Operation UK: Finished!

working on a ceiling patch (photo by my mom)

After almost six months of working on my kitchen, I am happy (and relieved) to report that I put the final touches on this project yesterday. Over the course of this undertaking, walls were knocked down, cabinets were refinished and re-hung, ceilings and walls were patched and textured and painted. As this moved along, it prompted a bit of freshening throughout the rest of my house. I painted the main bathroom a soft, lilting blue and my hallway, entryway and living room a dreamy, gentle gray called day spa (I mean, really….who doesn’t want to live in a day spa?) I’ve been living in chaos for quite some time, with half-finished walls and cabinets missing here and there, but now that it’s all done and pulled together, the end result is really lovely - serene, inviting and calm.

One part of this process that surprised me is how much physical and mental work actually went into this makeover, and how empowering it is to know that, for the most part, I did it myself. I spent hours sanding and smoothing and refinishing. I wired the new lighting fixtures. I learned how to patch holes in sheet-rock. I now know how to mix joint compound. I can tape and texture a wall. I primed and prepped and painted. Me. I did it. By myself. In my limited spare time. Often with a three year old little girl as my “helper”. I’m pretty damn proud of myself and how this project turned out.

The process of working on my condo helped me to recognize a pattern in my life. I like order and organization. A lot. I need it just to keep on top of things in my busy, sometimes chaotic life. But occasionally (ok, often) this need for order and organization makes me reluctant to make the kind of changes that will bring me closer to where I want to be, because I know that usually these changes will result in a mandatory period of messiness that just has to be lived through and dealt with. It’s part of the process. Over the past six months, my house has very often been a disaster, but with time and patience and steady effort, the disaster found it’s way back to order and the clarity and serenity that were waiting to be uncovered.

I can see how my life has often echoed this pattern: chaos occurs, tears have been shed, patience has been applied, work has been done, and eventually, peace has been restored. My house is currently on the peace end of that spectrum, but there are other parts of my life that are messy- we all have those messy parts, right? Working on this big home project helped me to learn to embrace the mess, to respect it as part of the process of digging out and moving onwards and upwards. It's a work in progress, but I’m trying not to let the fear of disorder and disarray discourage me from moving through the mess to arrive what I really want.

Now that this whole project is done, the paintbrushes are put away and the floors are swept, I’ve decided that it’s time to move on from this place that I’ve lived in and loved for nine years. It’s time for more space for Riley and for me and it’s time to embrace the mess that comes with shutting down this chapter of my life and starting a new one. Even though I love how it turned out, and even though I put my blood and sweat into this little project, it’s finally time for me to find a new home for Riley and me. I listed my condo on the MLS this morning and I’m hoping to move in the next few months - I really think the new kitchen look will help it move quickly for a decent price.

I took what was a little bit messy and in need of some elbow grease, and I made it beautiful and functional. I made a lot of messes, created a bunch of chaos, and I put all the pieces in place. I've learned a lot through this process - both about home maintenance and myself, and I'm so grateful for the experience. Still, it's time to let go and move on to bigger and better spaces. It's time.

After view. See the "before" photos here.