House Update, OT/CP

CNYstitcher wrote:
we are in LIverpool, north and west of Syracuse, in Onondaga county.
NOt the most fabulous place, but better than 95% of the places I've
lived in teh past!! The only thing I miss in our neighborhood would
be sidewalks. our utility lines are all underground, so that makes
it a little prettier than most areas, but the kids all have to walk
in the street, and most (teenagers) walk right down the middle sigh.

You are not *too* far from where we are remodeling! You can see our *HUGE*
project at www.nyhouse.blogspot.com

We are remodeling the whole house - which will probably kill me. And I am
quite sure it will never end. Of course our contractor is straight out of
that movie "The Money Pit" - every time I ask him how much longer he rotely
says "Two weeks".

And don't ever remodel your kitchen. You know, that's not nearly as much fun
as it sounds. I've hated the kitchen more than anything. Picking out
cabinets is totally frustrating, you have to imagine it all in your mind,
because you can never find cabinets exactly the way your kitchen would be
laid out. And it's hard to imagine finishes and knobs and pulls, and crown
moulding, and kickplates and countertops and how they'll match floors.....I
hate it.

I like bathrooms. It's very easy to walk into a place and say "that shower,
that sink, that toilet." And then you just get to leave.

I can't wait to move in - the only comforts in the whole thing are the price
we paid for the house and the fact that we'll *never* have to do this again.
Ever.

Kim

Hey Kim,

DH & I are in the beginning stages of having our kitchen remodeled. It's
sort of major, we're tearing walls down, moving door, switching from
electric to gas. Lots of stuff DH & I have complete opposite tastes in
almost everything. I think we experienced a minor miracle while picking out
the cabinets, flooring, countertops, appliances, etc. We agreed on
everything. The only item we had to talk out was the flooring. We were
going to do hardwood floors & when we went to look at some new homes to get
ideas for the kitchen, we noticed that they are using large tile flooring in
a lot of the common areas. DH has never liked tile before, but he really
liked it, so we had to talk it out. I gave in the the tile floor - but only
because when we get a new dog - if it were to scratch up brand new hardwood
floors, DH would have a heart attack. Anyway, we are underway - have almost
no cabinets left in the kitchen - (anyone want to buy a barely used electric
stove) - have almost everything ordered & we are throwing out lots & lots
of kitchen supplies & replacing with new. After the kitchen is completed -
it's on to my sewing room (which was the family room). It has to be next,
because the kitchen will now open to the family room. Then the bathrooms,
etc. I glad we're finally moving forward & hope we keep going until it's
all finished!

Good luck with your house - I hope it all comes together for you & you are
happy with the end result.

Pauline
"Kim" wrote in message
...
CNYstitcher wrote:
we are in LIverpool, north and west of Syracuse, in Onondaga county.
NOt the most fabulous place, but better than 95% of the places I've
lived in teh past!! The only thing I miss in our neighborhood would
be sidewalks. our utility lines are all underground, so that makes
it a little prettier than most areas, but the kids all have to walk
in the street, and most (teenagers) walk right down the middle sigh.

You are not *too* far from where we are remodeling! You can see our *HUGE*
project at www.nyhouse.blogspot.com

We are remodeling the whole house - which will probably kill me. And I am
quite sure it will never end. Of course our contractor is straight out of
that movie "The Money Pit" - every time I ask him how much longer he
rotely
says "Two weeks".

And don't ever remodel your kitchen. You know, that's not nearly as much
fun
as it sounds. I've hated the kitchen more than anything. Picking out
cabinets is totally frustrating, you have to imagine it all in your mind,
because you can never find cabinets exactly the way your kitchen would be
laid out. And it's hard to imagine finishes and knobs and pulls, and crown
moulding, and kickplates and countertops and how they'll match
floors.....I
hate it.

I like bathrooms. It's very easy to walk into a place and say "that
shower,
that sink, that toilet." And then you just get to leave.

I can't wait to move in - the only comforts in the whole thing are the
price
we paid for the house and the fact that we'll *never* have to do this
again.
Ever.

Kim

Kim wrote:

And don't ever remodel your kitchen. You know, that's not nearly as much fun
as it sounds. I've hated the kitchen more than anything. Picking out
cabinets is totally frustrating, you have to imagine it all in your mind,
because you can never find cabinets exactly the way your kitchen would be
laid out. And it's hard to imagine finishes and knobs and pulls, and crown
moulding, and kickplates and countertops and how they'll match floors.....I
hate it.

*chuckle* I spent a year, I think, just figuring out what I wanted for
cabinets. Now I'm working on what countertops I want. It seems like
just when I decide on on something, it ends up not working and I have to
start all over again. So I am living with melamine-covered particle
board for countertops until I can bear facing countertop samples again.
Part of it is that I am so very, VERY picky....

LOL...um....I spent 2 years determining what I wanted done in the
kitchen as all we had was the dinky little galley kitchen and 4 people
always seemed to congregate there. Just before Thanksgiving last year,
we gutted everything and got the new stuff in. I special ordered Mills
Pride cabinets that DH and I both liked, then hunted for the countertop
(we had a stained white what were they thinking??!) and flooring.
Fell in love wiht an in-stock countertop from HD, then went to both HD
and a local hardware chain before we finally found the vinyl tiles we
liked.....everything but the floor came from HD, and I did the floor by
myself. DH helped with the cabinets and counter because I lack the
number of arms that I needed to hold them up while mounting them to the
wall.

Now, we have pretty much a country kitchen without having to knock out
walls and such....lol

Larisa

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to reply wrote:
Kim wrote:


And don't ever remodel your kitchen. You know, that's not nearly as
much fun
as it sounds. I've hated the kitchen more than anything. Picking out
cabinets is totally frustrating, you have to imagine it all in your mind,
because you can never find cabinets exactly the way your kitchen would be
laid out. And it's hard to imagine finishes and knobs and pulls, and
crown
moulding, and kickplates and countertops and how they'll match
floors.....I
hate it.


*chuckle* I spent a year, I think, just figuring out what I wanted for
cabinets. Now I'm working on what countertops I want. It seems like
just when I decide on on something, it ends up not working and I have to
start all over again. So I am living with melamine-covered particle
board for countertops until I can bear facing countertop samples again.
Part of it is that I am so very, VERY picky....

SO, if we aren't that far away, why have we never gotten together for a
kid play-date thingy or a sitching day?? BTW, I don't remember ages of
your little ones..mine ar 18 months (TODAY!!!) and almost 5 (on the 25th).

Larisa

Kim wrote:

CNYstitcher wrote:

we are in LIverpool, north and west of Syracuse, in Onondaga county.
NOt the most fabulous place, but better than 95% of the places I've
lived in teh past!! The only thing I miss in our neighborhood would
be sidewalks. our utility lines are all underground, so that makes
it a little prettier than most areas, but the kids all have to walk
in the street, and most (teenagers) walk right down the middle sigh.


You are not *too* far from where we are remodeling! You can see our *HUGE*
project at www.nyhouse.blogspot.com

We are remodeling the whole house - which will probably kill me. And I am
quite sure it will never end. Of course our contractor is straight out of
that movie "The Money Pit" - every time I ask him how much longer he rotely
says "Two weeks".

And don't ever remodel your kitchen. You know, that's not nearly as much fun
as it sounds. I've hated the kitchen more than anything. Picking out
cabinets is totally frustrating, you have to imagine it all in your mind,
because you can never find cabinets exactly the way your kitchen would be
laid out. And it's hard to imagine finishes and knobs and pulls, and crown
moulding, and kickplates and countertops and how they'll match floors.....I
hate it.

I like bathrooms. It's very easy to walk into a place and say "that shower,
that sink, that toilet." And then you just get to leave.

I can't wait to move in - the only comforts in the whole thing are the price
we paid for the house and the fact that we'll *never* have to do this again.
Ever.

Kim

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to reply wrote:
Kim wrote:

And don't ever remodel your kitchen. You know, that's not nearly as
much fun as it sounds. I've hated the kitchen more than anything.
Picking out cabinets is totally frustrating, you have to imagine it
all in your mind, because you can never find cabinets exactly the
way your kitchen would be laid out. And it's hard to imagine
finishes and knobs and pulls, and crown moulding, and kickplates and
countertops and how they'll match floors.....I hate it.

*chuckle* I spent a year, I think, just figuring out what I wanted
for cabinets. Now I'm working on what countertops I want. It seems
like
just when I decide on on something, it ends up not working and I have
to start all over again. So I am living with melamine-covered
particle
board for countertops until I can bear facing countertop samples
again. Part of it is that I am so very, VERY picky....

Oh I hear ya! I'm *so* wishing I had just saved the kitchen to do *after* we
moved in - I probably would have a much better idea of what I want. I know I
want an island in the center - the kitchen is really huge and would lend
itself well to an island - but then, when I go to look at them there are
just so many choices! Do you want a cutting board pullout - do you want
cupboards on the bottom or shelves? Do you want wood top or countertop to
match the cabinet countertops? Do you want tilt outs and recycling
pullouts - do you want a wine rack? Do you want the sink in there - or on
the counter? Do you want a cooktop on the island or not? It's like "I just
want an Island - why is this so difficult?"

It doesn't help that I've never actually lived in this house - I think it's
easier when you've lived there for a while and kind of *know* what would be
"nice to have", and the workflow of the space, and how you'd *like* it laid
out. This way I'm kind of going into it blind.

I've picked the countertops - Corian "Sahara" - in fact, that's the only
thing I've really picked as far as the kitchen goes. I'm wavering on the
cabinet finish between a Honey Maple and a Golden Oak. And I have no idea
about all those tilt outs and pop outs and lazy Susan's and drawer inserts.
Just too many things to decide.

Hubby tells me once we move in and the kitchen isn't completed - I'll choose
real quick. So I guess I'm just waiting till then.

Kim

Pauline O'Connell wrote:
Hey Kim,

DH & I are in the beginning stages of having our kitchen remodeled.
It's sort of major, we're tearing walls down, moving door, switching
from electric to gas. Lots of stuff DH & I have complete opposite
tastes in almost everything. I think we experienced a minor miracle
while picking out the cabinets, flooring, countertops, appliances,
etc. We agreed on everything.

Well, it would help if hubby wuld give me some input - or maybe just make
all the decisions! But the kitchen is pretty much "my thing". He has his
Harley barn, and he's doing the master bedroom - the rest of the house is up
to me. I thought i would want it that way - but I'm quickly finding out why
he was so agreeable to letting me choose everything - this is not fun.


The only item we had to talk out was
the flooring. We were going to do hardwood floors & when we went to
look at some new homes to get ideas for the kitchen, we noticed that
they are using large tile flooring in a lot of the common areas. DH
has never liked tile before, but he really liked it, so we had to
talk it out. I gave in the the tile floor - but only because when we
get a new dog - if it were to scratch up brand new hardwood floors,
DH would have a heart attack.

Yes, that was a consideration for us, as well. I wanted hardood floors in
the living room and dining room. There are already beautiful hardwood floors
in there that just need to be restored. I was hoping it was that way in teh
kitchen, as well, but that floor is just 100 years of linoleum. So I am
probably going in your direction with the tile.

But I am getting a new puppy in October for my birthday (a Cairn Terrier -
so *Cute*!) so I had to consider that when deciding on floors.


Anyway, we are underway - have almost
no cabinets left in the kitchen - (anyone want to buy a barely used
electric stove) - have almost everything ordered & we are throwing
out lots & lots of kitchen supplies & replacing with new.

We have no walls. I call it "the shell". There are only beams left - we are
doing all new walls and ceilings (And I *am* getting a tin ceiling for the
kitchen - that's decided, as well). There wasn't a single bit of insulation
in the whole huse, so while the walls are gone, we are putting that in. And
we are raising the ceiling in the master bedroom to include the attic space
there as part of the room and adding two skylights.


After the
kitchen is completed - it's on to my sewing room (which was the
family room). It has to be next, because the kitchen will now open
to the family room. Then the bathrooms, etc. I glad we're finally
moving forward & hope we keep going until it's all finished!

Hahahaha! You are in the same boat I'm in! The whole house will be new.
Good, I'll have someone to commiserate with! When you get to the bathrooms -
let me know. Those were pretty easy - I just don't know about the tile and
where to put it. Behind the shower - halfway up the wall, on the floor to
match? I guess that's just to counter the fact that the fixtures were so
easy to pick out - nothing can go smoothly, you know. And colors. I hate
picking colors. The computer room/sewing room will be easier, I think. I've
lived in enough computer/sewing rooms to know exactly what I want and need -
especially the fact that I need *lots* of outlets!


Good luck with your house - I hope it all comes together for you &
you are happy with the end result.

And you as well!

Kim

CNYstitcher wrote:
SO, if we aren't that far away, why have we never gotten together for
a
kid play-date thingy or a sitching day?? BTW, I don't remember ages
of
your little ones..mine ar 18 months (TODAY!!!) and almost 5 (on the
25th).

Well, we haven't moved there yet. Soon I hope. (Two Weeks! - the contractor
has been saying that for a month now, though, so don't hold your breath!)
Then we *will* get together for a stitching day! That will be *great* fun!
We can trade material too! I have tons and tons and tons.

And all my kids are grown and gone - my youngest just started law school in
September at Chapel Hill (hence the great move and new house project - we
really needed a smaller house.) I'm quite sure when I post about kids
clothes and embroidery it's for my nieces - I have tons of nieces and I'm
always sewing something for them. I take them for a weekend or school
vacation and I've been trying to teach them some of the lost arts - sewing,
knitting, embroidery and stuff. I love teaching them those skills. And since
I had three boys - well, I never had a girl to teach. My youngest niece is
just over a year and the oldest is 10 (and she's getting pretty good at
knitting and using my embroidery machine!)

I can't wait to move - I'll let you know when we finally do and we can set
up some stitching time!

Kim

Kim wrote:



Oh I hear ya! I'm *so* wishing I had just saved the kitchen to do *after* we
moved in - I probably would have a much better idea of what I want. I know I
want an island in the center - the kitchen is really huge and would lend
itself well to an island - but then, when I go to look at them there are
just so many choices! Do you want a cutting board pullout - do you want
cupboards on the bottom or shelves? Do you want wood top or countertop to
match the cabinet countertops? Do you want tilt outs and recycling
pullouts - do you want a wine rack? Do you want the sink in there - or on
the counter? Do you want a cooktop on the island or not? It's like "I just
want an Island - why is this so difficult?"

It doesn't help that I've never actually lived in this house - I think it's
easier when you've lived there for a while and kind of *know* what would be
"nice to have", and the workflow of the space, and how you'd *like* it laid
out. This way I'm kind of going into it blind.

I've picked the countertops - Corian "Sahara" - in fact, that's the only
thing I've really picked as far as the kitchen goes. I'm wavering on the
cabinet finish between a Honey Maple and a Golden Oak. And I have no idea
about all those tilt outs and pop outs and lazy Susan's and drawer inserts.
Just too many things to decide.

Hubby tells me once we move in and the kitchen isn't completed - I'll choose
real quick. So I guess I'm just waiting till then.

Kim


What I'd like most if we were to redo our kitchen, which will never
happen, would be a counter-height cabinet, with doors, for the mixer and
blender and processor. Right now they're in a lower cabinet, and I
always dread getting them out and putting them away.

(Now how spoiled is that? If our grandmothers, g-grandmothers, etc. had
had machines to do all that work of beating and chopping, would they
have complained about lifting them to counter height? LOL)

Doreen in Alabama

In article , Kim of uttered
And since I had three boys - well, I never had a girl to teach.

Shame on you! I learnt to sew and knit from my Dad - he had 4 brothers
and they all could.
--

AJH
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