Remodel thoughts

I don't know who else to hash this out with, so I'm gonna put it up here.

WARNING: this will probably bore you to tears.

Remodeling the kitchen and creating a mudroom has had ripple effects. I expected a few, but this is getting a little out of hand.

• Discovering water between the flooring layers in the kitchen has finally forced us to address the gutters, soffits, and fascia issue outside. Those get a facelift next week while we're away.

• The kitchen ceiling (and half of the mudroom) is currently a layer of new drywall and mudded joints. Perfectly smooth. Ready for texture and paint. That's in stark contrast to the popcorn ceiling that runs through the rest of the house. I had a drywall/ceiling/paint professional come by today to offer some ideas on how to make that look better. Well, everyone is against popcorn ceilings these days. He recommended taking it out of the living room altogether and applying an orange peel texture instead. I asked about the potential presence of asbestos and he said asbestos wasn't in acoustic ceiling applications like this one. Hm. That's the FIRST time I had heard anything like that. I'm extremely skeptical. Luckily, I had an asbestos testing kit on-hand. Minutes after he left, I took a sample and sent it away for testing. I'll have the results in a week or so. If he's right and there's no asbestos in this particular type of popcorn ceiling, then I'm not that bothered by it staying. If he's wrong, and the ceiling contains asbestos, then I'm more motivated to see it go, but not willing to finance it until it starts to deteriorate. The guy was helpful, though, pointing out a few spots where it appears to be weakening. I'll keep an eye on things and eagerly await the test results. 

• Living so heavily in the dining room has taken its toll on the carpet. We initially wanted to redo the dining room for aesthetic reasons, but now it's getting pretty gross in there, and I'm looking for flooring and paint options that are much more scrubbable.

• The kitchen opens up into the living room, which now needs some decorating help to make it a cozier space. Functionally, it has turned into half of a living room next to a major superhighway. 

• And now that the kitchen is updated, I see so many other places that could use a little update. Nothing will be as expensive or extensive as the kitchen: front hall light fixture, paint, move a bookshelf, new knobs/handles on a dresser.