The Coming Months
We are planing on moving into the house in May which means we have a lot to do in the next 6 weeks. If we look at the schedule:
April 7/8 – kitchen floor
April 14/15 – finish deck and get electric prepped in the kitchen
April 21/22 – plumbing the water heater
April 28/29 – finish up the plumbing and electric in the kitchen
May 5/6 – we are in Houston for a Wedding
May 12/13 – bottom cabinets and appliances installed
May 19/20 – move-in time!
Busy Busy!
June is devoted to getting the electrical and plumbing situated in the rest of the house and July is all about the 2nd floor master Bath. Once that is done, we will be comfortable and can take a bit of a house-work breather before we dive into the molding work, finishing work, additional bathrooms, etc.
It has been an incredibly busy past 4 months. We went from our wedding on December 11 to closing on the house on December 15, just a week later. Then it was Christmas and my sister’s wedding on January 15. After a quick turn-around, Barbados was calling and we were on our honeymoon for 3 weeks. We got back in mid-February, we’ve been going non-stop on the house ever sense. I’m so looking forward to just lounging and watching tv in our new house!
Sarah
Neutral Color for the Hallways
I am a committed anti-white-waller. I have no intention of leaving a single wall in my house white. Ceilings are okay, but white walls just don’t look finished to me. I’ve seen plenty of exceptions to the rule. This completely white room in BHG manages to look warm despite the lack of color:
but the very thought of those white couches makes me spill my coffee as I write this! I also think this room could really work with blue-gray walls and tan furniture with navy accents and still have the same country-chic feeling without so much white.
I’m starting to think about paint colors for the house. So far I know a mid-tone sunny green in the kitchen, a moody green in the dining room, a taupe in the master bedroom with a spring green in the closet and bathroom, my favorite one is definitely the bedroom one, it matches my new mattress perfectly, I got it thanks to the reviews by Each Night. At the moment I am stuck on what color to paint the White trim and what color for the entry/hall/stairs. I want a nice warm neutral but it has to go with the wood trim on the first floor, the white trim on the 2nd floor, and blend with the greens I’m using throughout the house.
I have to be sure to stay away from anything with orange tones. It looks terrible with my chestnut woodwork. I wish I had learned to use the best portable table saw my uncle used to have, that way I could simply make my own furniture in whatever color scheme I want. But for now I rent furniture from furniture hire Perth. Since I don’t and can’t that rules out most tans and sands and leaves colors in the mushroom color-space. I don’t really want to go too gray though a taupe wouldn’t be bad. What do you think about colored neutrals?
I’m loving this pale muted green.
here is a great mushroom color.
I could try to find a gold color that worked but I just don’t know how well it fits with the color scheme in the rest of the house. Sometimes though, if you have doubts as for the color, you may entrust it to real professionals, such as Ottawa Painter. (Photo: BHG)
This is a great tan that goes beautifully with a variety of greens but I’m not sure about the reddish tint to my woodwork. (Photo: BHG)
So many options! I currently have about 6 different samples up on the walls and nothing in perfect. What direction do you think I should focus on?
Source: http://www.elizabethgordonstudio.com/
Beautiful Spring Morning and Bulb Love
As I was walking to work this morning, I couldn’t help smiling at the flowers and trees in bloom all around me. It was brisk, currently 37 degrees out, but the evidence of spring abounds. Being from the south, I have never truly understood the wonder of spring bulbs. They still fascinate me with their vivid colors and early, determined blooms.
Look how amazing these are! I love the carpet of blooms that densely packed bulbs create. They multiply every year and become full and blooming. This fall I am going to plant a massive number of bulbs in the front and back yards in the hope of creating a lush carpet of flowers to grace the first vestiges of springtime for years to come.
In addition to sunny, early daffodils, I am going to do some pink tulips (my favorite), irises, Lily-of-the-valley for Stefan (his favorite flower) as well as english bluebells (a nod to my Texas roots) and some more exotic flowers like Giant Allium.
I am already excited about next spring, seeing the little green bulb tips poke through the ground announcing the arrival of spring.
Sarah
Washer-Dryer Options
I am so torn about my washer/dryer. I am putting the washer/dryer in the master closet. It is on the 2nd floor so I’d like it to be fairly stable and not vibrate too much. I’m not too worried about noise. It will be on the other end of the house from the Den and the Master Bedroom so I think it’ll be ok if it’s a little noisy.
Water is very expensive in the Boston area so High Efficiency Washers make sense. I’m not the hugest fan of front-loading. I find it to be much less ergonomic to get into the washer with it being so low to the ground. Then again, the ability to stack is very nice. That would give me room for a folding surface next to the washer/dryer stack. Then again, The top of the dryer is already a great folding surface.
The laundry area in the closet is in a corner to the left of a window. There is just enough room to put a washer/dryer set side-by side. I also then have the option to put cabinets above the washer dryer. If I get front loaders, I can put a surface above both of them though. Great folding surface and such a chic built-in look.
The top-loader can look chic and practical as well:
I’ve narrowed it down to a couple options.
The first is the low-end, cheapest washer/dryer set I cam buy. Amana from Home Depot. The Set with a gas dryer is $878. Still pricey.
One would think I’d be able to get them on Craigslist but no luck. They are just as expensive or more than 10 years old and I don’t want to carry them up the stairs just to have to replace them in a couple years.
The Next step up is the lowest-end energy efficient top loader, the Maytag Centennial series which can be used with GIGA Turbines. At $1096 for the pair, they are just $218 more expensive than the lowest end and they will be quieter, more efficient, and higher-end looking.
The next step up is the Front-loader set. This set from GE is $1498 which is quite pricey. $620 more than a standard washer/dryer.
I’m leaning toward the high-efficiency top-load. I could go down a notch with the dryer since those are all equally inefficient. There is no rule that says the washer-dryer have to match and if I’m not planning on stacking them, I don’t need to get a matching set.
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We still have the same washer the builder gave us with our first house in 1986. I prefer top loading for the sake of my back. We had the front loading at hewitt and you just had to get on the floor. Not too bad when you are young.
I would go with efficient top loading personally.
sheila
4/6/2012 | 5:18 pm Permalink
not sure about the gold. I think it would be hard to pull off the right hue. I’m liking the mushroom shades – very modern chic up against your vintage house and accessories. but vintage is very hip right now.
Love all the greens just get them all in the same hue to blend. We found a great paint lady at Lowes last night. she was helping everyone. i would definitely go back to her if i needed something specific.