Days 76 thru 93 - Behold the changes as I get caught up

I sort of lost my mind from Day 76 thru today 92.  I had to get ready to move, I scheduled the appliances to be delivered. I had this JOB that I sort of needed to maintain in order to pay for this fun journey. But to be honest, there wasn't a lot of activity after the main floor bathroom tiling was done. I think my guys got pulled onto another job, because I know they didn't forget me (as if anyone could!). 

Here's a breakdown of what happened in the last 3 weeks. The lights were back ordered and just showed up on Day 91 or 92. That was NOT my fault (for once). The plumbing inspection had to wait for the bathtub refinishing (it looks awesome except for one spot where someone clearly touched it before it was dry). The carpet has been laid, the master bath is beautiful and... I moved in and took away the pristine look of an empty house! And no, I'm not unpacked. And no, I don't have enough furniture for the house. Oh and my queen matress and box spring wouldn't fit up the stairs to the attic. 

Here's a breakdown of things that aren't done. The pulls aren't on the vanity (I could do it but I'm not going to), the vanity isn't sealed or set (or whatever the hell you call it), the quarter round isn't on the kitchen floor or the master bath. The outside light isn't up yet, nor is the outlet for hot water heater. The dumpster is still in the driveway (and with the 30 MPH winds today, I had to gather cardboard from the neighbors several doors away). There are other things but why go on. It'll get done. After all, there's no payment until items are completed. I know how this game is played.  And I haven't done anything in the way of home improvements, but that's OK. Unpacking boxes is hard work too. Plus, acclimating myself to my new location.

So here are some pretty pictures.

Carpet. I say I picked it because of the picture of the kitty on the sample. I did. Can't lie.

It's color is "flannel" and it's soft and comfy on my toes

Transition to master bath

The cats like the carpet. I like the carpet. We're happy. It compliments the wood and the wall color nicely. It's a little darker than the sample, but I was warned about that. The salesman told me that it's always a little darker than the sample, so keep that in mind when picking carpet. (Thanks to Carpetland for the awesome service, btw). Since the master bathroom isn't complete, I'm not sharing that just yet. But it's pretty awesome.

Next came the appliances. Again, the weird kitchen layout caused me a little heartburn, but I think I got it figured out with the help of one of my coworkers. It's all about functionality in an old house. Back in the day, there was an ice box in what is now my laundry room. There's a milk door and everything. But putting the refrigerator in that room wasn't an option. So without further ado....

I switched the fridge and stove

This gives better sight lines when coming into the kitchen

 I like the flow in the kitchen. I bought black to tie out the black granite on the other side of this galley kitchen. I know stainless is "the thing" but since this is free standing, I didn't want a stainless front and then "not stainless" on the sides. It works for me. I plan on getting a small cabinet to put between the fridge and the stove to give me a little working room. Not a high priority. And I may have to make it based on the measurements I think I need.

This is not the final location

I didn't want (originally) the laundry on the first floor. But after considering the cost of relocating the plumbing and the fact that my dirty clothes were already on another floor, I decided to keep the laundry off the kitchen. Here's another "mistake" I made when considering my reno. There's a door to the driveway to the left. The stairs outside are super awkward. I knew I wasn't going to use that door (turns out the fact that one of the subs broke the key off in the door, rendering it useless, actually helped me) but I should have included this in my loan amount. So eventually there will be a window here, the door removed and the steps taken down. In the meantime, the washer/dryer have been rotated to left. They fit perfectly and gives me room for a shelving unit for more storage (always lacking in an older home). I also might have given more thought to stacked machines. I'm pretty old school. I really don't like front load washers. It's a personal preference (and a financial consideration as well).

Lights. Ah, my lights. I'm so ecstatic with my lighting choice in the master bathroom and bedroom. I was also surprised by my electrician when I found out that I have 2 smoke detectors hard wired into the house. It's the simple things (no annoying dead battery sounds!)

Pretty:

Sconces in Master Bath

Master Bath

Bedroom overhead lighting

 The new code requires a lot of outlets, which allowed me to have a couple that are attached to the main switch. I don't have a preference, but I'm sure someone will. The ceiling fan is also wired so that I can turn either the light or the fan on via the main switch. My outdoor light is also set up upstairs. It's a motion and dusk to dawn light. But this way, if I hear an odd noise, I can manage the light without coming downstairs. Kinda nifty. That's what I like about my contractor and subs. They're always looking out for me in different ways.

So, going forward, I hope to have the master bathroom completed, pictures of how my furniture doesn't fit and general comments about this whole process. Even when the contractors leave, it doesn't mean that the work is done. I have a list of restoration projects that need to be completed. I have a home tour for Restoration Exchange to prepare for (in a year). I also have a house warming that needs to be thrown. But in the mean time, I am really enjoying my new/old digs. My house is warm and welcoming. Oddly, it doesn't creak and grown like other old homes I've been in. It just needs some sprucing up outside, some more love inside, and it'll truly be "my home". It's getting there, slowly but surely.

Days 29 thru...(it feels like FOREVER)... Day 33

To be fair, I took 3 days off to go to a wedding in Minnesota. 3 days in which I didn't think about cabinets, or paint colors, or tile or even vanities. It was glorious...until the guilt kicked in.

I took 3 days away from finishing up those damn cabinets. What the hell was I thinking? But honestly, I was on the verge of burnout. So it was good to get away.

Basically nothing was accomplished on days 29 thru 31. No one, except me, works weekends on the house, therefore, it wasn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things. But when I got back into town, well... things escalated quickly.

Day 32 - Cabinets. Have I mentioned how much sweat equity I've put into these damn things? Yeah, well. I thought I could finish the striping on day 32, but no...it's like the cabinets want to keep me as their captive. They're holding on to the last vestiges of paint like they never want to let go. LET GO, I say! PLEASE. No luck on this day.

Day 33 - Tile shopping. Yes, my most favorite thing in the world. Shopping. Please insert sarcasm accordingly. I got the call from Austin saying that I had to finish up ordering the important pieces. What, exactly, are the important pieces? Well, the biggest item was the shower stall and trim. That was easy. I picked out a  36" X 77" shower surround mainly because it was ultimately less expensive. It's HUGE. And I do mean huge. Like, 2 people huge. Yay (single) me! Beyond that, I had only committed to the 60" vanity. Not a damn thing else. I've said it before, it's the homeowner that slows progress down, and I was doing exactly what I had set out NOT to do. I thought I better just go pick out the tile and be done with it. I went to ProSource, and while they have a nice selection, I couldn't find the backsplash tile that I wanted. The tile that I have my heart set on. The tile that I refuse to compromise on. I did, however, walk immediately up to the tile for the master bath floor that I knew I wanted but couldn't actually find. Had that picked out in 3 minutes (only decision was on the size of the tile; 6X24 or 12X24). I ended up walking out of there without an "alternate" choice for the backsplash. And I totally forgot the tile for the main floor bath. Which means another damn trip. I had a bit of a meltdown in the car on the way back to the house (just to check progress and lights out) and decided it would be a good night to probably take a little step back. In the meantime, here's the list of things I still have to order (and in some cases, pick out) and my thoughts.

• Carpet - Master Bedroom - OMG, it's carpet. Someone make this decision for me.
• Tile - Main Floor  Bathroom - white subway tile, grey grout - I forgot to order it!
• Paint - Kitchen, Main floor bath, Master bath, bedroom - Eh...come ON. Why is this so HARD. Why can't the color fairy come to my house or whisper in my ear "pick this". I know my mom's a retired art teacher, but I can't match socks. This is STRESSFUL!!!
• Plumbing fixtures - both bathrooms - obviously this is important. But the toilets I want don't fit my budget. The faucets I want are also expensive. OH, I have to pick out another damn shower trim set? Great. I'll pick this out when prices meet my princess requirements.
• Ceiling Fan - Master bedroom - OMG, they gave me an easy one! I CAN DO THIS!!!
• Ceiling light - Master bathroom - The differences between what I think I want, what I can afford and what is "in" right now are vast. HUGE differences. But I think I can manage this one.
• Vanity lights - both bathrooms - Again. I think I can stay in budget. I will become "the little reno that could" and my new mantra will be "I think I can stay on budget, I think I can stay on budget". If you're a betting person, and you're reading this.. do NOT take this bet.
• Bathroom window - main floor bath - I will admit that I punted on this one. I gave up. I told Mike to just make this decision. It really wasn't all that important to me as long as it didn't leak, didn't share my guests shower time with the neighbors and didn't ruin the look of the bathroom. I have faith that this was a good item to pass on.
• Main floor bath vanity - I'm back to "it's too expensive, let's think about rehabbing what we have" which is really a pipe dream. I'm going to have to compromise on this one too (and by that, I mean compromise with myself. I can't always get what I want.)

Day 33 ended with the inspections for the electrical and the mechanical being ordered. I also, oddly enough, decided that I wanted a khaki paint in my den. Don't ask. I haven't actually looked at a paint sample yet.

Day 9 - Retail Therapy - Fixtures, Lighting and more...

If you know me, you know I hate to shop. Unfortunately for me, renovation and shopping go hand in hand. If I had the money, I would have hired a designer/decorator and THEY could do the shopping and make the choices. But I do not, so...I will suffer.

My mom, however, keeps saying how "fun" and "exciting" this process should be for me. I keep pointing out that she could have stayed an extra week or three and finished this task for me. Then she reminds me that I "like weird shit" and our tastes are too different. Except when it comes to Wainscot. We both like that. And square toilets. Weird.

I needed a break from the oppressive heat in the house (I can't turn the air conditioning on until the mold remediation is complete. Which can't come soon enough!) and again, I had read that most renovations are held up by the homeowner not being prepared, or the materials on back order, or something that would, ultimately, be my fault. I wish this to be a blame free reno. So shopping it will be...

Have you ever heard of a woman procrastinating about SHOPPING?!?!

I took the morning to get rid of the old stacked washer/dryer and a few file cabinets and the old hot water heater. And then I tackled the front porch.

Here's a before and after of said porch. It definitely doesn't look an abandoned house any more!

Just enough effort to work up a good sweat and call it a day before noon. I'm looking forward to sitting out here, enjoying my coffee some morning very soon.


And then, because it had to be done. I broke out my list and went shopping. 

I started with granite, mainly because I new where that showroom was located! I went to Mr. Granite and found my choice relatively quickly. I really wanted quartz, but I found a granite in a similar shade/pattern. It's called Black Palmares. I have no idea what that means. Here's the sample: 


It's amazing how many different styles of granite exist. While I didn't find this in the showroom, they have a remnants warehouse/parking lot right around the corner. With the help of Eddie, I found a remnant that would A) fit in my kitchen and B) not break the bank. In fact, I think it'll help the bank. It's black with green and tan/gold-ish flecks. It should be great with "old white" cabinets and dark hardwood floors and my beloved sink.  Or, it'll look like shit, but I'll be able to say that I picked it out all by myself! That's mature, right?!

Next unplanned stop... Ferguson's Bath, Kitchen and Lighting. Talk about being completely overwhelmed. This showroom is spectacular! And huge. I recommend (as does the receptionist as you walk in the door) having an appointment with a sales person if you are ready to purchase/make selections. I got lucky. Originally I just wanted to walk around, browse, take pictures, and write things down, at my own pace.

That actually would have been a really bad idea for someone like me who doesn't have a fricking clue! Luckily, as I was standing there, someone cancelled their appointment and I was paired with Stephanie. She was awesome. Kid you not. We started with my main floor bathroom. Since I knew what I wanted for toilets in the house, that was easy. Then came the sink/vanity. I've chosen a console style pretty close to what would have been original in the house in 1922. Then I had to pick out the faucets, and the shower fixtures and lighting. I had that deer in the headlights look.Poor Stephanie. And trust me, Pinterest does NOT help like I thought it would. Except on the lighting. So here are the winners for the main floor bath vanity and faucets:

I had some ideas for the lighting. But when you see things in real life, they look different. The biggest thing I'm dealing with in this bathroom is the square accents on the vanity/console. In my mind if that is square, it sets the tone for the rest of the items to be square as well. And chrome. I like Chrome. So that's what I'm going with downstairs. As I said, the toilets are both the same, and you can see it here, at this link: A Pretty Toilet

At this point, I'm feeling pretty sure of myself and am ready to move on to the master bathroom. Same toilet, different style vanity, brushed nickel (no chrome) and a walk in shower. Those are my requirements. Easy, right? Again, why do I fool myself?! Here's what I picked for a vanity, faucets and lighting. All of which are subject to change. Repeatedly. I'm crazy in love with this vanity and porcelain sink combo. In my minds eye, the bathroom will be gray and yellow, with a gray floor of some sort. I was thinking the faux woodgrain look. But when I saw it up close, I wasn't in love with it like I thought I would be. I am in love with the Edison Lights. I would turn the fixtures so that the lights were up and down. And have 2 of them. The downside of this is that they only take 40 watt bulbs. So lighting has become a concern for me. These were my initial selections, and I felt reasonably good about my choices. Even though I knew that my tastes were running a little, ahem, higher than my potential budget. We'll see how this works out.

At this point, I'm thinking I'm making incredible headway and I resolutely continue onward. My new quest; a suitable kitchen back splash. All the tiles stores had closed by this point so I decided to head to Home Depot. Where I promptly struck out. I will give major props to the saleslady in that area. Darlene, you were awesome. I hope Home Depot knows they have an awesome employee in Darlene. No kidding. Awesome.

My shopping done, I was officially exhausted and completely over the day.