Strangely enough, everyone I'm working with on this project are men. None of whom are my husband - hey what he doesn't know won't hurt him. He keeps saying he doesn't care. Until, of course, I present him with any options and then he cares, an inevitably he picks the thing I don't want. So, lesson one - don't ask if you don't want an answer.
My contractor, Daniel, my favorite appliance guy (you know who you are), and the cabinet boys are the hot men in my life now. And yes, I said boys, plural. Now that I have made the monumental decision to go with "real" cabinets, I have to actually design them, which is much harder than I thought. First thing - taking my design (which by now I've tweaked) to get estimates. As usual, Matthew would just go for the first bid and be done with it. I on the other hand, have been known to get multiple bids for a car detail, so it stands to reason that I am going to get multiple bids on something as big and expensive as cabinets (and I guess when it's time, countertops). But all those choices have succeeded in only one thing: paralyzing me with fear and indecision. Mocha Grande? Vintage Cherry? (Hey, stop that, that's a stain color). And then I was presented with yet ANOTHER choice - true custom made just for me or "semi-custom" - solid wood stock cabinets with all the bells and whistles based on my design and measurements. I am no farther along than I was a week ago!
If this is a glimpse into what a burst fantasy is like, I'm dreading the actual project. For now, I will keep lusting over the shiny toys and glossy photos. Matthew has given me one week to decide or - gasp - he's going to do it for me.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Saturday, October 8, 2011
My latest four-letter word obsession is . . .
IKEA.
I'm officially in the full-frontal kitchen porn business. As anyone who has gone through this knows, the cabinets are the most expensive part of the kitchen (or should be). So it only stands to reason that I should pick out my cabinets first, right? Easier said than done. As I mentioned before, my most vivid fantasies have happened in IKEA. That's probably because I have stayed out of the higher-end kitchen showrooms. The truth is, I have Anthony Bourdain tastes and a Paula Deen budget. Why should I tempt myself with goodies that I really, really can't have? I get good inspiration at IKEA, and hey, I actually got a great kitchen plan there. Without IKEA I would be still just drooling over a magazine somewhere.
We had pretty much decided that no, IKEA cabinets are not for us. But then, as a tease, an email appeared in my inbox. That can only mean one thing: 20 percent off! Holy cow. I mean, IKEA was already much less expensive. This was a big deal. Think of all the other, um, toys, I could buy? So back to IKEA I went - this time dragging my husband, who had steadfastly refused to even consider them. But even he was lured by the price.
So what do you think happened? Yup. He was "fine" with IKEA, but on closer consideration - and by close, I mean my head was literally stuffed inside the back of a cabinet - I decided, no, at the end of the day, this just would not make us (OK, me), happy. How much would I save? $5,000? Nothing to sneeze at, sure, but over the course of years, a true custom kitchen would both make me happiest and count more toward resale. And considering how much action happens in our kitchen, it pays to get it right. So back to the drawing board we go. But at least I have my kitchen plan to work from!
I'm officially in the full-frontal kitchen porn business. As anyone who has gone through this knows, the cabinets are the most expensive part of the kitchen (or should be). So it only stands to reason that I should pick out my cabinets first, right? Easier said than done. As I mentioned before, my most vivid fantasies have happened in IKEA. That's probably because I have stayed out of the higher-end kitchen showrooms. The truth is, I have Anthony Bourdain tastes and a Paula Deen budget. Why should I tempt myself with goodies that I really, really can't have? I get good inspiration at IKEA, and hey, I actually got a great kitchen plan there. Without IKEA I would be still just drooling over a magazine somewhere.
We had pretty much decided that no, IKEA cabinets are not for us. But then, as a tease, an email appeared in my inbox. That can only mean one thing: 20 percent off! Holy cow. I mean, IKEA was already much less expensive. This was a big deal. Think of all the other, um, toys, I could buy? So back to IKEA I went - this time dragging my husband, who had steadfastly refused to even consider them. But even he was lured by the price.
So what do you think happened? Yup. He was "fine" with IKEA, but on closer consideration - and by close, I mean my head was literally stuffed inside the back of a cabinet - I decided, no, at the end of the day, this just would not make us (OK, me), happy. How much would I save? $5,000? Nothing to sneeze at, sure, but over the course of years, a true custom kitchen would both make me happiest and count more toward resale. And considering how much action happens in our kitchen, it pays to get it right. So back to the drawing board we go. But at least I have my kitchen plan to work from!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
It's been a while . . .
Since I posted. For one thing, I have an actual job. Plus some rental properties. Plus two kids. And I was traveling for work. Oh, and I'm planning a charity event. So much as I'd love to sit around and have impure thoughts about my kitchen all day, alas, I have to pay the bills. But the good news is that my kitchen wall can come down! So now I'm like a dog that chased a car and caught it - what the hell do I do now? I'm paralyzed with anxiety and fear about what to do first, second, third - well you get the drift. Lo and behold, today my Jenn-Air catalog - er, "lifestyle book" - came in the mail, replete with a heavy black envelope. I will read this later, in bed!
So where to start? Well, back at square one with a kitchen design. First I made an appointment at a major home improvement center - I live in Atlanta, so you can figure out where. At first I thought the consultant would be very helpful - until he suggested putting the sink and dishwasher in the island, away from the main part of the kitchen. Um, no, thanks, that doesn't work. Next stop - IKEA. I think this is where kitchen porn was born. Everything is so tidy, modern, clean, perfect. And of course Swedish; so blond, fresh and smart - like ABBA or a certain nanny-turned trophy wife-turned wealthy divorcee. With the right kitchen, I'd be writing like Steig Larsson in no time. The thing is, I didn't actually want IKEA cabinets but I wanted inspiration. I'm pretty independent, but there's too much self-service involved, too. If I'm spending all that money on a kitchen, I want someone to at least design it for me. But lo and behold - IKEA contracts with a company that will do a full design for about $200! No obligation! Really how could I not do that. And you know what? The design is almost perfect! So now I have a plan. Step one, done! But what do I do next?
So where to start? Well, back at square one with a kitchen design. First I made an appointment at a major home improvement center - I live in Atlanta, so you can figure out where. At first I thought the consultant would be very helpful - until he suggested putting the sink and dishwasher in the island, away from the main part of the kitchen. Um, no, thanks, that doesn't work. Next stop - IKEA. I think this is where kitchen porn was born. Everything is so tidy, modern, clean, perfect. And of course Swedish; so blond, fresh and smart - like ABBA or a certain nanny-turned trophy wife-turned wealthy divorcee. With the right kitchen, I'd be writing like Steig Larsson in no time. The thing is, I didn't actually want IKEA cabinets but I wanted inspiration. I'm pretty independent, but there's too much self-service involved, too. If I'm spending all that money on a kitchen, I want someone to at least design it for me. But lo and behold - IKEA contracts with a company that will do a full design for about $200! No obligation! Really how could I not do that. And you know what? The design is almost perfect! So now I have a plan. Step one, done! But what do I do next?
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