Sitting here waiting on the electrician. He’s delayed due to heavy rain as crawling under the house prevails, since attic access is impracticable. However, as the clock ticks the kitchen chills. Insulation had been removed yesterday on one of the coldest nights this fall.
Two weeks into my latest ‘bright idea’ to remodel (completely gut and start over) the kitchen and I’m beginning to question my sanity. Even though 99% of my “Hey, what if…?” brainstorms actually realize a positive fruition, I‘m starting to suspect the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ concept is a bit overrated. However, I’m definitely in the proverbial optimist-prompting tunnel. Or, maybe simply a dark tunnel.
Boxes piled on boxes piled on the table. My stove serves as a counter top. The microwave gingerly rests on the ‘mud’ cabinet. The toaster claiming a rightful corner atop. (It’s wise for appliances to congregate at a time like this. I shudder to contemplate a morning lacking PB & J indulgence on lightly toasted multi-grain, should the diminutive domestic device tumble into the abyss of controlled chaos, lost forever.) Prime microwave real estate is also collectively shared by coffee, salt and pepper shakers, paper plates, paper towels and anything else obtaining a fragment of surface to temporarily reside.
Complete and utter contrast to the disheveled dining room, the kitchen is a vast array of endless possibilities. Yes friends, it’s about time I dust off my Interior Design degree. Thus, my mind, a swirling vortex of creative juices (possibly just a swirling vortex), overflows in a bountiful display of colors, textures and spatial concepts. The cabinets, soft and warm, I dared to pair with a bold, polished backsplash accentuated by a spicy, slightly sassy, countertop. Well, at least that’s what I imagine. How things turn out remains to be seen.
Painting the wood ceiling white last summer and adding the stone-look floor enhanced the kitchen’s ambience. It became lighter…happier. Beachy even. So, I’ve decided to continue the undercurrent of pastels and layer with splashes of bold and daring.
This means, of course, all my grape and ivy décor will have to find another lovely kitchen to adorn. Oops, did I just shamelessly mention I’ll have an excess of delightfully fruitful ornamentation of which to dispose? If anyone’s interested…
Seriously though, allow me to preface this remodel project by stating I know my limitations and will call upon reinforcements when necessary. Yesterday, for instance, was quite eventful. Demolition day definitely calls for testosterone to yank built-in cabinets off the wall. Meanwhile, I was doing grunt work pulling old insulation from the wall. Suddenly, a wiggly tail caught my eye.
I screamed like a girl!!!
Taking a deep breath, I gathered what was left of my dignity and walked across the kitchen to tap his shoulder as he used my oscillating saw to cut plywood. Stopping, he glanced up from his task. I pointed to the wall and uttered, “lizard” still shaken up. He nodded and went back to work. Jimmie Crickets, what if it had been a snake or SPIDER? I could have been killed. Or worse, wrapped in a web until all my creative juices were sucked out.
No, I haven’t been sniffing paint fumes…yet. Why do you ask?
Can You Imagine…the after pictures?
Smile, it brightens any tunnel.
