(no subject)
We've gotten a few comments that it's been too long without an update, so I apologize for the lapse in posts. Last weekend was kind of strange in that a lot of small projects got done. The main ones were the master bedroom got painted and the bathroom was primed. More on those later.
Today we got to the house just as the Lowe's delivery truck was pulling into the driveway. It was as if we timed it perfectly, but to be honest we did need to do a bit of panicked running around moving ladders and boxes so they could bring the appliances in. We didn't hold them up too much.
I'm going to talk a little about our appliances - we spent a lot of time picking out smart, energy efficient appliances and I thought I'd share some of the reasoning behind it. First of all we bought all Energy Star appliances (where applicable - they do not rate ovens/ranges or clothes dryers). These appliances use less electricity than standard models, which will not only save us money, but also help save the environment.
Our refrigerator has several features that make it energy efficient. It features a twin cooling system which helps you more accurately control the temperature in each compartment. Also, it does not have a water dispenser in the door - this allows the fridge doors to be as insulated as possible. Plus, it looks good! The top doors open to the fridge and the bottom is a pull out freezer.
We found this awesome oven - it features two separate cooking compartments which is great for holiday meals. However this makes it a very efficient oven - instead of heating up a large single compartment, most meals can be made in the slim upper compartment, thus requiring less electricity.
Our washer and dryer are front loading, which uses less water and electricity than normal ones. The electric dryer is a bit of an energy hog, but in the summer months we will be able to use our solar linear evaporator (that's a clothesline to you lay people). We sprung for the pedestals which raise the appliances off the floor. No more bending down to get clothes out of the dryer!
Missing from this view is our dishwasher - it's still in the box and will be installed at a later date.
Once everything was in place, we started working on the vent hood which we started last week. After getting everything in place, we realized we had the entire thing turned 90 degrees, so we had to re-do everything again. I won't tell you what I was muttering underneath my breath in this picture, but it wasn't pleasant.
Once we got that all sorted out I screwed in the dozens of tiny torx screws that hold this thing together. And with a bit of teamwork we got it all hooked up.
After a quick lunch of some chicken and dumplings that Erin made in the crockpot, Tim and I started putting together all the drawers and doors for the cabinets.
While we worked on that Erin touched up some paint in the master bedroom, which she and her mom painted last week.
And then painted the upstairs bathroom.
Meanwhile downstairs we kept plugging away at the cabinets. Those Swedes know what they're doing with their fancy hinges and snap-together drawers. There are all kinds of built-in adjustments you can make to ensure everything is level and flush.
Things are really starting to come together! We are both really pleased with the way everything looks together.
Today we got to the house just as the Lowe's delivery truck was pulling into the driveway. It was as if we timed it perfectly, but to be honest we did need to do a bit of panicked running around moving ladders and boxes so they could bring the appliances in. We didn't hold them up too much.
I'm going to talk a little about our appliances - we spent a lot of time picking out smart, energy efficient appliances and I thought I'd share some of the reasoning behind it. First of all we bought all Energy Star appliances (where applicable - they do not rate ovens/ranges or clothes dryers). These appliances use less electricity than standard models, which will not only save us money, but also help save the environment.
Our refrigerator has several features that make it energy efficient. It features a twin cooling system which helps you more accurately control the temperature in each compartment. Also, it does not have a water dispenser in the door - this allows the fridge doors to be as insulated as possible. Plus, it looks good! The top doors open to the fridge and the bottom is a pull out freezer.
We found this awesome oven - it features two separate cooking compartments which is great for holiday meals. However this makes it a very efficient oven - instead of heating up a large single compartment, most meals can be made in the slim upper compartment, thus requiring less electricity.
Our washer and dryer are front loading, which uses less water and electricity than normal ones. The electric dryer is a bit of an energy hog, but in the summer months we will be able to use our solar linear evaporator (that's a clothesline to you lay people). We sprung for the pedestals which raise the appliances off the floor. No more bending down to get clothes out of the dryer!
Missing from this view is our dishwasher - it's still in the box and will be installed at a later date.
Once everything was in place, we started working on the vent hood which we started last week. After getting everything in place, we realized we had the entire thing turned 90 degrees, so we had to re-do everything again. I won't tell you what I was muttering underneath my breath in this picture, but it wasn't pleasant.
Once we got that all sorted out I screwed in the dozens of tiny torx screws that hold this thing together. And with a bit of teamwork we got it all hooked up.
After a quick lunch of some chicken and dumplings that Erin made in the crockpot, Tim and I started putting together all the drawers and doors for the cabinets.
While we worked on that Erin touched up some paint in the master bedroom, which she and her mom painted last week.
And then painted the upstairs bathroom.
Meanwhile downstairs we kept plugging away at the cabinets. Those Swedes know what they're doing with their fancy hinges and snap-together drawers. There are all kinds of built-in adjustments you can make to ensure everything is level and flush.
Things are really starting to come together! We are both really pleased with the way everything looks together.