To date, here is what we would differently, especially for those of you thinking about kitchen remodeling.

First off, I don’t know if this is really a Lesson Learned, but something to keep in mind. We both worked from home the entire time the demolition, construction and installations were going on. We can’t tell you enough, how much the fact that being onsite all this time has helped, saving us time and money by overseeing and keeping an eye on things. Periodically Max would watch some work being done to ensure it was not only done properly, but learn something in the process. If you don’t work from home…I don’t know what to tell you, but be available as much as possible.

Even if you think all dust making activities are over, don't take down the protective plastic coverings and barriers until everything is really, really over. There is so much dust all over everything. This house has not been so dirty...ever. I don't even have the strength to do some spot cleaning when another layer of dust will soon conquer again. I'm saving my pennies for the cleaning crew to come in and do a concentrated effort to finally clean the house when all is done, which is hopefully in a few weeks. For the past 3 months, I've told Elena to hold up on cleaning the house because of the fruitless effort during the remodeling. I hope she has saved a spot on her calendar to start coming back.

Next, put in the counters first before having the finishing guys come in. There are some nicks and scratches that will have to be fixed when the finishers come back to install the doors.

Also, when the electricians came in they had dust and fingerprints all over the cabinet frames, countertops and islands. We were lucky that simple cleaning and vacuum solved the problem, but some of you might not be so lucky.

Instead of Alder, we should have chosen Walnut for the Cabinets so that the finish would look better. I think. I’ve heard good things about Alder from others and ST recommended Alder. But there have been pros and cons about the results. Mostly pros, though. We could have gone with Walnut, but we would have been charged so much more than Alder. Max thinks we would have been charged 4x as much.

The finish had some darker spots, more so than I personally expected. But, I’ve found that this is due to the wood itself and how much it soaks in the finish. I’ve indicated that the finish may be a bit more “distressed” than I wanted. Max thought I wanted the “antiquey” look also. I wanted that look, but slightly less than it turned out.

Remember what I said about being onsite to make sure the work is exactly what you want? Well, during the time the cabinet finish was being done I was on business travel. So Max did the best he could by working diligently with Bob DoVico to develop the finish Max thought we both wanted. So Bob did what he was directed to do. It was the communication between me and Max that needed a bit more work. But to be honest, I still like the results. The cabinets look traditional, but with the modern knobs and Thermador stove, it does have an eclectic look to it.

When working with a Designer, ST gave us great ideas and made sure we kept on track with the overall design. But keep in mind this comes with a cost too. There is her time, visits (when we asked her to come out) and fee added to the contractors she provided to us. Keep visits short and sweet with no chit-chat about the weather since that chit-chat is on the books to be charged. We were also charged for the time spent preparing our bills.

Finally, here’s some common sense and encouragement. Be sure you know what you really want. If you don’t and changes have to be made, more than likely the cost will go up. Planning, planning, and more planning with an assertive perspective on what you really want. Don’t be talked into anything. This is YOUR kitchen.