This post was written by Barbara Hyde of Dusty Lilacs Vintage Rentals.
When my late husband and I moved into our home back in 1995, we did a complete renovation and I thought I loved it all … all except my kitchen. My husband wanted dome style lighting and even though I loved the amount of light that we got, I didn’t like the look. We also originally chose white washed cabinets, like those that were in our previous home, and after a few years, I realized they were outdated. I didn’t originally get the island that I wanted, nor the double oven, so my kitchen was never exactly right.
One day, I found myself in Home Depot, and was approached by a woman who began asking me a series of questions: did I own my home, did I like my kitchen, did I ever want to resurface my cabinets, had I ever considered a kitchen renovation, etc. I told her that I wanted to do a complete kitchen renovation, but I knew that it would involve closing up a doorway, adding additional cabinets, changing lighting, plumbing, A/C vents, and simply didn’t think they could handle that kind of a project. The lady convinced me to let someone come out and give me a quote. I ultimately discussed what Home Depot could handle, in terms of work scope, and hired a contractor to do the rest. I moved forward with the project, and demo began! This meant packing up my kitchen, boxes everywhere, and a massive mess! Fortunately, I had been through remodeling before and knew what I was in for.
My contractor, Ed Tupper of Tupper Construction in Phoenix was soon knee deep in construction debris, but was undaunted, super tidy, and left my home each day as clean as it could possibly be. This project was no light task, but the crew that I had working on my project were very efficient, professional, and masterfully skilled in their trade.
With demo complete, new lighting, new A/C vents, new appliance installation, counter top measurements, and new cabinet bases, I finally felt I was able to visualize my new space. Home Depot had their installer work to fit new cabinets into my 60 year old crooked walls, and James, the installer, did an excellent job.
My L-shaped cabinets were gone, my island was in; I now had self-closing hinges, cabinets that extended all the way to the ceiling, and a new, fresh look for my kitchen. I remember feeling soooo anxious for the cabinet doors to be put on so that I could finally see everything put together, and when they were, my kitchen glowed and sparkled!! The kitchen renovation I had dreamed about was finally a reality!
I was finally ready to unpack all of my previously mentioned boxes with kitchen dishes and utensils, and was met with the chore of finding new places for them all. Fortunately, I now actually have space for new additional items which were previously stored elsewhere; everything is so much better organized. This renovation was worth every penny and all of the inconvenience, because I now get to cook in it and LOVE to show it off to everyone who comes over.
I need to extend a HUGE thank you to all of my contractors and their helpers. For anyone who is contemplating a kitchen renovation of their own, I say, “Go for it!”
