Saturday, June 20

My Big Project

I've lived twenty-five years in this duplex.

I lived seventeen years in the house where I grew up. Otherwise, I lived just months or a couple of years in every other home. Well, it is time for a change - I'll have a new bathroom and a new kitchen soon. We started in earnest about six months ago.

John agreed to be my project manager and we started brainstorming, making lists, looking at appliances and fixtures, calling for contractor referrals, seeking advice. We took a little detour, got a new foundation and generally made the place level again. In the process, we cracked open the floor of my shower and knocked a couple dozen tiles off the bathroom wall. Yep - time for a new bathroom.

The kitchen is not bad - except it has two doorways and a five-foot arch to a breakfast nook. Except that it is too small for an island but too big between the stove and the sink to work well. It is about 85 square feet with six linear feet of counter. There are vestiges of the original green-trimmed white tile behind the Formica countertops. The original cabinetry is gone, replaced by particle board and Masonite Builders Emporium cupboards. Some of those were replaced by particle board and melamine Ikea units. The 24-inch apartment stove I bought for $250 25 years ago has held up nicely but I've been lighting the burners and oven with matches for about 10 years.

I won't mention the cracked plaster, dilapidated moulding, patched floor, crummy lighting and 80 year-old plumbing and electrical systems. I'll miss the icebox (literally, the box where they put block ice on a wooden slat shelf to make cool storage for perishables) - it is such a conversation starter.

Some photos would be nice here? Tune in again.