Now we just have to decide what to do with the empty wall opposite the clothes. I'm thinking shelves. At least I can move my spring/summer clothes out of the guest room!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Day 154 - 12/30/11
Finally installed the closet system! One of my best friends came by to help me put it up and I used power tools! :)
Now we just have to decide what to do with the empty wall opposite the clothes. I'm thinking shelves. At least I can move my spring/summer clothes out of the guest room!
Now we just have to decide what to do with the empty wall opposite the clothes. I'm thinking shelves. At least I can move my spring/summer clothes out of the guest room!
Day 153 - 12/29/11
They built and installed the basement storage door. I like it and it was much cheaper than the steel door that our contractor had originally suggested.
The shower and tub fixtures were installed and I think the bronze finish looks just fine.
They also finished hooking up the sink pipes and we used our new sink for the first time!
The shower and tub fixtures were installed and I think the bronze finish looks just fine.
They also finished hooking up the sink pipes and we used our new sink for the first time!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Day 152 - 12/28/11
Well, our hopes for completing the project in 2011 are dashed. The glass doors for the showers won't be in for another two weeks. Don't even get me started about why they weren't ordered months (or at least weeks) ago. Sigh. Next deadline: my husband's birthday!
Found tile edging at the second tile store I visited. It's unbelievable how hard it is to find brown tile decorations. Meanwhile, the edging is ridiculously expensive, but we need it. The tile was $2 a piece and the edging is $10! Sheesh.
The installed mirrors look fantastic! I'm very happy with them, especially since they were sort of an impulse purchase and I didn't have anything except my memory to see if the size and color was right.
Found tile edging at the second tile store I visited. It's unbelievable how hard it is to find brown tile decorations. Meanwhile, the edging is ridiculously expensive, but we need it. The tile was $2 a piece and the edging is $10! Sheesh.
The installed mirrors look fantastic! I'm very happy with them, especially since they were sort of an impulse purchase and I didn't have anything except my memory to see if the size and color was right.
Day 151 - 12/27/11
Not a whole lot of work done on the house (mostly cleaning), but lots of shopping accomplished! Got two mirrors for the master bathroom and a closet system from Lowe's. Originally ordered a closet system from the Container Store (Elfa system), but it was pretty expensive, so I picked up a much cheaper DIY kit. Looked for tile edging at Home Depot and Lowe's and came up with nothing, so I'm going to try actual tile stores tomorrow.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Day 148 - 12/24/11
Merry Christmas Eve! My brother and I made Christmas Eve dinner - Cornish game hens, fried rice, edamame veggie mix, and cranberry sauce. It was very east meets west fusion stuff. :) We had pumpkin pie and various cookies and fudge for dessert. My brother has become quite the baker! We're going to give my kitchen another workout tomorrow.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Day 146 - 12/22/11
Tiling done! They actually finished putting up the tile in the afternoon, but surprisingly came back around 8:30 at night to grout! It was sort of crazy. My brother had just arrived for the holidays and we were baking in the kitchen and I hear this little knock. I thought it was carolers, or something strange like that, but nope, it was the subcontractor! My husband actually had to go out to Home Depot to pick up another box of tiles (they ran out before they could tile the last row above the shower seat) and some more thinset. The workers stayed until 1:00 in the morning to finish grouting and installing sink fixtures! I had to go to sleep in the den. :)
Day 144 - 12/20/11
Sinks and vanity top installed!
They also started tiling - the walls aren't straight, so it's taking a long time to make sure the tile is level and at right angles.
They also started tiling - the walls aren't straight, so it's taking a long time to make sure the tile is level and at right angles.
Day 143 - 12/19/11
It was demo day again - they took down the icky Swanstone (although I've come up with all sorts of other ideas for it - shelves in the garage, lab tables at school...) and prepped the drywall for tiling. They also glued/bolted the sinks to the vanity top. We went through about sixty different tile designs and settled on just brown. But then we had a fixture issue - we ordered brown, but is brown fixture on brown tile too much? If we switch to brushed nickel, then we have brown fixtures on the sink but silver fixtures in the shower/bath?
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Day 141 - 12/17/11
Today we went tile shopping...so many choices! We decided on a combination of brown and white tile and gray grout to tie in all the other bathroom elements (cabinets, shower pan, and floor).
Day 140 - 12/16/11
The Swanstone shower walls were installed yesterday and we are not happy with the result. My husband hates them because they look cheap and plastic-y.
I was sort of blase about them until we removed the wood framing holding the walls in place until the adhesive hardened. Then we saw the huge half-inch gap in the corner between the slabs.
Ugh - how ugly! There's a corner piece you can install to cover the gap, but that just looks tacky. So after much discussion, we're going to remove it and replace it with tile. We do not endorse Swanstone as a product for shower walls, just in case you were research solid surface for your renovation. :)
I was sort of blase about them until we removed the wood framing holding the walls in place until the adhesive hardened. Then we saw the huge half-inch gap in the corner between the slabs.
Ugh - how ugly! There's a corner piece you can install to cover the gap, but that just looks tacky. So after much discussion, we're going to remove it and replace it with tile. We do not endorse Swanstone as a product for shower walls, just in case you were research solid surface for your renovation. :)
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Day 138 - 12/14/11
They fixed half the drywall in the garage today. Basically they're repairing the drywall that got damaged in the rain about a hundred days ago (shockingly, not much exaggeration there).
Once they're done, we'll finally be able to put all our tools back! So much organization to do...still need to plan out our new closet! Should probably do it before my brother comes to visit and wants to sleep in a bed not covered by all our clothes. :)
Once they're done, we'll finally be able to put all our tools back! So much organization to do...still need to plan out our new closet! Should probably do it before my brother comes to visit and wants to sleep in a bed not covered by all our clothes. :)
Day 135 - 12/11/11
No work on the house this weekend, but we broke in the kitchen with a cookie baking party!
Day 133 - 12/9/11
Lots of fun stuff happened today! My husband passed his dissertation defense - woohoo!!!
Our bathroom vanity was installed. It's very pretty!
There was a slight issue - the vanity doesn't back up against the wall because the previous subcontractor installed baseboard where the cabinets are supposed to go. This means that the vanity top doesn't fit against the back wall either. So now we probably have to get a backsplash. Not a huge deal, but we sort of didn't want one originally.
Our bathroom vanity was installed. It's very pretty!
There was a slight issue - the vanity doesn't back up against the wall because the previous subcontractor installed baseboard where the cabinets are supposed to go. This means that the vanity top doesn't fit against the back wall either. So now we probably have to get a backsplash. Not a huge deal, but we sort of didn't want one originally.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Day 129 - 12/5/11
No work on the house and I'm a bit peeved, but I put lights on the tree so now it's all shiny!
Day 128 - 12/4/11
I'm expanding the scope of the blog, since sadly, no work has been done on the addition. It is slightly related though - I cleaned enough on Saturday to clear a space for our Christmas tree!
It was a very eventful tree gathering expedition this year. The weather was perfect - sunny, dry, and not too chilly. We decided to go for round and fat instead of tall and thin this year. Things got tricky once the cutting down part started - there were a couple knots in the trunk that were in the way, but nothing can get in the way of the perfect tree! Long story short, the trunk with knots was too big for the tree stand, but our saw wasn't good enough to cut through the trunk, so we had to go to Home Depot and buy new saws to get our tree into the house!
It was a very eventful tree gathering expedition this year. The weather was perfect - sunny, dry, and not too chilly. We decided to go for round and fat instead of tall and thin this year. Things got tricky once the cutting down part started - there were a couple knots in the trunk that were in the way, but nothing can get in the way of the perfect tree! Long story short, the trunk with knots was too big for the tree stand, but our saw wasn't good enough to cut through the trunk, so we had to go to Home Depot and buy new saws to get our tree into the house!
Friday, December 2, 2011
Day 126 - 12/2/11
Oy, I can't believe it's December and we're still not done yet! I haven't forgotten to update the blog - nothing's actually happened. My contractor says we're waiting on the shower walls and sinks. I guess they'll be in Monday. I'm not sure I believe him, but whatever. As long as it's done by the time my brother comes in to town!
A couple friends and I played hooky today and took the day off. They came over for brunch and to see the new kitchen. As I was getting a replacement garbage bag, I noticed the cabinet under the sink was wet...I think the garbage disposal is leaking, but I'm not sure from what/when/if it's serious... More monitoring necessary before steps are taken.
A couple friends and I played hooky today and took the day off. They came over for brunch and to see the new kitchen. As I was getting a replacement garbage bag, I noticed the cabinet under the sink was wet...I think the garbage disposal is leaking, but I'm not sure from what/when/if it's serious... More monitoring necessary before steps are taken.
Day 122 - 11/28/11
We discovered last night that our garbage disposal wasn't hooked up to the electricity so they came and fixed that today. Unfortunately, they hooked it up with some issues - when the wall switch is up, the disposal is off; when the wall switch is down, the disposal is off. I guess switching it so it's the right way isn't too complicated. Also, the attached the wire through the hose that leads to the sink sprayer, which means I can't pull the sink sprayer all the way out. My husband says he can fix that easily. I just wish they'd pay attention and do it right the first time.
They also did something to the light in the first floor bathroom to make it work again - apparently some wires got disconnected during the touch up work.
They also did something to the light in the first floor bathroom to make it work again - apparently some wires got disconnected during the touch up work.
Day 121 - 11/27/11
I braved Black Friday after a tip from a friend and found some awesome countertop stools.
My husband spent all morning putting together two of them (they're quite sturdy and require lots of assembly) just in time for a little birthday party!
My husband spent all morning putting together two of them (they're quite sturdy and require lots of assembly) just in time for a little birthday party!
Day 120 - 11/26/11
Here's our new stove!
The first thing we made was three Thanksgiving side dishes for our Saturday Thanksgiving celebration - sweet potato casserole, spinach casserole, and my traditional corn bake. We had a great delayed Thanksgiving dinner with our friends!
The first thing we made was three Thanksgiving side dishes for our Saturday Thanksgiving celebration - sweet potato casserole, spinach casserole, and my traditional corn bake. We had a great delayed Thanksgiving dinner with our friends!
Friday, November 25, 2011
Day 119 - 11/25/11
The cleanup continues! We started on the bedroom today. We moved our tall dresser into the closet and set up the entertainment center. My husband is at work so it's up to me to get everything organized. :)
Our new stove is coming today too - yay!
Our new stove is coming today too - yay!
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Day 118 - 11/24/11
Happy Thanksgiving! We are beginning the cleanup process - it's sort of a daunting task. But we made waffles for breakfast today!
My husband secured the dishwasher to the cabinets...we tested it out - it's so quiet!
And we built an IKEA bookshelf as our pantry.
Thanksgiving dinner as requested: meatloaf and pumpkin pie!
My husband secured the dishwasher to the cabinets...we tested it out - it's so quiet!
And we built an IKEA bookshelf as our pantry.
Thanksgiving dinner as requested: meatloaf and pumpkin pie!
Day 115 - 11/21/11
They got so much done today, I don't even know where to start! The main event is the support for the countertop peninsula in the kitchen and the installation of the range hood and final cabinet...
There was also lots of touchup work in the bathroom and basement.
There was also lots of touchup work in the bathroom and basement.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Day 113 - 11/19/11
I wish I knew a painting song...that's what they did all day and my house is much prettier!
Here's my nice sunny kitchen...
...and my "orange sherbet" bathroom...
You may recognize the sink and mirror - they were the old ones in the master bathroom and are now in the first floor bathroom, which has lost its wacky spongy paint job and is now a nice flat peachy color.
Here's my nice sunny kitchen...
...and my "orange sherbet" bathroom...
You may recognize the sink and mirror - they were the old ones in the master bathroom and are now in the first floor bathroom, which has lost its wacky spongy paint job and is now a nice flat peachy color.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Day 111 - 11/17/11
We came home today for our weekly meeting with the contractor and everything is going well in the walkthrough. We have lovely floor in the closet, the kitchen is ready for sanding and primer, and our new dishwasher is in the garage waiting to be installed. Then he drops the bomb: the countertops aren't going to be delivered until the 23rd. Which means the sink can't be connected until Thanksgiving Day. Which isn't going to happen, obviously. And now I'm all sad.
Not one to take news like this sitting down, I'm going to be talking with my contractor and Home Depot to figure this out. If Home Depot doesn't get my countertops installed by the 22nd, I'm never shopping there again. And I'm still sad.
Not one to take news like this sitting down, I'm going to be talking with my contractor and Home Depot to figure this out. If Home Depot doesn't get my countertops installed by the 22nd, I'm never shopping there again. And I'm still sad.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Day 110 - 11/16/11
I'm having floor issues...
The old vanity in the first floor bathroom was taken out and replaced with the vanity that used to be in the master bathroom. Unfortunately, the old vanity leaves a big ugly space of bare floor...
We're going to have them replace the whole bathroom floor with the bamboo.
They tiled the master bathroom and it looks great!
We weren't sure what flooring to put in the closet, but I think I'm going with the bamboo flooring we put in the kitchen. What do you think - tile, bamboo, or carpet?
The old vanity in the first floor bathroom was taken out and replaced with the vanity that used to be in the master bathroom. Unfortunately, the old vanity leaves a big ugly space of bare floor...
We're going to have them replace the whole bathroom floor with the bamboo.
They tiled the master bathroom and it looks great!
We weren't sure what flooring to put in the closet, but I think I'm going with the bamboo flooring we put in the kitchen. What do you think - tile, bamboo, or carpet?
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Day 108 - 11/14/11
Well, after a frustrating weekend of very little progress, we have a solid plan for the next week or so. Today the siding is essentially completed - couple more spots to go and then they can take the scaffolding down tomorrow. Hopefully that will be coupled with a clean up of the backyard...it's getting a bit junkyard-ish!
The kitchen hasn't changed much, but they did move the fridge and stove to their new spots. Unfortunately, the countertops won't be installed until next Tuesday! :( That leaves me exactly one day to figure things out before Thanksgiving. I'm going to be like the people who go Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve, except I'll be shopping for Thanksgiving dinner that morning!
The bathroom is painted! You know your husband loves you when he lets you paint the master bathroom purple. :)
They might tile the floor tomorrow if they're not too busy demo-ing the old kitchen.
The kitchen hasn't changed much, but they did move the fridge and stove to their new spots. Unfortunately, the countertops won't be installed until next Tuesday! :( That leaves me exactly one day to figure things out before Thanksgiving. I'm going to be like the people who go Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve, except I'll be shopping for Thanksgiving dinner that morning!
The bathroom is painted! You know your husband loves you when he lets you paint the master bathroom purple. :)
They might tile the floor tomorrow if they're not too busy demo-ing the old kitchen.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Day 104 - 11/10/11
Siding started...
Cabinets are in!!
I started organizing - so many decisions to make!
Plates and bowls...
Cups and corningware...
Cooking stuff...
Can't wait to actually use it!
Cabinets are in!!
I started organizing - so many decisions to make!
Plates and bowls...
Cups and corningware...
Cooking stuff...
Can't wait to actually use it!
Day 103 - 11/9/11
Primer in the bathroom, completed floor and some cabinet work in kitchen.
We also went to Home Depot to pick out a light fixture for the kitchen and a new dishwasher! Black Friday sales start tomorrow, if you can believe it, so we should get a pretty good deal on it.
We also went to Home Depot to pick out a light fixture for the kitchen and a new dishwasher! Black Friday sales start tomorrow, if you can believe it, so we should get a pretty good deal on it.
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