I’m a dedicated shopper but even my mind boggles at the seemingly endless consumption that defines a major remodel.
First, you’re shopping for basic infrastructure – things like rebar, cement, beams, 2 x 4s up through 4 x 8s, plywood, and a septic tank.
Next, it’s infrastructure stage two – shingles, insulation, sheetrock and cement board, windows and doors.
Then comes the built-in stuff – counters, appliances, tile, sinks, faucets, light fixtures, a showerhead, a toilet, a bathroom vanity, kitchen cabinets, closet doors, flooring, and lots and lots of trim.
Now we’re at a new stage – gallons of paint, tape, sponges, brushes, and the functional accoutrements like towel racks, a toilet paper holder, curtain rods and curtains.
At every stage you confront hundreds of decisions – one of which is always do you spring for what you really want or try to cut corners and costs?
Furniture, of course, comes next, but thanks to Craigslist I’ve been stockpiling that since we bought the Schoolhouse. We’ve got it stacked in the garage and all over the house, including two king-sized beds, two night stands, and a foozball table that are crowding the table in the dining room because we just don’t have anywhere else to put them. Our cat Trout has staked his claim to the blue turquoise modern lounger – he’ll be very upset when we move everything up.
Trout's mid-century lounger
