Home Renovations Part 2

I’m not exactly sure why I split this series into parts because we’re still deep in a full-on construction zone with about 40-ish days until move-in. Since my last update, we’ve done a ton more demolition and made some major changes to the upstairs layout.

Kitchen Cabinets have been ordered!

First off, we finished ripping out all the carpet and layers of laminate to reveal the original wood floors. Then we started talking about knocking down the wall leading into the kitchen at the top of the stairs. We all loved the idea since it would open up the kitchen and let in more light and air. The demolition was super messy because, when that space was originally turned into a kitchen, they added a layer of stucco between the original wall and the plaster on top. So, we suited up with masks, eye protection, and head coverings to get through it.

We also discussed adding a built-in pantry at the top of the stairs, where there was some wasted space inside the wall. The original plan was a 30” wide armoire, but that didn’t pan out. Instead, we ordered matching white cabinets for the kitchen, which will transform into an amazing built-in pantry.

Then our friends came up with 2 new ideas.

The first was to put double doors near the bottom of the stairs to help reduce noise. See an idea photo below.

The second one took my husband a few days to warm up to, remove the wall at the top of the stairs, and change the layout. After several discussions, individual & group (and some tears on my part), we found a compromise that worked for everyone. Most of the wall is gone, but we kept a 50” stretch in the middle, perfect for mounting our TV with a narrow table underneath for speakers and a DVD player. Our couch will go on the opposite wall facing the stairs/half-wall instead of floating in the middle of the room. No lie, I am thrilled with this change.

Conflict between friends is tough, and I often worry that any disagreement means our relationship has been harmed. Instead, I should see conflicts as chances for our relationship to grow. To get a better grasp of living in a community and valuing friendships, I've been listening to a book by Rhaina Cohen called “The Other Significant Others.” This book has helped me realize that choosing to live in a community with friends is not a new idea, and we're not alone in making this choice.

Next on the renovations checklist is choosing tile for the kitchen backsplash (which we may have found), sanding and staining the floors, finishing the half-wall, cleaning walls, painting walls, and assembling the kitchen cabinets & assembling the kitchen all before we move in!