And the Renovations Continue...

Let's take a vote...who doesn't absolutely love watching reality TV shows, Rehab Addict and Fixer Upper? I love both of those shows and the way they take a fixer upper and make it into a home of beauty and comfort. Both those shows get me inspired to make some changes and give me ideas for future renovations.

Now there are some things you have to know before you get involved though. 

1. Renovations cost money. Both these shows address finances to some degree but it's always their pain and not my personal expenses so I'm always game for doing whatever looks good regardless of the cost. I feel the pain a little more personally when it's my checkbook that is groaning.

2. On both these programs, the house is not being lived in while the renovations are being made. And living around a remodeling mess is more trying than you can imagine. 

3. Each program only lasts an hour (including advertisements) and the project goes pretty fast, and the carpenters are in and out in less than an hour. 

4. They don't show all the frustrating moments of remodeling...and there can be many!

We purchased our home 25 years ago, and while it was pretty much move-in ready, we have been remodeling since the second year we lived there. Mostly we just needed to get rid of plaster that was beginning to crack, add some insulation and bring an updated look to the house. One bedroom remains to be renovated, but so far neither of us has had the heart to get into the mess...and it would be by far the easiest of rooms to live without since it is currently a guest bedroom, we just need to put out the word not to come visit Mom and Dad until it's done.

By far the biggest and most involved project we tackled was the living room/dining room/kitchen remodel. We talked about it for a year or more, and one Sunday afternoon as I sat in the living room I thought to myself, "This can't be that big of a job. We will take down the ceiling tiles, pull the paneling off the walls, rip up the carpet and go back with dry wall and laminate flooring, Viola, we're done!" So I said this to Mike, and on Monday evening we began tearing into the project. By Thursday morning, as we were trying to find the dining room table and looking at gross walls while we ate breakfast one of us asked the other, "Are you sorry we began this project?" to which the other replied, "Most definitely!" But we were committed and there was no turning back at that point.

The project drug on for nearly 2 months, with just the living room and dining room being renovated. Many people came to help us in the evenings, friends, family, pastor....we apparently looked like we were in over our heads! But we continued, talking out the problems, amending the plans as we went, and when the dust finally settled and the paint and trim were on the walls, the results were all we had hoped for and so much more. We completed the project just in time to host Thanksgiving dinner. 

Then, because we had opened a wall between the dining room and kitchen, there were some areas in the kitchen the remained unfinished. We gave ourselves a few months to recover both emotionally and financially, then struck into the kitchen.

It's hard to be without a kitchen when you live in an area with limited eating-out options, so we decided to tear out and rebuild small areas at a time to avoid rendering the kitchen completely useless. It took about a week to figure out that we weren't making any headway that way so we decided that eating at Flynn's was probably going to be part of our remodeling cost so that we could just gut the kitchen and move along faster. The next day Jim Flynn passed away, and the restaurant remained closed for several months! So that didn't work out well. We began eating salads and sandwiches and microwave meals, YUCK! The most discouraging day was the day that we cracked the water line on the ice maker and ice water wasn't even an option!

But we endured and finished the project in about a month. The day we finally got stuff put back and were able to cook and wash dishes (someplace besides the bathtub) was a glorious day! Suddenly I enjoyed meal prep and had all kinds of ideas for meals! 

Rather than purchase new cupboards and cabinets, we decided to refinish the old ones and update the hardware. I spent the summer working in the garage, sanding and staining and applying numerous coats of polyurethane. It was a very rewarding project and the results were all we had hoped for. I also discovered that I must have inherited a love of all things wood from my dad which has turned into a hobby for me.

But, and this is the inspiration for this blog, I am now trying to operate in a renovation again...this time at the office! A leaky roof last summer has made it necessary to take the outside walls back to the brick to remove water damaged paneling, insulation and plaster. It's dirty and ugly and messy, not to mention inconvenient! So inconvenient, as a matter of fact, that we have had to move out of our office and operate from the Clerk's office, which is likewise an inconvenience for them as I have to use their computers and work space. It's amazing how fast time can fly, and yet the days drag by as the project continues as fast as it can. I am hoping that my new work space will inspire me when I get moved back into it, hopefully soon!

A current view of the Keya Paha County Treasurer's Office

So for right now, the bedroom remodel at home is not an option. I can't imagine the mental and emotional state I would be in if we were to have chaos both at work and at home. Pretty sure I would come unhinged at some point.

So, Nicole Curtis and Chip and Joanna Gaines have my undying respect. First of all for their creativity and the inspiration they dish out each week to their viewers. And secondly, I admire them for being smart enough not to try to renovate where they are working and living!