diary of a mad remodeler (as told by his wife)

Day 5 of The Project.

It has been what we call in this family a typical Melrose Project –nothing goes quite as one would expect. The most challenging aspect of installing the new kitchen cabinets is the direct result of “this old house.” There is no such thing as a level floor or a plumb wall. The variance in floor pitch is nearly four inches from one end of the cabinets to the other, and there is some fluidity, as well, from the primary wall in toward the room. This makes for truly fun times! It took Ken an entire day to get the floor and base cabinets level and installed. This morning we went to place the countertop and discovered that the drawers and cabinet doors below could not be opened because of the countertop overhang. I won’t repeat Ken’s response to this newest of setbacks.

The good news is that the end is in sight. Little details remain, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t be time consuming. Under-cabinet lights need to be installed; trim added to hide their presence; molding placed above the wall cabinets to give a finished look; “kick plate” and additional trim installed at “floor level” to hide the necessary elevations; drawer and door knobs attached…” You get the idea. Although I have been useful here and there providing a second pair of hands, vacuuming sawdust, painting and so on, Ken has done the heavy lifting, literally and figuratively. He has persevered like a trooper in the face of annoying delays and painstaking attention to detail. I have at times felt helpless to lessen his stress and grateful for some time to tend to other things and be out of earshot of the running commentary that emanates from the kitchen.

As I type the faucet is being hooked up, so tonight we will have use of the (new) kitchen sink again for the first time since Friday morning. We set up a makeshift dishwashing area outside where, fortuitously, hot and cold water spigots were installed last spring (see picture).

I promise that pictures will be forthcoming soon. In the meantime I hope you’ll enjoy the little taste of Melrose beauty as demonstrated by last night’s sunset, and the more-than-content butterfly.

Until next time,
The ever-patient, and mostly sane, wife