Day 1 Fun

After much anticipation, and some anxious, sleepless, nights, the kitchen remodel finally got underway today! I took the day off work so I could be here to "supervise the crew." Okay, who am I fooling? I really just wanted to be here to see the transformation occur before my very eyes and to witness all of the interesting things that were, inevitably, to be uncovered. After all, the house is 90 years old this year and many a hand have "improved" it over time.  A few of the "Look at this!" moments:

A floor drain appears when a cabinet is removed

(Photo 1) A drain screen underneath a floor cabinet and linoleum. (The black square in the middle of the picture.) We also found a gas line when the wall in the background of this photo was removed. At first, I thought the screen might be an indication of where the original ice box was located. But then we found a vent in the ceiling when the upper cabinet was removed. So, who knows what this really is for?  Right now, as I write this, I can confidently say that the screen is very efficient at allowing cool air from below to enter the space above. It's freezing in here!

"Beautiful" kelly green wallpaper revealed

(Photo 2) A few different wallpapers were found on top of the plaster under the layer of 1/4 inch drywall in the dining room. Here, for your viewing pleasure, is a shot of the frightfully green paper one artful person selected to "beautify" the space. This is taken from the dining room looking toward the kitchen.








Interesting stuff found in the wall

(Photo 3) Perhaps my - and the crew's - favorite find: Michelob and vanilla ice cream. A perfect combination!

One pint of vanilla "fine ice cream" - only 39 cents!

(Photo 4) Speaking of ice cream, check out the price of a pint on this lid. 

The space begins to open up

(Photo 5) When the bottom half of the cut-away wall between the dining room and kitchen was removed, I couldn't believe how much larger the space was beginning to feel.











(Photo 6) Midday progress. :-)

Crazy mess!