• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Jennifer Sergent

Freelance design writer + blogger | Marketing copywriter

  • About
    • About Jennifer
    • Blog Information
  • Editorial
    • Design
    • People Profiles
    • Trends
    • Neighborhood Guides
  • Marketing
  • Blog
  • Contact

Construction Chaos

August 17, 2016

I’m living on a job site. I guess if you’re going to go through the chaos of moving, you might as well do everything at once, right? It’s like when you have babies—give them siblings while you’re still in the habit of changing diapers, or else you’ll never have the will to do it again.

That’s a long way of saying we have no kitchen. We ripped it out. We moved in on July 1, unpacked a few kitchen boxes to get by, and then packed them right up again for the demo.

kitchen-empty

The family room boxes, meanwhile, remain packed. Because they go in the same space as the kitchen. And like dominoes, the mess backs up through the rest of the house. No point in cleaning these days.

kitchen-sheeting2

While we’re camping out, we have the microwave and toaster oven in the basement. All disposable plates and frozen meals. Anything that requires a cutting board or a hot plate? Forget it. I’m not doing any dishes in the laundry room. Thank goodness the previous owners left a fridge and freezer in the garage.

I’ve officially got my comeuppance. I’ve spent years writing about beautiful homes, walking into the “after” pictures, cooing over the gorgeous interiors, and laughing with homeowners over their stories about the months they had to suffer through the construction. Now it’s my turn. I haven’t gotten to the laughing part yet.

kitchen-sheeting

The problem is, I’m a Cancer. That means I’m a Homebody. A Nester. I can’t stand having things out of place. But now everything is out of place. Nothing is hung on the walls (on purpose, but still). You need shoes to walk anywhere, the glass on our coffee table is filthy, and I can write my name in dust on every piece of furniture that isn’t covered. It’s enough to send me into a fetal position!

But here’s my lesson, which I have to re-learn from years ago, when my then-new husband and I spent six months painting all the walls in our old house and ripping out THAT kitchen too: It’s just going to take time. Maybe I’m older and have lost patience and perspective, which is why I’m feeling so undone?

But yesterday gave me a preview of better days to come—a glimmer of what things might look like before too long: The cabinets arrived.

kitchen-cabinets

And just like that, the guys started installing them.

kitchen-in

There’s a drawer that holds spice jars, and another with pegs in the bottom for posts that can hold dishes in place—all the nifty things I’ve written about and seen at Kitchen and Bath Industry shows, but never had myself.

On Friday, they come to measure for countertops—two different types of granite we chose at the stoneyard with the help of (sister and brother) Nadia and Richard Suburan at Aidan Design. We also just identified the pendants that will hang over the island, and I’m loving the bookshelves that will hold all my cookbooks:

kitchen-bookshelves

Patience, my mother cautioned the other day. OK! But boy, is it hard.

Filed Under: Kitchen/Bath Tagged With: kitchen design, New House

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jean Molesworth Kee says

    August 18, 2016 at 9:08 am

    Love the new house and love those soft gray (?) cabs with the warm wood tones. Keep the walls white!

    • Jennifer Sergent says

      August 18, 2016 at 3:24 pm

      I will, thanks Jean! All the walls are white in this house, which I intend to keep so the architecture can speak for itself. I would love for you to see it sometime!

  2. Boopadette says

    August 17, 2016 at 11:05 am

    Your new kitchen looks like it will be beautiful! I love the light coming in those windows. Cant wait to see the after photos.

    Here’s a take-out tip from another serial renovator – try galley foods for dinner delivery, if it’s available in your area. There are four choices of fresh cooked dinners everyday. Delivered to your home at better than restaurant prices. The food is so delicious, I order at least once a week. (Even when not under construction 🙂

Trackbacks

  1. A Q&A With The Shade Store's Ian Gibbs | DC by Design Blog says:
    August 23, 2016 at 3:38 pm

    […] two lists in this category: immediate and long-term. Along with our kitchen (which I wrote about here last week), our bedroom needs immediate help with the window treatments. We inherited these old, […]

Before Footer

View

Jan 13

Open
The amazing thing about the #uscapitol is that we enjoy the same beauty as the generations before us. Our fashions might change, but not the glorious encaustic tile, gilded mirrors or the clover-like pendant lights in the Senate Press Gallery. Swipe to see the modern version, shot by @ronbluntphoto. 
Full post in my bio link!
View

Jan 12

Open
With the help of photographers like @adam_brockett who took this glowy halo around the #uscapitol, and my friends who know and cherish that building, here’s a love letter, blog link in bio
View

Jan 7

Open
Memories of the late-night lines to see George H.W. Bush lying in state. Thousands of peaceful mourners waiting to pass through the Rotunda of this majestic Capitol.
View

Jan 6

Open
May your passage through 2021 be delightful! Grateful to clients like @mode4architecture for sharing so much beauty 🌱💚 
📷 @studiohdp
View

Dec 12

Open
CONGRATULATIONS to Michele Lerner for her award from the Nation Association of Real Estate Editors on a @washingtonpost story about bringing the outdoors inside, which features our bathroom renovation by @aidandesign ! The judges wrote: “She finds the perfect couple to illustrate the theme of her story. They lie by a nature trail, so they wanted to add natural stone to the shower.” Great story Michele, and it was a pleasure to speak to you! 
Story linked in bio
📷 @stacyzaringoldberg
View

Dec 10

Open
So thrilled to be working with a new client, Michigan design firm @arminainteriors. I just love how luminous her work is, and her use of dramatic light fixtures. Enjoy!
View

Nov 20

Open
Welcome to DC Mayor @murielbowser's home, where designer Trystin Kier Francis of @thekiercompany painted this chest purple with gold hardware. Regal, just like the mayor, Trystin told me. I agree! Full story at the link in my bio.
View

Oct 6

Open
Is anyone else in need of some calm right now? Take me away, @m.naeve! 
(For more #kipsbaydallas escapism, link in bio 🖤)
📷 @stephen_karlisch_photo
View

Oct 2

Open
@markdsikes does it again at #kipsbaydallas with this dreamy living room, Happy Friday! 
Link to more images and virtual tour in bio
📷 @stephen_karlisch_photo
View

Oct 1

Open
I ADORE this sweet mudroom by @erinsander at #kipsbaydallas. Photos and link to virtual tour on the blog, link in bio 🖤
View

Sep 30

Open
Now on the blog: a tour of #kipsbaydallas with sumptuous images like this one of a Jackie Kennedy-inspired lady’s study by @janshowers. Link in bio! 
📷 @stephen_karlisch_photo
View

Sep 27

Open
Sunset at our @acorndeckhouse, photo by Chal Sergent
Load More...

Footer

DC by Design is my passion project, a chronicle of design talents throughout the DC-Maryland-Virginia region who are doing beautiful and imaginative things in the categories below. Click here for blog information and guidelines.

  • Architecture
  • Art/Photo
  • Designers
  • Furniture
  • Home Decor
  • Kitchen/Bath
  • Outdoors
  • Real Estate
  • Shopping
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Subscribe to my newsletter, which sends out weekly(ish) blog posts and monthly newsletters about what I’m seeing in the design industry.

Please click here if you're a

  •    

© 2021 Jennifer Sergent • All Rights Reserved