So now I have keys.....what is next? I wish I could say that I had a plan and all of the answers. The truth I was hit with the hard reality of the lack of HGTV reality. Chip? Joanna? anyone.....?
I am a list maker...lists, list and more lists. The easiest way for me to get my head wrapped around this house is making a "few" lists.....a list of the overall needs and lists of what each room needs, a list of what I need a contractor to complete and a list of what we can DIY. Now to prioritize....what is the most important, necessities v. wants and my non-negotiables. Believe it or not, all of this helped; I have somewhat of a plan now. Moving forward, I will be referring to the house as the North side, South side, Middle and Upstairs. This keeps it organized for me....using the same reference with all of the contractors also keeps things in perspective.
Patience is not one of my strong suits but over the years, I have internalized the idea that I am on God's time not my time. I have reassured myself of this simple concept so many times that it has become part of my soul. I do not question Him or the bumps, struggles or barriers that I encounter; they are His to put in my path. BUT while I was waiting on the HVAC technician, plumber and electrician to be scheduled, I had to do something! The kitchen it is.....
The kitchen cabinets were honestly not in the bad of shape but those purple counter tops....neither were my taste. The kitchen is a non-negotiable for me! I love to cook....I want room for my family in the kitchen....and most importantly, I want a pot filler!
With the age of this home, every room has a fireplace that was used to heat the home. Currently none of the fireplaces work but they are beautiful focal points. The one in the kitchen was covered with drywall and plaster. The mantle was painted to match the purple counter tops but it is original to the house so of course I am saving this!
There isn't much a transformation to see right now but removing everything from the kitchen gave me a better idea of the size and potential of the room.
The next two pictures show the view of the kitchen from the living room. Yep....that's purple! Look at that beautiful window looking out in the yard. I couldn't ask for a better view while doing the dishes. For me, doing dishes is relaxing and I walk away feeling accomplished so yes I am excited for this! By the way, the dishwasher will be right beside my sink. I also feel relaxed and walk away feeling accomplished from drinking wine.....🍷It's all about balance....
Now I love islands mostly tropical with pineapple and coconut flavored drinks but this island....no words. It is massive and purple....did I mention the kitchen is purple? Saying goodbye to this for an island more proportional to the room.
Now that the kitchen has been emptied, I am starting to get a feel for the room. I can see the new layout. The sketches have started....The house has two back doors so that leaves me the option to brick in the one to the kitchen and have more counter space. The stove and range hood will be relocated from the island to the space where the refrigerator is now. As I am typing this, I just realized I only took one picture of the kitchen after the cabinet removal 🤷 I can add more later but you get the idea!
I didn't intend to uncover the fireplace because honestly, I had no idea what I was getting into. But entire point of this house was to finally take a risk so in keeping with that theme.....hammer down as my son would say! The fireplace before with all it's drywall and purple paint....whatever is under there has to be better than this.
I started on the bottom just to see what was behind that drywall. I knew it wasn't plaster because it was hollow....this is easy! And it was. It didn't take long to uncover some "lovely" blue brick. The mantel is original to the house so I definitely want to restore it. I was worried about removing it without damage, With a little crow bar and a hammering, it came off seamlessly with no damage...Thank you Jesus ☝
Slowly but surely, the plaster came off. I assumed there was drywall at the top just like the bottom. I was wrong! I have never removed plaster but how hard can it be? Really hard....that's how hard! It is so messy and heavy and you know what's fun? Plaster dust in your contacts and pieces of plaster in places well let's just say that tank top was not the appropriate attire.....
Finally you can see this "beauty" Yes yes....I know its dirty, the brick is sagging and it looks junky. You see that but I see 200 years of getting that "just right" look. I can see it now.....restored white mantle with maybe cast iron skillets or a Gather sign above it. This is part of the charm and character of this house. You accept its quirks and imperfections, you don't try to change it to suit your needs and you respect the story of how it became its current self.That sounded a lot like relationship advice....oh well...it was good advice!
Here is she is.... The circle at the top, we assumed was a pipe....it isn't. It's a clay pot used to gather ashes. Scott, my favorite mason, would know what to do! A few days after this demo, Scott came down to work on the trees. I had a few days to think about it so I had made up my mind that I wanted the blue brick removed, the fireplace reinforced and the chimney opened. I explained all of this to Scott and he looks at me and says "Well, you're crazy. You cooking in that fireplace? You have more important things to spend your money on." Yes Scott....you are right! "You're going to clean that with a wire brush, I am going add a few bricks and tuck point a few places then that's it." Yes Scott....you are right. He is only man alive that has ever gotten me to say those words twice in two sentences. He has no idea of his accomplishment 😃
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