Every place I've ever lived has been designed for that "average American family," with lots of bedrooms, living room, dining room, family room, etc. The problem was that I was a single person, not an average family. I needed space, but for hobbies, not people. And because I'm over 6'2", bending over to use sinks designed for children was a constant frustration. Over the years, I collected a list of things I would change if I could have my dream house. As I approached retirement, I realized time was running out for that house; it was now or never.


Dreams are not always perfect, however. I could never afford my dream house, a spacious Southern California home overlooking the Pacific Ocean. But I could afford a modest ranch house, with a 20-mile drive to the beach. It was a very long way from perfect, but it had potential.


This blog documents the process of turning that small average house into something that matches my lifestyle. It will be as close to my dream house as I can make it. I'm doing all the work myself to stretch my resources. By not hiring contractors, I can afford high quality materials, and I'll know the job is always done right. The remodeling will be my primary avocation for a few years, even as I try to fit in my writing and other hobbies.


It promises to be an interesting journey, and a challenging one!

Thursday, April 30, 2015

The New Kitchen — Part 7

Short post this time.  I cleaned out the stuff stored on the kitchen floor, pulled up the rest of the old carpet, and then built and installed the bases for the cabinets on the west side of the kitchen.  Then I pulled out the quarry tile I had leftover from the foyer (the same tile will go in the kitchen, but with a different color grout), to start layout and to see how much new tile I needed to order.


At the left end of the cabinet bases is a (painted white) 4" platform I had to build for the dishwasher (since my countertop will be 4" higher than a standard kitchen counter).  Next to that is the base for the sink cabinet, which will be recessed to provide out-of-the-way floor space for the trash can and pet food containers.  The final long run of cabinets will house the electric (smooth-top) cooktop, but other than that, will be filled with drawers.

I ordered the new tile; it will take a couple of weeks to get it.  In the meantime, I need to power-wash the stucco on the back of the house, and apply two coats of stucco paint.  I also have the parts to assemble a drip irrigation line for the trees on one side of my driveway.

I could start putting down the tiles I already have, but since I got those awhile back, I'm concerned the new ones might not exactly match.  I'd rather wait and mix them up, than have half the floor one color, and the other half a slightly different shade.
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