Home Improvement Suggestions

[c9]

Our kitchen project will be hitting high-gear soon. IKEA has charged us for all our cabinetry, so they'll look at delivering it within 2 weeks I think. Our new fridge and stove arrive on Monday. We're talking to a friend about countertop and installation options. But we still have so much to do! It's scary.

- remove old paint from kitchen
- decide on new kitchen wall colour
- paint kitchen
- remove shitty stucco from ceiling
- paint ceiling
- remove old cabinets
- somehow get rid of cabinets somewhere
- assemble all the new cabinets
- install all the new cabinets
- remove shitty linoleum floor
- install new tile floor
- make sure that everything fits back together OK
- install countertop, sink, faucet
- connect dishwasher
- clean everything up

What I'm stressing about is what order to do everything in. Basically, should we paint and do the floor before the cabinets? Or just paint? Paint after the cabinets are removed, but before the new ones go in? It's ridiculous. And of course our kitchen will be totally unuseable for at least a couple weeks.

It's to the point where I want to start right now, just so that I can say we're under way. Even though it might be pointless.

Comments

[simplisticton.livejournal.com]

Not having ever done any renovations of this magnitude, I feel confident I can give you excellent advice based on my years of inexperience.

I say paint first once you have everything old ripped out -- that way you don't run the risk of accidentally painting your cabinets or floor, and you can do a more seamless job. Nothing you're likely to do will damage the paintjob, but if you do, you'll be able to touch it up fairly easily since you should have a bit of paint left over.

Its annoying that your appliances will be there before your cabnetry and floor. I suggst leaving them near the kitchen, but not in it, since you're obviously going to have to take them out again to do the floor anyway.

1. Take out cabinets, old appliances, floor
2. Paint ceiling (messy job, probably best to do it first)
3. Paint walls
4. Install cabinets and floor
5. Install countertops and appliances (you'll want to do this interactively to get the measurements right of course)

So basically what you had. Vast experience. VAST.

[skaughty.livejournal.com]

My recommendation, based on observation and experience:

1. take care of your messy ceiling stuff first (definitely before new floor and cabinets).
2. do your demo and repair/patch/sand walls as needed (remember: your sink's shut-off valves are your new best friends).
3. apply a primer or your first coat of paint, but don't be too picky about it because you're likely to make a mess of the finish as you install your cabinets.
4. remove your old floor and lay your tiles from wall to wall (yes, it costs more to do so, but if you ever want to replace/reconfigure cabinets in the future, you or a future owner won't have to replace the entire (expensive) tile floor.
5. install your upper cabinet, making use of your trusty level.
6. install your base cabinets, making use of your trusty level.
7. install sexy granite countertops (as if there's another option)
7. yadda, yadda, yadda...

[c9.livejournal.com]

I like how you totally lost interest after you started thinking about granite countertops. :)

One thing: our likely future buyer is a retired couple. So replacing the cabinets is not our concern, and granite might a) be too much, and b) be too cool.

[cap-hill-latte.livejournal.com]

Ah, but now that you young 'uns have gentrified the neighbourhood you'll be attracting hip old people. Hip old people LOVE granite. It makes them feel hip and...uh...less old.

[purplemartini.livejournal.com]

You should look up the KW freecycle and freecycle your cabinets..the bonus is that someone else comes and takes them away.

[c9.livejournal.com]

Wayyyy ahead of you! After your first freecycle post, I looked them up, joined the list, and a few days ago received a post about someone looking for cabinets! :)

I will be emailing her shortly, once we have a better idea of when the cabinets are coming off the walls.