finnime
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Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.
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Post by finnime on Aug 4, 2022 10:14:14 GMT -5
I agree with CCL. The combination will look great. And you'll be very happy for the buffet counter space.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2022 18:53:32 GMT -5
I would keep the countertop. What color will the cabinets be? I think you will be fine with those cabinets. Once you have a few items on the counter it will start to fill in the space. You could always add something more decorative like a backsplash, glass doors or even a nice wallpaper. We have something sorta similar in our dining room as far as the bottom portion. I've got a beverage fridge and a small upright freezer side-by-side with shelves to the side and a wine rack/shelf above. We use it a lot! Don't forget plenty of electrical outlets. One on each side at the bottom and a least a couple for the countertop. You may not need as many as me, but I've got my coffee maker, my bread machine, phone and tablet chargers, and my Aerogarden all plugged in over there. Plus the fridge and the freezer. The cabinets will be a dark blue. The backsplash will be hexagons with white, beige, and a little bit of light blue. The other side of the kitchen will have the same tile but with majority light blue, beige, and a little bit of white. The cabinet doors planned to be glass.
Now that you bring all of that up, the drawing doesn't seem so plain. Maybe that was my hesitancy--it was "just" the outline and not the finished product?Ooooh! I wanna see when it’s done!
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finnime
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Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.
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Post by finnime on Aug 15, 2022 3:21:36 GMT -5
I've decided to adorn our naked and very sunny front yard with a Weeping White Pine. I think it will set off the house very nicely and do well. Now, to order it, plant it and watch over it.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2022 14:33:45 GMT -5
I've decided to adorn our naked and very sunny front yard with a Weeping White Pine. I think it will set off the house very nicely and do well. Now, to order it, plant it and watch over it. That reminds me of when Mister and I were talking about possibly planting trees wayyyy over there near our property line to better screen the view of our deck from the street. At some point in the conversation, Mister was like “Wait! You have to BUY trees?!” and he was SO serious. I didn’t want to be rude by laughing, but I couldn’t help it. I’m not sure how he thought people got specific trees to plant on their property if they don’t buy them. I guess he’s never thought about it. This is the same man that couldn’t understand why I wanted to paint over the pale ugly green on our front door. He was honest and admitted that he’s NEVER even thought of painting a door lol. So I guess I shouldn’t be surprised he never gave much thought to landscaping.
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saveinla
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Post by saveinla on Sept 10, 2022 16:10:06 GMT -5
This is the finished product from our remodel - kitchen
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saveinla
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Post by saveinla on Sept 10, 2022 16:14:37 GMT -5
Shower
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saveinla
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Post by saveinla on Sept 10, 2022 16:17:14 GMT -5
I was really surprised as they did not go over budget except for 400$ which was for changing the switches in a few places. The inspector who came for checking the shower told them to replace the outlets in the kitchen and that was the only thing extra added to the original estimate. We bought the bidet cover as that is not part of the standard contract and they installed it.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 10, 2022 16:25:49 GMT -5
saveinla I know this has been a long, tough journey for you but the results are truly stunning. I'm a huge fan of grey myself, and I love your combination of tiles
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NastyWoman
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Post by NastyWoman on Sept 10, 2022 17:22:24 GMT -5
I had not been on this thread for quite a while so I missed the ceiling fans with the pasties and tassels. That was good for a laugh so I'll reciprocate in kind. Why don't you look at all those cars advertising for IUDs (aka Tesla) next time you take a drive.
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Knee Deep in Water Chloe
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Post by Knee Deep in Water Chloe on Oct 25, 2022 22:35:58 GMT -5
Here’s the cupboard we had custom made. It doesn’t match the drawings i posted . I decided I didn’t like that original design. I tried really hard to like it. Then the designer I hired called when she saw the drawings and asked why I approved something there was no way I liked. 😆 She earned her money that day.
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finnime
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Post by finnime on Oct 26, 2022 3:43:34 GMT -5
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CCL
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Post by CCL on Oct 26, 2022 4:40:06 GMT -5
Love it. Chloe you're going to get so much use out of it!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2022 7:51:12 GMT -5
At some point in the conversation, Mister was like “Wait! You have to BUY trees?!” and he was SO serious. I didn’t want to be rude by laughing, but I couldn’t help it. I'm considering that for next spring. I have a VERY large Emerald Ash tree in the common area just at the edge of my property and the HOA pays to get it treated for Emerald ash borers, but from what I read it's postponing the inevitable. I want to plant another, large-ish tree in the middle of the back yard in case the Emerald Ash dies. The complication: my house is built into the side of a pretty steep hill so I can't count on anyone getting any heavy equipment down there. I guess I'll have to buy the largest they can plant without heavy equipment. The previous owner had planted something small and put a fence around it but the deer got to it anyway and it never matured. I do the discretionary remodeling whenever there's room in the budget; next year travel expenses shouldn't be as crazy-high as they were this year since most of the two major trips in 2023 are paid for. Since buying the house in 2015 I've replaced nearly every window over the years since the place was built in 1995 and some had condensation already. There are 3 giant windows overlooking the lake. I am NOT looking forward to replacing them but that will likely be the next project.
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azucena
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Post by azucena on Oct 26, 2022 13:12:19 GMT -5
Two egress windows are next in our home improvement budget. So exciting....not.
After another airbnb trip where I thoroughly enjoyed the hot tub every night and slept like a baby, I really, really want one. However it's hard to justify that expense and the environmental impact of keeping that much water that hot all the time. I learned that there are jacuzzi bathtubs with a heater. We currently have an older jacuzzi in our main bathroom that gets used a couple of times per week. A heater would make it all that much better. Anyone have something like that?
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Anne_in_VA
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Post by Anne_in_VA on Oct 26, 2022 16:12:32 GMT -5
We have a jacuzzi tub with a heater. I love it in the winter when I come in and can’t get warm. A bath with the heat on is wonderful!
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seriousthistime
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Post by seriousthistime on Dec 9, 2022 11:11:39 GMT -5
Buried somewhere in these 19 pages, someone mentioned a decor blog they follow. I can't seem to find it quickly.
If you follow a decor blog, can you please post some links?
I definitely need some inspiration. I'm still at the point where I'm pulling anchors out of walls left by the previous owner. So I'm a way from doing serious decor, but as I do minor decor tweaks, I'd like to at least put things where they look best.
Just for the record, I'm doing the following, over time:
Remove popcorn ceiling (getting bids now) Revamp fireplace wall (which includes closing off a doorway; contractor selected and he'll do this in the spring) Redo main bath Redo/replace master bath vanity and top Redo kitchen Replace all flooring
A multi-year project.
And outside, I am getting a bid to remove a fruit tree. It drops fruit that rots on the ground and then my little dog likes to find and chew on the pits. I can't tell you how many of them I have fished out of her mouth.
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Pink Cashmere
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Post by Pink Cashmere on Dec 9, 2022 14:20:06 GMT -5
Buried somewhere in these 19 pages, someone mentioned a decor blog they follow. I can't seem to find it quickly. If you follow a decor blog, can you please post some links?I definitely need some inspiration. I'm still at the point where I'm pulling anchors out of walls left by the previous owner. So I'm a way from doing serious decor, but as I do minor decor tweaks, I'd like to at least put things where they look best. Just for the record, I'm doing the following, over time: Remove popcorn ceiling (getting bids now) Revamp fireplace wall (which includes closing off a doorway; contractor selected and he'll do this in the spring) Redo main bath Redo/replace master bath vanity and top Redo kitchen Replace all flooring A multi-year project. And outside, I am getting a bid to remove a fruit tree. It drops fruit that rots on the ground and then my little dog likes to find and chew on the pits. I can't tell you how many of them I have fished out of her mouth. I probably mentioned this Blog. I haven’t poked around on there in months now, but I enjoyed reading it and learning.
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seriousthistime
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Post by seriousthistime on Dec 9, 2022 15:05:22 GMT -5
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CCL
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Post by CCL on Dec 9, 2022 19:04:25 GMT -5
It's not a blog, but I like apartmenttherapy.com for ideas, generally for smaller spaces.
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Knee Deep in Water Chloe
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Post by Knee Deep in Water Chloe on Jun 18, 2023 19:34:12 GMT -5
Woah! Did we really go six months without posting in this thread? Anyhoo, we bought this house a year ago. I can’t remember what I last posted about this room. Here’s how far I’ve gotten with the living room. I’d have 82 more throw pillows, but my family gets frustrated with that. While I like the green vase holding the runner down, I don’t like it in this room. It’s the only heavy-enough one that have to not get knocked over. I need to figure out how to get more light in the corner with the bistro table. Eventually, I want Roman shades for the windows and French doors.
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Jun 18, 2023 20:02:33 GMT -5
I now know the color I went for my living room accent wall when I finally get all of DN3's stuff out of my basement and have it painted. It's the same color DN1 put on their accent wall and it's the color they had in Ames.
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Pink Cashmere
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Post by Pink Cashmere on Jun 18, 2023 20:15:57 GMT -5
Knee Deep in Water Chloe Beautiful! You have great taste. I’d forgotten about this thread. Maybe I will update it when I get started on my backyard.
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bookkeeper
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Post by bookkeeper on Jun 20, 2023 14:06:00 GMT -5
I went to the building supply store to order windows today. Ouch, ouch, ouch. The cost of windows has tripled since we did the kitchen remodel in 2017. Should have kept going at that time, but hindsight is 20/20. Glad the market is doing well.
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Pink Cashmere
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Post by Pink Cashmere on Jun 26, 2023 19:13:22 GMT -5
I decided to ramble here instead of cluttering the WAYDRN thread.
I’ve been really into planning to create an outdoor seating space in the backyard and landscape that whole area. It is a long term project that will take a few years unless we win the lottery or something. So my first goal is to create a master plan, then break it down into phases that make sense. I will probably work with a professional to make sure I don’t miss anything and make expensive mistakes. Like, I was initially looking for solutions for the outdoor covered space that didn’t require running electricity, but I don’t want to end up wishing I had electricity out there, so it’s easiest to and more economical overall, to just go on and run electricity during the first phase so it’s there if I want to use it, instead of having to backtrack and spend even more money having to possibly tear out and redo some things I’ve already done, to add electricity later.
So each phase needs to take into account what will or might come later.
I’m willing to do as much of the labor as I reasonably can myself, but I’m also going to need some licensed and bonded professionals for certain things for safety, integrity of the property, and just because I don’t want to figure it out and/or do it myself. Besides obvious things like electrical stuff, even if I’m willing to do some of the hardscaping myself, I need to be sure things like grading or whatever are done correctly since a lot of our property isn’t flat and I don’t want to cause drainage issues.
I also am not really good with delayed gratification, so with all the brain power I’m using for this, I’d like to do something ASAP, to keep me motivated. I am leaning toward my ASAP being provided shade to our deck in a way that will work whether we rebuild the deck or tear it down and use the patio underneath. Whatever I do out in the yard, I still want to use that area as a comfortable outdoor space too. What I want is retractable shade panels, without building a pergola. There are endless kits available online, but it’s not something I’m comfortable doing DIY, and I’m having trouble finding companies that will install those. They all install pergolas that you can attach the retractable panels to, and solid coverings. Part of the frame for it will have to be secured to the house, which will require drilling into the bricks on the house and then 2 support posts in the ground. That’s important enough that I want someone to do it that knows what they’re doing.
If I can find someone to install it, that project shouldn’t be terribly expensive, and it would immediately increase our ability to enjoy the deck, without potentially interfering with future plans. So, some immediate bang for our buck. The deck isn’t huge, but it is a decent size for how we use it, (It’s either 14 or 16’x26’ IIRC from when it was measured) so if we rebuild it, it doesn’t need to be even bigger, and the patio underneath is almost exactly the same size as the deck, so that’s big enough too, if that’s what we decide to use. I’ll just need to make sure that whatever mechanism is used to move the panels is long enough to reach from the ground if we end up going with just the patio, but can be tied up or something to make it shorter while we are still using the deck or if we decide to rebuild it.
I am way more excited about creating comfortable outdoor spaces than I am about working on the inside of the house that still needs furniture, never mind designing and decorating. But I spend as much time as I can outside, so that’s probably why.
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jerseygirl
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Post by jerseygirl on Jun 26, 2023 19:50:33 GMT -5
Our neighbor owns a landscaping business for big commercial companies. His yard is fabulous! Nice pool with beautiful flowers around it. An outdoor kitchen and bar. Fire pit with Adirondack chairs in the wooded area next to the lake. Three years ago a film company used their house.
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Knee Deep in Water Chloe
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Post by Knee Deep in Water Chloe on Jun 26, 2023 20:14:04 GMT -5
The phases part makes perfect sense to me, Pink Cashmere. We are not handy people, so we bought our current house because of the backyard living area. We call it "The Great Room" because it's great. It does fall under the great room concept of kitchen/dining/living in one area. We do have one retractable shade for the setting sun.
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Pink Cashmere
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Post by Pink Cashmere on Jun 26, 2023 20:20:14 GMT -5
What kind of retractable shade do you have?
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busymom
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Post by busymom on Jun 26, 2023 20:51:48 GMT -5
I got my first "rough" estimate on finishing the basement. Now yes, we need to add in the heating vents, electric for lighting fixtures, and one bathroom. The drywall is up and has already been painted white (for now--will probably change the color in the future, but that's something I can do myself). Anyway, to add a bath, finish the ceiling, electric & flooring, the first contractor I spoke with told me it'd cost between $35,000 & $75,000 depending on the finishes we use... Yes, I plan to get more estimates, but WOW. I don't even want to share how cheap it was to finish a basement when we first moved in here. It's too depressing how much costs have gone up.
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Jun 27, 2023 9:39:01 GMT -5
When I moved here in 2009, the contractor would finish the basement for $7,000. Mine was finished when I looked at it so I don't know what all that included. There is no carpet in the basement now because of the flooding that happened. Realtors have told me to put something cheap in when the house is sold.
My bathroom is supposed to be painted on July 5 and that long, drawn out project will be completely done.
I want to paint everything else except for the bedrooms but not until DN3 gets his stuff out of the basement.
I also want to get the carpet out of the master bedroom and some kind of wood looking flooring put down. I don't use the other two bedrooms so I'm not changing those out.
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Knee Deep in Water Chloe
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Post by Knee Deep in Water Chloe on Jul 8, 2023 9:58:53 GMT -5
Good morning! On a different thread, I mentioned the wine 🍷 cupboard I had made for my kitchen. I realized if never shown you the finished product. Here’s the before pictures of the kitchen. This is what it looked like when we bought the house in May 2022. That wall color is deceiving. It was a much darker yellow. I call it burnt butter. This is the cutout for the new cupboard. Below is the size of the original wall unit. You can see it slightly in the first picture to the left of the red bench.
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