RENOVATION DIARIES: DAY 1 & WHAT TO EXPECT

I have always been interested in interior design. Back when I was still living with my mom, we would re-paint our bedrooms with different colors almost every year. That was more than 10 years ago. During that period, paint colors were very limited and we would have to mix our own tints with a latex base to achieve the specific colors we wanted.

So I'm no newbie, but this was my first time to tackle a renovation that covered an entire home.

I felt confident but turns out I was not prepared.

So what to expect during a home renovation? The worst.

Also, don't drink the night before your first day. :P

industrial shelves

Our initial plan was just to re-paint the whole house and install industrial style shelving in our living room for added storage.

Fast forward to 10 days: we've now also decided to re-paint the floors, change our kitchen countertops, change some fixtures, add fixtures, etc. As you can see the list goes on and I guess that's normal. You sorta figure that you only want to go through the hassle once so you end up trying to do as much as you can with a single blow.

What to expect no. 1: The Worst

What to expect no. 2: Go over budget

renovation diaries

I'm all about recycling and pinching pennies where I can. That's why instead of buying new wood, we decided to repurpose the maid's bunk bed and use that for our new shelves.

What to expect #3: Unless you have a large demolition going on, expect to buy wood, lots of wood. Everyday.

Not just wood but also paint, thinner, nails, sandpaper, stickwell, trash bags.

Before they start working on your home, they usually give you a list of things to buy. This is not accurate. We get a shopping list everyday at 5pm so for the past 10 days I've been spending what little free time I have in Hardwares and Builder Centers. To make things a little more fun and interesting we switch it up a bit. Sometimes MC Home Depot, sometimes Ortigas Home Depot, sometimes Ace Hardware, sometimes DIY. You get the picture. Meh.

repurpose old furniture

What to expect #4: If you think you need 5 balikbayan boxes, buy 15. 

Yes, I have since spent P3,000 on boxes! I never realized how expensive those things are! P99-120/piece!

I also never realized how much stuff we had lying around. No wonder we needed more storage.

diy home renovation

What to expect #5: Take-out. Lots of take-out.

We thought we could still squeeze in a few quick meals but no. Even making coffee is pretty challenging. We've been pretty much living on McDonald lunches since day 1. Dinner we usually have out before heading to the hardware. I miss home-cooked meals. I've already lost a significant amount of weight since we started.

So if you have stubborn excess fat that needs to go away, have your home renovated. :P

painted laminate cabinets

This pretty much sums up our kitchen situation right now:

What to expect #6: Say goodbye to privacy and the freedom to shower anytime you want.

This is what our bathrooms look like right now. Yes, all of them.

Pardon my french but I haven't been able to take a decent shit in 10 days! I want to cryyyy!

Also,  expect your search for toilet paper and panties to last a good 30 minutes!
(Okay, that's a bit exaggerated. Maybe 10, but still!!!)

white living room

What to expect #7: Things begin to take a life of their own.

When we started, we really didn't have any pegs since we just wanted to repaint. In some weird way, without discussing anything, our house began to design itself and it's sort of turning out unexpectedly like these photos:

white kitchen

living room shelf

What to expect #8: Lots of fun.

Yes, it seems like a huge hassle but let me tell you, once you get started, it's gets quite addicting which is probably why a basic paint job has turned into several different projects for us. We've also bonded so much on different paints, finishes and fumes. (lol) It's a great experience for couples. Just remember not to let your temper and irritability get too much in the way. And let me tell you, there will be LOTS of annoying instances. (You carrying a heavy box, him carrying one tiny picture frame. :P)

Anyway.

It's SUPER EXCITING and I can't wait to see the outcome!