Hi friends. I spent the past few days out of town with my daughters working on a project I’ll share more about soon. In the meantime, lots of you have been asking about the kitchen remodel, so here’s a progress update. I had hoped to return last night to a finished kitchen and planned to take reveal photos today, but another setback popped up while I was gone.
Delays in a remodel are aggravating, especially when they result from someone else’s mistake. For those who haven’t experienced this, here’s a little behind-the-scenes look at what remodeling a house can really be like—definitely not always like a polished TV segment.
The current issue revolves around the final focal element of the kitchen: the round window above the sink. That window and its trim are meant to be a centerpiece, so we’ve been holding out to complete everything until that piece is in place.
The photos in this post were taken over the last couple of weeks and should give you a sense of where we are now. I’m optimistic the end is near and can’t wait to share the full reveal once this last detail is finished.
As a blogger I try to balance sharing timely updates with being honest about the real-life setbacks that happen when working with contractors and subcontractors. I aim to keep you updated and to stick to a reveal schedule, but in reality, some mistakes take time to fix. Projects don’t always move along the way they do on quick TV timelines.
When planning a remodel, anticipate potential delays and build extra time into your schedule. You can be lucky and stay on or ahead of schedule, but if anything goes wrong—a delivery error, a broken piece, sickness, or an unexpected fit issue—the schedule and budget can quickly be affected. In this kitchen remodel, we’ve encountered several of those scenarios. Thankfully everyone involved is okay; people’s well-being matters far more than the project timeline.
In our case, the subcontractor originally assigned to craft and install the round trim work struggled with the task. Creating a perfectly round trim requires specialized skill, and after multiple failed attempts the delays compounded. We’re now switching to another contractor who has the expertise to finish the job correctly.
Since the top progress photo was taken a few weeks ago, the team has completed more caulking, installed outlet covers, and finished trim work and paint touch-ups. The room is actually further along than those earlier pictures show. Those finishing touches make a big difference.
The silver lining is that the missing round trim piece is the final element holding up the full reveal, so other parts of the project weren’t blocked. Still, it’s frustrating that one small but pivotal piece is keeping us from sharing the finished kitchen. I’m eager to walk you through every detail once it’s complete.
To be clear, there’s no withholding or drama beyond normal project realities. This is real life—not reality TV. Things don’t always move at the speed of a broadcast segment, and sometimes workmanship requires more time to get right.
Thank you for your patience and enthusiasm as we finish this remodel. When the kitchen is finally complete, we’ll celebrate even more knowing it was worth the wait.
See our design board post for a list of some of the sources you see in these photos. We’ll share a comprehensive list of sources as soon as possible.