STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

greendiamond · Marc Jacobs

keeping sanity during kitchen redo

pollyjean23 · Marc Jacobs

We went through the same thing January - May of 2007. It was horrible. Washing dishes in the bathtub and everything. It was well worth it in the end though.

You might already be doing this, but we would get carryout a lot instead of eating out, and we made sure we ate from good places with good, healthy food. Like we have a small market that offers a lot of prepared foods--their broiled salmon saved us.

We did use paper plates and disposable cups (used multiple times each) during that time and tried to make the rest of the house calm, cozy, and as normal as possible. Good luck and just think about the end product.

NCshopper · Hermes

We redid our kitchen a year ago and were determined to have a fully functional kitchen throughout the whole process. So basically, we'd spend a weekend tearing out a few cupboards, installing the new ones in their place, putting everything back in its place and then making dinner. We'd have the kitchen more or less back to normal for the week and then start the whole process over the next weekend--remove, replace, restore to normalcy. We did that each weekend until the project is done. I'm actually not sure if that was the best way to go--it was a lot of work that way and we were absolutely worn out by the time each weekend was over.

Anyway, good luck with your project. It'll definitely be worth it in the end. And do post pics! I'd like to see what you all have done!

Suasoria · Chanel

I sympathize and empathize...we did an addition that included a new kitchen in the back of the house, so the old kitchen was functional for all but the last month or so of the eleven-month project. We ate out of course, but also invited ourselves to friends and neighbors' houses for dinner.

Our next-door neighbor is a single guy who loves anyone else's cooking, so he was more than willing to have us come over. I would pick up some groceries and cook dinner for him, DH and me at his house, and leave the dishes for him to do. In fact I can think of six different neighbors we had dinner with during that time, either at restaurants or at their houses. It's a close-knit neighborhood...not recommended if you think your neighbors might be serial killers.

sydney · Kate Spade

Ahhhh, I think you just have to endure it and remember it will all be worth it in the end! There is no getting around the headaches when you are going through it!

greendiamond · Marc Jacobs

Thanks gals.

Suasoria, you are so lucky to have such great neighbors. We, are not so lucky. No suspected serial killers, but not a soul is even close to our age, nor do we have anything in common with them. We bought our place as a starter house, and everyone on the block has been here forever or is 30 years older than us.

We've been eating out a lot, or preparing SUPER simple dishes. I am so bored of the same food I could scream.

The good news is that by the end of the week we should be past really big pain part. At least all my stuff will be in cabinets. We'll have a temp countertop while we wait for a measure, order and install. With any help that part will be done before Thanksgiving. I am hoping not too many people are ordering countertops right now, with it being so close to the holidays. Then we'll just have to do the backsplash tilework and the moulding, and we'll be done.

I know it will be worth it. The old kitchen was the original 1965 kitchen, so this will be a vast improvement.

Suasoria · Chanel

Post some pictures when it's done!