It was a cold winter evening, somewhere in the countryside. Spouses were sitting on a comfortable green sofa and tasting various snacks (unfortunately, unhealthy). — I can’t wait for our new kitchen, wife said. She wanted to have a new kitchen for months, because she was frustrated that the furniture was falling apart and was impractical. When she was cooking and something wasn’t working out for her, she would approach her husband and say — When are we finally going to do this renovation? — I will make this soon, I promise, he answered. — You, why don’t we hire professionals for this? Wife asked with some kind of irritation in her voice. — I am a professional, you will see! He said firmly, and a rather obvious spark was visible in his eyes! This is how I, the programmer who likes DIY, got myself into a kitchen renovation. Something that seemed like it would be fun. But what was it really like? Well, I confirmed all the well-known life laws that I am aware of during this renovation. The fact that I survived and I write it is the best thing that could happen. Besides, another important thing — I still have a wife! ## Murphy’s Law > “If anything can go wrong, it will.” The timeline for this renovation was short: 1. 1 day to dismantle old furniture 2. 2 days to remove old tiles and prepare the walls for new ones 3. 1 day for making changes in electricity (adding new electrical sockets and additional wiring for new lighting) 4. 3 days to install new tiles and paint the walls 5. After 7 days, a team should come to assemble the new furniture For each point, I could write a separate story, but I’ll spare myself that today and move on to the climax. After seven days of hard work, after dealt with various unexpected things. When I had about 10 tiles left to lay, I opened the last package of tiles. I could already imagine myself laying the last tiles, then reaching for the grouting and the job would be done. I could already feel the pride when my wife would come and say: “You’re a hero, my husband!” I opened the last box. And I thought I was going to go crazy. It turned out that the last package of tiles was different tiles I ordered. I didn’t check it beforehand. I turned red in the face and started walking around, cursing under my breath. My wife looked at me with sympathy. I thought I would go out of my mind and stand next to me. Oh, good that the tile seller who made a mistake wasn’t there because [I would have done to him what Arsenal did to Real Madrid in the last match of the Champions League](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DINr85_TeCK/?igsh=MWgxdnpiN3ZubW5xbA%3D%3D). How could you have made such a mistake? I couldn’t finish, and the next day they were coming to assemble the furniture. I filed a complaint and ordered new tiles, but I had to wait two weeks for them. > “If anything can go wrong, it will.” ## Yhprum’s Law The opposite of Murphy’s Law. It states: > “Everything that can work, will work.” I have called a professional from the company responsible for new furniture and asked if it’s possible to start with furniture when the tiles are not done yet. — Of course, he said. We can do our job and mount new furniture. When we're done, you can continue working with tiles. It seemed strange to me, but if an expert says so, it must be so, right? > “Everything that can work, will work.” Guess what? When they finished the furniture and I started again with tiles, I had a serious problem finishing them. I had to be careful not to get anything dirty or mess it up. Murphy's law — again! ## Parkinson’s Law _This law suggests that work expands to fill the time available._ And here is the most important law. Because you know, it’s been a few weeks since this renovation. The kitchen is supposedly finished, but there’s some silicone missing here. In another place, the socket would have to be fixed. One lamp is still not replaced. But Parkinson’s law comes into play. Because as long as I live, I have time to finish this job ;-) ## Conclusion As I stand in my _almost_ finished kitchen. I laugh thinking about how confidently I said, ‘I am a professional, you will see!’ The funniest part of all of these laws is that they fit into every situation. Perhaps the only law that truly matters is the one you choose to believe in. Actually, I believe that next time, when I do a kitchen renovation, I will complete it 100%. And that I will do it together. With the same wife. ## Sources - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murphy%27s_law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murphy%27s_law) - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yhprum%27s_law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yhprum%27s_law) - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinson%27s_law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinson%27s_law) --- *Published 13/04/2025* #blog #diy