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October 17, 2014

Kitchen Remodel.....Demolition

I'm in the middle of a kitchen remodel....Oh goodness, this is a grueling process.   I'm not so sure I would have done this had I known what a difficult process it would be....I hope it will be like having a baby....I will so love the results and forget all the pain lol!

Here's my 30 year old kitchen before I started the remodel


I've been putting Band-Aids on it for the 10 years I've lived here...It was time for new cabinets and counters

The first thing I did was salvaged all of the old cabinet doors.....They will be great for making chalkboards and signs.  

Then I emptied all of the contents of the cupboards into my living room.


I have the BEST contractor in all of Florida doing the work.  I am truly blessed, without him I would have been in the looney bin.

Demo time


I went with Ikea cabinets, they were having a 20% off kitchen sale.......Would I go with Ikea if it had to do it all over again?????   

If you like, I will do a whole blog post on answering that question!

Here's my kitchen, fresh off the Ikea delivery truck...200 piece....I had 48 hours after delivery to inventory and claim any damage or missing pieces...I was totally overwhelmed!  You are only seeing half the pile in this picture!



Two weeks into the remodel and I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel



Hang with me, I had no idea how all consuming this project would be.  Here's the good news....I will never have to do this again lol!

Happy Creating
Carol


43 comments:

  1. The before kitchen looked very charming and I loved the cabinets and the look. I think it just needed a little freshening up. The IKEA cabinets look like an office kitchen and almost hospital like. I will wait to see your after photo and see if I change my mind. Looks like A LOT of work either way..LOL!

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  2. I know it will be beautiful, Carol...such a big job, but it will be all worth it!

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  3. It will be perfect when you are done. Everything you touch turns to gold! (or beautiful, shabby chic!) ;)

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  4. Your old kitchen looked beautiful. :).. IKEA , love their stuff, but you had a lot to deal with. Can't wait to see the finished product, I know it will be fabulous.

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  5. Rerouted plumbing problems, concrete tear out, inspection delays from the city, more plumbing issues, wall renovation and a total blow-up of our cabinet order has left me convinced I will NEVER EVER do another kitchen renno. NEVAH EVAH! Love yours.

    xoR
    PS: No IKEA for MOI. That said...the company we chose INSTOCKKITCHENS DOT COM were horrible. We sent them back and then had to wait 6 weeks for them to refund our $. I did a c-back on my CCard! BAH!

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  6. It will so be worth the hassle Carol!! Know it is going to be fabulous in the end with your creative hands on this project~

    bee blessed
    mary

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  7. I can`t wait to see how it turn out. We are going to do the same next year and we also will have a kitchen from Ikea.

    Have a great weekend
    Hugs from here

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  8. Hi Carol,
    I hope you keep your sanity throughout all of this. Just keep your eye on the prize!!

    hugs
    Sissie

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  9. Hi Carol,
    I hope you keep your sanity throughout all of this. Just keep your eye on the prize!!

    hugs
    Sissie

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  10. Wow, that amazing pile was only half of the IKEA order? Lots of work, but know it will be lovely at the end.

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  11. Believe me Carol, you will be thrilled with the results. Hang in there. Can't wait to see the results. What type of counters did you decide on?

    Cindy

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  12. Wowza, when you said demo you really meant it! I am guessing the Ikea purchase didn't work out quite the way you thought it would??
    Good luck and keep us posted.

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  13. I feel your pain! We are at week 13 of a minor remodel of the kitchen. Soooo frustrating to babysit all the contractors!

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  14. Awesome! I've never had to endure a kitchen renovation. Fortunately, I moved before those tasks were an absolute necessity. I can't imagine the chaos, but three cheers to you for getting through it!

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  15. Your kitchen was charming but I understand the need for freshening!! I can't imagine a total "gutted" kitchen job. 48 hours to inventory all that Ikea kitchen sound a bit unreal to me. I know it will all end up wonderfully lovely and you will forget the bad parts!!

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  16. Hi Carol, Oh I can only imagine the Ikea kitchen post. Not a good thing for sure!! Going over that inventory would be a nightmare.
    Your kitchen looked so pretty before but I know when it is time to take off the band aids and start over. Been there done that. It will be gorgeous.
    Looking forward to the finish.

    In the meantime, remember to breathe!!
    Hugs

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  17. WOW, girlfriend! That is a HUGE JOB!! Looking great, so far! Doesn't sound like you are in love with Ikea...Hubby is putting in a new hot water heater today and it's a struggle...I'm staying out of his hair.
    warmly,
    deb

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  18. Yes...you will love your new kitchen so much you will forgive/forget all the pain and angst it took to achieve. I have been through two and hopefully will not do it again. The first time I just moved in with Mr. C and as he says..."She never moved out!". The kitchen is truly the heart of the home and that is why it is such a major job. Yours will be so beautiful. Dare to Delight...

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  19. Oh my! You really did take it down to the bare floor! But it really will be so nice and you have an expert doing the work, so that makes all the difference. Sweet hugs, Diane

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  20. Carol, I never knew Ikea cabinets came in so many pieces. Your new kitchen will be beautiful.
    xx,
    Sherry

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  21. I liked the before kitchen! (Guess I'm envious because we have dark kitchen cabinets and I've always wanted white.) I'm sure your new look will be even better! I do feel for you, as we have had numerous remodels over the years. It IS very much like having a baby lol I love your analogy!
    xoKathleen

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  22. I one thing we did NOT do with our kitchen makeover last year was replace the cabinets. I would love to do that, but we just painted ours. I can tell you that when my mom did hers a few years ago, it was indeed like childbirth because all that pain was definitely worth it! I can't wait to see your finished product.

    (And we saved all of her doors, too. They are here at my house, and I just pulled a few more out this weekend for projects. I'm using one of them as a lap desk right now, in fact. )

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  23. It looks like you're going to have a ton of cabinets! Awesome! I can only imagine your pain, not having ever done this myself before, but it certainly looks like you know what you're doing and it's coming to be wonderful! I can't wait to see more pictures! You're so brave!!!!!

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  24. Hang on in there I just know it will be stunning!!

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  25. I've done a lot of kitchen renos for clients and it is a painful process for them to live through. In the lower price range for cabinetry, Ikea cupboards stand up to heavy use better than those of other big box stores. It is far too short a time limit on claiming damage and shortages, though.

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  26. Talk about taking it down to the studs! Wow! I've been through three remodels and I lived. I am a little crazy, though. Maybe that's the reason. Ps. Three remodels in three different homes which is what happens when you marry a contractor! Lol

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  27. Good to see a post from you, Carol! I've missed you!

    I do not envy you the chaos but it must be nice to feel so settled in a home that you can remodel. I long to feel settled but maybe never will.

    So glad to hear a good word for your contractor. So many get a bum rap. My sons are contractors and I've heard them on the phone with customers and they are so considerate, caring and commutative. A building/remodel project without snags is impossible but how the snags are handled is important. Ha-ha! Listen to me- I should be a PR rep! :)
    Anyway! I know you will be happy with your new kitchen! ♥

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  28. Wow, that looks like a HUGE project for sure! But how exciting! Can't wait to see the end results :)
    Susan

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  29. Oh my goodness. I can't wait for your blog post on going with Ikea for your cabinets. I don't know how you got through that pile and another one just like it in 48 hours. I just know you will love it when you are all done. Looking forward to seeing the final reveal.

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  30. How exciting that you're nearing the end! I bet you can't wait! Looks like a LOT of work though. And, the pile of boxes to go through to be sure it was all there and in good condition looks overwhelming! Can't wait to see your new, finished kitchen! :-D

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  31. I feel your pain, lol. Oh my, what a job, but it's going to be so worth it in the end. Hang in there...looking forward to seeing the reveal.

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  32. Carol, It's all gonna look so amazing when it's done! I can only imagine how overwhelming it is right now though. Have a great day! ~ Jamie

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  33. can't wait to see the finished product! I know it will be amazing! we recently went through this process and it is kinda crazy! however, when it's done it's heaven!

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  34. so much work, this will be amazing when finished,!!looks great!

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  35. Oh wow! How overwhelming it all looks. I've heard if you can survive a kitchen remodel, you can survive anything.

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  36. Oh You will so happy with it when done all fresh a new!

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  37. You had an adorable kitchen to start- but only you know what you have to live with in an old kitchen! Believe me I know!! Old kitchen here...
    I'm so happy for you! You have been liberated with this new kitchen - I can't wait to see the final result.

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  38. I imagine it was overwhelming to have to check for all the pieces before you began. Yikes! I might have given up at that point! But it is looking great! The white is so clean and fresh looking! Can't wait for the final reveal!

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  39. I will be going through this myself shortly..looking forward to your do and don't tips!

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  40. Carol, this is a big undertaking! I have to tell you, I thought the first photo was your redo. lol! Looked pretty darn cute to me. I think you would need more than 48 hours to go through all of that! Can't wait to see it when it;s all finished.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  41. If you can coordinate a grand production like the Polka Dot Flea, you can handle this renovation. I have faith in you and know it will turn out great. Hang in there!!!

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  42. Looks awesome Carol! Mom and I were just in Ikea the other day looking at their kitchens and they have some really lovely ones! I can't wait to see it all finished!

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  43. In other cases, there may be a need to complete kitchen remodeling in San Diego. In these cases, it is important to contact a renovation company. A San Diego renovation company can come in and completely remodel your kitchen, adding new appliances, custom cabinetry, flooring, and new floor coverings. In many San Diego homes, the kitchen is used day-to-day, and major renovations are often necessary to update the appearance of the room, and to make it more functional.

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