A Few of My Favorite Things...

The last of the countertops go in this weekend!! We bought a whole bunch of butcher block from IKEA and Jason's been cutting, sanding, and perfecting them on top of our new IKEA cabinets for a few weeks now. The main tops are on there now, with some class joint-work at the corner (with consultation and help from Dad) and a gorgeous undermount sink rim. The remaining pieces will be used to create a narrow bar top between kitchen and dining room and complete the two 12-inch cabinets flanking the new Italian stove! These things are beautiful, but oh-so heavy! I've been helping lug them around simply because there's no one stronger here to help Jason on a regular basis! I will be very happy to see the last of them pinning down something other than me!

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So, now we're at the fun part (technically), and I'm starting to get cold feet! Picking a paint color is a lot of pressure, as I realized one night as we were cleaning up the debris and heading off to Home Depot to make a split decision about the kitchen color and I fell into the turquoise trap... only to find that it was information overload when we got it on a few squares of the wall! So back to the store we went... this time choosing a safe grass green like we had in our old place. If it ain't broke... Now we just have about five more rooms to repaint. Which actually makes me feel less alone because I suddenly realize many of these room choices may (must) have been the produce of similar rushed decisions. Seriously, we're up against mauve and dark brown. It ain't pretty.

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After we finished sanding, we thought we'd reached the bottom. Then discovered the sander hadn't taken off the last layer of old blackened glue permanently fused to the floorboards. And so we (and I should say, Jason) dragged out the scrapers, once again, and tackled the final frontier. But we were ecstatic with the result. A layer of dark walnut stain, two coats of polyurethane (and corresponding light-headedness) and three days later, the floor was gleaming! White ceilings, clean green walls, and a fresh coat on the floor. Yes, I might just have to live here.

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At last! When times are tough, the tough get a residency at the rental counter at Home Depot! This shot represents the fruits of weeks of labor - this exposed oak floor burried under all that rubble! After what felt like a hundred tiny pulled hand muscles and general malaise from spending too much time at low altitudes, we decided to forego filling all the nail holes, dents, and scratches and opt for the "distressed" look instead. A coat of dark walnut stain and two coats of polyurethane later, and the floor looked like new!

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This is what our old (but "it's new to you!") kitchen floor looked like about a week and a half ago. I'm happy to report that this is no longer what it looks like. All that brittle plywood and rank synthetic board is now propped in a neat little stack in the basement, waiting to be cut apart and carted away and we can now see the lovely, beautiful, natural materials underneath! I have found myself contemplating over the past few weeks why anyone would ever cover hardwood with these personality-free squares... but I suppose we are only at the tip of the nature-appreciation iceberg, and I can imagine what a godsend springy, easily wipeable floors must have been to mothers of five back in the 50s and 60s. And while I may not be fully appreciating the old linoleum we've just pulled up, I can safely say that it's burned into my brain from staring at it night and day! Well played, Linoleum!

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It's been a whirlwind couple of months, and this January, we bought a house! Never could I have imagined my nights and weekends (and dreams) would be filled with this image, but I've actually become quite comfortable hanging out in a layer of dirt, rust, and power tools. I have become inseparable from the drill that magically pulls out those stubborn screws and can't imagine how anyone ever managed a project like this with a screwdriver alone! This handful represents one of the last batches of nails I'll pull out of that crusty old linoleum and I'm just hoping the hardwood under it all is worth it! There's something very satisfying about the routine work involved in building (or, rather, demolition) projects like this. Being completely new to this flavor of manual labor, I can tell you the reward seems to even be worth the pain. And while a seasoned professional might have had the whole thing up in a fraction of the time - at least I can say, over an asprin and a heat pack, "I did that."

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Here's a picture of Jason arguing that "we can't possibly fit a cabinet there."  Yes, we chose to spend our Friday night at IKEA, playing with blocks in the Kitchens section of the store. And who says you can never be a kid again? Except this time, you're measuring cabinets and realizing the limitations of real space versus the fantasy kitchens of design magazines everywhere. You know when people say their eyes are bigger than their stomachs? I suffer from this only with home decor. Even so, while planning a move and a kitchen remodel, we found this to be strangely relaxing. It's also cool to see all the eco-friendly options that are aplenty now that it's fashionable to be green. We've heard great things about cork flooring, bamboo countertops, and reclaimed construction materials. And a little blood, sweat, and tears for DIY seems pretty noble too. That is, until I get my finger cut by that first shard of tile...

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