Kitchen Painting Party

Mike and I finally had our first weekend home with nothing planned so we decided to take advantage of it and the nice weather to tackle painting the cabinets... which turned out to be a much bigger project than originally planned. I didn't set my hopes on having the whole thing done by Sunday night since I knew I wanted to do a good job with the prep so we'd have proper adhesion but I didn't anticipate not finishing with primer by the time it got dark last night. Loosely following a few tutorials I read online, this is how it broke down:

Friday night - Mike and I grabbed a quick dinner then went to town clearing out the kitchen and taking all the doors & hinges off. In all it probably took us about two hours with the power drill saving us a significant amount of time with six screws to take out of each door (three screws per hinge). This is where we left it when we went to bed.

The hardest part was probably getting the shelves out of the upper cabinets which were clipped in on all sides. That or peeling off not one, but two layers of old contact paper. Luckily the bottom layer had probably been applied about ten years ago because fresh contact paper is all but impossible to get up and this stuff had lost a lot of its adhesion. One of the biggest reasons for us painting the kitchen is the insides of the cabinets just felt dirty. It's amazing the accumulation of crumbs, dirt, and other gross things the insides of the cabinets had that no amount of vacuuming could fix.

Saturday morning - Mike and I woke up early and hit Home Depot before the Saturday crowd rolled in. On our list of things to get included 38 hinges, 2 replacement track holders for the undersides of the drawers, 3 replacement rollers that make the drawers slide in and out easier, 4 packs of metal pegs to hold the shelves, liquid deglosser, and a pack of 120 grit sand paper. Good thing I like numbers.

We came up short on the replacement rollers, but we got everything else and went to work on filling holes and sanding. Although we like the drawer handles the previous owner picked out, the knobs for the doors were not our style and looked rather dinky on the big cabinets which meant Mike needed to fill the old holes so we can re-drill new ones after we are done painting. While he was at it, he also filled a few chips in the drawer fronts and a 1/4 inch gap in between two of the upper cabinets. Meanwhile, I busted out the new electric sander (one of my birthday presents along with a compressor and nail gun attachment) and went to work on the cabinets inside. Overall, I wasn't aiming to remove the top layer entirely, just rough them up enough so that we get maximum paint adhesion down the line. I also rubbed all the cabinets with a liquid deglosser which helped remove any lasting varnish while helping to wipe away all the dust from the sander. This step literally took us all day until about 5:30 but at least we felt like we were getting somewhere.

Creepy Selfie

Had to join in on the sanding fun

Sunday - Mike rarely sleeps past seven so he was up taping off the counters and appliances by the time I got up. He also graciously agreed to me going to yoga & coffee with my good friend while he stayed home and primed. That's true love.

When I got back I help him finish up inside and then we set up a station outside to use paint sprayer #1. I say number one because we were sorely disappointed by it and went back for a different model after an hour of trying to get the first one to work how we wanted it to. Basically the issue was our compressor wasn't big enough for the sprayer and we could keep an even PSI level which in turn meant that we were getting a really inconsistent spray. Our options from there were to either get a compressor twice the size (which we really wouldn't have a need / space for) or go for an electric one. We went with the ladder option and got semi-better results but I'm still not totally convinced on this model. I'm holding out that it will do better with paint than with primer but I'll definitely let you know once we get there.

In the end, we ended up primering everything by hand which is why we still aren't done with this step. We got another six doors and two drawers primered after work this evening but at this pace, it's going to take us the rest of the week. The only really good thing we did was set up a convenient station for painting with a drop cloth nailed to the fence that will be perfect for the paint sprayer if it ever decides to work.

Next step after we prime is to start in on the inside of the cabinets and drawers with a basic white, semi-gloss paint and then move on to the outsides with a beautiful grey-navy satin paint by Benjamin Moore. Wish us luck! I'll be back with an update next week.

If I Could Do Anything in the World...

Interior design is one of those things I had no clue I liked until about a year and a half ago. My mom actually was going back to school to get her AA in interior design when she passed away but I had given it little thought until recently when I had my first space (our apartment) that I had free reign over. Since the space was tiny and I was in school, improvements needed to be creative and cheap but I actually had a lot of time to experiment. Although having the house torn apart was not Mike's favorite thing to come home to, he graciously gave me space to create.

I'm sad that my mom never got to experience the explosion of the blog world, pinterest, or etsy because I think she would have absolutely loved it. I know that it is an endless source of inspiration for me and where a lot of my ideas come from. The other day a friend asked what were my favorite blogs for inspiration and DIY projects. Pinterest obviously tops the list for pictures of interiors that I draw inspiration from, but I also find that things are often repetitive or not my style. So in case any of you were wondering, here it is... my top five favorite design blogs and why.

1) Apartment Therapy - This blog is a powerhouse of all things house and home. Written by many contributors yet still edited by a paid staff, this blog is meant to be read many times a day as new content gets posted hourly from about 6am-3pm PST. Some highlights include house tours of real people's (stylish) homes and the best 'before and after' peices on the web.

2) Young House Love - YHL is the first thing I read when I wake up (preferrably while still in bed). It's written by a very cute but real couple out in Virginia that took a blog similar to this one from a hobby to a full-time job for both of them in about 4 years. This blog definitely wins for the most informative DIYs and most relatable writers.

3) Little Green Notebook - by blogger Jenny Komenda is one of my favorite for design projects that are a little out of the ordinary. She definitely pushes the line and isn't afraid to try new things. She is currently fixing up a very grandma-ish home that her and her husband purchased out in Arizona and I've been continually amazed at the huge projects she's been taking on.

4) Style by Emily Henderson - Emily is probably the most 'famous' of the bunch and got her start on HGTV. She definitely has her own look which is pretty much summed up by peacock blue velvet, brass trinkets, and fiddle-leaf fig trees. An odd mix but it works everytime. If I could steal a career in decorating, hers would be it. Only reason I don't read her blog more often is it can feel a little too 'sponsored' sometimes.

5) Design*Sponge - Weird name, awesome blog. Similar to #1 in the sense that it is written by multiple contributors and can even have overlapping content but has a different feeling to it because it doesn't stick to just decor. Although it's updated with around 5 different articles everyday, I don't check it as often as I do AT but still always find something useful or beautiful when i mozy on over there.

I feel like I should make this list every year to see if my favorites change. I've always been curious what it would be like to be a professional blogger and really admire what these people have accomplished. My dream is to one day contribute to the design world instead of just watching from the sidelines but would dread leaving accounting and the security it provides. I guess we will just have to see what the future holds!

A Rustic-Modern Dining Room

With a new house and new blog, I've been on the hunt for a perfect collage tool to aggregate all my favorite things in one place where I can see how the look together. After following a link in a comment on one of my favorite design blogs, I stumbled upon Polyvore -- a step up from pinterest in that it shows you items that you can actually buy. I realize that this site feeds off of consumerism, but i'm sick of falling in love with the perfect bookends only to realize that they are no longer for sale from Anthropology (and haven't been for two years). Unbeknownst to me, when I stumbled upon their site yesterday to make the perfect dining room, they had just barely launched the Home sector of their website.

Now with that un-paid promotion over, here is what I am thinking for our eat-in area which only measures about 10' x 3':

I have been in love with the Saarinen tulip table and Eames molded plastic chair for quite some time but those two items plus the Enzo Mari painting totals up to around $3k on their own. Although I have found art similar to the Enzo Mari painting, the pear (and it's counterpart "Uno La Mela") is the one thing I would splurge on. The pendant light is from Crate and Barrel and is on sale right now. We have a decent-looking fan in there right now but to be honest, I've never met a fan that I'm a fan of I like.

I'm curious to know what other people decide to save on and where they splurge. Also, should I just buy a knockoff of the table and chair (there's a million of them) or do I save my pennies for the real deal?

The Joys of Home Ownership

Last night I woke up suddenly because I thought I heard someone downstairs. We aren't used to all the sounds our house makes so I find myself frequently waking up at the smallest squeaks- like the other night I woke up at 3 am to Mike walking around and when I asked him what's wrong he said he heard water running and since we were advised that our water heater needed to be replaced, he thought maybe it had gone out. Turns out it was just the next-door neighbor's outdoor fountain that they let run all night, every night.

Also turns out that no one was downstairs but the sound I heard was from a massive tree in the common area toppling over. See that silver car? That's mine. Luckily it fell just right so that it missed any cars or houses but I still had an interesting call with the HOA management company that didn't inspire a lot of faith in me. The actual manager of the HOA was out but I got his assistant who said she'd send the landscapers over... I don't think she realizes how big of a tree I was talking about. Other than that, what really worries me is the fact that the roots of the tree were completely rotted out. As in, I probably could have leaned against the tree and it would have fallen over. Looks like this couple might have to get on the board and convince the HOA to send out a tree specialist to check the rest of them because the last thing I want to deal with right now is huge tree coming through our roof while we are sleeping.

Other surprises or inconveniences we have been dealing with include not being able to access our mail and a leaky water heater. We get our mail through a common box but unfortunately, the last owner didn't have the right keys to it (they never actually lived here, just rented it out). This isn't a huge deal but the post office never seems to be open when I have time to visit it. I actually tried going to the small one by our home the other day during lunch and it turns out we have to visit the larger one a few miles away. The good news is it's free to have your lock changed if you have just moved in as opposed to the $50 it costs if you need to get a new lock because you lost all the keys.

The other issue is with our leaky water heater which was pointed out to us during the inspection. We had gone ahead and ordered the home warranty before our inspection just in case he found something (they won't cover anything 'preexisting') and so it looks like we'll get a new 40-gallon tank for about $60. The one we have no is pretty gross looking but that is also because it is in a closet outside of the house so it's more exposed to the elements and rodents. Mike and I are considering a tankless water heater but with the cost of the actual unit being around $800 as opposed to $350, we are going to have to weigh the pros and cons a little more. I think the real deciding factor will be how much it is to install. We have the water heater guy that the insurance called coming out on Thursday so we will have to see what he quotes us. Anyone else have any big surprises with in the first few weeks moving in?

Cleared Out

Mike and I have had some crazy, busy weekends and this last one was no exception. Although we did the bulk of our move a week ago, we still had some loose ends to tie up with the apartment. Originally, we thought we would need to repaint the whole place back to a neutral color since it would be easier for our landlord to rent it out but luckily one of our good friends is actively hunting for a one bedroom place and our complex is strangely cheap compared to most other places. If he ends up taking the place and he likes the dark blue/grey, our landlord agreed that we could keep it that color and we promised our friend if he moves out we would donate our slave labor to paint it back to whatever color it needs to be. I call that a win-win.

Other than that, we got everything cleaned up in about a day. Our landlord was actually really happy that we had taken such good care of the place and that the carpet is as good as it was the first day Mike moved in thanks to our no-shoes-inside policy. I took some pictures after we had gotten everything cleared out and cleaned up and it doesn't even look like the same place.

I've heard in places such as San Francisco where the vacancy rate is extremely low, people often "pass down" their apartments to people they know. Our friend was worried that it would be weird to live someplace where you knew the previous tenants so well but I think with any place, it takes a while to make it feel like your own. Even though Mike and I hold the title to our new place, we are still struggling with this feeling as well. I'm hoping after a few DIY projects and some time, this place will really start to feel like home.

3X

As in, we have three times as many bathrooms in our new house as we did in the apartment. That’s a ton of toilets for two people!

Mike and I have been enjoying the fact that we don’t have to share the bathroom in the morning (planning out who needs to get in the shower first was the topic of conversation more often than I’d like to admit), but unfortunately we are figuring out that they are all are missing elements of functionality and beauty.

Half Bath Downstairs

Guest Bath

Master Bath

All three have the same cabinet combo that we had at the apartment with the counter extending over the toilet. I’m not sure why this type of vanity was so popular in the 80’s but it doesn't leave much room for creativity. The previous owners did make an attempt to dress-up the bathrooms by replacing the lighting and framing-out the large mirrors but Mike and I want to take it a step further – starting with the half bath downstairs.

This bathroom is in the worst shape with peeling floors and a very smelly cabinet (we think it previously held a cat’s litter box). There are always surprises when buying a house and if this is as bad as it gets, we are lucky. As for what I want to do with it, I really love the look of planked walls. Most pictures I find have white painted planks but wouldn't it look amazing in a dark color? I stumbled across both these pictures this week (neither of them are bathrooms though) and think I could pull it off downstairs. I worry about it looking too nautical or cabin-ish and how that would work with the rest of the house, but my favorite thing about home décor is you don’t have to get it right the first time (even though it annoys Mike to no end to have to re-do projects). Another option that Mike and I both like is a half wall of beadboard and chair railing all painted the same color. I like beadboard but tend to think it's too traditional - seeing it painted all the same color made me thing twice though.

As for the two full bathrooms upstairs, I think they will stay how they are for now until we have the capacity for a full-bathroom renovation. I’m really not enjoying the color of the tile in the guest bath so that might change soon, but our master bath is pretty neutral with white tile all around. Our biggest issue with the master bath right now is there is really no storage for all the small odds and ends that we used to have in a drawer in our old bathroom. Mike wants to rip out the vanity in favor of a version with more storage options which I am all for if it is the right price. Down the line we’d actually like to expand the bathroom into our bedroom about 3 feet and switch up the layout like so:  

Original Set up

Possible Remodel

For now we are just on the hunt for a shower curtain that we both like. We made it out to Ikea for some table legs and new handles for the kitchen drawers but struck out in the curtain department. 

Staring at the Stairs

Am I the only one who thinks there is something romantic about having a staircase in your house? I know Mike definitely doesn't even consider things like this... his response would be "they're stairs -- they get you from one story to the next," but he has to admit having a staircase adds architectural interest to any space.

Right now, our staircase is neither romantic nor interesting, but of course, we have some big plans for this space starting with ripping out that yucky brown carpet that covers our entire upstairs.

View looking down the stairs at the front door

Since the stairs are the first thing you see when you walk in, I feel like they set the tone for the whole house. Mike and I agreed that we'd like to install walnut flooring to replace the carpet with white risers on the stairs. Like this:

Wirtheimer Architect 

Unfortunately, the previous owners picked out an engineered flooring for downstairs that Mike and I aren't crazy about. I like some variation in texture or grain but the what they chose has far too much variation for my taste. While I am open to a lighter wood as well, I love how sharp the walnut looks against white.

Another addition to the stairwell will be board & batten along the wall behind the door and up the staircase. Mike always looks at me like I am speaking a different language when I say 'board & batten' but then I turn to pinterest for some visual help. I'm kind of torn between a more subtle detail or a chunkier version. Which do you prefer?

Urban Lens Studios

Unknown

Country Living

Complete with a fun color for the inside of the front door (we can't paint the outside due to HOA rules) and a pendant light in the stairwell, I think these stairs will be worth staring at.

My First Working Fireplace

When it comes to having a fireplace, Mike and I have very different upbringings. My family's chimney was damaged in the '89 earthquake and although I remember it being 'fixed,' I have never seen a fire lit in my childhood home. This may have something to do with it being located in the formal living room which might as well not exist with the amount of time we spent in there.

On the other hand, Mike's family lights a fire in their fireplace every chance they get during the cold months. I love how cozy his house is with everyone lounging on the sectional during the holidays with a good fire burning and football on the TV. In my head it totally looks like a cheesy commercial but in reality it's perfect. In his house the TV is above the fireplace (a design choice I realize a lot of people don't prefer) and he always tells me the story of how one winter after the Christmas tree died, they decided to chop it up and burn it and the fire got so hot it actually melted the wiring for the TV.

Lucky for us, we aren't planning on putting the TV above the fireplace, but we are planning to give this awkward little corner some love. Here's what it looks like now.

The fact that the bottom of the mantel is shorter than the width of the stone bothers me to no end, but I am thrilled to have a wood-burning fireplace that actually works! Mike and I both agree that it needs something, but short of a total makeover with a big budget, we weren't sure how we could make it work -- especially with those odd angles. Needless to say, I've been pinning fireplaces like crazy over on my 'new home' Pinterest board which has made me realize just how many different options there are for fireplaces.

If we were going to do a large renovation and completely change this wall, I would opt for a gas fireplace over wood and choose a green option. I really like both of these from Ecosmartfire.com

I realize it's a very modern look, but I feel like it would incorporate well even in a more traditional house. However, since we don't have the funds or courage to start moving walls, I am thinking of a makeover more along the lines of this:

Apartment Therapy

Young House Love

The fireplace makeover YHL did on their old brick fireplace probably tops my list of their most creative, beautiful, and budget friendly DIY projects (which is saying something since they DIY for a living). Although I prefer the tile and pattern in YHL's makeover better than the one above it, I like how the first picture shows what it would look like if I wrapped the mantel around the entire portion that extends from the wall.

This makeover is definitely on the 'to do in the next 6 months' list as far as home improvement projects go but in the mean time, I will have to settle on decorating the too-short mantel. Oh, and dreaming about replacing the granny-esque fireplace cover with this beauty...

Crate and Barrel

What’s Cookin'?

The first time you move on the hottest weekend of the summer it’s just bad luck. The second time, it’s a tradition. 

One Mike and I don’t hope to continue.

Good news is that we got our entire apartment boxed up, loaded into the U-haul, and unloaded at our new place all in one day for under $100. We still have to go over to the apartment and patch some holes/ clean up but all around we got a lot done this weekend. My goal Sunday was to have most of our stuff put away at the new house so we could get up for work in the morning without digging through boxes to find something to wear (which was mostly a success – I’m still figuring out what ‘business casual’ means). Mike pointed out that if someone only saw the spare bedroom right now they would probably think we were hoarders but then I pointed out that’s why doors were invented. That room is on the list of things to tackle this weekend but for now it’s really nice to be able to just allocate the mess to one room that we don’t have to see every day.

However, there is a room that Mike and I are excited to see and that is this baby right here. Best part? You can open the dishwasher and fridge AT THE SAME TIME. Whoa.

In order to increase the resell value, the previous owners made a few cosmetic upgrades – one of them being new tile counter tops. I usually am not a fan of tile for counters but since Mike and I don’t have the budget for a full kitchen reno at the moment, I am glad they went for this option. The cabinets however, are a different story. They look okay in pictures but up-close they are just bad. The edges and doors are chewed up and insides are dark and dirty. The internal hardware is also non-existent which means when you open a drawer, the whole thing just falls out. But hey, did I mention that you can open the dishwasher and fridge at the same time? All joking aside, I am really excited about having a kitchen with enough space that Mike and I can cook together instead of just getting in each other’s way.  Cooking is something that we both really enjoy and I can’t wait to whip up some fabulous dinners in here together.

As for what we plan to do with it, we have a “phase 1” and “phase 2” approach. Phase 1 includes:

• Painting the cabinets dark grey like this or this:

Unknown

Gwenyth Paltrow's Home from House & Garden

• Replacing the internal hardware to make the drawers functional and upgrade the hinges and pulls to something we both like. Although I feel like these handles may be overused and a little 'trendy,' I want something that will bring these cabinets into 2013.

Ikea

• Replace the blinds with a simple shade. Here is a great tutorial on how to make no-sew shades in any fabric you want and also inspiration for the look:

Catherine Kwong Design

• Add a hanging light or sconces above the window or sink. I am leaning towards the two sconces but would love some input. Also, if I add just one pendant light, do I center it on the sink or the window?

Willow Design

• Last but not least, we plan to slowly replacing the appliances (with a new fridge being our next big buy). We’re thinking that a counter-depth model would flow better with the rest of the kitchen and since Mike and I have a habit of grocery shopping two or three times a week, we don’t really need a lot of space to store food.

Phase 2 involves entirely new cabinets & counters, a 6-burner gas stove, a couple corner cabinets, and a big farmhouse sink but there are other areas of the house that need some attention before we get to that point. I’m hoping we will have the time to start phase 1 and paint the cabinets in the next few weeks. Mike got me a handheld power sander and an air compressor with a nail gun & paint sprayer attachment for my birthday which I am so excited to use for this project. He knows me so well! 

My Favorite Room in the House

...isn't even a room. It's this guy right here.

A laundry room nook! Mike and I lucked out that our apartment complex had multiple washers and dryers available to us so we never had to actually go to a laundry mat but oh man, not having to scrounge for quarters every time I need clean clothes is going to be such a treat. Also, not that I'm a huge germaphobe, but finding pet hair on my clean clothes when I don't actually own an animal makes me wonder how clean are they actually getting?

As you can see by the partially slanted ceiling, the nook is located under the stairs. Below is a shot to give you more perspective on how the downstairs is laid out with the laundry nook to the right and the half-bath on the left across from it.

Although it's just a small part of the house, we have some big plans for this space - the most obvious being replacing the old washer and dryer with something more energy and water efficient. When we transferred over the utilities to our name this week, we asked for the average monthly bill so we could estimate total household expenses and were blown away by the PG&E bill - $268 a month!! We think either they consistently left every light in the house on or they were growing weed (which could also explain the intense security system they had going on in here). Of course we realize that electric is going to be more than the $25 a month it costs us now, but anything we can do to reduce our energy consumption is a win for earth and our pocket books.

Other than nerding out over home appliances, Mike and I have plans to make the space more functional by adding shelving and a place to hang-dry clothes. I also would love to make it so I'm not embarrassed to open the doors if company is over. Jenny over at Little Green Notebook did an amazing laundry room transformation a few weeks ago (which you can see here) and now I'm feeling inspired. On the consideration list is tile all the way up the back wall like they did below. Subway tile and stainless steel has always been a favorite of mine and I like how they used grey grout to tie it all in. I'm also digging the steel back splash in the second picture with the bar in the middle.

via Kitchen Lab

Via Casa de Valentina

Overall, the plan is to live in our space for a while to see how we use it and then dive in to the bigger projects but in the mean time, I am dreaming about my clothes spinning round and round in one of the beautiful front-loaders. Anyone have washer/dryer recommendations or know of any killer sales? I've been stalking craigslist for any deals on a set but so far, no dice.

We Bought a House!

I graduated from San Jose State with an B.A. in Communication Studies back in May 2010. I know what you're thinking... "Cool, what does this have to do with buying a house?" Well, if you would have told me that in three years I'd have my masters in Tax Accounting, be working for a Big Four firm, be engaged to someone I hadn't met yet at that point, and own a house I would have laughed in yo' face.

But well, here we are!

The stories of the change in career and meeting Mike are for another post. This is all about why/how we bought a house. When Mike first mentioned buying a house I thought the idea was straight-up crazy. We had a perfectly good place where we saved tons of money a month and lived within a mile of all of our friends & the restaurants/stores we frequented. But then about six months ago someone was shot on our block. Like we are talking drive-by, gang related murder. Guaranteed Campbell hasn't had a homicide since 2007, but none-the-less it shook us from our little happy place and made me start to realize the things I had been ignoring that I really wasn't crazy about (the lack of privacy, how loud it was, the fact that our apartment frequently smelled like cigarettes from people sitting in the courtyard smoking).

My only hang-up at that point was that Mike and I weren't engaged yet and although I was sure he was the One, in my book, that needed to come first. To my surprise, he popped the question on a perfect day in Napa at one of our favorite wineries. After we floated back down from Cloud 9, we started to look at if we could realistically buy a place (lucky for us Mike's dad is a loan officer and ran some numbers for us). Turned out yes, we could buy a place, but that it would be really tight. Good thing Mike is one of the most frugal people I know so after breaking down a monthly budget we know we could stick to, we decided to start looking. Our parameters were as follows, broken up by what we must have and what we would like:

"Must"

• Price: Under 550K 
• Location: within walking distance to downtown Campbell, Willow Glen, or Los Gatos
• Space: at least 2 Br / 1.5 Ba
• Must have private outdoor space for the grill 
• Must have a garage for all Mike's biking gear

"Want"

• Hardwood floors throughout
• An open layout where the Kitchen is integrated into the main living area
• Single family house (rather than condo).

We definitely got all of our must-haves and did get hardwood in the bottom story of the townhouse so that is a start! Although it technically is not a single family house, we are content to only have neighbors sharing one wall with us. Plus the fact that there is a large green space in back of our patio makes it really feel like we have room to breath here.

Yesterday's post was mostly photos (and I promise a tour of the new place is coming soon) but for now here is layout of our new place!