FRESH START: Old House Kitchen Renovation Begins

It may not look like much to you, but today brought a fresh start to our old house renovation. The room that will become our new kitchen was taken back down to the very old studs, and we’re starting over!

Click for Five Minute Friday, where writers free-write for 5 minutes of this week’s word prompt.

Ever wish we could do that with our lives? Just start over?

Sometimes . . . but it’s not that easy, is it?

Truth be told, starting over with a century-old house isn’t that easy either, but it’s worth the effort! These old walls have stood for 112 years, and they’ve witnessed a lot of memories. But helping the ol’ gal make her way a little further into the 21st Century will keep her around for another hundred years of memory-making, and so today the project began.

When we bought our small-town Victorian two years ago, this room was the previous owner’s office. It became our make-shift bedroom/office while we worked upstairs on the master bedroom . . . and then it became a tv room . . . and then my temporary office.

Imagine this room with a door to the left of the window—and the window moved to the dining room. 😉

All along, we knew it would someday be our kitchen—and “someday” is finally here!

The original kitchen is located across the main entry hall, but the last owners added a pool to the back of the house on the opposite side, and it just makes so much more sense to flip-flop the rooms. We’ll add a door from this room to the side porch for convenient access to a “someday” outdoor kitchen/patio and the pool.

Until then, as is often the case, things have to get worse before they can get better . . .

Here we go! This is finally happening…

Look at those beautiful live-edge boards (right). They haven’t seen the light of day since the early 1900s!

Shifting a doorway to make room for a huge old general store counter in the kitchen + original fireplace brick. (No, it won’t stay exposed, so look quickly!)

There’s something

• magical
• humbling
• soul-stirring
• invigorating
• all of the above

about standing in a room stripped bare with plans to put it back together. I’m giddy and reflective; two sides of a coin. But, truth be told, every now and then a bit of insecurity tries to sneak in. (There’s that word of the year!) Even with a degree in interior design and previous renovation experience, I sometimes have doubts.

Are my decisions respectful enough of the history with which I’ve been entrusted?

Will my choices update the house’s story without being trendy?

Can I get the design right—or am I missing something important?

The final layout of this kitchen requires every inch to be carefully measured; there is no room for error. That’s scary—and exciting! And scary . . .

The crew we’ve enlisted to help is working us into their schedule, so they’re calling us their “rainy day” project. (They’ll work with us when their other projects require sunshine.) So today we made great progress—and now we pray for rain! 😂

In the meantime, we’ll clean up the dusty footprints and meet with the cabinet maker . . . and restore the window that’s moving to the dining room—and the old store cabinet. There’s plenty to do. And plenty to think about as I work.

Is there a “room” in my spiritual house that needs to be stripped down to the studs and cleaned out?

Are my thoughts and practices trendy—or tried-and-true? Do they reflect Truth or culture?

Is every “inch” of my mind regularly covered by self-examination and confession—or does sin have an easy entrance?

If you’re still reading, you must be an old house lover like me! I know you’ll want to see these treasures we found today! The key fell out when we removed the window, and the coupon was behind a baseboard. So many questions . . . Does the key fit one of our doors? Why doesn’t the coupon have an expiration date—or a business name? Who colored the plates? Why can’t we still buy 42 pieces of china for $7?

Related posts:

The Kitchen: Old House Renovation Story Re-entry into Blogland: OLD HOUSE RENOVATION UPDATE The Mudroom: Old House Renovation Story The Master Suite: Old House Renovation Story