getting there / bedding.

right now our bedding is all stripey and yellow edged.  right now i find myself wanting something that is not stripey and yellow edged.  right now i want this bedding.

also right now blogger is driving me crazy and i'm having problems uploading images.

getting there // master bath

BEFORE

calling the interior of these four walls a master bath is a bit of a stretch, but it is the only bath in the house with a shower, and it is upstairs ... so i guess that means it counts.

we didn't do much, it's such a tiny space you can't really, but we did paint, yay white! and added a few shelves (ikea ribba shelves UPSIDE DOWN, best idea ever), a snazzy shower curtain (west elm, though not on their site) and a not lame towel rack (so important).  also we replaced our hot water heater.  this was by far the biggest upgrade of the entire house - quality of life wise.  we had a total of three minutes of hot water when we first moved in.  then sometime in february we decided it was too cold to not have a hot shower.  new water heater = best investment EVER.  we can now sit in the shower forever.  i frequently come out pink skinned.  it is wonderful.

AFTER

maybe one day kind of soon we'll replace the sink and the pathetic piece of carpentry it's sitting on.  maybe one day not so soon we'll add an actual master bath.  until then i'm basking in the white walled brightness and it's all pretty ok.

ps - sea salt soap, it's the best ever.  both mas and i are deeply, madly in love.  i'd highly recommend it.

getting there // seating

yes, yes, yes i'm still talking about what in the world we are going to sit on in our living room, and for now, we've figured it out.

you see, a few weeks ago i came across the jason wu + canvas collection.

that couch?  we need it.  that bench, another need.  they are perfect.  beyond perfect actually, they are everything i've dreamed of.

they need to be in our living room across from one and other with our soon to be awesome reclaimed wood coffee table.  but, our budget right now for anything, let alone living room furniture v.5 doesn't add up to seven thousand dollars.  if it was even close i'd jump on these bad boys in a heart beat, but alas, we've decided to go a different route, one we can AFFORD.  one that gets a couch into the living room and doesn't look stupid.

but man, do i want that jason wu furniture, and i mean BAD.

so, here we go west elm.  it's the elton settee and it's fine.  it's actually better than fine, it's pretty damn good.

though i do have a few gripes about the whole buying and receiving of west elm goods.  there was one friendly person along the way and everyone else was kind of rude.  also, the additional fifty dollars for removal of a cardboard box and styrofoam ... lame.  and should i really complain about this?  i'm not sure, it's kind of pathetic, but i had to put it together.  i paid more for delivery of this small couch than i did for every bit of furniture we've nabbed from crate & barrel and that all came from friendly men and completely assembled.  don't think i'm afraid of assembly, i'm not, half of our house is from ikea, i.e assembled ourselves, but the whole lack of customer service at every step was relatively annoying.  i guess it was perhaps the final straw.

so now we have a place to sit that isn't totally wrong for the room, and actually looks pretty decent with my favorite chair (which apparently we can no longer order, which sucks cause we need a second).  now we just have to get the new window and rid ourselves oft he eighteen bajillion paint cans hanging out near the fireplace and we'll be ready to go. 

getting there // kitchen

so this week, it's on to our kitchen.   i'd say it's likely the most *done* spot in the house.  with the exception of the electrical outlets needing to be replaced, and well, the dream of wanting to turn that whole back wall into giant glass sliding doors.  also, if i can ever get my hands on a larger sized smeg, well, then we'll have to get a new fridge.

BEFORE

gross appliances that smelled of ketchup and cigarettes, tile floor with grout that matched the tile.  oh wait, no, that was years and years of caked up grease and shoe dirt.  fallen crumbs crushed one after the next into the floor.  cigarette ashes fallen.  and god only knows what else.  it was DISGUSTING.  the kind of disgusting that makes you want to vomit when cleaning.  the kind of disgusting that takes two people seven hours and several wire brushes to clean.  so um, yeah, it's kind of a light grey/neutral colored grout.

red countertops.  the lady who used to live here, she really liked red.  also a ceiling fan.  which in retrospect, kind of a good idea.  but whatever.  when we took it down we found a good inch of crap and dust on every last one of those fan blades.  again, GROSS.  

the worlds most awesome window, which we are thinking about getting rid of.  mas hates it, i love it, it's a constant battle.  i think he's winning.  but if we do get rid of it, where will our kitchen aid and deep fryer go?  hmmmm, it's tricky this small kitchen thing.

AFTER

lower cabinets and countertops removed.  sink, fridge, stove, removed.  upper cabinet doors removed.  i really, REALLY wanted to toss them completely.  i really, REALLY wanted to replace them with very cool wooden shelves.  but you know what?  if we had taken down those cabinets the walls would have crumbled and we would have been forced to build new walls.  we did not have a budget to build new walls.  so, alas, the cabinets stay.  for now.  maybe one day, when we end up getting rid of the back wall with the door and the window, maybe then we will run the risk of taking down those cabinets.  but honestly it scares the hell out me.  so maybe not.

goodbye ceiling fan, hello light fixture.  we wanted two of these hanging, but we have neither the space nor the electrical capacity.  whatever.  one is fine.  also, shelves.  we did get a couple of shelves and for that i am happy.  oh and then island, we built an entire island.  that big empty space under the ceiling fan, it's quite useful these days.  we eat there, i work there, sometimes frances even sleeps under there.  it's great.  also it increases the countertop space by about 1000%.

and did you see the living things?  a few wonderful living things are living in our kitchen.  it's been a while and they've not died yet.  one point for me.

getting there // living room.

so, tuesdays will be for nails, and thursdays for house!  watch out, consistency, here i come?  we'll see about that.

onto house.  as you know, or do you?  about 10 months ago (holy jesus) we bought a little row house in dc.  it smelled of cigaretts and mold.  everything we touched magically turned to dust.  it was and still is a real fixer upper, though not total shit hole, i'm only being slightly dramatic when i speak of it.

we're slow with projects.  mostly because we have to save the money for the project first and figure out how to diy things like electrical (not the best idea) and painting (i'm a pro, no really i am) second.  but we are getting there, i think i've mentioned that.

and now, without any styling and a whole lot of crap ... sorry guys that is just the way we roll these days ... here are some befores and nows.  i'm not going to say afters because as you can see we still don't have the furniture figured out and there is a massive construction project that is going to be taking place in the next few weeks (see below for more on that)!!!!

BEFORE

this is what it looked like the day after we closed.  what nice light, and a real wood burning fireplace!!  but the carpet was rank (hello chain smoker and pet pisser) and the walls were red.  i really don't understand red walls, but to each their own, i guess.  check out that moulding!  isn't it fantastic?

the real proof of the cigarettes is above, i mean visual proof, had you been standing where i was while taking this photo, you would be coughing.  but that streaky funk that you can see in the upper spots of the book shelves, yeah that's nicotine.  we scrubbed that grossness off, it only took some tsp and about four hours. 

AFTER

ahhhh, now look at it.  no couch, we're still figuring that one out, but WOOD FLOORS, GREY WALLS, WHITE TRIM, MOST FAVORITE CHAIR EVER (the one in the background, that is, the big white one is too big for the space and so it's being banished to the bedroom).  as for the coffee table? i don't know where it's going, but it ain't staying there.  also i convinced mas to let me take those shutters down.  i know, i know, you love them, right?  yeah so did he.  but you know what?  they are impractical and big and noisy and frankly, they are ughly.  i'm sorry if you can't see that, we don't all have good taste.

ohhhhh, white bookshelf!!!  isn't it so much better?  yeah i know.  and good thing because that bitch was a bitch to paint.  have i ever told you that super shiny trim paint is my most hated foe?  seriously such a pain in the ass.  but wait, what is that on the left you say?  the original scummy nicotine laced bookshelf??  why yes, yes it is, you are totally right.  but, wait for it .....

in approximately six weeks it will be a window, a big one, and it will be awesome.  which means - we bit the bullet and bought windows.  well, signed a contract and put a deposit down.  i didn't tell you this before, but our current windows are plexi-glass (i kid you not) and are falling into the storms.  our electric bill in the summer is stupid and so is our gas bill in the winter.  here's hoping this will help.  either way it will be awesome.  i'm such a nut for nice windows (WHO AM I?).

so, it's coming along this little house of ours, and you'll be happy to know that we have had people over.  and we are again having people over.  last time there was that chair and a half to sit on though, this time that's in the basement.  maybe i'll purchase some floor pillows.  or maybe, we'll have a fire and sit outside after dinner.  that sounds lovely.