Of Cabinets and Kitchen Dreams

What a whirlwind of a weekend, mes amis!

As you are all well aware, my kitchen cupboards have been consuming my every waking weekend moments. From measuring, cutting, fitting, sanding, fitting some more and assembling…these maple cabinets are going to be the envy of the neighborhood (and the death of my hands…must remember to sand the pieces and not my knuckles!) The Lusty Woodsman is working awfully hard at making my kitchen dreams a reality.

Miss Charlotte's Cabinet Cases

We planned out our materials list to the best of our abilities, down to the glue and caulk. Even though we were meticulous in our planning, we still head out to the hardware store to pick up a few nails, a couple of tools, and some forgotten materials that were somehow overlooked in our initial plan.

It’s a good idea to make a detailed list when remodeling or renovating.

A kitchen remodel is a rather large project to take on by yourself (plumbing, electrical, drywall…oh my!), but a bedroom or hallway, foyer or update to the bath without having to replace major components is completely doable. Let’s say you want to freshen up your living room, give it a “face-lift,” as it were. The secret to accomplishing any project?

Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.

I will share with you some simple steps that will give you confidence in your renovating adventures. First things first…PLAN! We’ll use the living room as our example. It’s important to plan everything out to the smallest detail, especially if your budget is tight. Make a list of everything necessary to get the job done.

• Paint color
• Trim color
• Outlet/switch covers
• Lighting
• New carpet/area rugs(?)
• Heat/air diffusers or register cover
• Drywall mud or Spackle

These are basic items to consider for a quick face-lift. If you’re going to change structural features (such as moving a doorway or adding architectural features), there are a few more things to consider. Will you need to replace drywall? Do you need to repair studs that are warped? Is the sub-floor needing to be repaired/replaced? Are you replacing the windows or reglazing them? Paint the old trim or replacing it with new? There are many questions that you need to answer before you start ripping up the carpet and painting walls. What if the electrical is needing to be updated? What if you need to wire in that new ceiling fan? Be sure to have a plan before you begin.

Miss Charlotte's estimate sheet, one of many...

Once your plan is in place, make a list.

For me, it’s all about the money. I need to know, to the penny, how much this adventure of a living room is going to cost. Let’s just say we’re going to paint and replace trim, we’ll get new fixtures and update the ceiling fan. Sounds rather reasonable, fairly simple to do. We’ll now make our materials list. It looks just like the one above, minus the carpet. Here are some extras that I will need to add to the list:

• Paint trays
• Roller covers
• Ceiling fan
• Carpet cleaner
• Primer
• Nails for trim
• Caulk (to finish trim)

Add it all up, and tack on 20% more for the “oops,didn’t think of that.” Here’s where the fun begins…finding all the previous “fixes” that need to be fixed, realizing that some of the electrical was improperly done, and trim nails 4 inches long that you weren’t aware of (and after spending 5 minutes wrenching the darned thing out, you throw your hammer in a fit of anger and it punches threw the drywall…which you will have to repair).

What if that mantle isn't what you wanted?

If you plan properly, and add a bit of wiggle room for the “fixes” that need fixin’, and for the temper tantrums that are inevitable, you’re living room will look fabulous…and you won’t break the bank. Just keep the 5 P’s in mind with every project you take on. Cheers!