Back history of this farm is that it used to be a bed and breakfast (called Grace's Inn) a few owners ago. All the locals know us as the couple that bought the B&B. We bought lumber from the local Home Hardware and gave our address for delivery and the clerk just said oh the old bed and breakfast! Also the owner of Home Hardware delivered the material and said you know everyone only knows the house as the previous owner until you leave, and then its know as your house. We are in the midst of renovating the house. We know that we want to change almost every room. We did our bedroom, on-suite bathroom, mudroom and laundry room/bathroom on the main floor (there wasn't one previously working) and now we are on to the kitchen. We gutted this about 8 months ago, knocked out walls and bought cabinetry from Facebook marketplace. And since then have been chipping away a little but haven't touched it too much. Now its come to the point where we can't go much longer without a fully functioning kitchen. Jeff rigged up a sink and has the stove hooked up in a different location but really having no counter space is rough. There are some many products we want to test run but honestly so hard without a kitchen.
One thing I've learnt when you do your own renovations together is that it either builds or breaks your relationship. Don't get me wrong we've had good days and bad days. Bad days are usually Jeff frustrated with my lack of knowledge, or common sense...ie I don't know the difference between a philips and robbie (I just can't keep them straight in my head). So on frustration days I just let him work on his own or we take a break. We were doing tile in a bathroom once at our rental property and lets just say we left half way through because we realized we weren't being kind to each other and it just wasn't a good day for us to work together. I am so thankful we have started to learn when those days happen and its ok to drop everything.
But the good days are memory making. The good days involve productivity and oodles of teasing back and forth...and also dreaming. Renovations are long, frustrating (especially in an old house) and the gut stage feels like forever. But dreaming about what the space is going to look like, what the paint colour, or wallpaper (although Jeff would say no to any wallpaper if he had the decision) is fun and motivating. I also learn so much...while I don't necessarily retain everything I've learnt I am learning new things. Like yesterday I learnt about a crown on the grain of lumber and how to position it better in the framing up of a room. Like what?? That is a detail you gotta know??? But what renovations do as a couple is teach patience, creativity and one big one is communication. I'm grateful for these moments.
Well off to Home Hardware and Depot for the upteenth million time! Happy New Year!