On my previous post about our a new kitchen space I shared the beginnings of this project. Today I’ll be sharing more about this kitchen remodeling and talking about walls, floors and a budget hit. Surprises can always be expected while doing a home renovations. Right after the floors were raised and plumbing and electrical have started, we found out that the AC ducts needed repair.
While this was not a mayor budget slayer, it was important for us to have a reserve set aside. This definitively came handy on this unexpected hit. The issue took awhile in order to be properly attended; hence the project was hold up for a couple of days. Understanding and accepting this matter will guarantee that there would not be any related future problems. Once the electrical and plumbing were done (and tested) it was time for the walls to be closed.
Having a open line of communication with the people that are taken care of your project is always a must. My AC guy explained to me in detail the situation with our ducts and was eager to respond to all my questions.
Windows before walls
But right before those walls were raised, it was time for the windows. The windows I’ve planned for this kitchen were two arched and fixed panels. “Why arches?”, you might ask. Well, the story behind my love for these goes back to my childhood.
In the island of Puerto Rico (where I was born and raised) many of the colonial construction from Spanish buildings have arched doors and windows. Normally the top part was called “Montantes” or “Soles truncos” and they had intricate designs made either from wood, iron or stained glass (see more about this here). Besides decoration, the top areas on the arch were used for ventilation and illumination.
Photo from Puerto Rico Historic Building Drawings Society and taken by Andy Rivera, PRHBDS.
While I really looooove their design, I kept my arches simple just as a reminder of that architectural feature that I admire so much.
If these walls (and ceilings) could talk
They will definitively say “what a change!”. And when I say “change” I really meant a HUGE transformation. Having the wall that divided the garage from the living room removed (check this post to see how the garage used to look), definitively added an instant visual expansion to this house. Now when you’re coming from the front door you’ll get to enjoy the openness of the space.
Having also preserved the angled ceiling in this area helped in making it feel more spacious.
So much goes behind the scenes in renovations. While little details like the angle of a ceiling can seem pointless; depending on the height of the highest point, the end result can be dramatic or nothing out of the ordinary. This ceiling had two different angles and we needed to played around them to create the drama we wanted.
Ho you enjoy this post about “Kitchen remodeling and talking about walls, floors and a budget hit”. Stay tuned because the next post is going to be all about tile selection and arrangements. So be sure to subscribe!
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