Ok, I know I’ve been
neglectful, but all that time not spent blogging has
been put to good use. And so, I will have some great decor eye candy for
you soon. Since we closed on our townhouse on May 18th, Kurt and
I, my sister and her boyfriend, and our fathers have been working on it,
pouring our blood, sweat and (my) tears into the place to make it ours. Here is a quick listing of
what we’ve managed to get done so far:
- Moved the cabinets and soffit from over the peninsula to against the wall to open up the room
- Installed boxes for 3 pendant lights over the peninsula
- Primed and painted every inch of every room and hallway (including the 20ft. walls in the stairwell)
- Fixed the leaky faucet in the main bathroom
- Installed blinds in the living room and master bedroom
- Updated outlet and switch covers
- Replaced wood trim on the front windows (all wood trim will be replaced at the end of the month)
- Replaced carpeting in the 3 bedrooms
- Trimmed overgrown trees in the backyard
- Weedwacked the 10 square feet of grass in the backyard
- Powerwashed the entire house and patio
- Cleaned gutters
- Replaced all doorknobs
- Installed deadbolts on front and back door
We
still have a ton of things to do before we can really relax, but we’re
getting there. From spilling 3/4 of a gallon of paint on the carpet to
realizing everything leaves a mark on flat paint, to running out of
paint entirely for every room and none of the gallons matching each
other, we’ve had some mishaps and are learning valuable lessons the hard
way, understanding it’s a process is half the battle.
As
for the decorating, I’m learning to be patient and see the potential in
things. There is not a single white wall in our entire house. Kurt and I
both grew up with mainly white walls and wanted as much color as we
could manage, so we might have gone a little overboard, but the rooms and
their colors make us happy. We’re replacing and collecting furniture
slowly, which has been the hardest part for me. I want the rooms to be
done, but “done” costs money, and with a mortgage hanging over our
heads, “done” needs to be slowly achieved. The thing is, since we’re
collecting furniture from friends and family, nothing matches in that
perfect, eclectic way and everything tells a story. We have a 1950’s era
campaign dresser-turned-buffet inherited from my Nonni, a beautiful
300-lb, solid wood headboard and footboard given to us as a housewarming
gift from friends who bought them at a yard-sale for $75. Our desk and
dining room table were donated from friends, our dresser is another
inherited piece from Nonni, and our gorgeous couch and refrigerator were beyond-generous gifts. All of this means that every piece of furniture we own
means something to us. Yes, I might paint the desk and the dresser and
replace hardware to give them new life, but they’ll never lose their
meaning.
While
slowly furnishing and decorating our home will save us money and ensure our house is truly that, there is one downside. And that downside is the
blank, unadorned walls, the books sitting homeless and unorganized in
boxes because we have no bookshelves, the mismatched bathroom
because I haven't had the time to paint the vanity, the feeling that no
matter how clean the place is, it won't "look" clean because of the various piles of tools and supplies scattered around the house. This has
been a struggle for me. I dislike clutter very very much, especially
when guests are over. But I'm learning to relax and let it go. They're
my friends, they won't judge me because I haven't swept in 3 weeks or
because they have no pretty art to look at. They'll get over it and so
should I. That being said, I can't promise I won't go back to my
neurotic ways once the house is more finished, but for now, I
give up. The clutter wins. And I don't/am trying not to care.
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