The kitchen remodel came to completion last year!
This is but a distant memory.
Kitchen Remodel Before and After
The kitchen remodel came to completion last year!
This is but a distant memory.
The Grass is Green
The upside of the rainy weather here in New England..., the grass is green! Our lawn went from shabby to chic in no time...
... and it looks like a carpet...
... we also planted a little garden in the corner...
... it's blooming...
... the hedges toward Main road are doing well too...
... just as I said..., like a carpet!
... and it looks like a carpet...
... we also planted a little garden in the corner... 
... it's blooming...
... the hedges toward Main road are doing well too...
... just as I said..., like a carpet!
Sweeping and more
The usual Spring cleaning...
... sweeping off the sand left from the winter...
... then a future repair awaits..., the cracks in the road along the driveway (to the left)..., but first we'll get a dumpster in and clean out the basement.
Recycling Old Wood For Kitchen Island
Taking down all the old wood shelving and partition walls in the basement...
... then recycling the old wood for our new butcher block(esque) kitchen island, which Peter will build...
... seems to be the destiny of this wood which has been recycled before by the previous owner out of crates from local textile mills.
... then recycling the old wood for our new butcher block(esque) kitchen island, which Peter will build... 
... seems to be the destiny of this wood which has been recycled before by the previous owner out of crates from local textile mills.
Some landscaping or rather Mud Slide Prevention
Since we had run off problems causing mud slides after the Driveway Construction we decided to put down some gardening cloth...
... the cloth allows the grass to grow through it and over time the sun will break it down and the cloth will disappear on its own...
... but what about all the metal pins that we used to hold the cloth down to the ground, can we leave those too, I wonder...
... for now, we just wait and see.
... the cloth allows the grass to grow through it and over time the sun will break it down and the cloth will disappear on its own...
... but what about all the metal pins that we used to hold the cloth down to the ground, can we leave those too, I wonder...
... for now, we just wait and see.
Do It Yourself Stair Runner Installation 2
After Stair Runner Installation Part 1, here comes part two, the finished project...
... looks like a professional installation, doesn't it? But you'll see it has some Do It Yourself characteristics...
... our solution to the "turn" dilemma that can simply not be solved if you only have a pre-cut/pre-edged roll of stair runner to work with...
... and here on the landing I'm sure you notice (hopefully only barely) the diagonal seam...
... we think it's perfect!
... looks like a professional installation, doesn't it? But you'll see it has some Do It Yourself characteristics...
... our solution to the "turn" dilemma that can simply not be solved if you only have a pre-cut/pre-edged roll of stair runner to work with...
... and here on the landing I'm sure you notice (hopefully only barely) the diagonal seam...
... we think it's perfect!
Entry Foyer Done
Nothing out of the box...
... the before: Entry + Stairway..., I just couldn't decide on a color with punch, and if in doubt go beige(ish), right. So that wall ended up just a tad darker then the hallway color and the two cubes give us room for gloves, hats and sunglasses.
... the before: Entry + Stairway..., I just couldn't decide on a color with punch, and if in doubt go beige(ish), right. So that wall ended up just a tad darker then the hallway color and the two cubes give us room for gloves, hats and sunglasses.
Stair Runner Installation
Finally we got around to begin the stair runner installation and cozy up the stairway to the second floor...
... it begins with cutting and stapling on the pads that go underneath the rug...
... and the same for the tackless strips -those pink things with little nails that hold the runner...
... nice job!
... pushing the stair runner, so it is gripped by the tackless strips...
... et voila!
But we're not done yet, we've got a challenging turn here to figure out..., and in case you wondered..., we followed these Stair Runner Installation instructions.
... it begins with cutting and stapling on the pads that go underneath the rug...
... and the same for the tackless strips -those pink things with little nails that hold the runner... 
... nice job!
... pushing the stair runner, so it is gripped by the tackless strips...
... et voila!
But we're not done yet, we've got a challenging turn here to figure out..., and in case you wondered..., we followed these Stair Runner Installation instructions.
Entry and Stairway
I'm in the process to finish the entry and stairway..., meaning I'd like to give that one wall a different color than the rest..., add some cube shelves, mount new light fixtures which are ordered and lastly install a stair runner which we still have to find.
Kitchen -Ceiling Can Lights are up
All the Ceiling Can Lights are up...
...they're all on dimmer switches, divided up in four sections...
...so the kitchen can be blindingly bright or be flooded with a warm evening light.
Todays Project -Snow Shoveling
More snow kept falling..., so today lots of time was spent shoveling...
...meaning Peter was shoveling (I took the pictures)
...more shoveling...
...the entire town is a winter wonderland..., an empty Main road...
...a very quiet town park...
...and no one lounging in this wood chair at our local coffee shop Coastal Roasters.
Permeable Pavers Driveway Problems
Since the installation of our permeable pavers driveway we had some heavy rains and they have created several run offs along the sides of the driveway. There is no grass so the soil is washing away..., not good...
...and the permeable pavers seem to be wandering from the center to the left, leaving large gaps...
...so we called All Island Landscaping last Friday and today they came by and added soil. To prevent future washout we thought the soil should also be stabilized in some form, covered with cloth, hey or something until we have grass..., but maybe not. Regarding the increased gaps between some of the permeable pavers..., they might or might not crack, we'll see. But we should be in good hands since we've got a one year warranty.
Creating a New Kitchen
Creating a new kitchen...., now more like "waiting" for a new and free kitchen..., well free cabinets that is. We've heard it happens, people ripping out brand new cabinetry. Old cabinets would be fine too as long as they're good quality wood -that's something we can work with. Until then we live with the kitchen as is.
So the floor is finished now, all patched up and repaired with original wood planks salvaged from underneath the fridge and other places. Next will be the installation all the can lights as well as a door for the washer/dryer unit that you see on the far right. Just imagine an L-shaped counter top along the wall and where the couch is, left to the sink a stove/oven, right to the sink a dishwasher and in place of the table a large magnificent kitchen island with two bar stools.
Some Kitchen Ideas:
It's either this sink (seen at BHG -click image) or an undermounted more traditional one. These windows just look like the ones in our kitchen!
I like this island style from House to Home. It feels spacious and offers a comfortable seating area.
Or this simple butcher block island from Coastal Living (without the sink). This stage of creating a new kitchen is fun...and I'm sure I'll be collecting more ideas.
So the floor is finished now, all patched up and repaired with original wood planks salvaged from underneath the fridge and other places. Next will be the installation all the can lights as well as a door for the washer/dryer unit that you see on the far right. Just imagine an L-shaped counter top along the wall and where the couch is, left to the sink a stove/oven, right to the sink a dishwasher and in place of the table a large magnificent kitchen island with two bar stools.Some Kitchen Ideas:
It's either this sink (seen at BHG -click image) or an undermounted more traditional one. These windows just look like the ones in our kitchen!
I like this island style from House to Home. It feels spacious and offers a comfortable seating area.
Or this simple butcher block island from Coastal Living (without the sink). This stage of creating a new kitchen is fun...and I'm sure I'll be collecting more ideas.
Permeable Pavers Driveway Installation Finished!
The permeable pavers driveway installation project was finished last week. The grass around the construction area won't grow in now, but the seeds are there "sleeping" till next spring. So it doesn't quite have that finished look yet. 
This is how it looked before the driveway installation. Something was missing!
We drove up for the first time a couple of weeks ago..., just couldn't wait to see and feel how steep the hill was. It was no problem at all.
This and the next shot I took today. I love that I can now drive up to the house and don't have to haul groceries up the hill anymore. Peter then drives down backwards..., eventually I will try that too (and get used to it). Turning the car around is also an option but it takes a few turns. The permeable pavers start/stop right at the edge by the stairs leading up to the large front porch.
This is the compacted gravel parking area which is very solid. You don't even see a trace of the car on it. Even though the permeable pavers driveway installation (with the stone wall and hedges) went way over budget because we wanted/needed more pavers we're very happy with it.
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