Tales from My 2026 Renovation
This year I finally took the plunge and started renovating my condo. The timing isn’t great — materials and appliances are much more expensive than they were a few years ago, and my daughter and four young grandsons are living with me, which has compounded the amount of disruption we’re all dealing with.
On the other hand, I found a decent contractor thanks to a neighbor, and I have the money in my budget.
I’m also getting older and kind of tired of waiting and putting this off until some magical future time when all the stars align. So, you know. Sometimes ya just gotta say, “what the fuck.”
The Changing Project Plan
I’ve always had a hard time visualizing anything from scratch, whether it’s a website design, a recipe, or a room renovation. This, plus the fact that my floors are pitched like a funhouse and the subfloor is rotting, has meant some changes on the fly.
About a week or so ago, after my contractor started breaking into the old floor, the project plan transitioned from simple refacing to a full gut and rebuild. This was both exciting and stressful for me. While it freed me from the constraints of the old layout, which I never liked, I had to try and reimagine everything fairly quickly from a blank canvas.
Fortunately my contractor is patient and flexible (though to be fair, the major project shift was caused by structural issues and not any indecision on my part). He did ask me to finalize all of my color and product choices this weekend so he can buy as much as possible during the Labor Day sales.
I am most of the way there. I’ve picked the flooring, paint colors, cabinet style (I’m going with shaker cabinets), cabinet hardware, plus some new appliances like an in-unit washer/dryer. I’m also swapping out my gas stove for electric.
What’s left is the cabinets around the stove, I need to come up with a good layout for them.
Mealtime Challenges
Living without a kitchen is a challenge with four young kids. We set up a makeshift food prep area in the hall with a microwave, rice cooker, electric kettle, and toaster oven.
I stocked up on supplies from Costco, and we have access to the fridge, which my contractor is moving around in the construction area as he works on the subfloor and new flooring.
We’re also supplementing with takeout and prepared food. My grocery co-op offers some great salads and sandwiches. My favorite is a veggie spring roll with peanut sauce.
Choking on Dust
Although my contractor installed plastic sheeting over the doorway at the end of the hall to help protect us, the dust from the construction has still aggravated my asthma and my eldest grandson’s. I’ve started wearing an N95 mask during the day while the work is going on — it helps.
The Long Road Ahead
It will be several more weeks before this project is done — probably not ’til Halloween. But I’m not complaining. We’re all very excited for the new space, and it’s keeping us going despite the temporary disruption to our routine.
Once this is done we’re going to take a break. But I plan to start up on the next renovations after the holidays.