When we first moved into TheHouse, in May of 1993, we made a number of changes. Among other things, we color-shifted most of the house from dark brown (carpeting, linoleum, panelling) to white and pine and light blue. We removed panelling, installed light gray carpet throughout and painted all the walls various shades of off-white.

Since then we've done the following upgrades:

• remodeled the bathrooms (removed several layers of flooring and replaced with tile, installed new cabinets/sinks/toilets).
• converted one room to a library with high density bookshelves on casters
• installed all new windows and a new sliding back door
• remodelled the kitchen
• removed most of the gray carpeting and replaced it with laminate flooring
• installed a pool and hot tub

During the first couple of years we gutted the bathrooms and installed new tile and fixtures. This was not always by choice. A ceiling light fixture underneath the master bath blew out when water from the shower dripped into it. Have I mentioned that Dave hates plumbing? The downstairs bathroom was simple: new toilet, sink, and vanity. The master bath was more work: some interior wall changes, new sink, new toilet, new cabinet and shower surround. The second upstairs bathroom introduced us to a new concept: wall tile.

During the various bathroom remodels we learned several things:

• Plumbing really, really sucks.
• I like ripping out walls and tile, but I always get sick for a week afterwards.
• Everything takes about ten times as long as you think it will.
• Patching ceilings is a real pain.
• Tile sure is cool.

Eventually, my mind turned to thoughts of kitchen remodelling. Bathrooms seem like good training for a kitchen. There's all that tile and water and stuff and counters and cabinets and electricity. Sure, there's no gas lines in a bathroom, but there's no toilet in TheKitchen, either. The world is full of trade-offs.

Want to read about what we did to TheKitchen?

-- HeatherSherman - 07 Aug 2005
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