Housecleaning
There's nothing like the prospect of company to motivate an otherwise sloppy housekeeper like myself to get cracking. NRE and I both share the tendency to not put things away, in a nutshell. And with two long haired cats and a German Shepherd living here as well...
We have been planning a kitchen renovation for the past several months. The architect we hired submitted a couple of proposals, and is coming over this evening to discuss our comments. He got one major thing wrong--I told him quute specifically that I wanted windows looking over our garden to the east, where a seasonal brook and damp soil have supported a satisfying collection of tall perennials with minimal effort. Both his designs had that wall completely covered with cabinets! But flipping it in the other direction, like a mirror image, and adding a few tweaks, fixed that. We will actually be building a 14x21 addition (with added daylight basement space underneath) to accomodate the new and improved kitchen. It will include much nicer looking and functional cabinets, two sinks, a wall oven, and a dedicated tall pantry cabinet. There will be room beyond the actual working area for people to--GASP--hang out and socialize. We don't entertain a lot, but that could conceivably change. More to the point, the next people to live here might want to, which was one reason for hiring an architect.
There will be just enough demolition/renovation in the present dining room and family room that the walls will need re-doing. I had my heart set on creating a near-period room for the 1928 Steinway, with William Morris or Art Nouveau wallpaper, until I did the math: $56 a roll for hand printed reproduction wallpaper, times 10 rolls. Not gonna happen. With the Period Decor bug firmly in place, I resign myself to more --UGH!--painting! But there are some beautiful Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts stencils one can order, and I will most likely re-use the curtains I have. And the dark woodwork fits with that period.
And speaking of paint, I am even planning to paint the woodwork in the family room a nice shade of colonial brick red. Goodbye, 1960s knotty pine. I would love to install beadboard instead, but as I will be doing it myself, best not get too grandiose. And there will be new wallpaper and new rugs.
We have been planning a kitchen renovation for the past several months. The architect we hired submitted a couple of proposals, and is coming over this evening to discuss our comments. He got one major thing wrong--I told him quute specifically that I wanted windows looking over our garden to the east, where a seasonal brook and damp soil have supported a satisfying collection of tall perennials with minimal effort. Both his designs had that wall completely covered with cabinets! But flipping it in the other direction, like a mirror image, and adding a few tweaks, fixed that. We will actually be building a 14x21 addition (with added daylight basement space underneath) to accomodate the new and improved kitchen. It will include much nicer looking and functional cabinets, two sinks, a wall oven, and a dedicated tall pantry cabinet. There will be room beyond the actual working area for people to--GASP--hang out and socialize. We don't entertain a lot, but that could conceivably change. More to the point, the next people to live here might want to, which was one reason for hiring an architect.
There will be just enough demolition/renovation in the present dining room and family room that the walls will need re-doing. I had my heart set on creating a near-period room for the 1928 Steinway, with William Morris or Art Nouveau wallpaper, until I did the math: $56 a roll for hand printed reproduction wallpaper, times 10 rolls. Not gonna happen. With the Period Decor bug firmly in place, I resign myself to more --UGH!--painting! But there are some beautiful Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts stencils one can order, and I will most likely re-use the curtains I have. And the dark woodwork fits with that period.
And speaking of paint, I am even planning to paint the woodwork in the family room a nice shade of colonial brick red. Goodbye, 1960s knotty pine. I would love to install beadboard instead, but as I will be doing it myself, best not get too grandiose. And there will be new wallpaper and new rugs.