Content/Sidebar/Sidebar

I was fully intending to do a post with a tour of the backyard but the week kind of got away from me.  It's hard to photograph the backyard because it is long and narrow.  Or shallow and really wide is probably more accurate.  

It is a nice, calm space, despite its bowling alley proportions.  Rick and I like to sit outside for an hour before dinner, having a drink and talking about our day.  

Like the rest of the house we have some plans to spruce it up a bit.  I wanted to list, more for my own record keeping purposes, everything on our to do list.  Big and small.  I'll check back to it throughout the year to see what kind of progress we have made.

I love lists.  Specifically I like crossing things off lists so I'm hoping to knock out a few of the smaller items in the next week or two.  

Inside 

All:

• Patch
  & paint walls 

Living
room:

• Patch
  & paint
• New
  shades & valances
• Area
  rugs
• Floor
  lamp 

Kitchen:

• Patch
  & paint
• Modify
  kitchen cabinet for fridge
• Replace
  chandelier
• Fix
  exhaust fan
• Fix
  3-way switch 

Laundry/Rick’s
Office:

• Build
  corner desk
• Replace
  outlet
• Replace
  carpeting 

Sitting
room:

• Remove
  wallpaper
• Replace
  carpeting
• New
  window coverings
• Replace
  missing screens 

Andrea’s
office:

• Ikea
  desk
• Modify
  table
• Ceiling
  fan? 

Guest
bath:

• Clean
  out drain
• New
  window covering 

Hall
bath:

• Tub
  area remodel (raise ceiling, new tub, tile, door)
• Remove
  soffit above sink
• New
  lighting
• Replace
  counter top
• Remove
  wallpaper 

Master
bedroom:

• Ceiling
  fan
• New
  window coverings 

Outside 

Front:

• Remove
  dead birch tree
• Cut
  down small birch in courtyard
• Move
  rose in courtyard
• Modify
  sprinkler layout in front yard
• Install
  sprinkler timers 

Back:

• Remove
  magnolia tree
• Trim
  pecan tree above roof
• Gutter
  repair
• Remove
  deck
• Install
  wall fountain
• Rear
  sprinkler repair
• Install
  side gate for trailer
• Fence/screen
  for trailer
• Fix
  lattice on gate
• Remove
  bathtub

Yes.  Remove bathtub from backyard.  You can't see it in these pictures but there is an old clawfoot tub, partially submerged in one of the planting areas.  

Ignore the random patch of grass.  It was left over from a roll of sod used in the front yard.  I want to remove the brick bump out you see in the picture and fill it in with lawn.  Oops.  Better add it to my list…

File this under quick fixes.  

Succulents sure are having a renaissance right now, aren't they?  I have to admit that while being a fan of the plants I'm generally not as enamored with their usual containers.  Either terracotta (think SouthWest) or 70's minimalist terrariums.  

When we moved into our new house our next door neighbor left a sweet card and a little potted arrangement of succulents on our front stoop.  It was a lovely gesture and a nice welcome to the neighborhood.

The plants came in a shallow terracotta pot which I kept in our kitchen window.  I kept looking at it, thinking I should be able to enjoy the plants while still keeping to my style.  While unpacking my eight millionth box I came across this shallow china dish.  It was just the right size.  I just plunked the entire arrangement in it and filled the corners with a little extra potting soil.  Easiest fix ever.

 

 

Here is my attempt at a bath mood board.  

When we bought the house we knew that the hall bath was going to need a remodel right quick.  It's not a bad bathroom but the shower/tub is completely inadequate, particularly since this is our main/master bath.  

You can see how low the ceiling is above the tub.  Rick's head brushes the ceiling when he stands in there.  According to the folks that have poked around up in the attic above the bathroom there really isn't anything in that space (like ductwork or anything like that) so other than it being a popular design feature back in the 40's (according to one contractor) there is no reason for it to be that low.

The tub is also too narrow to accomodate a glass door.  Well we could put one on but then we couldn't move around much in there. So the ceiling will get raised and the tub will be replaced.

At first we were entertaining the idea of a solid surface for the walls but after pricing them, yeah, that's not going to happen.  We were going to go with a Corian or quartz on the walls and then do a matching countertop.  Something that mimics Carrara marble.  

But after getting the bid for the less expensive (Corian) surface we decided to switch gears a bit.  We will do white subway tile for the shower/tub walls and do real Carrara marble for the countertop. Since we're saving on the walls we can splurge on the countertop.  

The cabinetry will stay but we'll remove the soffit above the sink area.  The cabinets will get a fresh coat of white paint (it's a pinky beige right now).  The walls will get a beadboard treatment.  

The current countertop is some kind of solid surface material.  It's not bad looking in the picture but in real life it is a dingy beige color with busy dark grey streaks in it.

The paint color I'm leaning towards is Behr Chocolate Froth.  I'm a little worried how it will look with the marble so that is subject to change.  My inspiration has been this picture from for the love of a house (you can see it included up there in my mood board).  I'm hoping the Chocolate Froth is neutral enough to not clash with the grey of the marble.  

Here's one last, very unglamourous, shot.  That wallpaper really needs to go.  I don't know why it is we keep buying houses with wallpaper that needs to be removed.  At least it is a fairly easy fix.  Imagine white painted beadboard with a pale, neutral taupe above.  

The idea part is easy.  We already have the details (tub, tile, faucet, colors, etc.) decided.  We just need to find a contractor to make it happen.