We are about to embark on a HUGE construction project at our house. In fact, we've been in the design process for months, and we're now waiting for the final permits before construction starts. It's been so long that I can't believe it's actually going to happen.
We're living in our "forever" house, at least while we're in Seattle. We fell in love with it as soon as we saw it, and it was the first house we saw. But it's not a house for little kids. It's a crazy 70s multilevel house, so each floor has a couple of rooms and then a half-staircase to the next floor. The kids' bedrooms are two floors away from ours. Great when they're 16, not so great when they're under 5.
So we consulted with a few local design/build firms and chose one, and they came up with a fabulous design for us, something we never would have thought about doing. The design process actually lived up to my expectations - we gave them a list of our priorities, and they designed an addition that met nearly all of the Pri 1s and 2s (yes, I'm a software geek).
So our new theoretical addition will have all bedrooms on one floor, an extra bathroom for the girls, an office for TJ, a play room, air conditioning in the bedrooms, and (wait for it) a 13x17' craft room. O.M.G. I can hardly believe how awesome that's going to be.
Some observant readers will remember that this is one of the items on my Mondo Beyondo dream list. And at the time I made my list in late 2011, firmly out of reach. We weren't inclined to take on such a huge project and we weren't sure about staying in Seattle (well, one of us wasn't).
But then my craft room sprung a leak earlier this year, and we started thinking again. What if? It's been both fun and terrifying to go through the process - looking at different room layouts, choosing countertop surfaces and carpet, assigning rooms to the girls, writing huge enormous checks in exchange for large sheets of paper (so far).
If all goes well, construction will start next month, and it'll be 4 months or so before it's done. We'll probably have to camp out at my parent's place nearby for a while (fortunately they don't use it much in the winter). I'm sure there will be many disrupted naps and frustration with the noise and dust.
But in the end, we will have a house that fits us perfectly. And I just cannot WAIT.
Very exciting! Hopefully the anticipation of the final result will see you through the, well, fun nature of remodeling projects.
ReplyDelete"fun". I know about 8 weeks in, I'm going to be totally frustrated, but I keep telling myself it's going to be worth it. And we are lucky to have my parents' place to "escape" to.
DeleteSo excited for you. I'm sure you're doing it but be sure to take before, during and after photos. And if you ever need to get away, I'm almost always free for lunch/drinks etc.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great reminder, actually! I'm not sure we have any good photos of the girls' bedrooms right now.
DeleteAll the best to you. I admire you brave remodelling souls :)
ReplyDeleteOh, I know it's going to suck. But I am keeping the end in mind :)
DeleteThat is so exciting. I cannot wait until we have our own home to play with
ReplyDeleteSounds great! All the best.
ReplyDeleteOMG, OMG, how exciting!!!! Renovating our kitchen was one of the best things we ever did for my mental health (and our home value). :) I CANNOT wait to see pictures. It sounds amazing!
ReplyDeleteI feel like I have to tell you this: The two week remodeling process that we went through was difficult and stressful and I cried multiple times. It seemed like every time they opened a wall or ceiling, they found something unanticipated that was going to make our plans not quite work, or was going to cost us more money. I'm telling you this only because near the end of it, I had a little epiphany: I had lost perspective. In the midst of the dust and inconvenience and dollar signs, I forgot how FREAKING lucky I was to be able to have such petty problems. I forgot how many people would kill for "problems" like these when they're dealing with poverty or illness or death.
Anandi, even though you seem like you have a great head on your shoulders, I'm telling you this because EVERYONE I know who has gone through a remodel has been stressed to tears. I hope it doesn't happen to you, but if it does, let it out, and then put it into perspective. When it's over -- and it will be over soon enough -- it's going to be AMAZING. I really cannot wait for the pictures and to read about how much you're loving your home. xo
Thanks for this thoughtful comment, Angel! I really appreciate it, and also expect there will be some angst with the project. Which started preliminary construction work today. We now are the proud abode with a Honey Bucket out front...
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