For someone who doesn’t really like to cook, I LOVE my new kitchen.
You’ve heard the old expression, “The cobbler’s children have no shoes.” That was our situation for many years. Although we’ve owned and operated an architecture firm for 20 years, my husband and I needed to remodel our own home. We put it off for many reasons, but the most significant one is that I just didn’t see how it would improve our lives that much. (I also didn’t want to experience the inconvenience and expense.)
After several years of making do with less than ideal living conditions, I received several omens that I needed to stop procrastinating. These omens came in the form of appliances breaking down and repairs to the countertops and flooring that couldn’t wait any longer. So, we embarked on a kitchen remodel and family room addition. It was a lengthy process, partly because our contractors were fitting our small job in between other larger projects. We also did a lot of the material selection and purchasing ourselves. The slow process was OK with me, but we lived in a construction zone for quite awhile. You have to forget about entertaining any friends with a kitchen remodel going on!
Before the remodel, when I was making due without a family room, and coping with an outdated kitchen, I told myself that it didn’t matter. I don’t consider myself a good cook, so I didn’t care about a nice kitchen with modern conveniences. I don’t spend a lot of time watching TV or movies, so I didn’t care that our home entertainment system was totally outdated. I was wrong.
Now the kitchen remodel is done and the family room with entertainment system is almost done. For someone who doesn’t really like to cook, I LOVE my new kitchen. It makes me feel good to walk in there and see a lovely room with good lighting, plenty of counter space, and custom cabinets. Everything is where I can find it, and most importantly, I can take things out and put them away without effort. I really don’t mind puttering around making food with my audio book or nice background music playing. Recipes are much easier to follow using good appliances. (The thermostat on my old oven was unreliable and could have been off by several degrees!) I have space to store ingredients in my new walk-in pantry. I can’t wait to invite people over for meals.
The new family room is really comfortable, with an overhead fan, reading lights and under floor heating. It is the perfect space for our new home entertainment system. We are really enjoying our new living space and wondering why we didn’t do this sooner.
I often hear clients say that they are remodeling so that they can sell their home at a higher price. Don’t remodel for the benefit of others, remodel for your own benefit. Do it now. Seize the day! Yes, it is expensive and inconvenient, but trust me, you will be so much happier once it is complete. You will have a much higher degree of satisfaction with your surroundings and you will eliminate everyday annoyances that sap your vitality. It is worth it. For photos of our new kitchen, see our residential works section on our website.
— Lorianna Kastrop Vice President, The Kastrop Group, Inc. Architects