Kitchen Remodel - Complete!

We had our first dinner party using our newly remodeled kitchen.  Love it!  The mixed color scheme with natural wood (cherry) and painted sage green cabinets seem to fit this house.  The cheery tiled wall with mosaic and cream colored quartz counters really adds a spark to this cottage meets northwest home.

Removing the corner kitchen appliance garage and centering the stove top really opens up the counter space.  New large 30-inch oven and a microwave/convection oven adds to the function of the kitchen.  Previously there was a counter-top microwave and 27-inch oven.  It is no longer a problem fitting large dishes for baking and getting the microwave off the counter adds even more counter.

Replaced the kitchen desk area with a big open counter and unobstructed upper wall making a great place to arrange platters of food when you want a buffet-style dinner (like our dinner with guests last evening).  By eliminating some of the upper cabinets we are able to take in the great view of the living room.  The mosaic climbs all the way to the ceiling here and really adds interest.  Pull outs in all the base cabinets provides lots of storage--helping to keep our counters free of clutter.

The centered induction stove (love cooking on this--almost instant heat and easy to clean--nothing bakes on) has pull-outs on either side storing spices on the left and oils/vinegars on the right.   The large hood has lighting covering all the cooking area.  I love the modern stainless steel hoods that are out now in many kitchens, but we felt the wood added to the character of the kitchen.

Over the years and experiencing a few different kitchens, we found the under-counter stainless steel sink works best for us.  Lots of counter in this area too.  There was a Bosch dishwasher in the old kitchen and we re-installed it into the new kitchen.  Best dishwasher we have owned.  Quiet and washes all the dishes squeaky clean.


And finally a panoramic view from the kitchen into the dining room and out to the outdoors.  (You can see little Miss Heddie the Havanese.  She is confused about all this picture-taking.)  Really happy with the outcome of the kitchen!

Et Voila! A New Kitchen, Madame

The kitchen remodel is almost...almost done.  I am waiting here this morning for the carpenter to arrive with the last panel.  Maybe, it will be installed today.  We will see.  The kitchen was started mid-July.  Eleven weeks.  Anyway.  Here are the cabinets, counters and tile we selected.  If/when the remodel is finally complete, will post pictures of the entire kitchen.  May not enjoy the length of time taken, but love the results.

Cabinets are by Medallion, shaker style and two finishes.  Some cabinets are a natural light stain on cherry (above) and other cabinets are maple with a sage green paint (left).


Counters are quartz and they are a joy to keep clean.  They are Caesarstone Bianco Drift. A cream, mottled with gray.  Kept this neutral to avoid chaos with the mosiac tile on the wall.

The mosiac brings it all together and adds that color and spark the kitchen was missing before.  It is a mixture of copper, glass, and slate.  In one spot, we tiled all the way up to the ceiling.  The wall has become an art focal point all on its own.  This is Bedrosians Elume Ruby Silk.

To break up the mosiac, there is linear tile a quarter of the way up (runs through the outlets) and about 6 - 8 inches wide.

Much more to describe, but it will be easier once I get the photos of the complete kitchen taken and uploaded.

We are calling it quits on new projects for the rest of the year.   After installing new tile in both bathrooms and the laundry, new vanities in both bathrooms, painting the entire interior of the house, new shades in the dining room, redoing the master closet, refinishing and staining the front porch (it is large), new carpet in the master bedroom, new lighting in the laundry room, adding a workshop/room in the garage, the old kitchen cabinets installed in the garage, ripped out overgrown shrubs and trees and put down new bark, and loads of repairs and finally the kitchen.  We need some downtime!

The bathrooms have been described previously, but the other changes are fun to see and describe.  I will post on the blog this winter.

International and Domestic

On the domestic front, our kitchen remodel is almost complete.  The project took six weeks rather than the planned three.  Washing the dishes in the laundry room sink is not my idea of a good time.  Will post pictures soon.  Really loving the whole look and function.

Because we have been putting in so much effort and money into our new home, there is not much left to travel (time and money).  But, that is not stopping us from making plans.  Portugal seems like a very interesting place and we are looking into the Rick Steves' tour of Portugal for the Spring of 2018. 

The biggest downside to overseas travel for both of us has been the effect of jet lag.  It can almost ruin the trip. Even planning two extra days before the actual tour does not seem to get us past it.  But, we have a plan.  Met a fellow last December in Puerto Vallarta who travels extensively and he shared that jet lag has the same effect on him.  He has found a solution.  Rather than flying to his overseas destination, he travels on a relocating cruise ship crossing the Atlantic.  Taking 10 to 14 days, you are able to slowly get used to the time change.  The cost of the cruise is approximately the same as a one-way business class ticket.

So, our plans will include a transatlantic cruise in mid-April embarking in Miami and disembarking into Lisbon, Portugal.  Fingers crossed for making this work for us in a year and a half.

Boutique Closet

If you read previous posts on my downsizing efforts, you will know that I subscribe to the minimal clothing movement, Project 333.  And I do TRY to maintain a total of 33 items of clothing (exception is workout clothing and intimates).  What was odd, though, was having a large walk-in closet and our clothing volume only took up a fraction of the space.  Because my wardrobe is geared toward a capsule approach (all pants and tops color and style interchange), I found it was often handy to have a hook to put an outfit together.  And although the husband does not necessarily put together an "outfit", I would often hear a yell from the closet, "Do these pants work with this shirt!?". 

Given all of the above, it was decided eliminating the traditional rods and replacing them with a retail face-out rod would work well for us.  And it does!  Our little walk-in has a neat boutique look to it and I have preassembled outfits for the day which can easily be reassembled into a different look, if wanted.  The man clothes have the pants with a coordinating shirt.  No more yelling from the closet.

You are probably wondering where the shoes are?  Since we have downsized linen needs (extra towels, sheets), the traditional linen closet located in the master bath is now a shoe closet. There are more rods are either side of the closet that you can't see in the photos, but you get the general idea.

The husband installed track lighting with each light pointing to a particular rod.  Looks very much like an upscale little shop.

There are still a few adjustments needed like cuter hooks for purses, repainting and more stylish baseboards; but I am so excited about the new function of our master closet I had to share.

The Guy Has An Eye

Why is it a photo can point out all the flaws with a space?  Taking one look at the master bath photo I posted yesterday, my husband mentioned that the vanity looked a little blah.  "Maybe put the tall vase with the tropical arrangement on the vanity for some height and color?" 

He was right.  The room has a little more flair now.

Master Bath Remodel

The first room in our new home to get a total remodel was the master bath (except the shower--will do another year--replacing the fiberglass stall with tile and frame less glass door).  The berber carpet was replaced with rectangle dark gray tile, a white double sink vanity, marble counter, and oval mirrors.

The vanity has a feel of separate furniture rather than built-in.  

A corner tall cabinet matching the white vanity is on the opposite wall.  It holds all the extras we need and gives the small room a balanced feel.  

The overall house style outside and in is cottage meets northwest and the white vanity with clean linear lines seems to fit right in with this theme.  The look is clean and fresh.  A pop of color with brick red and olive green on the floor completes the look.

Room With A View

The new home was purchased for many reasons, but one of the best features is the living room with the view.  On the golf course looking down the fairway.  Not across the fairway, but down all the way to tee blocks.  Makes a long expanse of green grass and trees. Fun to watch golfers throughout the day.  The home is positioned in a way that it is rarely hit with golf balls (yea!).

This is the adult room.  No television only music.  We sit every morning in the swivel chairs in front of the big windows with our coffee and plan the day.  The swivels are a must for turning towards the view when it is just the two of us and swivel back to the front for conversation with guests later on.  On the rare winter day when it snows, the windows give us a snow globe effect.   

The only upgrade needed to this room was a fresh coat of paint and a few repairs to the fireplace to make sure it is working when it turns chilly.

Decorating R Us

My love of interior decorating goes way back.  As much as the pocket book could handle, I experimented with different color schemes (from white/beige to present day green/orange) and style.  Sometimes others would love it or they would definitely leave it.  The photo to the left was taken for an article for our local newspaper, the Tri-City Herald, August 30, 1987, in the Sunday Desert Living section.  This was my beige/white period.  A nice escape from the previous 1970's golds and avocado greens.

Shortly, I will start posting the upgrades to our new home.  The house is almost twenty years old and the young couple who originally built it were limited on time.  The place needed some attention.

So far, we have updated the master bath (except for the shower), guest bath, laundry, master bedroom, painted the entire interior and garage, window treatment for the dining room, re-landscaped (it was a bit overgrown), added a soft water system, and made numerous repairs.  Looking back at our last five months living here, it is kind of amazing what we have accomplished so far.  And explains why my posting has been sparse.

There are still plans to update the kitchen cabinets and counters--next year.  The exterior needs painting and that will happen this summer.  Eventually a walk-in shower will be installed, another window in the master bedroom, washable floors in the art studio and build a woodworking room in the garage for driftwood sculpting.

New Home

The townhouse we purchased in 2011 was supposed to be our retirement home.  It was beautiful with hickory hardwood floors throughout, granite countertops, open floor plan backing up to a large meadow (never to be developed) and the golf course beyond.  But, there were changes in our lifestyle in the last few years and the townhouse was not meeting our needs. 

None of the rooms had enough light to paint.  I took over the guest room for more room, but the lack of light was a problem.  The husband’s driftwood carving needed more room and a place to contain the dust from sanding. 

Fortunately, a home nearby became available that met all our needs.  We put the townhouse on the market, and it sold in 9 days.  We made an offer on the home we wanted and the purchase closed last week.  This all happened in the last two months.  It has been a hectic time with paperwork and moving, but at the end of this month we will move in (we are in a rental now).

In the coming months, we will share photos as we settle in.  There is a wonderful light-filled room for painting and the garage is bigger.  The house needs a little freshening up with paint inside and out; and there will be lots of work to get organized and things put away, but in the end it will be worth it. (Photo of our new front porch.)

And the journaling of the Scotland trip still needs to be finished.

Minimalist Christmas Decorating

For the last five years, we have passed on decorating for Christmas.  And honestly, it has not been missed.  Don’t get me wrong, I love visiting friends and family with elaborate ornaments and clever displays.  Their treasures are lovingly purchased or passed down from generation to generation.  It is fun to hear personal stories of Christmas past (or the retelling of them on family visits).  And if there are young children, it is wonderful to watch their expressions and shrieks of joy when they are surrounded by all the color.

But, living with a lot of blinking lights and holiday smalls on a daily basis for over a month, makes us crazy.  We have tried over the years, but it feels so chaotic (to us).  This year we are decorating in our new home, but with a minimalist approach.  Enough to make guests feel festive.  What you see in the pictures are all we have remaining; everything else was sold or given away.

Easy to set up, a little “greenage”, a few smalls, and quick to put away on December 26th.  [The Christmas stockings are vintage quilts repurposed with faux fur from coats used for the tops—purchased about 25 years ago.]  Very little storage needed.  With the exception of the little tree, we use it in our RV, too (if that is where we are living during the winter).

Not for everyone.  It works for us.  Christmas enjoyed without too much fuss.

RV Interior Design

When we first purchased our 5th Wheel RV, I got with a friend and interior design expert, Katie, from Spencer-Carlson Unlimited in Kennewick, Washington and redecorated. (The store is fabulous, by the way.)  The original interior was done in gold “silk” with a Parisian/Traditional theme or something like that.  Seriously.  What are you thinking RV manufacturers?  It looked like a brothel.  Remember, we lived full-time in our RV and we would not decorate a home this way.

Wanting to minimize clutter and streamline our look, we redecorated with a modern theme of burgundy, black and tan and downsized the trimmings.  Taking down the gold “silk” window treatment side panels we reupholstered the cornice boards and the chair seats with our color scheme.  Got rid of the ornate sconces on the wall and replaced them with small paintings/photographs of our travels framed with simple wood/black frames.  The wimpy gold (again) bed comforter was replaced with a tailored black bedspread.  No more extra pillows…thank you.  Got rid of the extremely heavy gold (again) sleeper sofa and oversized recliner.   Replaced our seating with light and comfortable Ekornes Stressless recliners.  

Nice and neat.

I would love to redecorate more RVs using inspiration from Ralph Lauren’s redone vintage airstreams.  In the early 2000's, four vintage Airstream were designed by Ralph Lauren in various themes, including Adirondack, Western, Nautical and Army Surplus / Utility.  Although the Western and Adirondack themes look extremely cool, they would be a bit cluttered for us to live in.  My favorite is the Nautical theme.

Left to right:  Adirondack, Western, Nautical

They were sold through the Polo Ralph Lauren Foundation (initially asking $150K each, later $100K) with proceeds donated to charity.

Wake up RV builders and get a clue!  At least create a truly neutral palette for a starting point.

Our Home (Post 6)–Weekly Tour/Guest Room

Come Stay with Us on the Beautiful Olympic Peninsula!

[Please note following write-up is a parody—stays limited to friends and family.  Sorry.  LOL]

Located at sunny Sequim, Washington, our guest suite is near the Dungeness Spit, the New Dungeness Lighthouse, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Hurricane Ridge, the Olympic Mountains, and Victoria, B.C., just across the water. Meals are provided, free golf at a private country club, and personalized tours of the area and sights are offered free of charge!

Planning a reunion, retreat  or special, private event?  Our facility includes a large beach-side indoor or outdoor gathering space for up to 40 people.  Additional nearby accommodations are available at the Juan de Fuca Cottages on Dungeness Bay.

Available on site – kayaks!!  Enjoy exploring beautiful Dungeness Bay with its’ abundant wildlife – or paddle out to the Dungeness Lighthouse!  Use by the hour or for the day for a truly memorable experience.

Guest suite includes a comfortable queen-size bed and interior decorated with traditional furniture and home-spun accessories.  Future renovations include whimsical painting of the walls (wide stripes) and featured artwork.

"I was going to spend two nights, but ended up staying for a third, simply because it was so comfy and convenient. An awesome getaway!" ~ Barbara

"The location is absolutely perfect because we had beautiful sunsets and meadow views."
~ Tom

"The owners are friendly down to earth people and will go out of their way to ensure you have great stay." ~ Marianne

See you soon!

Our Home (Post 5)–Weekly Tour/Master Bedroom

One of the best things about retirement is you can wake up with the morning sun—no alarm clocks, no commitments, no pressure.  Fittingly, our bedroom windows face east allowing the breaking dawn to be our alarm clock.  Fantastic.  The country location also means dead quiet with only infrequent yips from the coyotes, hoot of an owl or the bass of the nearby fog horn.  The low lights of the neighborhood allow the stars to pop in the dark skies.   To say we are sleeping soundly here is an understatement.

[Would like to add shutters or wood blinds that give the look of shutters to the windows some day.]

The original floor plan for our home included a deck off the master bedroom.  We opted to eliminate the deck and enlarge the bedroom allowing room for a comfy chair to read quietly and a perfect spot for a large dresser.  Really happy with the decision.

[Wish we had not sold the Frederick Cooper parrot floor lamp a couple of years ago.  It would be perfect beside the chair.  Maybe we can find another.  Bev – do you want to sell it back to us?  No?  I did not think so.  LOL]

 

From the photos, you have probably noticed our bedroom furnishings are nothing like the rest of the home décor.  With the size of the room and the fact it is separated from the rest of house down a short hallway, we went “British Colonial”.  Dark wood furniture.  Slowly spinning fan overhead.  Big “Persian” area rug.  I have a tough time getting into this bed—it is so high!  One of these days I will buy a cute little wooden step stool.  May be sooner than later.

You cannot tell from the photos, but we selected a Tempurpedic mattress.  At first, I was not digging it, but I really like it now.  Although the mattress is ultra firm, it “gives” where you need it—the hip, the shoulder, and other body parts that are not so streamlined.  And when your significant other turns or moves, nothing.  You feel no movement.  Nice.  Hoping this one holds up longer, too.

Sweet dreams!

Our House (Post 4)–Weekly Tour/Kitchen

Galley kitchens, U-shaped kitchens, a large triangle (sink, stove and sink in a “triangle”) and now a medium-sized triangle.  We have had kitchens in all shapes and sizes.  I believe the medium-sized triangle, we have now, is our favorite.  Everything within a step or two. 

All the colors and textures are our personal preferences—over the years the favorites have emerged.  Subway tile in caramel glass.  Solid granite in gold and brown.  Warm alder wood cabinets with nickel pulls.  The cabinets have the linear look to keep that semi-Craftsman style.  All the lower cabinets have pull-out drawers.  So handy.

(Looking at the photos, I think we should paint the wall above the cabinets the same sage green we have on the island.)

Brushed stainless steel appliances and sink.  Over the years, we have had ceramic sinks, granite sinks and stainless sinks.  We like the stainless steel for wear-and-tear; and it is easy to clean.  Oh, and love, love the big five-burner propane range and double electric oven.  A small oven on the left can be used for smaller dishes or heating breads while the larger entrée is cooking in the generous sized right side oven.

Our builder, Estes Builders, configures the refrigerator opening so that the back portion is “set-in” to the wall.  Gives the frig a recessed look almost flush with the cabinets (just enough for the doors to open properly).  If you cannot afford to have a zero-clearance refrigerator, this is pretty close to it.  Check out our middle drawer refrigerator—keeping our Coke and Coors chillin’ at the right temp.

A small pantry completes a really great kitchen.  Not too big to encourage you to stock “too” much food (Ugh—hate expired cans), but just right to hold “enough” canned goods, cereal and small kitchen appliances.

You might be questioning wood floors in the kitchen…we like the continuity in all the rooms and the wood flooring these days are treated to resist wet.  We have not experienced any spotting.  Easy to keep clean.

Well, we must enjoy and use the kitchen because we rarely eat at a restaurant; and we have gained at least five pounds since we moved in!

Our House (Post 3)–Weekly Tour/Dining Room

Restaurants are plentiful around our area, but preparing a dinner at home with company or just the two of us is fun, especially when you have a great dining room to sit down in.  We have a litmus test for a functional dining room; (1) it must seat at least six, (2) room to pull chairs in and out without hitting the wall or other furniture, and (3) lots of light and a view.  Bingo.  Plenty of room.  Big windows facing east for a sunny morning breakfast with a clear view of our little meadow and the golf course beyond.  Our place mats are normally side by side looking out at either the deer or golfers.

Besides the Cutting Garden vendor down the road, a number of family gardens sell big bouquets.  The big, colorful one on the table sold for the going rate of $7 from a cute family at the Saturday Farmer’s Market. 

The high ceiling of the dining room has nice detail with four coffered sections rather than a flat surface.  The insets are painted a milk chocolate brown with trim work in white.  The lighting fixture was standard with the home and I would like to replace with something a little more contemporary.  Black square linen shade with a silver single chain.  That is what I am thinking.  Maybe painting the back wall behind the painting the same brown would work well, too.  We will see.   And you did catch some orange accents here and there?

This is the first dining room we have used often.  We eat here (versus the living room or the bar) almost daily.  We are cooking more often for both guests and for us.  In fact, the kitchen is working well and I will commit to put pictures of it on the blog next week. 

Bon Apetit!

Our House (Post 2)–Weekly Tour/Living Room

We are big fans of the great room concept.  Homes in our past included a formal living room in addition to a “family room”;  and, quite honestly, we never used the formal space.  A living room should be just that—a comfortable room to live in –functioning to entertain us and our friends.  That includes a cozy fireplace to take off the chill, a big screen television, music, easy access to our X-Box games, and the latest movie DVD.  Plenty of space for seating a large crowd of 8-10, but intimate enough to have conversation with one other couple.  We feel we got all that with our great room.

Each home has a different character from the last and more often than not the furniture you had in the last house will not work in the new place.  The living room in our last home was very large and the style was rustic Spanish with terracotta tile underfoot and rough plaster on the walls.  We had a large sectional with reddish leather on the back and arms and a rust red/sage green upholstery on the seating.  A bold, big pattern and style.  Beautiful, but no way would it work in this new place.  This home is smaller in scale with kind of an updated Arts and Crafts touch. 

Although we sold our furniture from our previous home, we held on to all our accessories and stored them while we were traveling in the RV last year.  We kept them for several reasons; (1) they can usually work in any home, (2) all together they are more expensive than furniture, and (3) almost all have a story or a past.  Before we started full-time RVing, we struggled with the decision to keep a few things in storage or getting rid of it all.  If you hesitate at all with the decision to purge completely, I would recommend keeping your accessories.  The skin on the coffee table was given to our family by a South African foreign exchange student we befriended in the early 1960’s.  The big glass leaf on the mantle shelf up high was one of my first purchases and interior decorating lesson from Katie (www.spencercarlson.com)  - think big and bold she instructed me!  

Our leather sofa, Ekornes recliners (we transfer the recliners to the RV when we are traveling) with little tilt-out tables for our laptops, and a small occasional chair have linear lines and track arms which are perfect for defining our small space. The rug underneath, soft nubby wool and a gray/green hue, helps to subdue noise and gives the room a finished look.  By chance our accent became rust red or orange.  Love the pop of bright color here and there.

We have the simple approach of the no hearth fireplace.  The slate surrounding the fireplace looks like shining copper in the evening and rustic stone in the daylight.  Above the fireplace there are wonderful south facing windows providing glowing light and a place for our accessories that we want to especially highlight (see the big leaf up there?).  Did you know the Olympic Peninsula does not have natural gas available?  To use gas we must use propane for the living room fireplace, kitchen range, and outdoor fireplace.  Living in the RV we have had plenty of experience with propane and works just fine.

See the cute gray lamp with the black lamp shade next to the occasional chair?  Worked out a trade with my sister Tracy to get that little gem.  Thank you, Trace!  (She also promised me a spiky Dracena tree to replace that dweeby-looking little palm tree in the corner.)  We found our furniture at a great little store in Port Angeles.  www.angelesfurniture.com  The lamp between the recliners glows orange when the lights are on and becomes a muted pinkish pearl when it is off.  Purchased at an interesting boutique in downtown Sequim. www.overthefencesequim.com 

Great prices.  Buying local.  Supporting our newly adopted community.