Don Genova's Blog

The Kitchen Diaries, pt. 8 - Time To Catch Up

Dear Mike, how's this for a before and after?  The photo on the left is our kitchen, looking straight through to the bathroom.  The photo on the right is basically the same view, after the drywallers came in today and worked their magic.

But other stuff has happened before that, and I'm going to let some video do the talking here, since I blab my way through most of them.  This first video tells you about the big, new, excellent windows and new wiring that has been put in.  A team of three electricians spent three days doing it. 

The next video shows the new French doors the guys put in (with a minor mishap they will have to fix somehow) as well as the bathtub we are soon going to be sitting in, ha ha!  People keep asking me, 'when do they say it's going to be finished?'  I don't even bother asking.  It will be finished when it's finished.  Ramona thinks Thanksgiving, but I'm a little more optimistic than that. 

All hell kind of broke loose today as the plumbers, the drywall delivery team AND the drywallers all showed up around the same time this morning.  I had to dart down to Victoria for some meetings today, but by the time I got back, the place was empty, but much work had been done, as you can see in this last video.  Caution!  I sing at the beginning of this one. 

Dear Mike, our kitchen and bath reno is starting to look more and more like an episode of Holmes on Holmes.  Every time another step forward is taken, there is a little discovery that adds to the time taken to do the job, and usually more time = more money.  After having the insulation sucked out of the attic to make it easier for the electrician and the carpenters to run new wiring and construct new walls, I thought they were just going to take down the ceiling in the kitchen and put a new layer of wallboard to cover the stippled ceiling in the dining area.

Imagine our surprise when we returned home from Drum Roasting and shopping to discover the entire ceiling in the kitchen and dining and bath and hallway had been 'disappeared'. (top photo)  But for good reason.  The ventilation in the attic is so poor that the plywood panels in the roof are getting moldy.  On the left is a panel that is in good shape.  That's what the wood is supposed to look like.

This photo shows board that has been growing mold.  It has turned black with the stuff.  This weekend the wood is getting a chance to dry out, but when the guys arrive on Monday we are going to ask about whether the wood needs to be treated at all to get rid of the stuff or whether proper ventilation will take care of it.  The crew will be cutting new vents into the soffits, installing baffles that will help air move from the soffits to the roof vents, and eventually new insulation will be blown in.  Monday is shaping up to be a big day, with the electrician scheduled to rough in all the new wiring and the gas fitter arriving to rough in the pipes from our new propane tank and the barbecue.

In the meantime here is a shot of the new bathtub, and our reward when all of this is over will be to sit in the tub, lounging away in hot water with a view of our backyard forest out of our new, enlarged window.  Here's a minute-long video of the latest destruction...enjoy!

Dear Mike...I like it how on your show you diagnose the problem, bring in your crew, gut, renovate and finish, all in one hour.  I should realize, having done some television production myself, that an hour-long reno on TV can stretch over weeks or even months, and that the construction site isn't a beehive of activity 24/7.

The demolition is just about to morph into the renovation.  But today seems to be a day off for our project.  One guy showed up early this morning just to clean up a bit of the mess left by the insulation guys yesterday.  Nothing else has been happening so far and it's 2pm.

Apparently there are just four companies on all of Vancouver Island that will come to your house and suck out all the old insulation that has been blown into your attic.  Here they are getting ready with their machine, they ran the hose through the now non-existent living room window and then up to an opening Gerry and Jesse cut through in the indoor gable end of our vaulted extension.  Apparently they were in there for 4 hours sucking out the stuff.  I wouldn't know.  I had work to do and I knew it was going to be noisy so I went to my favourite little cafe down the road.

When I returned later in the afternoon the vacuum guys had left behind some of what wouldn't fit in their van, three bags full of insulation.  They were supposed to come and pick it up today, but no sign of them yet.  Oh, and the plumbers were also here in my absence, and roughed in the water supply, drains and venting for the kitchen and bathroom.  The new bathtub has arrived and is in the bathroom, but there is cutting to be done to fit it in and we have a slight controversy on the go regarding the placement of the new window of the bathroom.  More on that later...once it gets resolved.
Wishful thinking?  Who knows...but in the midst of all the demolition I take comfort in the fact that our Romnyea, or 'fried egg flower plant' has blossomed.  Here's a close-up of one of the blooms, which is about 6 inches across.  Tell me again how I need to be patient, Mike?

Dear Mike;  I don't want to say that this kitchen and bath reno is going to proceed at a snail's pace, but the term 'Slow Food' does come to mind when I think about when the project will be completed.

That's not to say that there hasn't been progress.  On Saturday morning, while we were out shopping, a crew came by and finished ripping out the walls of both the kitchen and the bathroom, leaving behind the toilet, the stove, and quite ironically I think, the kitchen sink!  They also taped up the doors to the two bedrooms upstairs with plastic so dust will not infiltrate those rooms as drywall is being taped and sanded.

The waiting game comes with problems in the attic. (entrance pictured at left)  There is blown insulation in the attic, which needs to come out because we are having so many new lights put into the ceiling and they can't work around the insulation.   There also wasn't enough of the stuff to begin with to do any good at preventing heat loss, and there also isn't enough ventilation, which allows moist air to be trapped and eventually cause mold. So...some guys are coming next week(Wed. or Thursday we hope) with some sort of giant vacuum cleaner to suck out the insulation.
I get the feeling not much else is going to get down until that next step. Patience, patience.  Here's a video walk-through of the latest destruction:

Dear Mike:  Take a good look at this.  It's the last existing photo of the kitchen in its 'before' stage.   The demolition started in earnest yesterday....with Gerry and Jesse knocking down the wall, electricians Rod and Cal removing all the light fixtures, heaters and outlets and shutting down various circuits.  I haven't mentioned how our cats, Mugsy and Nebbia, are handling this.  I'm keeping them inside, downstairs, while the workers are here.  They've been spending time sleeping. Mugsy hiding when someone comes down here, Nebbia trying to make friends as usual.

When I drove down to Victoria yesterday for a dentist appointment, I also purchased a new toy...a little video camera called a Flip Video Ultra. This is a very simple camera that is basically a point-and-shoot, with built-in editing software and an easy way to share the video online through YouTube, email, or even a greeting card.  The photo you see on the left is actually a snapshot from the first video I shot with the Flip. Not bad, eh? Very easy to use...you don't even need a cable to connect to your computer, a USB connector 'flips' out of the camera and you just stick it in a free port.

No Cappuccino? When I returned home from Victoria, the guys had left for the day and I discovered that all the power to the outlets and lighting in our makeshift kitchen and the guest bedroom where we have taken up residence had been cut off.  That includes power to the espresso machine!!!  I made tea for this morning, but when Gerry arrived I told him what was going on and he dialed Rod who came over and was able to restore most of the power I need.  Thank you Rod!  I will be running an extension cord into the bedroom so we can power our bedside lamps.  Oh, and here is the Flip Video of Kitchen Demolition Day One, a less-than-one-minute snap of the work so far.

Dear Mike;  Kitchen Reno lesson number 1.  Be patient.  I thought our kitchen was going to get demolished today.  Wrong.  The contractor and his lead 'demolisher' turned up today to get the lay of the land and do some more measurements.  The reassuring news is that the guys will be here tomorrow to 'protect' the rest of the upper floor.  The hardwood will be cleaned, plastic and plywood put on top, our bedroom (which we have vacated) will be taped off, as will the bottom of the stairs. Even the aging vinyl on the deck will be covered up to prevent it from getting scarier then it already is.  All the furniture remaining in the living area will be covered up, as will the fridge and dishwasher when they get disconnected and unplugged.

The photo above shows the elegant floor of our master bathroom, ha ha!
This is vintage 1970's vinyl!  Makes me throw up in my mouth, just a little bit.  The rest of the bathroom is just as ugly, as you can see on the left.  It is all getting demolished, new tub, new toilet, new pedestal sink....and an additional window at the end of the new tub so we can lie in the tub and look out the window into the forest.  I have posted two short videos, one of the kitchen, one of the bathroom, to Facebook(you don't have to be a member to watch them) so you can tour the existing 'facilities', and plan to post a lot more photos and videos, leading right up to 'the reveal'.  When will that be?  Lesson Number 1.  Be patient.  (the videos aren't posted just yet, will update this post with the links when they are.)  At this point Facebook is refusing to encode my videos for some reason.  I have now uploaded them twice, with no results.  Now I'm trying youtube...here is the kitchen video, I think:

And now here is the bathroom video:

Dear Mike;

It’s so close we can almost taste the drywall dust.  After months of planning, shopping and decision-making, we think the work crew is arriving on Wednesday, July 2nd to begin demolition and construction of our new kitchen and bathroom.  Estimated time of completion – who knows?  I’m hoping for one month, but a lot probably depends on materials being delivered on time.  I’m still waiting for our microwave oven and trim kit to be delivered from Home Depot.  Now we’re looking at July 15th, as the microwave itself was backordered, although the trim kit is already in stock.

The microwave is just one of the changes we’ve made since the last kitchen diary.  My sister had a look at our plans and suggested that if we were going to have a microwave at all, it should be built in, above the new wall oven.  This actually made a lot of sense, so the cabinet maker has incorporated the specifications for that, and also made some changes to the corner cabinetry, which means we are now getting an ‘appliance garage’ to the left of the sink, and instead of angular drawers, a corner unit that pulls completely out of its hole for easy access to everything in it, unlike the typical Lazy Susans that are usually installed in corner spots.

The latest drawing I’ve posted here shows a few of the changes our designer/contractor has made to the island.  There will be a raised pie-shaped counter at the end closest to the stairs, so when you come up the stairs it will block the view of the entire island.  This will a) build anticipation for newcomers and b) conceal a mess on the island or anything else you want to hide, say food preparations or dishware.  We can then have fun putting hors d’oeuvres or flower displays on top of the ‘pie’.

We have made lots and lots of decisions since receiving that first drawing a few months ago.  With the help of Jane Munsell, (former assistant to designer/contractor David Coulson) with have picked out our bathroom and kitchen faucet fixtures, cabinet pulls and more.  We decided against recycling the oak floor that will be taken up to construct the island.  We were going to put it in the bathroom, but have moisture concerns.  So now we will have matching Italian-made porcelain tiles in the kitchen and bathroom.  They look like slate, 9”X18”, with a bit of texture to the surface, and a fairly wide variation in colour to pick up on the shades in our Volga Blue granite countertop.  I also decided to have in-floor heating installed in the kitchen and bathroom.  This added about $2500 to the project, but I have rationalized it in a number of ways:  It should give the house added resale value; when else are you going to have the floors ripped up to make installation a no-brainer; and the first two places I set foot every morning are the bathroom and the kitchen.  Who wouldn’t want toasty toes on a chilly Cowichan Valley winter morning?

All of the changes have seen the original estimate of the kitchen and bathroom balloon.  I guess we were kind of expecting that. We just hope that there won’t be any ‘surprises’ in the job as we go along.  More postings coming soon!  (including photos of the horrible bathroom we are so happy to have demolished)

Dear Mike.  Well.  I am finally going to do it...renovate my kitchen.  It's a very material desire, full of selfishness in a sense, putting lots and lots and lots of money into something that is just one room in a house.  But  I spend much time in my kitchen, it's part of who I am and what I do.  And as I think about who I am and what I do, I start looking back. Five years ago yesterday, I moved into what I thought  was going to be my dream house on a dream property in the Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia.  It wasn't quite a dream...almost turned into a nightmare, as a matter of fact.   I moved here with my then-fiancee.  We were going to get married on the property a year later, but it all fell apart at the last minute, and I gave serious consideration to giving up the house and moving back to Vancouver.  But then I met the wonderful Ramona, and when she saw the place she loved it, and so we are still here, at least part of the time.

This is what the old kitchen looks like now.  I will have to dig out some of the original photos from 5 years ago to show you.  I have been tearing out little pieces here and there over the years to make the kitchen work better for us.  When I bought the house I knew the kitchen was a real sore point.  For someone who cooks as much as I do and likes to entertain there has always been a plan to renovate.  I even had a contractor come in not long after moving here to have a look and give me a preliminary estimate.  Needless to say, in 5 years the estimate has gone up a bit!

Mike, this kitchen still most of the original outfitting from its creation in the early 70's....which means it is ugly and dysfunctional. The couple I bought the house from did a wonderful job in building an extension to the house which gave us a large 'great room' with a lovely view out to the huge cedar trees ringing the property.  But they must not have cared too much about cooking, or maybe ran out of money, since the kitchen just doesn't match the nice finish of the expansion.

So why didn't I get this done before?  Lots of reasons.  Being broke after the engagement broke off was one reason.  Getting married to Ramona and all that entailed was another.  Oh yeah, and I took off to Italy for the better part of a year as well.  Came back from that sojourn broke again, but with some creative mortgage refinancing (and major help from Ramona) allows us to go ahead with this now.

Our designer/general contractor is David Coulson of David Coulson Design.  I met David not long after moving to the Cowichan Valley and after seeing some of his commercial work and visiting a home that he did the kitchen in, we were convinced he was the right guy for the job.  That being said, he is also a busy guy.  We let him know last October that we wanted to go ahead with this.  Last week he came over with his original drawings for the concept.  We went over them in some detail, at which point I found out it will take at least 8 weeks to have the cabinets made and the countertops cut. 

Mike, in your parlance, this is a total gut.  Not just of the kitchen but in the master bathroom right next to the kitchen as well, which also exists in all its glorious '70's splendor. It's really best to get both down at the same time.  More detail about what we plan in the next entry.

Wish us luck....

Don

The Kitchen Diaries, pt. 7 - The Sky is Falling!

Dear Mike, our kitchen and bath reno is starting to look more and more like an episode of Holmes on Holmes.  Every time another step forward is taken, there is a little discovery that adds to the time taken to do the job, and usually more time = more money.  After having the insulation sucked out of the attic to make it easier for the electrician and the carpenters to run new wiring and construct new walls, I thought they were just going to take down the ceiling in the kitchen and put a new layer of wallboard to cover the stippled ceiling in the dining area.

Imagine our surprise when we returned home from Drum Roasting and shopping to discover the entire ceiling in the kitchen and dining and bath and hallway had been 'disappeared'. (top photo)  But for good reason.  The ventilation in the attic is so poor that the plywood panels in the roof are getting moldy.  On the left is a panel that is in good shape.  That's what the wood is supposed to look like.

This photo shows board that has been growing mold.  It has turned black with the stuff.  This weekend the wood is getting a chance to dry out, but when the guys arrive on Monday we are going to ask about whether the wood needs to be treated at all to get rid of the stuff or whether proper ventilation will take care of it.  The crew will be cutting new vents into the soffits, installing baffles that will help air move from the soffits to the roof vents, and eventually new insulation will be blown in.  Monday is shaping up to be a big day, with the electrician scheduled to rough in all the new wiring and the gas fitter arriving to rough in the pipes from our new propane tank and the barbecue.

In the meantime here is a shot of the new bathtub, and our reward when all of this is over will be to sit in the tub, lounging away in hot water with a view of our backyard forest out of our new, enlarged window.  Here's a minute-long video of the latest destruction...enjoy!

The Kitchen Diaries, pt. 6 - A Lull in the Action

Dear Mike...I like it how on your show you diagnose the problem, bring in your crew, gut, renovate and finish, all in one hour.  I should realize, having done some television production myself, that an hour-long reno on TV can stretch over weeks or even months, and that the construction site isn't a beehive of activity 24/7.

The demolition is just about to morph into the renovation.  But today seems to be a day off for our project.  One guy showed up early this morning just to clean up a bit of the mess left by the insulation guys yesterday.  Nothing else has been happening so far and it's 2pm.

Apparently there are just four companies on all of Vancouver Island that will come to your house and suck out all the old insulation that has been blown into your attic.  Here they are getting ready with their machine, they ran the hose through the now non-existent living room window and then up to an opening Gerry and Jesse cut through in the indoor gable end of our vaulted extension.  Apparently they were in there for 4 hours sucking out the stuff.  I wouldn't know.  I had work to do and I knew it was going to be noisy so I went to my favourite little cafe down the road.

When I returned later in the afternoon the vacuum guys had left behind some of what wouldn't fit in their van, three bags full of insulation.  They were supposed to come and pick it up today, but no sign of them yet.  Oh, and the plumbers were also here in my absence, and roughed in the water supply, drains and venting for the kitchen and bathroom.  The new bathtub has arrived and is in the bathroom, but there is cutting to be done to fit it in and we have a slight controversy on the go regarding the placement of the new window of the bathroom.  More on that later...once it gets resolved.
Wishful thinking?  Who knows...but in the midst of all the demolition I take comfort in the fact that our Romnyea, or 'fried egg flower plant' has blossomed.  Here's a close-up of one of the blooms, which is about 6 inches across.  Tell me again how I need to be patient, Mike?

The Kitchen Diaries, pt. 5 - Everything But the Kitchen Sink

Dear Mike;  I don't want to say that this kitchen and bath reno is going to proceed at a snail's pace, but the term 'Slow Food' does come to mind when I think about when the project will be completed.

That's not to say that there hasn't been progress.  On Saturday morning, while we were out shopping, a crew came by and finished ripping out the walls of both the kitchen and the bathroom, leaving behind the toilet, the stove, and quite ironically I think, the kitchen sink!  They also taped up the doors to the two bedrooms upstairs with plastic so dust will not infiltrate those rooms as drywall is being taped and sanded.

The waiting game comes with problems in the attic. (entrance pictured at left)  There is blown insulation in the attic, which needs to come out because we are having so many new lights put into the ceiling and they can't work around the insulation.   There also wasn't enough of the stuff to begin with to do any good at preventing heat loss, and there also isn't enough ventilation, which allows moist air to be trapped and eventually cause mold. So...some guys are coming next week(Wed. or Thursday we hope) with some sort of giant vacuum cleaner to suck out the insulation.
I get the feeling not much else is going to get down until that next step. Patience, patience.  Here's a video walk-through of the latest destruction:

The Kitchen Diaries, pt. 4 - What, no cappuccino?

Dear Mike:  Take a good look at this.  It's the last existing photo of the kitchen in its 'before' stage.   The demolition started in earnest yesterday....with Gerry and Jesse knocking down the wall, electricians Rod and Cal removing all the light fixtures, heaters and outlets and shutting down various circuits.  I haven't mentioned how our cats, Mugsy and Nebbia, are handling this.  I'm keeping them inside, downstairs, while the workers are here.  They've been spending time sleeping. Mugsy hiding when someone comes down here, Nebbia trying to make friends as usual.

When I drove down to Victoria yesterday for a dentist appointment, I also purchased a new toy...a little video camera called a Flip Video Ultra. This is a very simple camera that is basically a point-and-shoot, with built-in editing software and an easy way to share the video online through YouTube, email, or even a greeting card.  The photo you see on the left is actually a snapshot from the first video I shot with the Flip. Not bad, eh? Very easy to use...you don't even need a cable to connect to your computer, a USB connector 'flips' out of the camera and you just stick it in a free port.

No Cappuccino? When I returned home from Victoria, the guys had left for the day and I discovered that all the power to the outlets and lighting in our makeshift kitchen and the guest bedroom where we have taken up residence had been cut off.  That includes power to the espresso machine!!!  I made tea for this morning, but when Gerry arrived I told him what was going on and he dialed Rod who came over and was able to restore most of the power I need.  Thank you Rod!  I will be running an extension cord into the bedroom so we can power our bedside lamps.  Oh, and here is the Flip Video of Kitchen Demolition Day One, a less-than-one-minute snap of the work so far.

The Kitchen Diaries, pt. 3

Dear Mike;  Kitchen Reno lesson number 1.  Be patient.  I thought our kitchen was going to get demolished today.  Wrong.  The contractor and his lead 'demolisher' turned up today to get the lay of the land and do some more measurements.  The reassuring news is that the guys will be here tomorrow to 'protect' the rest of the upper floor.  The hardwood will be cleaned, plastic and plywood put on top, our bedroom (which we have vacated) will be taped off, as will the bottom of the stairs. Even the aging vinyl on the deck will be covered up to prevent it from getting scarier then it already is.  All the furniture remaining in the living area will be covered up, as will the fridge and dishwasher when they get disconnected and unplugged.

The photo above shows the elegant floor of our master bathroom, ha ha!
This is vintage 1970's vinyl!  Makes me throw up in my mouth, just a little bit.  The rest of the bathroom is just as ugly, as you can see on the left.  It is all getting demolished, new tub, new toilet, new pedestal sink....and an additional window at the end of the new tub so we can lie in the tub and look out the window into the forest.  I have posted two short videos, one of the kitchen, one of the bathroom, to Facebook(you don't have to be a member to watch them) so you can tour the existing 'facilities', and plan to post a lot more photos and videos, leading right up to 'the reveal'.  When will that be?  Lesson Number 1.  Be patient.  (the videos aren't posted just yet, will update this post with the links when they are.)  At this point Facebook is refusing to encode my videos for some reason.  I have now uploaded them twice, with no results.  Now I'm trying youtube...here is the kitchen video, I think:

And now here is the bathroom video:

The Kitchen Diaries, pt. 2

Dear Mike;

It’s so close we can almost taste the drywall dust.  After months of planning, shopping and decision-making, we think the work crew is arriving on Wednesday, July 2nd to begin demolition and construction of our new kitchen and bathroom.  Estimated time of completion – who knows?  I’m hoping for one month, but a lot probably depends on materials being delivered on time.  I’m still waiting for our microwave oven and trim kit to be delivered from Home Depot.  Now we’re looking at July 15th, as the microwave itself was backordered, although the trim kit is already in stock.

The microwave is just one of the changes we’ve made since the last kitchen diary.  My sister had a look at our plans and suggested that if we were going to have a microwave at all, it should be built in, above the new wall oven.  This actually made a lot of sense, so the cabinet maker has incorporated the specifications for that, and also made some changes to the corner cabinetry, which means we are now getting an ‘appliance garage’ to the left of the sink, and instead of angular drawers, a corner unit that pulls completely out of its hole for easy access to everything in it, unlike the typical Lazy Susans that are usually installed in corner spots.

The latest drawing I’ve posted here shows a few of the changes our designer/contractor has made to the island.  There will be a raised pie-shaped counter at the end closest to the stairs, so when you come up the stairs it will block the view of the entire island.  This will a) build anticipation for newcomers and b) conceal a mess on the island or anything else you want to hide, say food preparations or dishware.  We can then have fun putting hors d’oeuvres or flower displays on top of the ‘pie’.

We have made lots and lots of decisions since receiving that first drawing a few months ago.  With the help of Jane Munsell, (former assistant to designer/contractor David Coulson) with have picked out our bathroom and kitchen faucet fixtures, cabinet pulls and more.  We decided against recycling the oak floor that will be taken up to construct the island.  We were going to put it in the bathroom, but have moisture concerns.  So now we will have matching Italian-made porcelain tiles in the kitchen and bathroom.  They look like slate, 9”X18”, with a bit of texture to the surface, and a fairly wide variation in colour to pick up on the shades in our Volga Blue granite countertop.  I also decided to have in-floor heating installed in the kitchen and bathroom.  This added about $2500 to the project, but I have rationalized it in a number of ways:  It should give the house added resale value; when else are you going to have the floors ripped up to make installation a no-brainer; and the first two places I set foot every morning are the bathroom and the kitchen.  Who wouldn’t want toasty toes on a chilly Cowichan Valley winter morning?

All of the changes have seen the original estimate of the kitchen and bathroom balloon.  I guess we were kind of expecting that. We just hope that there won’t be any ‘surprises’ in the job as we go along.  More postings coming soon!  (including photos of the horrible bathroom we are so happy to have demolished)

The Kitchen Diaries, part 1

Dear Mike.  Well.  I am finally going to do it...renovate my kitchen.  It's a very material desire, full of selfishness in a sense, putting lots and lots and lots of money into something that is just one room in a house.  But  I spend much time in my kitchen, it's part of who I am and what I do.  And as I think about who I am and what I do, I start looking back. Five years ago yesterday, I moved into what I thought  was going to be my dream house on a dream property in the Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia.  It wasn't quite a dream...almost turned into a nightmare, as a matter of fact.   I moved here with my then-fiancee.  We were going to get married on the property a year later, but it all fell apart at the last minute, and I gave serious consideration to giving up the house and moving back to Vancouver.  But then I met the wonderful Ramona, and when she saw the place she loved it, and so we are still here, at least part of the time.

This is what the old kitchen looks like now.  I will have to dig out some of the original photos from 5 years ago to show you.  I have been tearing out little pieces here and there over the years to make the kitchen work better for us.  When I bought the house I knew the kitchen was a real sore point.  For someone who cooks as much as I do and likes to entertain there has always been a plan to renovate.  I even had a contractor come in not long after moving here to have a look and give me a preliminary estimate.  Needless to say, in 5 years the estimate has gone up a bit!

Mike, this kitchen still most of the original outfitting from its creation in the early 70's....which means it is ugly and dysfunctional. The couple I bought the house from did a wonderful job in building an extension to the house which gave us a large 'great room' with a lovely view out to the huge cedar trees ringing the property.  But they must not have cared too much about cooking, or maybe ran out of money, since the kitchen just doesn't match the nice finish of the expansion.

So why didn't I get this done before?  Lots of reasons.  Being broke after the engagement broke off was one reason.  Getting married to Ramona and all that entailed was another.  Oh yeah, and I took off to Italy for the better part of a year as well.  Came back from that sojourn broke again, but with some creative mortgage refinancing (and major help from Ramona) allows us to go ahead with this now.

Our designer/general contractor is David Coulson of David Coulson Design.  I met David not long after moving to the Cowichan Valley and after seeing some of his commercial work and visiting a home that he did the kitchen in, we were convinced he was the right guy for the job.  That being said, he is also a busy guy.  We let him know last October that we wanted to go ahead with this.  Last week he came over with his original drawings for the concept.  We went over them in some detail, at which point I found out it will take at least 8 weeks to have the cabinets made and the countertops cut. 

Mike, in your parlance, this is a total gut.  Not just of the kitchen but in the master bathroom right next to the kitchen as well, which also exists in all its glorious '70's splendor. It's really best to get both down at the same time.  More detail about what we plan in the next entry.

Wish us luck....

Don