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This weekend we:
- painted the ceiling
- got the 1st coat of semi-gloss on the trim
- bought 4 Benjamin Moore samples for the bedroom wall
- got our resident parking permit
- obsessed about bedroom paint color
- mostly drywalled the garden apartment mantle
- didn’t love any of the 4 we slathered on the walls
- bought a record cabinet & sideboard/bar {yay craigslist!}
- bought 5 more BM samples for the bedroom wall
- picked the bedroom wall color {WOOT!!}
- purchased said bedroom wall color
Now I just need to post all the pictures that go with this.
T-minus 19 days until the big M-O-V-E!!
Picking paint colors is one of the hardest things I’ve had to do so far. Ripping up carpet? Not a problem. Drywalling? Easy peasy.
While I originally thought the spackle dust may be the death of me, I changed my mind. Picking paint colors may be the death of me.
My husband doesn’t see the big deal. “Just pick one.” or “It’s just paint.” I disagree.
I once did this online color quiz. {Of course I can’t find the link now.} There were rows with different squares of colors all in varying shades. Each row was a different color. You had to put the jumbled shades in each row in order. {If I find the link I’ll update.} I got 5 out of order.
I’m sensative to differing shades & tones. I want to find the perfect one.
Color palette so far?
~ darker hardwood floors
~ 2 walnut dressers
~ crisp white trim {Behr semi-gloss untinted base}
~ cream drapes
The original plan was to paint the walls the same color as the drapes with the white trim providing the contrast. Now I think that might be to light. I’m having trouble combining the cream & the white. Both are staying, so now I’ve got to find the perfect shade that makes them look cohesive & intentional.
4 color swatches went up on the wall last night. I don’t love any of them. BM’s Manchester Tan {81} might work; it the best of the 4 but perhaps a little light.
I need inspiration. {And a decision by Friday.}
What’s your favorite greige??
Or maybe I should do a color?
Here’s a peek at the drapes:
Due to some awesome schedule shifting at work, I had this past Monday off. {I know; you’re green with envy. It’s ok. I still love you.}
Instead of lounging in bed with bonbons all day, I spent it being productive.
Ok. That’s not entirely true. I did sleep in a little. And by “a little” I mean until 11:30am. It was amazing.
After I pried myself out of my comfy bed, Bruce & I headed over to the house and prepped for painting. We put plastic down on the entire bedroom floor, walk-in closet & the 3rd floor hallway.
After our massive cleaning attack, you know there was no way I’m chancing getting paint on our newly refinished floors.
First, I put blue painters tape all the way around the perimeter of the room. Then I went back and taped the plastic to the painters tape. {That way I didn’t have to be so perfect with the plastic.} It seems to have worked well.
I like that it’s completely flat & taped down. Nothing bunching up. No loose ends to trip over or risk exposing the wood. It took me about 2.5 hours cover everything nicely but it was worth it.
Monday evening, Dad came to help me prime while Bruce supervised.
Dad cut in with his trusty brush while I rolled.
Toward the end we both did trim.
There’s A LOT of trim. I didn’t realize how even the ratio of edges, corners & trim to wall space was until we did this.
We were there until 11:30pm before it was finally done & cleaned up {then Dad has an 1.5hr drive home}.
But it’s done!! {happy dance} The entire bedroom, walk-in closet & 3rd floor hallway have been primed.
{except the grate on the fireplace, which I have grand delusions of stripping} {it makes me chuckle too}
BTW ~ I don’t know if you’re like me, but I cannot for the life of me do anything neatly.
My friend Melissa could paint a mural in a pristine white crew neck cardigan {how’s that for a mental image} & never get a speck on herself. Me?!
I come home covered in primer. I was at work WEDNESDAY still finding spots that I missed.
Last Saturday, the Family Team cleaned our house top to bottom.
We vacuumed, scrubbed, then mopped every square inch of our 1600 sqft abode. It was truly a team effort.
{The camera also got stranded here on the 3rd floor, so iPhone pics will have to suffice.}
There was floor refinishing dust settled in nooks & crannies, not to mention the moldings & trim.
{Right before being scrubbed down. This is begging for some teenager to scrawl “Clean Me” in the dust.}
It’s amazing what a shop vac, Mr. Clean & some rags can do to a place.
We even did the medallions & chandeliers. I’m not sure the light fixtures have ever been cleaned.
It’s amazing what some hardcore cleaning will do to your outlook & mood.
Since our marathon cleaning spree, we feel lighter. The cloud of dust hanging ominously over our progress has been replaced with a more optimistic and cheery spirit. It’s no longer overwhelming to be there. I can ~ literally ~ breathe easier. The phlegmy cough that reverberated in my lungs is disappearing. We’re happier and back in love with the house. It’s an amazing, amazing transformation ~ and possibly the cheapest.
Plus – NOW WE CAN PAINT!!!! Huzzah!
We have officially cut off our phone line.
The phone lines snake around on top of the baseboard throughout our entire house. In preparation for painting our bedroom, the wire creeping up to the third floor and into our bedroom was removed.
It was unceremoniously yanked out, staples flying every where.
Decades of paint peeling up.
Creating a much bigger mess than originally intended.
See ya suckas!
After a little scraping to smooth out the worst areas, we’re ready to clean and then paint.
We don’t have a home phone now and – if we want one – we’ll get it through the cable company. Cable which was neatly & discreetly run by our dads. I love not seeing rogue cables cluttering our baseboards & moldings!
Last night the hubs & I decided to take an impromptu trip to IKEA. Just to look.
We have 3 different IKEA’s within 15 miles of us; the closest being 5 miles away in Elizabeth. We browsed & split an order of Swedish meatballs for dinner. {awww}
It wasn’t planned. We didn’t need anything in particular but I am keeping my eyes open for a few different pieces.
I need a storage option for my 9 different sets of china, plus all my glassware.
Yeah. You read that right. 9 different SETS of china. Not place settings, actual sets.
I collect china & glassware like most women collect handbags. I’ve never actually had my entire collection in one place though. Different patterns & pieces are scattered between my parents, Rob’s parents, & our apartment.
Nothing at IKEA has grabbed me though. I’m thinking I want something more heirloom {which IKEA won’t have} or built into the kitchen. We perused different options but moved along to housewares. We were just looking.
In housewares, we spent some time looking at rugs. We’ve never purchased a rug before; never really had the need. Besides, those suckers are expensive! With hardwoods throughout, we now need one for our bedroom {& eventually one for the parlor} but nothing has screamed TAKE ME I’M YOURS.
I saw this last night at IKEA. It’s the Hemmet Rug in dark orange for $149.
The price is right and the color is brighter in person. It’s an option. Like it; not sure I love it. I was thinking a pattern might be nice but solids would be easier to coordinate with. I’m keeping it in mind but it didn’t come home with us. I don’t know exactly what I want but feel like I’ll know when I see it. Besides, we were just looking.
Also saw some fun fabric that I loved.
Yeah. Loved that!
It’s Majken in gray & orange for $7.99/yd. While I’m a sucker for fabric, I didn’t have a project in mind. At $7.99/yard, it needed to have a purpose before hopping into the bright yellow bag. Again, tucked it away for future reference and moved along. We were just there to look anyway.
We made it all the way through the showroom, housewares, and the self-serve warehouse empty handed. Victory!
Then we decided to pop into the AS-IS section. You know, just to look.
Sitting along the wall was a lonely chair & a half with only a coordinating footstool to keep it company.
Originally $649, the Stockholm chair spent a good bit of time as a showroom display model. It was marked down 50% to $324.50. We sat in it.
Quite comfortable. Just the right size for our 2 cabooses and maybe a dog snuggled on our laps.
Slightly dirty though.
It is a floor model, so I guess that’s to be expected.
Oh. It’s a slipcover. We could toss it in the wash.
Maybe if it was a little less. Under $300 would be good.
Lets ask.
{Ask IKEA sales lady. She says things come into the AS-IS section and get marked down 30%. The longer they sit, the more they take off. She’ll check and see if it’s time to mark this little guy down again.}
Turns out – It IS time to mark it down again! Another 10% off = now $259.60.
Sold. It’s little stool friend came home with us to for a mere $35.
We thought it would wedge into the trunk. It didn’t.
45 minutes and more than a few weird looks later, it was secured to the top of our trunk with the stool & cushions inside.
It was secure but we still took it slow coming home.
The new additions are now sitting – naked – in our parlor while the slip covers take a spin through the washing machine. If they don’t come clean, maybe I’ll make a new cover out of that fun gray & orange Majken fabric!
At the beginning of the month, Mom A cleaned the 2nd floor bathroom. {It’s managed to stay relatively clean but only because we don’t live there yet.}
Meanwhile, the 3rd floor bathroom sat looking like this.
Neglected. Covered with sawdust from our June floor refinishing & general college student grime. This was also the bathroom that smelled like vomit & mildew until we pulled the carpet squares up. {YUM!}
On the 15th, that all changed.
Mom L spent her entire Saturday getting chummy with our porcelain fixtures & Mr. Clean.
Oh the things we do for love.
Quite the Before & After, don’t you think?
Thanks Mom!
Saturday was spent cleaning the house from top to bottom. We literally mopped ourselves out the front doors. Unfortunately, we also stranded the camera on the 3rd floor.
D’oh!
I’m off today and headed to the house to crack open our first can of primer {squee!!!}.
Since the house was previously rented out to 4 college students (1 per bedroom), cable was run in every room. You’d think that was a good thing.
I guess it was but it was done in the craziest way. I’m guessing the cable company came in and did it. A cable came in through the back window of each level.
On the first floor, the cable came in low on the back right window & ran up the edge of the window trip to the crown molding.
{picture taken before we closed, so that’s not our stuff}
It then ran along the crown molding, through the wall above the pocket doors & into the parlor.
{Cause dark gray wire isn’t at all noticeable on yellow paint. /sarcasm}
Upon entering the parlor, it ran across the top and down the left edge of the pocket doors then along the floor to the corner.
Kinda like this -
On the 2nd floor, again it came in low on the back left window. This time, instead of running along the right wall, it took the long way around.
Of course there was carpet, so you didn’t really notice it running along the baseboards. BUT this route also had a few doors to span. They just ran it up one side, over the top, and down the other side of the doors.
{The circle with an X indicates a splitter.}
The 3rd floor was even wackier. Again, it came in low on the back left window and ran left.
Much of the cable was already loose by the time we took possession of the property {which you can see in the lower left of that picture}. This time, after going up & over the back bedroom doorway it came through the wall into the front bedroom small closet.
Where it ran around the baseboard, through the wall in between the doorways, ACROSS the floor of the walk-though {not up & over}, along the baseboard of the cubby and ended near the mantle.
Phew! I know cable guys aren’t picky about the placement of the cable, just so long as it works. But yeesh!! I don’t think they could have run it in a more obtrusive manner.
I’m not all crazy obsessive when it comes to design. I think homes are made to be lived in, not kept as showrooms. But c’mon. Even painted the wall/baseboard color it would have been a constant eyesore.
SOOOOOO
The dads fixed it.
Of course they did.
Best dads ever.
The original plan was to run it up through the mantle in the dining room, go through the side of the mantle, and behind wall into the parlor.
Even with this monster mason drill, we couldn’t get through the brick.
From the dining room mantle we could see the mantle in the garden apartment.
Plan B – go through the pantry closet.
We were still able to see the mantle in the garden apartment from the back left of the pantry, so we ran one line down.
That line will run behind this pipe.
We’ve already run the garden apartment cable {coil to the left} along the back side of this pipe. The upstairs cable will join it along the back of the pipe. Both will run, discretely, out the back of the house.
Excellent. Now back to the pantry.
In the left wall of the pantry, we installed a 4-way splitter {hence all these wires}.
One wire for the dining room, one for the parlor, one for then 2nd floor, & one for the 3rd. This also seemed like a good place to keep the wire hub. Out of the way but no so built-in that we couldn’t get to it again.
We ran the parlor cable behind the baseboard over toward the parlor mantle.
A box was installed next to the outlet and to the left of mantle.
The 2nd & 3rd floor wires ran up through the pocket door opening {but back far enough so the pocket door won’t interfere}.
Despite what the blueprints show, there’s a small closet in between the cubbies on the 2nd floor. It’s a scary scary closet.
A little demo later…
Once it was all demoed, the 2 cables were run through.
We left it coiled up on the second floor because we’re not really sure what we’re doing with the closet space on the 2nd floor yet.
The 3rd floor cable was run up and installed into the baseboard at the bottom of the cubby in our bedroom.
{picture missing, will update when I take it}
So there you have it! How we went from a tangled, visually distracting mess to a nice tidy solution.
On those weekends not spent hanging out with our family, this is what weekends used to be.
Lazy Saturday afternoons or quiet Sunday mornings.
Time spent just hanging out on the sofa.
Throwing toys.
Napping.
Just general hanging out.
Doing whatever, whenever.
Like more napping.
Not anymore!! Nowadays, our weekends are spent working at the house.
We’re making progress, so that’s rewarding. I’m looking forward to our bedroom being completed. Or at least free from dust.
I’m really really sick of spackle dust. It’s killing me. Literally. I’ve got a cough that could scare small children.
This weekend will be spent cleaning up all the dust {YAY!!!} and starting to paint {double YAY!!!}.
I’ve got a few things fun things almost ready to show you but they’re not quite ready for primetime.
In the meantime, you’ll have to deal with the incredibly self-indulgent pictures of my favorite mohawked dog. I apologize.
Tomorrow there will be pictures of the house & building materials & Newark!
Today, I’m going back to the house to sand & respackle 2 walls. It’s JUST as fun as it sounds.
