Last week started out with the kitchen totally emptied in preparation for the renovators who came on Tuesday. David and Johan were excellent. It's amazing to have a contractor with great communication skills and David did! We gave him a great review at the end of the project and even talked with him about how refreshing it was to have a contractor with the communication skills he had. I think we embarrassed him some.
Here's the before photo. Maple cabinets 30+ years old. What you can't see is the water stains and the cupboard doors that have fallen apart. The bones were still good but needed refreshing.
Off came all the doors and drawer fronts removed from drawers. They had to pull out the refrigerator (not shown), the stove and take down the microwave. They brought in two long tables to work from. The space was quite crammed but they were glad for the space we had for them as sometimes they have to set up in garages or outside.
I had planned to be able to at least microwave while they were here but not an option. We went to a local restaurant for the two nights for supper.
They were finished Thursday evening with the exception of two folding doors which were missing needed hardware to install.
That hardware arrived Monday the 11th and Johan came within two hours to complete those cabinets.
The finish is oak.
I put everything back Thursday night and Friday morning. I now have glass doors on the dishware cabinets.
Other cabinets are beaded board.
Here is one folding door for my pantry with new rotating shelves.
Here's the other folding door into this corner cabinet. There were two doors before.
My mother and grandmother have been hung back up as have all my blue plate accents. It feels like my kitchen now as we celebrate three years of owning this house this week.
Nice to have this project done. Another one looms on the horizon in '24!
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Another highlight of last week was the first concert at the local school where granddaughters #1 & #2 attend. The school hasn't had a full time music (choral and instrumental) instructor for years. The "band" made up of winds, brass, guitars, strings and who knows what else played Hot Cross Buns and Merrily We Roll Along. It was like the scene from the end of The Music Man with lots of proud parents, grandparents and friends and lots of squeaks and missed beats from the "band". Afterward all the grades got to participate in singing.
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Sunday Dan and I attended a production of "It's a Wonderful Life Radio Play". Four actors played all the parts and did sound effects. We, the audience, were the there as an audience would be present for a radio program in the 40s. There was even an applause sign that lit to tell us to applaud. It was great!
Above is the stage before the play went live.
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What else? Planning for family coming from Buffalo.
A gate for the littlest one
It will go here between the kitchen and the front room.
Decorations were completed though stockings need to be hung on the stairs.
This new week I need to start baking cookies.
What's on your agenda?
