The secret is out! The kitchen remodel is underway. Well, not exactly. We plan to start early 2022, but we have some groundwork to lay between then and now. I’ll try to keep this update short and sweet, outlining our plans for the dream kitchen.
Addition | Final Framing
With the framing wrapping up, come get a sneak peek inside!
Addition Demo | Phase 1
Ready to roll, we had our building permit and blueprints in hand. But the hardest challenge, we’d learn, was finding a builder.
Pulling Permits with the City
Finalizing Blueprints
Without blueprints, there was no real way to see if this addition would fly. We needed to take the plunge and pay for an architect and then shop our plans around. But we also needed to get the city’s sign off.
Working with an Architect | Exterior
Drawing up Blueprints
We’ve been planning and dreaming up ideas for the house addition. Time to battle test them by working with a seasoned architect. We learned the value of working with a professional draftsman and learned a few key things in the process.
How We Became General Contractors
DIY’ing our Addition
We may not be licensed GCs, but we are, in a nutshell, in the thick of general contracting our own addition. We didn’t envision it this way, but I’ll try to bring you up to speed on how it happened.
A Zamboni for Pond Hockey
…Or lake hockey.
Right after the first snowfall Joe was looking for deals on hockey nets. And it’s about time we got some snow! Everyone has been waiting on edge to get out there.
We have a pretty slick four-wheeler plow attached to the front Joe’s dad’s four-wheeler that we use to shovel the driveway. Wayyy faster than snowblowing. So we used that to shovel off an oval-shaped area for the rink on the lake, just offshore.
But when Joe told me he was making a zamboni, I honestly thought the idea was one big joke. He’s not actually serious, right? Silly me. I should know better by now… He already had the blueprints in his mind within minutes. So, now we have a redneck ice resurfacer.
The Supplies
It only took him 4 hours. Here’s the materials you will probably need:
Girl’s Workbench
Showin’ Some Love
In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, let me share some of the amazingly sweet things Joe does for me on a regular basis:
- Starts my car when it’s cold
- Makes me [the best] homemade soup when I’m sick
- Listens to all my ideas,
evenespecially the crazy ones - Charges my phone first when we’re down to one charger
- Asks my opinion
- Gives me 100+ kisses per day
The list goes on. I’m allowed to brag about him today, it’s in the Valentine’s Day code.