Seeing Green

Well, the closet guy didn't show, but the electricians did. I under bought light bulbs and over bought the under cabinet lights, but everything got installed. Just so you don't make the same mistake I did, these are Xenon, which our electrician recommended. I had such a hard time finding lights that could be hardwired, not plugged in. These particular lights, found at Lowe's, could go either way, which is a good thing as I have one little sections between the fridge & pantry I thought wouldn't need light. If I change my mind I'll just buy one to plug in. All of the packaging is at the house so I'm not sure of the brand, but I'll add a link soon.

These are very low profile, so they can't be seen.

We added an outlet to the end of the island, which will make it a lot more functional. I need to do something about that bright white cover, though. Please excuse the mess on the island. Those are my lighting leftovers. You can also see the underlayment all over the floor. Maybe this means flooring is next?

At some point the plumbers were in, because the kitchen faucet was installed. I lucked into this ORB model on clearance at Menards for around $50. I'm keeping an eye out for bathroom faucets so I can eventually replace those with ORB also.

And now, the moment I'm sure you've all been waiting for...the green laundry room!

The view from inside the powder room.

The view standing at the garage door.

Just in case you're wondering, that is indeed a chandelier. I'm hoping a chandelier will add a touch of glamour to doing laundry.

A note about the painting: It was a complete pain. 9 foot ceilings are a great idea until you need to paint those tall walls. And, in true procrastinator fashion, I didn't start until the boys went to bed (they wanted to "help") which was around 9. It took long enough that I had no desire to touch the closets. B will be happy about that.

Honestly, the whole process wasn't that bad, but made me glad I had our painters tackle the rest of the house. I had shoulder surgery a year ago and it never occurred to me that all that rolling and brushing might not be the best idea. This morning I could barely move my arm. As a result I'll find someone to paint the boys' bathroom. The good news is that I really like the green. Since the room doesn't have a window I wanted something bright and cheery. Check and check.

Let there be lights!

Disclaimer: It's late and I just finished painting the first coat in the laundry room. Am extremely tired, so this may not make much sense. You've been warned. =0)

The painters were supposed to be at the house M-W, but finished up T, so I wasn't expecting much of anything Wednesday. I figured I'd have plenty of time to paint the laundry room and possibly the boys' bathroom. Neither of those things happened. I got a call bright and early from B that the electricians were at the house and needed the light fixtures, which we had stashed in our garage, mudroom, and even in the back of one of our cars. There were a lot of boxes. So I made a mad dash to load them all up, drive them down, unload and explain what went where.

In the quest for under-cabinet lighting I had asked two different Menards employees what I should get. They told me different things, so I bought two complete sets of lighting. According to my electrician neither was correct, so off to Menards I went. Then Lowes, who actually had what I needed. By the time I got back in the afternoon the electricians had the fans and all of the lighting that I had ready installed. Whatever I don't have by Friday B can install. It pays to have a handy husband!

These are the island lights. I think I told you before that I found these at Lowes for $9. It was a ridiculous clearance deal. I have the coordinating chandelier ($14)  ready for the dinette when we figure out where we want it.

These are the outside lights. They're seeded glass. Not too traditional, but I really like them.

At some point the HVAC guys were there, because the AC was installed. We really need to figure out the drainage from the dehumidifier.

It's obviously working.

I really want to find a way to use the water for our(future) garden. Maybe run a hose to a rain barrel? Need to investigate. If you have any ideas I'd like to hear them!

Tomorrow the electricians are back to finish things up and the closet guy is coming to install the shelves. And I'll also show you the laundry, which is now Lime Sorbet. Bet you can't wait!

3-0

When the boys got home we walked down to see what had been done today. And I'm very pleased (and relieved) to tell you we are 3 for 3 with paint! WOOHOO!

Even though this is a lowly cell phone pic, it shows all three colors and that sharp white trim. I know this will shock you, but I LOVE IT! It's a great shade- blue with a touch of slate, so it's not too sweet.

As soon as I get batteries for my camera I'll take some better pics, including how the counter tops look against the blue.

The banister is done, and looks great.

One of the only rooms left to paint is the boys' bathroom, which will coordinate with their shower curtain. They wanted a camo bathroom, but I just couldn't do it. They then suggested hunting, which I also nixed. So we compromised with fishing. Cute fishing.

Besides being adorable, the shower curtain also works because I'm going to use that lime green in the laundry room, which is the other room left. I also think I'm going to paint the closets like this one. But no pink. Lime green. Awesome. Or blinding. Possibly both.

And don't tell B, but at some point he's going to come home and see a little something like this:

Someday.



Quiet Rain

It seems very appropriate that on this overcast, rainy day the painters broke out the grey paint- Quiet Rain.


Grey is hard to photograph, especially with cloudy skies. While the photo isn't bad, in real life it looks very nice- grey with a blue cast to it. Looking at it I probably could have gone a shade or two darker, but this is very soft, and I think it'll look very nice against the blue.














The painters also stained the banister and handrail. I'm sure that dark color was hard to match, but it does look similar to the cabinets.

Other than those two very noticeable things, all of the trim was finished up. I took photos, but the white against white just isn't very dramatic. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have some more pics to show you!

Weekend/Open House

What a busy weekend! We had a First Communion celebration most of the day yesterday, so didn't get to the house until 3:30 or so. There was a truck in the driveway, and I was shocked that the painters were still there. Well, it wasn't the painters. It was someone who thought the open house was Saturday, not Sunday. Since I was there anyway I walked him through the house and we chatted for quite a while.

While we were looking around I noticed the painters had painted the boys' rooms and the hallway. It looks great, and I'm very pleased with the color. Here's a sneak peek:

And yes, it's beige. However, M wants a camouflage room like this (he's getting one wall):

and J wants a hunting/fishing theme room, so beige is a good jumping off point for both of these.

All of the doors were put back up and more of the trim is done. The stairs are completely taped off, ready for staining. The paint for the LR and DR is in the basement, ready to go. According to Kasey the painters will be done by Wednesday!


The open house was scheduled today from 1 - 4. Around noon M and I were in town and I called B to see if he needed anything. I asked where J was, and he said he was at the new house because people were already there! Apparently J was quite the little tour guide. M and I got home around 12:15, and I stuck around to talk to people until Kim got there. After she did I stayed to answer any questions. J enjoyed keeping a running total of how many cars came, and was thrilled that "we won." Kim said we had a great turnout, so I hope it was helpful for the people who came.

(I was amazed at how many people have read this blog! So thank you guys for coming and all the very nice things you said!)

There was a comment last week asking what we got out of letting WH have an open house. Simply put- nothing. However, when we were looking at different models, I really appreciated being able to go through the physical space and seeing things for myself. I never talked with any homeowners while we were looking, but I would have appreciated that, too. By detailing this process on here and putting it all out there, I'm paying it forward to those who are in the same position we were.

Painting

The great paint dilemma has been solved.  You know I wasn't 100% sold on the color I picked, but there just wasn't a large selection. Well, the painters came today to start painting the trim and doors, so I again spoke with C. I'm going with a SW blue color-matched to the other line. Normally I'm not a fan of color matching, but C guaranteed the color so I'm okay with it. I don't know how well the photos translate, but the color is Honest Blue. It's smokier, a lot lighter (but not so light that it'll be washed out) and much more versatile.

This is the sample board I painted.

The painters worked on the doors and trim, and started wrapping the spindles on the banister. I hope this means they're staining it tomorrow. Can't wait to see how it turns out! They'll be back tomorrow, to finish up and possibly paint a room or two. Stay tuned!

Pillars!

The biggest news today? Pillars!

I really like how they finish off the front. Now we just need steps. And a sidewalk. But we're getting there!

The trim carpenters made temporary steps that are sturdier than the ones we were using, which was very nice!

The handrail and steps are in.

This is the vanity in the master.

 I know it's hard to see, but we have tall baseboards.

It rained last night and was supposed to rain today, so B added a pipe to the sump pump pipe and hooked up the downspout extenders. I'm sure they have a technical name, but they're the things that direct water away from the foundation. I was one short, so he used a board as a temporary measure. Off to Menards yet again!

I think the coordinating dumpster is a nice touch.