We're still at it

There has been some argument between the spouses. The caulking job should be for the tallest man on the job site.  Am I right or am I right?  It is like my favorite pastime to watch that tall guy work.  I seriously just sat on 3 bags of concrete and watched all day yesterday.  And did you notice?  The beams are white.  Jace said it was the cheapest way best way.

So, I choose to put the original, vintage hardware back on the kitchen cabinets.  The main reason being the 4 holes the hardware left in the cabinets was going to be hard to match or fill.  Let's take a vote.  Nevermind let's don't.  The hardware is staying.

The black covered coffin on the ground is actually my new concrete counter tops.  Will you say your prayers for the next 10 days that our $180 in material will set up and turn out to be a really great, cheap counter tops? The cat is a new addition.  He doesn't mind when Mikael mauls him.  Who needs a dog anyway?  BTW, has anyone seen Mille?  She ran away.  I'm trying not to take it personal.  And the roller skates are the best $3 I spent at a thrift store lately.  

This blue paint is still keeping me up at night.  I have a vision.  Or I had a vision.  Sometimes the vision is a little blurry.

Gray bricks.  White trim.  We are getting there.

Jace says move in day is sometime in the next month.

I say baloney.

When the professionals are called in

Where to begin?  Painting has been an absolute nightmare.  Lucky for us it is now a nightmare for the professionals.  Best phone call we ever made.  Remember when Jace gave it a good try upstairs?  Well, apparently we were sold the wrong primer.  You can almost peel the paint off the doors in one sheet.  The paint store has graciously offered to pay to have the doors and beams (yes, Dad I painted all the beams) redone.  Sweet of them, don't you think?

 And a funny thing about the cabinet paint color.  I racked my brain.  I carried a folder full of paint swatches around in my car for months.  I studied blogs and magazines, looking for the perfect green.  First is was avocado green.  Then dark teal green.  Nothing felt right.  Then I found it.  Woodsmoke green.  It was gray-green and it felt good - it felt familiar.  Well it wasn't until I came home after purchasing 5 gallons of very expensive cabinet paint that I figured it out.  Bingo!  It is almost exactly the same color as my cabinets in my downtown house I'm living in!  What?  How could I have done that?  It's not that I don't like the color because I do but I was definately trying for something different in Mi Casa.  Sheesh.  I've lost it.  And it could have something to do with these little people right here:

My 2nd grader is now bigger than my 4th grader

This summer was a bit rough.  Stressful and busy.  These poor little people.  Yesterday was the first day of school.  It was the first school year that my kids weren't the new kids.  Jace and I felt pretty good about that and high fived each other.  Yesterday was a great day for both of them.  And the best day of my life.  I rekindled my relationship with this little guy:

And my baby took 2 naps.  In her crib.  This is huge people!  And I actually accomplished something.  I set up our new wireless printer.  It took me all day.  But I did it.  I haven't felt this good about an accomplishment since.....since....last May.

Perhaps I should have waited to pick out paint colors until yesterday.

The fog is lifting.  I can feel it.  I'm going to be a new, home designing, task tackling woman.

p.s.  The painters are promising to get some of that dark navy blue up on the walls today.  Can't wait to show you.

Downtown house - On the Market

I know what you are thinking.  If she is trying to sell the house why start with the before picture?  Well, I'll tell you.  This was a sad little house in the middle of town - in a great neighborhood (poor neighbors, right?) exactly one year ago.  Jace and I immediately saw this house's potential.  If you have been driving by this house for years on your way to Little League or dropping kids off at school - you probably never noticed it or if you did it just made your heart sad.

BEFORE:

  AFTER:

Is your heart singing now?  A happy song?  

After lots of work this sad little house is now adorable with it's laid back, California cool charm.

And just like the exterior, the inside was in desperate need of a make over.

And a make over it got.

We tore down walls, bumped out closets, and ripped out the fireplace to make room for our new living room.

We should all quit lying to ourselves.  We live on our computers these days.  We can't bank, cook, decorate, blog, shop, or communicate without them.  Every house I touch I plan for an office space.  Even my little houses.  I love the function of this space.

The only thing in good shape when we bought this house was the kitchen cabinets.  We savaged all we could, rearranged, and painted them.

Inspiration for the kitchen was found here.

Just know that nothing was left untouched or undone.  Jace did the hard work for you.

We have loved living in our little downtown house.  We absolutely love the location (kids walk to and from school!).  We absolutely love the neighbors.  We will be sad to leave it all. 

But we have another house calling our names.  Another sad house in need of our services.

The Baums are moving on.  Again.

My downtown house is for sale.  Spread the word.  Come enjoy small town life in this charming, perfectly priced house.

Click here or email here for more info.

Before and After - Kitchen/Laundry/Pantry

Kitchen Before:

The kitchen before.  And Jace.  Original laundry space was in the closet.

Yes, that is yellow laminate counter tops from the 70's.  And layers for linoleum flooring.

Before.

But what we had to work with was pretty good.  We considered ourselves lucky.  The cabinets were solid wood and in pretty good shape.  And the kitchen was huge.  It was also sporting your typical and way too popular rooster boarder.  It was all pretty much a no brainer.

Kitchen After:

New wood floor.  Found here.  Same cabinets and lay out, just painted.

New light fixtures.  I love the school house flush mount fixtures.  We extended the counter top past the bottom cabinets and added vintage legs for a bar/laptop space.  It would also work as a phone center.  Every kitchen needs one.  You can take phone messages or look up recipes on your lap top in your kitchen but out of the mess of dishes and food.

We moved the laundry and turned the large closet space into a pantry.  And added a french door for more light.  The kitchen was definitely large enough for an island but since the dining area is in the same room, we chose to skip the island.  A long rectangle farm house table would work so great for this space.  It could serve as an island/work space and dining table.  Lets call it an "eat-in kitchen", shall we?

The cabinet color is from Wal-mart but mixed at Sherwin Williams.  It is called Juniper Gray.  It is even more lovelier in real life.  New stainless steel appliances.  Butcher block counter tops.  Can't go wrong with either.

Laundry Before:

This room was serving no purpose as we could tell.  No plumbing.  No window. Wasted space.

Laundry After:

New plumbing for washer/dryer and water heater.  New window.  Borrowed kitchen cabinet for storage.

Old Pantry:

You know us Mormons enjoy a good pantry but I just couldn't give up all this square footage even if the shelves were already labeled.  And it made more sense to have the pantry in the kitchen.

New 4th Bedroom:

This space now has a window and closet.  It would make an awesome guest bedroom, office, or baby nursery.

More interior pics coming soon.