Love and Olive Oil

Beyond the Kitchen: Renovation Edition

Beyond the Kitchen: Renovation Edition

Things have been a little dusty around here lately, in more ways than one.

Back in September I posted about having to move temporarily while they replaced the floors in our entire building (true story: ice storms suck). We were ready to pack up all our clothes and cats and plates and props and move to a temporary dwelling that very week. We were just waiting on the final word as far as when the work would begin and when we needed to be cleared out. Fast forward 7 months later… would you be surprised to hear the work hasn’t even started yet? You shouldn’t be. I shouldn’t be. And yet, here we are.

But in the end, despite the inconvenience of it all, the ultra-extended timeline for this repair work was nothing short of perfect. It just so happened that while we hurried up and waited, a larger unit went on the market in our complex, and we leapt (or, more accurately, dove head first) at the opportunity. We love where we live, both our neighborhood and our development, and we didn’t want to leave, despite feeling crunched for space for some time now (Taylor blames my excess of props and dishes, but that’s just one piece of it). Our new home is the best of everything we could have hoped for and everything we thought was impossible: significantly more space without having to leave our neighborhood or our community. Oh, and this new unit is in a different building that was not affected by the water damage (phew).

Of course, we couldn’t just move in and move on, rather, we grabbed our hammers and jumped into a renovation that’s a wee bit larger than I think we initially anticipated. The floors were in horrible condition and needed to be refinished, so why not replace the carpet in the bedrooms and stain the whole thing darker while we’re at it? We wanted to add cabinets to optimize the tall ceilings in the kitchen, so since we have to tear them out anyway, why not rework the kitchen layout to better make use of the space? And so on and so forth.

Funny how that happens.

If you’ve ever renovated a home before you’ll know exactly what I mean when I say it is consuming. Time consuming, yes, but also energy and emotion and inspiration-consuming as well. I am so ready to sweep up the dust and move in to our new home, and not have to think about tile and stain and paint and pillows and dust and debris anymore.

Needless to say, the ‘dust’ around here isn’t just a result of the saws and belt sanders, in case you haven’t noticed the cutback in the frequency of my posts. I’ve been doing my best to spread out what I do have. But I promise once we’re fully and finally moved and our new kitchen is functional and I actually have time to think again, not to mention cook and photograph and create again… this space will fill back up with delicious recipes and mouthwatering flavors… and before/afters too (because, admit it, that’s the best part of any renovation).

Oh… and that’s not the only renovation happening (I know, right? I never learn.) For the past few months I’ve been toying and tinkering with a brand new design for the blog that is, to put it bluntly, a huge departure from what you’re used to. You won’t even recognize me when it’s all said and done. I’m kind of excited about it, and I can’t want to show it to you. But unlike our other renovation, this one isn’t moving along quite as quickly, mainly because my time is limited and priorities always go my clients first and foremost. But, I’ve been working away in bits and pieces when I can, and can confidently say that something will happen in the next few months, so keep your eyes peeled because change is afoot. :)

The Desmond Rolltop Backpack - for Cats.

We might not be moving far, but we still have to move.

The cats have already started packing their stuff, and seeing that our official move-in date is less than 2 weeks away I guess I better get started too. Maybe if I had a backpack as cute as this one I’d be more motivated.

But seriously, this mini-Desmond roll-top backpack that Taylor whipped up for The Sewing Party’s April Fool’s Day post? I think it’s the greatest thing he’s ever made.

(Oh, and those paint chips up there? Just wait until you see the final result. You wouldn’t believe how many more there were before Kendall whittled them down into the best and least garish options. She’s got mad skillz, and if it weren’t for her patient guidance I’d still be staring at the wall trying to decide between fifty shades of blue.)

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7 Comments

  1. What is the name of the green paint? 

  2. Super excited to see your new place!  So glad that a headache turned into an upgrade (even if it’s not quite said and done yet).  We did a full kitchen renovation over Christmas break, and the bathroom renovation starts Monday… so I feel your pain.  It’s SO fun and excited to pick new things, and be able to improve the space… but it is a lot of work!  Hang in there!  

  3. Your cat has a backpack?! I did not know they made such things for cats!

    Anyway, congrats on the move and best of luck with the reno! I can’t wait to see it :)

  4. I can’t wait to see all the before/afters AND the new site in the coming months!!! So excited for you! 

  5. Exciting! I cannot wait to see how it all comes together.

  6. So exciting! I can’t wait to see the final results… Oh, and if I tried that with one of our cats it would definitely NOT be appreciated, lol!

  7. I’m so excited for you guys!! And I’m dying over the backpack…it’s so amazing. Curtis was saying if Clone put it on, it would like tiny on him because he’s so big! Lol

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