When It Rains, It... Floods?

You know the saying, "When it rains, it pours"? In our case, it was more like, "When the fridge water line breaks, it floods your entire kitchen floor."

Last week started off like any normal morning. I was in the kitchen making breakfast, already wearing shoes (which turned out to be a small blessing), when my husband came downstairs and immediately stepped in a puddle... in socks. His first words were, “What did you spill?”

Now, if you know me, you know that’s a fair question. I do have a bit of a track record with spills. But this time (for once) it wasn’t me.

We quickly realized the kitchen floor was soaked. And when we checked the cellar… water was dripping through the floorboards. Insert both of us mildly panicking (we’re not the handiest of homeowners). We shut off the water and called in a plumber, who thankfully came out that same afternoon.

The diagnosis? A leak in the fridge water hose.

The problem? The previous owners built the kitchen cabinets around the fridge, which meant we couldn’t move it to check the damage behind it.

Cue some DIY demolition over the weekend. We had to remove part of the upper cabinets just to wiggle the fridge... Shoutout in advance to any strong friends who want to help us actually move it.

We still don’t know the full extent of the damage behind the fridge yet, but this little fiasco might just be the push we needed...

I’ve been dreaming about a kitchen remodel since we moved in four years ago, and now? I think the universe is saying: “Do it. Rip the band-aid off. Build the Pinterest kitchen of your dreams.” We’ve already had to start demo. The flooring is laminate, which doesn’t handle water well. It was already starting to peel in places, and now we’re worried about the subflooring.

Of course, I want to reconfigure everything. Not just new cabinet doors and counters; I'm talking moving the fridge to a spot where the freezer door actually opens all the way, adding an island, and updating the entire first floor flooring. Simple, right?

Wrong. My brain is currently just flashing dollar signs: $$$$$.

The truth is, a project like this scares us. Renovations are expensive. Our house is over a hundred years old, and who knows what’s hiding in the walls. We’ve heard the contractor horror stories. But still, I’m trying to keep my usual optimism.

Maybe this is just the push we needed. Maybe it’s finally time to invest in our home and build the kitchen I’ve been quietly planning on Pinterest for years.

So here we are. Standing in a semi-damp kitchen, trying to laugh through the stress, and figuring it out one step at a time. If nothing else, we’ll get a good story out of it. And hopefully a new kitchen?

With cautious optimism,

-CC