What was I thinking?

Actually, I wasn't thinking. We really need a new kitchen. A place where I can bake without dough sticking to grout in the counters, where the faucet doesn’t leak, where my son can wander without fear, and where my husband and I can both watch the pot boil.

Our dream kitchen, of course, would be about twice as large with an island in the middle and a ton of counter space, but we’re not adding rooms or moving walls, so we have to be a bit more realistic.

After beginning the planning process (my family, not our contractor) a year ago with a refinancing effort, it actually looks like we are getting close to getting started.

What took the longest was finding a contractor. With soaring housing prices, more and more people are remodeling, keeping contractors busy and making my life more difficult.

Before I get into the problems, let me just say one thing. I was lucky to have purchased the home before prices started soaring. I realize that, since that is the only way we would be able to remodel and replace the plumbing the house.

Now, meet my kitchen (video link)

The optimistic view

It's quaint.

This lovely galley-style kitchen built in 1949 features a bright sunny floor plan with large windows and a design that keeps everything close at hand. The tile countertops in burgundy and white with strawberry accent pieces, as well as the solid wood cabinets, are original to the home.

The realistic view

The kitchen would be bright if the circa 1970 fluorescent lighting actually worked. The large box-style lights look like bug zappers and are way too large for the small space.

The large windows in the back are quite nice, actually, and do let in a lot of light, despite the fact that one faces our neighbor's house and a cinder block wall about three feet away. The real problem is that they are so large that we will have to go with office-height cabinets to add counter space beneath them, or replace the windows, which we already did a couple years ago.

The design definitely keeps everything close at hand. Don't stand two deep or you won't be able to move. Don't open the refrigerator door or it acts like a road block -- I'm talking side-by-side refrigerator door, not full size.

The original tile work ….well there are gaps in the grout and chips on the tile. Don’t attempt to roll out cookie dough or pie crusts, or the tiles will start dive-bombing your feet. Yes, the bull nose edge pieces fall off quite easily and can take a nice chunk out of the top of your foot, if you are not careful. I know from experience.

The all-wood cabinets, I am sure, were quite fine in their day, but now the drawers shred every time you open or close them, leaving wood splinters in the pots and pans on the shelves beneath. I have to wash dishes before and after I use them -- without a dishwasher.

The laminate tiles on the floor look like the previous owners used some form of acid to clean them and no amount of scrubbing or polishing will pull up the dirt. It just sticks there, mocking me.

The paint on the walls is in three shades of white and looks a bit like melted plastic. I’m really not sure what was used to paint the walls before we moved in.

As for the plumbing:

Let's just say everything leaks and has been taken apart at least once. Some things never quite made it back together, like the sink in the half-bath and some of the drain pipes under the kitchen sink. The shower, well, we're a little scared to tamper with it, considering the noises it makes.

So, why did we wait so long to do this? Well, there was the roof that we replaced the first year. There were the windows we replaced the second year. There was the child we had the third year, and finally, we’re about to get started.

Believe it or not, I still feel very lucky to have a home to repair.