment went well, excited to see how they compare to the other two we're meeting next week.

I do indeed love real wood floors, and my gut instinct agrees; trying to match the existing hardwood would be the best option, if we can swing it.

Any thoughts on how to deal with the decorative inlay and transitioning between rooms? Currently it is creating a border around the living room, and cuts across the walkway into the kitchen. I don't think we'd want a border in the kitchen. Debating keeping it running across the walkway vs. removing the part cutting across the entrance and stopping the borders along the wall at the kitchen entrance. Hasty photoshop:





We'd have another transition to consider, into the dining room which also has an inlay border, but reversed colors. And wood on the diagonal! (The original creator of this house was clearly very into being creative with the floors!) I'm hoping it won't look too odd just butted up against the darker wood that would ideally be in the kitchen. Certainly better than paired with the current rustic barn look, right?

 

[missy]

Debating keeping it running across the walkway vs. removing the part cutting across the entrance and stopping the borders along the wall at the kitchen entrance. Hasty photoshop:

Yes that is my vote too. Get rid of the tile borders and make it all wood. I love the wood borders however as it adds a touch of pizzazz and I love the brownstones in my neighborhood that have wood inlays on the floors. Gorgeous details. Just make it all one level for safety reasons too. I like to see continuous wood floors of the same type throughout the house but think the decorative inlay is beautiful.

 

[BlingDreams]

Hello! Popping back in. Our first of three apppointments to speak with a remodeler is this afternoon. Here is our starting point (picture taken from inspection, so... not our kitchen cart, etc.)



Since I'm really struggling with visualizing what I want, and I think the layout could be much more efficient (looking at you, fridge extending way into the natural walkway...) we're initially talking to design and build companies. @missy - earlier in the thread you said you used an architect. I didn't think of that, I'm wondering if we need to do that for bigger changes (I'm such a newbie, trying to learn on the fly).

My dream list: More storage. New appliances/sink/lighting. Cabinets that go all the way up to the ceiling. Move the fridge. New floor. Maybe a breakfast bar? If we had to keep everything the same, though, and just change the finishes I'd still be much happier.

Two reality checks so far: First: our timeline is probably too ambitious. Was hoping to finish before we moved in (estimated timeline to move 2-3 months) but we're hearing it may take longer, esp. depending on cabinets (semi-custom vs. custom, etc.) Second: budget. We have a chunk set aside, which we believed might get us a mid-range redo. Initial phone calls indicate our wish list is probably more like double that especially if working with a design/build vs. designing ourselves, acting as our own GC, or DIY. So, decisions- do we tame our wish list, do we go for a less full-service vendor, do we reconfigure budget. We're hoping to stay here a long long time and the current kitchen is dated and somewhat inefficient but perfectly usable so this is less of an investment and more of a "Darn it, this is finally our dream house and I want my dream kitchen" remodel.

@ILikeShiny I tend to go for neutrals and natural tones... wood, white, slate blues and greens. I think(?) I prefer wood cabinets to white (active toddler at home, white cabinets seem like they'd show every scuff and ding) and mostly-white counters with a little visual texture/swirl. So lost when it comes to backsplash but I found one photo (of a bar) I loved and of course it's hand-poured glass linear tile that's both out of budget and not made any more! See below:



Another photo I like (the wood island especially):


I also like the recent trend of grey or slate blue cabinets, but I worry I might be tired of them in a few years.



My biggest issue is the floor. When the previous owners got the house ready for sale, they were advised by the realtor to redo the kitchen floor which was a dirty old linoleum. So there is a brand new floor, but it's TERRIBLE. Not terrible in and of itself, it's a grey rustic wood-look Pergo which would look fine in the appropriate setting. It just doesn't go well with adjoining rooms, which have inlaid warm hardwood and off-white tile. Here's a cropped photo of where the 3 floors meet to show how bad it is:



Not sure what I could replace it with to tie everything together. Maybe I need to start a new thread called "Please show me your floor"

Sorry for my delay in responding! You've got a lot going on, for sure . After reading your two posts, I'm inclined to think that it might be in your best interest to split your "wants" into two categories - Now and Can Wait. Then, put your budget towards the things that are most important to you and hold off on the others. For example, if *I* were in this situation, I'd put the money towards getting the kitchen of my dreams and doing the floor later; the floor is useable (if not ideal) whereas the kitchen is a bigger stumbling block.

I really like that wooden island you shared... very classy and useful at the same time . For cabinet colors, I'd be hesitant to choose the gray because, as you said, it's a trend and will date quicker than something that's classic. And since you're getting good quality cabinets it's not like you'll be up for replacing them in 10 years!

An architect may be in your best interest. Or do you have a Home Depot/Lowes near you? I think they have a design center than can help you figure out how to redesign your areas and they might be less expensive.

Have you had any other consultations??

 

[elizabethess]

Sorry for my delay in responding! You've got a lot going on, for sure .

A lot going on for sure! First consult done, it went well. We had the second consult today, with the person who told me on the phone that our budget was too small to do anything except change finishes. He continued that theme today ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ We'll see what the third person says tomorrow.

We do have Home Depot and Lowes near us, but haven't done more than wander through. We have played with the IKEA kitchen planner!

 

[missy]

A lot going on for sure! First consult done, it went well. We had the second consult today, with the person who told me on the phone that our budget was too small to do anything except change finishes. He continued that theme today ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ We'll see what the third person says tomorrow.

We do have Home Depot and Lowes near us, but haven't done more than wander through. We have played with the IKEA kitchen planner!

Aww sorry it didn't go as you hoped it would elizabeth. I have to say kitchen renovation costs surprised me. I spent double what I wanted to spend. I think the IKEA kitchens look nice though I haven't seen one in someone's home I have enjoyed them at the IKEA store.

Hope the third consult goes better for you.

 

[Tekate]

Surprising to me was 'breakdown costs' that was an eye opener when we started our little voyage to change our kitchen and living area.. it took a fairly large chunk of money.. Our changes cost 3x what I wished it would have and wanted to when we started

I second ILS and her rec of Lowes - Home Depot, I have not used them here, but in Austin we use them for a new kitchen cooktop and complete re-carpeting, both stores were very helpful.

It's a journey... where everything is over priced and stress and then you are thrilled..

Best of luck and the veteran's here of build's and redos are here to help.

A lot going on for sure! First consult done, it went well. We had the second consult today, with the person who told me on the phone that our budget was too small to do anything except change finishes. He continued that theme today ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ We'll see what the third person says tomorrow.

We do have Home Depot and Lowes near us, but haven't done more than wander through. We have played with the IKEA kitchen planner!

 

[ac117]

@elizabethess Hang in there!! Agree with @missy about kitchen costs surpring me and things add up QUICK! Also agree with @ILikeShiny that it would be helpful to narrow down what you must do now and what could wait. That could also help get a narrower scope of work which could bring costs down.

You have a great space! I can't see what's behind the fridge but is there space to move it further back while still leaving room for the door...potentially to get a counter depth fridge encased with panels and a long cabinet next to it for storage? It looks like you could potentially also take the little wall down and instead have a nice size island in the middle, with seating. Or build a nook in front of the large window on the left instead.

 

[Austina]

My DS has a friend who recently renovated their whole house and went for an IKEA kitchen, and he said it looks really good.

 

[elizabethess]

Thank you everyone for chiming in! It's always really helpful for me to bounce ideas, and I appreciate the support! Consult 3 went well (as did Consult 1) so I think we're just not a good fit for the second company More later...