The Joys of Renovating…

Over the years, we’ve gotten ourselves into quite the reno situations.  Now that we’re right in the middle of doing a “little something” with the kitchen, it’s reminded me of a few things I’ve learned/observed over the years:

1. Wallpaper is a terrible invention.  It seems that no matter where I live, I’m destined to remove decades worth of wallpaper…usually it’s layered about 5 patterns deep.  AND…when it has 3 coats of varnish painted over it…I’ve learned to just paint over the silly stuff.  **Having said that…sometimes, I confess, I like how wallpaper looks.  And, there’s no denying that it covers over a multitude of drywall disasters!
2. It is wise to ponder a remodel rather than do so completely on a whim.  My “I’m going to paint the bathroom chocolate brown during lunch hour” taught me that…  Bluck!  That turned out badly…
3. When you do however, choose to remodel, the starting process usually does happen on a whim…  Yep, eventually you have to just dive right it!…I really am trying to balance this with the wisdom of pondering first!
4. There are always surprises lurking under that “quick” little job.  In the past two days we’ve discovered a large crack in the wall where a door once was…and strangely placed water pipes outside a wall…  That’s part of the fun of renovations.  Keep telling yourself that…
5. Thank Heavens my husband is so patient.  He deserves a medal.  Not only does he listen to all my crazy ideas, he helps me when we finally come up with a doable one.

Case in point…  Last night (at 10 p.m) when I mentioned, “What do you suppose it would look like if we just took that whole top box cupboard off?”  This is what happened…

Yee Haw!!!!  Let the renos begin!…

6.  During every reno project, there comes a heart stopping moment where you really look around and think, “Oh, no!  What have we gotten ourselves in to?”.  I call that the “We’re Committed Now” moment.  It comes when you you realize that there is no putting things back to what they originally were.  We’re there now…

And looky there… It’s time to take off some more wallpaper!