When I got married to my husband over 4 years ago, we started remodeling the house that he had lived in. We first started with the upstairs bedrooms and bathrooms and then when that was done we started the downstairs kitchen and den.
I told my husband when we first started this project, we were doing everything you should not be doing when you first get married. But together we were determined to the make the house “our house”. And really, if you could have seen the house before you would agree, it needed updating.
Even though I don’t cook a lot, the kitchen and den were very important to both of us. This is the place where most people hang out.
When I moved in the entire house was very dark. I really wanted to bring some light into the house and brighten things up a bit. The kitchen was small and so dark that if I was cooking, I had to wear a headlamp (I am not kidding) to see what I was cooking on the stove.
After talking to a couple of architects we settled with Carey Hollingsworth. We had already picked our decorator Dana Holcombe. Together they helped make our house “our home”.
The biggest problem I had was living through the remodel. We didn’t have a kitchen for about 6 months. We had a make-shift kitchen for about 5 months and the last month was the worse. But we did survive.
3 Tips On How To Stay Married and Remodel
- Communication – Talk about everything before it happens. Make sure you both understand the costs and how long it will go on, then remember it will cost more and take longer.
- Compromise – You have to be able to give a little. I have built and remodeled several houses. It is never going to be exactly like you want it even if you got to make all the decisions by yourself. In marriage, we have to be able to compromise so that it is a win-win for both.
- Commit – You commit to the remodel now make sure you are committed to your marriage. Your marriage is way more important than the remodel. Be flexible and remember it is only a remodel.
Now that I have this beautiful kitchen, I am trying to cook a little bit more. It has really helped since my son has moved home (check out this post), he really enjoys cooking.
Kitchen Details:
