Day Three: Kitchen Becomes Functional

Thanks to my friend's hard work, the kitchen is beginning to emerge from the chaos. I still love my red-orange countertop!

Day Two: taking form

My best friend from Argentina arrived today to help me unpack and start to settle. Although we spent most of the day running errands and napping, we made significant progress toward a more organized space. We focused on the living room/home office. Tomorrow, we'll work on the kitchen.

Poppy Artwork

I ordered this print, "Poppy," by ally gore and Robertz Reader for the kitchen a few weeks ago, and it arrived just before I moved. The colors matches are spot on, and the poppy matches the hue of the counter-tops exactly.

Day One: unpacking begins

And so the work begins.

Cricket & Oliver Redecorate

The morning of our move, I crated the kiddos while I went to pick up the truck. When I returned, I found they had managed to pull every sheet or rug within reaching distance inside their crate. I put a fuzzy green sweater just outside the door and watched them work their magic: Going, going, gone!

Preparing to Move

Packed for what I hope will be the last move for another five years! Loading and unloading took 2.5 hours, two trips, $200 (for truck rental and two movers), and no fuss.

Packing

You can see that Oliver has been very helpful in preparing for the big move.

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Bedroom Ideas

I'm getting close to the final move, and by planning to locate my workspace on the first floor, I'm starting to realize how empty my bedroom seems. What on earth will I do with all this new found space?

The window faces south. The photos show the previous occupant's furnishings. As you can see, I underestimated the window size and placement in my schematic, since the photo shows a twin-sized bed fitting snugly between window and wall. Thus, I will probably rotate my bed to the western wall, or place it at a 45 degree angle, in order to place the bed-stands on either side.

Also, I intend to put a dresser or bench of some sort under the window, which will likely become Cricket & Oliver's favorite snoozing spot. Other ideas?

Amazing Tile Project Idea

I love the whimsy and boldness of the tile-work in this Charleston home, featured in Apartment Therapy DC's recent gallery. The first image is a children's bathroom, but I doubt I'll have the time or money to invest in gutting my own bathroom and installing a new tile shower or floor. The second image shows a tile-topped table, which would make an easier, more portable project for my kitchen.

Step 1) Find a table from craigslist or thrift that would look attractive with a tiled top.
Step 2) Establish a color palette. Been there, done that.
Step 3) Make nice with some local flooring contractors or tile distributers, and see if they'll throw a surplus tile or two my way.

Btw, don't you love the barn door in the second picture? Another future project perhaps: separating the kitchen from the rest of the house for  cat-free cooking and outdoor patio entertaining.

CB2

My newest discovery.

Living Room Ideas

i've already started to think about moving in a couple weeks, and discovered this fun room-planner software online (much more fun than statistics homework.) So, here is my first attempt to design my new living room layout. In this version, I chose to put my home office in the same room, rather than put it in my bedroom. If I end up living alone, rather than with a roommate, I'll create an office/guest bedroom upstairs. For the time being, though, I think the income and company that a roommate can offer is better.

Any feedback or suggestions?

Btw - The front door is the rectangle with the yellow doormat in front of it, and it opens directly into the stairway (which is cut out here). The only window in this room is on the front wall (indicated by plants on either side. It is north-east facing, and goes all the way to the floor. The other two rectangles represent doorways to the kitchen and to the under-steps storage closet. I've also posted a photograph of the previous owner's furnishings so you can get an idea of the space. The detached leg is not included. :)

The Kitchen

Truth is: the red-orange countertops in my new kitchen were a selling point for me. The cabinets are aging, the counters are warping in places, the appliances are dated, and the walls are stained, but I love my little kitchen and can't wait to conjure up some "holly jo shui™"

Here's are some pics (the bottom one is from the previous occupants' listing; the rest are from my home inspection last week.)

Linea Italia

Ooo. Am loving this:
http://www.lineaitalia.it/Products/salotti/kube/kube.html

Color Palettes

Yes, thinking about colors is my favorite thing to do. Here are a few combinations I've collected, largely inspired by art nouveau. The mosaic tile pattern is called "Red Poppies and Air."

Current Living Room Inspiration

Here are two pictures of a random living room i like. i'm considering a similar wall color.

Becoming a Homeowner

On September 23, 2009, I'm scheduled to close on my new home in Chapel Hill, NC . If all goes according to plan, I will be moving in on Sept 25th.