Bought a Window Seat

We bought the large storage ottoman that is part of this sectional at Bassett Furniture:
http://www.bassettfurniture.com/store/productDetailForm.asp?imgid=21437&Seq=1&utm_content=cpfeff1%40yahoo.com&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=&utm_campaign=Save%20up%20to%2035%25%2A%20on%20our%20bestselling%20collections%2E

We're going to use it underneath of a window and create a little reading nook.  We bought a floor model and paid 50% of the price.  Gotta love that!  I'm starting to see our home, if only in my head.  It will be a reality soon.  If only things would get moving so we can move!

Planning takes... planning!

Neither hammer or paintbrush has been lifted, but things are starting to happen in the new house.  Yesterday we had a structural engineer examine the house.

We shared our plan to open up the kitchen by removing a wall and another part of a wall to help the space feel more airy.  We love the floor plan of the house and everything else feels spacious except the kitchen is closed off right now.  I grew used to an open kitchen from living in our townhome.  I really loved that kitchen, and I have been missing it for the past year.  That kitchen was huge! 

When the wall is removed we will gain counter/seating space and the room will be open to the dining room.  When I'm entertaining (which I plan to do A LOT:-) it'll make things nice so guests will be able to chat with me while I'm still preparing the meal.  I'm envisioning the counter extending to a bar area with stools on each side so people can relax with a glass of wine and something to nibble on and keep me company instead of being sequestered in a different room.  An open kitchen just makes more sense for the way we live.

The engineer said we can remove part of the wall except for where the chimney is, so most of it.  It's a long wall.  I wish we could remove the entire thing, but it is not to be.  We also have to put in a column for structural support as it is a load bearing wall.  I think it could be a nice design element that suits the character of the house.  I'll make it work.

We also discovered that we will need to pull up the floor/sub floor in the laundry room because there is a minor support issue.  We're going to take care of that and replacing some plumbing at the same time. 

Tomorrow we are meeting with our kitchen designer again, and I am really excited!  This is when our ideas will actually start to take shape.

Review: La-Z-Boy Furniture Bel Air, MD

I wish I could say that it was a pleasure to shop at La-Z-Boy.  I was quite disappointed with the service even though I was impressed with the craftsmanship of the pieces I looked at.  I don't like junk!

Upon finding pieces of interest it was hard to find someone willing to help us since the people working there seemed disinterested in helping.  Instead they sat down at a desk and we ended up having to ask them to assist us.  The person who finally did assist spent a lot of time coughing/hacking in our direction.  After finding the chair I wanted we asked if there was a further discount since it was a floor model.  The salesperson told us that it would be reduced in price in a few weeks for the Martin Luther King weekend sale. 

We returned when they suggested, but what they told us was not true--there was no discount.  We waited for nothing.  And here is what really bothered me:  they don't wrap your piece to keep it clean during transport.  And once you pay their inflated price here's the clincher--they offer no assistance for people to load heavy items into their vehicles.  Even Target does that!  I think we overspent even for a floor model, but to save my back I have few options out there for furniture.  I kinda have to bite the bullet and pay more for things that work for me.  Most of their items seem to be grossly overpriced even for quality items you seldom find anywhere else.

I'm not very happy with the service there, but in the end I purchased a beautifully made chair which is really hard to find these days.  And honestly I was less concerned about the price and more concerned about getting a quality piece that has the essential support I need for my bad back.   For something used daily, it's so important to buy something that I truly love that is very comfortable, and something that will last.  That's better than a cheap chair that will further destroy my back. 

Now I just have to figure out how to find coordinating pieces, but I'll be doing that elsewhere.

Bought a piece of furniture

We bought our first piece of furniture!  On a whim we decided to check out La-Z-Boy, and we weren't expecting to see anything since we weren't looking for a recliner.  I thought that was all they sold.  I found the perfect chair; if I could design a chair for my own customized comfort it is this chair:
http://www.la-z-boy.com/Product/29-544/Hampden-Small-Chair/

It swivels and rocks and has the perfect back support for me.  Having a herniated disc forces me to shop for function over form, but this chair is cute enough and looks better in person.  The only color they had on the floor was robin's egg blue, so I will probably decorate my living room with blue accents and paint the walls a whisper light yellow.  I think that will be cheerful! 

We have another appointment with the kitchen designer next week as well as a structural engineer since we plan to remove a wall.  I hope we can do it--I really want the kitchen to be open to the dining room.  It will give an airy feel to the floor plan and look amazing.

Housewarming

We received two wonderful housewarming gifts recently.  I actually cried when I opened this one:

This completely undeserved and out-of-the blue gift was from my old friends Jason and Ashley.  It is unbelievably beautiful.  I've always been captivated by the beauty of swans, and the endurance of friendship over the years with significant people in your life.  Thank you both.  It means more to me than you know. I can't wait to hang this over the mantle as a centerpiece--that is, when we have a mantle.  And I really hope to see you both soon if you will. 

My out of state friends Mariam, Tony, and Danielle know just how to make me smile.  They brought me this stuff all the way from Texas:

As someone who LOVES to cook, these ingredients will come in handy.  There was all kinds of stuff in the gift bag including some exotic and hard-to-find ingredients that I cannot wait to use in my cooking!  They brought pomegranates, casera enchiladas verde sauce, lemongrass, tiny round chiletepin peppers that Danielle grew, Mexican oregano, home grown kaffir lime baimakrut (which smells divine!), dried ancho peppers, chipotle peppers, arbol chiles,  bay leaves, guajillo chiles, hibiscus tea flowers, and jasmine green tea leaves.
Feeling really loved right now, and I will have to pay it forward:-)

Little progress is still progress:-)

I have to keep telling myself this.  Renovating a house takes more hours of planning than execution I think.  I am chomping at the bit to get moved in, but every single thing on the list hinges on something else, and that on another, and so on.  Then there is prioritization.  It's a lot to take on, but we're ready.

We just met with a kitchen designer who took measurements and talked about the general scope of what we envision.  It's exciting to discuss the possibilities.  We'll be getting 3 seperate 3-D drawings of our new kitchen.  I can't wait to see them!  Our next appointment will onvolve choosing cabinet finishes.

We also met with HVAC people to discuss installation of a central air unit.  Ductwork is already done (thank you previous homeowner).  We're researching heat pumps too to try to save on the ridiculous cost of heating oil.  We think someone may be stealing our oil.  What kind of person would do something like that?  

I've skipped ahead of the process a bit and drawn very amateur drawings of how I want the house to look when it is finished.  I am in love with the conceptualization of the exterior.  It's going to be so pretty!  I want it to look like such a cute house that you can't wait to get inside.

I don't know if I want to show my drawing of the kitchen to the designer though.  She might laugh; but then again it might help her to help us create our vision.  I've been cutting photos from decorating magazines and brochures like mad to try to see all the features that are important to an attractive and highly functional kitchen.  The kitchen is the heart of the home so I really want our kitchen to be a nice place for family and friends to gather.  I also want to be mindful of my disc problem and want to reduce the stretching and bending I normally do while getting a meal on the table with drawer pull-outs, pull-downs, etc. 

I also will need to get a soft floor because I spend so much time in the kitchen and a hard surface isn't comfortable when you have a bad back.  I love the look of tile, though:-(  I wish I could have tile, but my back comfort is paramount.  I want a good blend of form and function.

It just won't feel "ours" or feel like home until my kitchen is finished and I cook our first meal there.  Can't wait!