Need Low Budget Kitchen Remodel ideas

curly_kate

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savingdogs said:
I was thinking of just starting to demolish it and see what hubby says, just leave the sink, see if that gets the ball rolling for hubby. I've heard working with a sledgehammer is good for your frustrations!
My DH always drags his feet getting started on renovations, so I just go ahead & start so there's no excuse not to keep going. He usually grouches about it, but at least it gets done! :lol:
 

savingdogs

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I got the chicken coop built by buying chicks.............
 

noobiechickenlady

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curly_kate said:
savingdogs said:
I was thinking of just starting to demolish it and see what hubby says, just leave the sink, see if that gets the ball rolling for hubby. I've heard working with a sledgehammer is good for your frustrations!
My DH always drags his feet getting started on renovations, so I just go ahead & start so there's no excuse not to keep going. He usually grouches about it, but at least it gets done! :lol:
My mom would always do this. She'd ask dad to do something and he'd drag his feet. Then she'd break out the hammer and start wailing away at something. He'd hear her and come running to finish it up before "she broke something."

hehehe smart woman

Sledge hammer, pick axe, both are great for working out issues :D
 

ohiofarmgirl

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hey i'm late to the party but my thought was IKEA also. they are easy, affordable and yeah you can take them with you. our best purchase was their butcher block countertops in the "as is" section that i got for less than $1 per LINEAR FOOT!!! they have great sales and sometimes you can get stuff that is already put together.

now ladies i gotta just say - why are you waiting for your men? just get your tools and get in there.

my hubby has sold construction materials for 20 years and he HATES construction. the only thing i love more than construction is DESTRUCTION. you should see me with the big hammer.

the first thing i did when i got to this house was have some pals come over and we knocked down a wall to expand the kitchen - i took the small bedroom next to the kitchen and now the bedroom closet is a pantry. then we chiseled out the tile... then i laid the wood floor - that was ME not he or we - and i built cabinets and cupboards. countertops are not hard - they just look complicated.

the only thing i couldnt do is hang the cupboards myself and do the wallboard to fix the ceiling where the wall used to be. (and i wont do electric b/c i'm a big chicken)

construction is just like anything else - its just work and there isnt much magic to it. get good tools, read books, and think about how to do it. and watch those do it yourself shows and you'll see that regular folks can build stuff too!

but if its not your thing thats fine too.

but ikea is a great resource and anything you take with you can be used in the garage or whatever in your next place

:)
 

Wifezilla

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Our house is tiny and we are always short on space. One thing I noticed is that a built in book shelf would take care of a lot of our books and DVD's without taking up any floor space. Well, I explained what I wanted to hubby and he looked at me like I sprouted another head. He NEVER understands my explanations. EVER. I even drew him a freaking picture. I think he pretends he doesn't get it so he wont have to help!

:gig

Anywho, I finally got sick of talking and just grabbed a sledge hammer. I had it framed out before he couldn't stand it anymore and ended up doing all the finishing work.

After that experience, this is how I now do all my projects. Demolish first and talk to hubby AFTER :D
 

sufficientforme

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EXACTLY ladies!!! IF I waited for my husband with remodeling, it would look the same as the day we moved in here. I demolish and do 90% of the work at our house, I do let him help finish if he wants so he doesn't have to completely throw in his man card but for the most part I do it all.

Wifezilla, no matter how hard I explain my projects to my husband he just looks at me blank, ughhhh!
So that's when the sledge hammer comes out and I get to work, he just cringes when he gets home from work and I have started another project :lol:

OFG you are so right about having the right tools! It makes all the difference in the world for finish work and making the job go smoother.
 

Denim Deb

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noobiechickenlady said:
curly_kate said:
savingdogs said:
I was thinking of just starting to demolish it and see what hubby says, just leave the sink, see if that gets the ball rolling for hubby. I've heard working with a sledgehammer is good for your frustrations!
My DH always drags his feet getting started on renovations, so I just go ahead & start so there's no excuse not to keep going. He usually grouches about it, but at least it gets done! :lol:
My mom would always do this. She'd ask dad to do something and he'd drag his feet. Then she'd break out the hammer and start wailing away at something. He'd hear her and come running to finish it up before "she broke something."

hehehe smart woman

Sledge hammer, pick axe, both are great for working out issues :D
I am so glad to see that I'm not the only one who will do this! It is quite literally the only way I can get my hubby to do anything to the house. Now, if it would only work for firewood. :/
 

Beekissed

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Are your kitchen wall supporting walls? My kitchen was tiny also and just a passage way to another room. Everyone told me it was a supporting wall but I knew better and I was right....tore down that wall and let in some light and air.

Made it into one big room so my family could talk to me while I was in the kitchen....made all the difference in the world to have one large room.

Then I used the huge wormy chestnut planks out of the wall for my new countertops, windowsills and shelving.

If one is bold enough, one can transform ANY room.
 

Farmfresh

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Best way to tell a supporting wall is to go below it and look for supports. A supporting wall goes from the foundation to the roof.

Also if you cut into a stud in a supporting wall the saw blade will pinch.

I start by swinging the hammer and finish my projects with the last coat of paint. MY hubby has learned to just pay for materials and stand back! He doesn't even bat an eye when he comes home to a ripped out wall anymore. :p :lol:
 
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