Operation: Kitchen Remodel.

Operation: Kitchen Renovation is officially underway.

I was sitting at work yesterday afternoon, letting my mind wander all over the place as usual (always a dangerous thing) when I decided that there is nothing holding us back from starting the Kitchen Project. I decided right then that I wanted to rip out that Gawd-awful faux-brick paneling that was (maybe?) meant to be the backspash in the kitchen. The faux paneling went from the bottom of the cabinets to the counter, and then along a tiny little lip of wall that houses the refrigerator. I have hated the existence of this faux-brick since we first toured our house while looking to purchase.

First, I despise faux-anything. I think it's cheap and tacky, this includes all faux-brick, tile, paneling (which we also had some of, ick), and the list goes on. I just can't imagine a moment in time when a reasonably sane individual could walk into a home improvement store asking where the particle board, cheap, faux-brick is. The only conclusion I could come to for the reason that this hideous junk was applied to the walls in our house is that they were able to get it for a cheaper price than paint. I'm guessing it cost about $0.02 per square yard. If the brilliant people who put it up payed more than that they were severly ripped off in my honest opinion.

So, I just up and decided that after work, I was pulling that faux-brick down! I texted my hubby of my grandiose plans:

Me: i want 2 rip down the kitchen walls 2night
H: ? why tonight?
Me: Bc im so tired of looking at that icky brick!
H: Lol. i can start when i get home.
Me: I can do it myselfs! When r u going 2 b home?

We arrived home from work at about the same time, and I'm guessing that Mark probably assumed (conservatively so) that I had lost my motivation to begin this DIY home project, but I was ready to go!

We ended up spending yesterday evening prying, pulling, yanking, and tearing all of that icky faux-brick down! (except for a small area that we can't seem to get out, but it's off to the side.) I swear, even though we are down to bare walls, two different shades of yellow, with stains, cracks, and nail holes, it still is a huge improvement of the faux-brick that used to be there. Our kitchen looks larger already!

Our plans are to paint the walls, purchase and install new counter tops (yikes!), and refinish the existing cabinets (double yikes!!). This is our first major home project other than painting when we moved in, and landscaping last year. It's very exciting.

I have some pics from last night, but they are at home, I'll try to add them later.