I woke up about three times in the middle of the night last night and went into the kitchen to make sure it was still there.
This morning I'm hoping to hear from the painting guys. The cabinet frames need finishing - and now of course all of the baseboards and trim need caulking and painting to finish... and after all that the walls will need touch up and a fresh coat in places.
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The painting guys arrived nice and early and started caulking trim and priming the plinth blocks. All was well with the world...
So what exactly came over me a couple hours later when Scotty asked me if he could take my paint swatch to Sherwin-Williams so they could match it instead of using the same brand I had previously used? It wasn't an immediate state of panic... The guys had already left for the paint store by the time it came on. What if the color isn't exactly the same as the one I spent months picking? What if I don't like the sheen? What if it goes on too thick? Why did we hire people to paint when painting is the one thing in the realm of home improvement that I can do with complete confidence?
Dave caught the brunt of the panic attack. In an effort to calm me down as quickly as possible he immediately hung up and called Dean. Seconds later he called me back to tell me not to worry -- he told them to use my brand of paint. Poor, poor Dave. This of course sent me into a total tail-spin. I didn't want to argue with anybody about paint brand comparisons... No no.. I just don't want them to paint the walls. At all. With any brand of paint.
Dave hung up again and, this time, showed up for lunch at the house. Done. He has requested that everything but the walls be painted. Phew.
So now I'm happy. But my happiness is mixed with the nagging sensation that I'm over-reacting to something.
Maybe it's a control issue. It's very, very stressful to watch other people do things to our home. It's extra stressful when coupled with experience. Even the nicest and seemingly most skilled workers have left disappointment in their wake. And right now.. after sixteen months of living with things the way they are -- I simply can't handle the thought of reviewing any part of a remodeling project and not being completely elated. The cabinets look great - and the painted trim is looking great. As far as I'm concerned those are two painting elements that cannot be messed up. Why? Because I have absolutely no desire to paint them myself. The trim and baseboards are very well done. I couldn't be happier... even if I had done it myself... But - again - I have no desire to do it myself. The floor.. well we all know I have grout issues... but I couldn't have tiled it myself... and the grout is fixable: by me - no less. It's just that the walls... Ah the walls... I like to paint walls. It's my kitchen. Maybe I just feel the need to reclaim it.
Yes -- I'm sure that's it. Besides, I hate watching other people work. I feel uncomfortable... lazy... inadequate. And that's when they're doing a good job. Throw in a sloppy or incompetent tradesman and I'm impossible to live with.
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The painters didn't return following the trip to the paint store and my change of plans. But someone is here now -- we'll call him "Slim" -- taking down the kitchen shutters. Dean was here earlier as well but now all that remains is his trailer and some saw horses. I think the plan is to install the kickplate under the cabinets today -- or at least get them cut and ready to go since they need to be painted black before installation.
Other plans include caulking the area along the kitchen ceiling where the crown moulding has pulled away from the ceiling and installing some standard crown moulding in our pantry.
No progress yet.. But I should share a few more pictures in the meantime.
Shutters.
"Slim" caulking.
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