Disaster Watch 2011: Hope was a False Alarm

You guys, we heard back from HGTV. It's not gonna happen.

They said they loved us both, but that the job was simply too big for their budget. I'm more than a little heartbroken about this, let us all have a moment of silence for opportunities lost...

...

Maybe the saddest part is that I'll never get to meet Spencer, my favorite HGTV personality of all time.

Spencer Anderson: this might be the first time he's ever smiled for a camera.

Disaster Watch 2011: Is there hope?

Since finishing my kitchen a few months ago, I've been getting the nagging feeling that something must be done about the backyard soon. In a moment of pure desperation, I logged onto HGTV.com and applied to be on any and all shows that could possibly result in a backyard makeover. And guess what... I got a response!

Last week, a couple of scouts from Design on a Dime came over to look at my house and yard. As soon as they walked in, they said my house was "adorable" and that they certainly didn't have to do any work on the inside! Is it weird that I feel like I now have a blanket endorsement from Genevieve, Vern, Sabrina, et al?

The guys took some measurements and filmed a few quick videos of Garrett and me talking about what we'd like to do in the yard (destroy everything). They were super nice, and told us we did a great job. Fingers crossed, we'll be getting some good news in a few days!

If you want to apply to be on HGTV, check out the shows that are casting, here!

Kitchen Update: Finally Finished!

The day has come! It's over! The kitchen is finished! Exclamation points for all!!

It was quite the push to the finish, especially since I stupidly invited some people over for a reveal a little later this afternoon (way to give myself a deadline! why didn't I just do it next weekend??). But in reality, it's nice to have something to aim for. If you I don't have a real motivation to wrap things up, projects tend to stretch into the "I'll get around to finishing that eventually" category.

Alright, enough of my jibber-jabber! You want to see the finished product, don't you?! Let's do a before and after!

The craziest part is how clean everything looks, haha! That was no easy feat. But just check out the new sightline through to the rest of the house...

Three weeks ago, that picture would have been of a wall! It's truly an amazing transformation. Now that it's done, I sort of want to do it all over again!

Kitchen Update: Subway Tile!

I feel like there have been more exclamation points used in these last few kitchen posts than possibly in this entire blog, combined. But that just goes to show you how excited I am that the finish line is drawing near!

It feels like every piece that gets done, completely transforms the look of the space. The cabinets, the flooring, the counters - each one was more exciting than the next. But now that we're on tile, it's beginning to feel really finished, and that has me using more exclamation points than ever!!

One thing (the only thing) that I was actually sad to rip out of the old kitchen was this luxuriously thick subway tile, on the old backsplash. I considered keeping what I could, and trying to find a match for the rest, but have you ever priced out that vintage tile? They're like $6 a piece!

Instead, I went with the same look for a whole lot less. Home Depot quality subway tile will have to do.

I have no complaints though, I think it looks pretty spiffy! And with a little sweet-talking and eyelash batting (and careful explaining), I managed to get Martin to do a herringbone pattern on the recessed vent hood. It was quite the brain teaser, but he did a bang-up job!

The ceiling plaster is also complete! As you can see in that picture, we left it a little rough and rustic. All the better to hide the cracks and dips, my dear!

We're really on the tail end of things now, projected to be finished by this weekend. I can't even tell you how ready I am to have my house (and my life) back. Not to mention ready to get my fridge out of my living room!

Real Time Kitchen Update

It's all happening! The counters are being installed as I type this very post! How freaking gorgeous does that look??

The sink and dishwasher aren't hooked up yet, they're just there for placement purposes. But I don't even care, seeing that counter go in has made the last few weeks of stress and dwindling bank accounts totally worth it!

Kitchen Update: Floor and Lighting

When you're gutting a room and starting over from scratch, there are a lot of decisions that need to be made. It's not just paint colors and cabinet door styles - there are functional considerations in everything you put in a room. For example, take flooring. Most people have tile in their kitchens, which makes sense. It's durable, it's waterproof, and it's relatively inexpensive. What's not to love?

Well, my kitchen is now visually connected to the rest of my house, and I wasn't keen on having such an abrupt flooring. But I also didn't want to put hardwoods in a room that would likely see spills and mops on a regular basis. So after a little research (and a lot of HGTV watching), I settled on cork floors, from Lumber Liquidators. The color is very close to the oak hardwood in the rest of the house, but the texture is different enough that it doesn't look like I tried (and failed) to match the floors.

Plus it was pretty easily to install. Just roll out the underlayment, and click down the tongue-n-groove planks. See how easy my big brother, Monty, makes it look?

Once it's all in, the seams practically disappear into the pattern.

Cork is also supposed to be easier on the feet, and naturally water resistant. Martin was curious, and soaked a piece in a bucket of water to see how it would hold up. It was about 12 hrs before the particle board backing started to swell, but the cork didn't change at all - not too shabby!

My dad has also completed the relocation and installation of the new lighting. I actually bought one of these lamps way back when I lived in the Meganplex, to put in my kitchen there, but the wiring was so decrepit that my dad didn't want to risk shorting anything out by replacing the fixtures. So this sat in a box until it was safely in its new home, and accompanied by a new twin (from Ikea, around $60 for the pair!).

Flooring, lighting, cabinets, all done! Up next, we have a whole lotta tiling to do! Time to get grouty!

Kitchen Update: Cabinets and Counters

Drywall and plaster patching are pretty much finished (except for the ceiling), but today was super exciting because we actually got to hang some cabinets! These things have been collecting dust in the garage for months, and I finally got to see them in my soon-to-be-gorgeous kitchen. Anyone who has ever renovated a kitchen knows what a monumental moment this is. 

Beyond just being excited, we had to jump the gun a little on installation, because the countertop guys are coming tomorrow to measure things. Speaking of countertops, want a sneak preview of what I picked? OF COURSE YOU DO!

After much research and debate, I finally went with Carrera marble for the counters. And I am so glad I did - isn't it gorgeous?! I went to Planet Stone, deep in the valley, for wholesale prices. Of course I've yet to see the final quote, but whatever it is, it'll be worth it. Just looking at those two pictures side-by-side gives me goosebumps. 

Kitchen renos are so fun!

Kitchen Demo: It's Finally Here!

It's been a whirlwind of activity at the Rosenfeld Cottage the past few days! Demo has officially begun on the kitchen remodel! Check out the before pictures, so I can have your complete sympathy...

Can you believe I ever hosted Pre-Thanksgiving in this kitchen?? Now feast your eyes on the glory that is demolition...

Looks better already, doesn't it? That big old hole in the floor is so that we can run the plumbing over to the other side of the kitchen, for the sink and dishwasher. The crawlspace was too small to fit a person, so we had to go in through the top. Luckily, replacing the floor was already on the menu, so it wasn't too big a deal.

When we pulled down all those weird pressboard ceiling tiles, we uncovered a recessed vent hood in the ceiling! Not only is it a cool piece of character from the original build, but it also saves me a bit of money on buying a new hood (those things are expensive! Who knew?). 

It already feels about ten times bigger than it did. You can see we have some drywall up on the half wall! Things are beginning to take shape!

Disaster Watch 2011: Backyard Nightmare

When I walked through my house before purchasing it, the backyard was fine. Not fantastic, but it was a good size and seemed pretty well maintained. Then I moved in, and it all went to pot.

I was so focused on fixing up the interior, that maintaining the backyard was pretty much out of the question. I hired a gardner to mow the front lawn and generally keep things up, but I didn't give him access to the backyard, mostly due to the fact that it was the construction headquarters.

It has taken a beating pretty much from day one. I turned off the sprinklers, so that we weren't watering our building materials, which meant that the grass died. Then one of the dead avocado trees fell over in a storm (God was smiling on me though - it fell in the perfect position to miss both the garage and the cinderblock wall). Random chairs started showing up back there, positioned conveniently so that the neighbor kids could climb over the back fence whenever they wanted... it was about that time that things started disappearing from the workshop.

In short, the backyard is a hazard. Think I'm exaggerating? Check it out...

And this is actually after we'd made some effort to clean things up! I wish I could say "stay tuned for the big reveal" but sadly, there is no big reveal. This is pretty far down the priority list for right now, and I have a feeling it's going to be one of those projects that gets worse before it gets better. Heaven help us all!

Rug Update!

You may remember that someone who shall remain nameless recently ruined my cream-colored living room rug, and I was in the market for a replacement? Well, a friend of mine who had purchased a rug from Overstock.com, and then decided it didn't really go in his house, sold it to me for half of what it cost him! Score!

It's not really exactly what I had in mind, but a 9x11 plush wool rug for $200 is hard to pass up. I think with a few well-chosen accessories, I can really make it work.

The bad news is, though, that the cream couch might also be short-lived. Daisy is a big dog with a propensity for general dirtiness, and I think a leather (read: wipe-able) couch might be in order. So that might be my next big purchase!

The Rosenfeld Cottage

I just happened to show my incredibly talented Graphic Designer friend, Rachael, an illustrated house picture I liked on etsy, and the next thing I knew she sent me my very own Rosenfeld Cottage drawing! How freaking cute is this??

I kind of want to Mod Podge it onto everything I own! Can't you just see it now? Rosenfeld Cottage dishes, linens, cross-stich patterns, throw pillows, tea cozies... the possibilities are endless!

I'm going to bribe her into making it into a header for this blog. Stay tuned for a major (and much needed) redesign!

Introducing Daisy

So it's going to be a while before I can decorate my kitchen and dining room, but that certainly doesn't mean I can't make headway on the rest of the house. I had my living room looking pretty cute, but then I decided to add just one more accessory. A new dog!

Meet Daisy, the 71 lb American Bulldog, rescued from the Van Nuys animal shelter. How could anyone willingly surrender that face??

I know what you're thinking, and no - she will NOT be allowed on the furniture. But it was her first night in a new home, and I decided to cut her some slack.

Unfortunately, she needs training in areas other than furniture boundaries. She was an "outdoor" dog in her last home, and was woefully negelected. She has no idea what stairs are, doesn't know how to ride in a car, can't walk on a leash, and definitely has no concept of potty training. Which I quickly discovered when she happily trotted inside, and promptly tinkled on my cream shag rug.

So now I am in the market for a new living room rug. Something in a pattern, preferably, so that it will disguise any future pet stains. Here is a pic of the now rug-less living room. It's so naked!

And just for comparison's sake, here is a "before" picture of the living room...

My last rug was an unusual dimension, 7x8.5, which was perfect for the space. For the new one, I am looking for something that size, up to 9x11.

I'll be posting links to candidates, so get your opinions ready!

More Kitchen Planning

The good news: the kitchen renovation has been officially been scheduled! The bad news: it's not till July! Insert "whaa whaa" noise and pouty faces here.  Martin is booked full time in Sacramento until late June, so I just have to learn to be patient, and just keep stockpiling building materials in the garage until he can get down here.

Speaking of which, I ordered my cabinets! And even though it's going to be several weeks until they arrive, I do have some conceptual drawings to share...

That's right friends, we're taking down the wall between the kitchen and the dining room! I know it's going to make such a big difference, it's all I can do to not run home and start sledge-hammering things right now.

Here are a few more views, to get you as pumped as I am.

The biggest change is obviously the half wall, but another major improvement is moving the sink. Currently, it's centered under those two windows. The plan is to move it across the room, so you face into the dining room while washing dishes. Not only is this more social, but it also allows me to get a full-sized sink and dishwasher! You heard me, DISHWASHER! WOOT!

The wall of cabinetry with the two windows is only about 18 inches deep because of that doorway into the laundry room, so it really made way more sense to move things around. 

I can't wait to see this done! I'm thinking of enlarging the schematic and Mod Podging it to the dining room wall, so I can pretend that it already exists. 

(Almost) Cooking with Gas!

Now that Christmas is comfortably behind us, I am in full planning mode on the kitchen renovation. At this point I'm just sourcing materials, but I never knew how exciting weekend trips to Ikea and Home Depot could be!

I've been buying things as I find them, so that I don't run the risk of them being out of stock (and I can pay things off as I go, instead of a huge bill at the end). Check out the mood board I put together...

I am loving those grey cabinets, but they are surprisingly hard to find. I went to the Kitchen Store in Culver City the other day, and they looked at me like I had two heads when I asked for grey color samples. I said to the guy, "Mark my words, in two years you will be inundated with people asking for grey cabinets!" Turns out it was for the best, because Lowes not only had better prices, but also threw in free hardware and a free kitchen sink cabinet! Cha-ching!

By the way, did you notice the little vintage oven, above? It was a craigslist find for only $300! And it totally works! It's estimated to be about the same age as the house, so I'm totally feeling the synergy.

I can't wait to start knocking down some walls!