We'll, we've been working like crazy, especially my in-laws, but things don't look that different yet.
Sure, we've had all the carpets cleaned, ALL the windows have been scrubbed, the bedrooms are almost completely painted (ceilings, walls, closets, baseboards), the hallway is painted, the linen closet is painted, I've been prepping the bathroom for painting (cleaning walls, cabinetry, painting cabinetry, painting fixtures, etc.), and the kitchen and half bath are basically gone.
Brian's been very busy in the bathroom and kitchen.
And we bought our kitchen cabinets (et cetera) at IKEA during their big kitchen sale, so we have them ready when Brian is, but for now they're in boxes in the living room.
Gion made it her mission to clean all the windows in the house--inside and out and thoroughly--and, after helping Brian tear apart the kitchen, Phil's been hard at work painting. Now Phil and Gion are both painting. And the bedrooms are looking gorgeous!
You didn't really notice before, but the rooms were (and the rest of the house still is), this dirty shade of ivory. It's impossible to test paint on it, because it distorts other colors so much. I tested my colors after the rooms were primed. And with the new paint, they look SO MUCH BETTER!
I chose a yellow for Everett's room. We were talking about doing green, but since the best feature of Everett's room is the view, I wanted to choose a color that would make the green trees pop, not blend. And as I couldn't convince Brian to do pink or orange . . . it's yellow. Opal Cream to be exact.
In our room, I wanted something neutral, relaxing. We have a toned-down green duvet cover, and I think the brown walls will make the green stand out nicely. I'd also like to paint our bedroom furniture white eventually, and that would look really nice with the brown walls, but that's a project for when our house is ready to be occupied . . . the color is called Wheat Bread (hmm).
I know Phil and Gion are probably cringing that these pictures still have tape in them. But I'm blogging now, and I'll put a new blog up when the rooms are really finished! They look so good already!
I've chosen the colors for the bathroom too. The full bath has dated tile. Not dated in a good, retro, kitschy way. Dated in an 80s/90s way.
Here's a picture. The main tiles are a fake marble, the trim is grey, and the border is this weird blue and grey floral pattern. So, to tone everything down (maybe) I chose grey for the walls (kind of a greenish grey among all the blue-greys that I tested, but really, it's just grey). Then I chose a white for the trim, ceiling, and fixtures that's kind of blue-y. The grey is called Silver Setting, and the white is called Day Spa (oh la la!).
I wish I was farther along in the bathroom. I've cleaned the walls and cabinets. Sanded, primed, and painted the cabinet drawers/door and fixtures (towel racks, toilet paper holder, medicine cabinet, etc.). I still have to sand and even out the ceiling and walls, and hopefully I can do some painting.
It's just been hard with Everett. First of all, it's not easy to get to the house early. I'd call myself medium to high maintenance, but with a baby . . . it's just hard for us to get anywhere early. 9:30 is as early as we've done.
Then, I've been trying to keep Everett out of the house with the paint fumes, so I've been focusing on jobs I can do outside, mostly painting the cabinet drawers and fixtures.
Luckily, my parents have been stopping by regularly, and when they do I can get a little work done in the bathroom, or focused work done outside. He gets so bored in the pack-n-play alone!
Phil and Gion have be working SO HARD! They go to the house early almost every morning and work all day! Things still feel like they're going kind of slow. But without them, I'd be a tenth of the way along (maybe) and doing half as good a job (maybe).
My parents have also been doing work, weeding and cleaning the yard. But their most valuable work, for me, has been as company for Everett.
It's so amazing to have our families coming together and to be watching our house become a home!
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