Finished at Last

The disadvantages of buying a house bare bones and deciding to customize/upgrade it yourself to save money and make it unique are that you make a lot of mistakes and have to be very patient. As soon as we bought this house in December 2013 we began searching for cabinets for each side of the fireplace. My husband and his brother worked hard in January on the base cabinets. For Valentine's Day 2014, my valentine bought me a marble slab which we had installed on top of the base cabinets. After adding the hardware, my husband was burned out, so we waited to build the upper shelves. Finally, we gave up on ever finding the time, so we decided to outsource. The most popular carpenter in our area told us what we had done was horrible and that he would not allow his name to be associated with this project unless we pulled out all the oak cabinetry and marble and started over with his MDF version. Completely insecure in my left brained ability to design anything of beauty, I debated what to do and continued to wait. 

Then we found a skillful carpenter who listened respectfully and agreed to finish our plans while offering helpful suggestions. He took our mistake and turned it into something I think is lovely. We still need to do some paint touch-ups, install recessed lighting over the cabinets, and place our "stuff" on the shelves, but I could not be more pleased with this long awaited birthday present.

While the built-ins are only material things which will one day be destroyed, they represent something more significant to me. Never let what anyone says about you affect your valuation of yourself. The one who made you knows your true value. The fact that you don't look like every popular person who manufactures herself to look like something she's not (like MDF vs. wood) does not lessen your value. You are genuine and unique, different from others because no one else can take your place or fulfill your purpose. You make mistakes, but your all powerful Creator, like our skillful carpenter, continues to refine you, making you stronger and more like Him each day. The longer the wait, the more you will appreciate the changes He is working in you. You are beautiful no matter what anyone else says, for the Creator of the universe made you perfectly for His good purpose and pleasure.

We also had our carpenter add crown molding downstairs and add a closet to the man cave.

Crown molding in kitchen, breakfast nook and family room

Picture molding in music room