The lack of blogging is a direct result of this:
Posted on | January 22, 2006 |
With some graph paper and the kind cabinet guy at Home Depot all sanity has been restored. I was actually making sense, it seems and it took all my willpower to refrain from doing the “I told you so” dance.”
Our first project is the kitchen, because it is the center of our lives. Ours is a house where people always hang out by the stove, poking spoons into pots, nibbling samples of dinner, sipping wine—so we want this kitchen to be big enough to allow for this.
We started by gutting the kitchen and removing massive amounts of wallpaper. Every wall in the house that was not covered in barn board was covered in wallpaper. High quality vinyl wall paper with bold designs that made me dizzy just looking at it, but gleeful ripping it off: each piece came off in a perfect strip, no ripping, no sticking.
Last night DH and I went back to the house ourselves and just sat in each room on the floor, imagining. It is so facinating to be at this point of BEFORE. Before new paint. Before floors. Before daily life fills the spaces with laughter and talk and running feet. Before we’ve grown accustomed to living with those stairs and those windows.
It was snowing gently, and we ate jelly beans, and did other unsayably lovely things. I’m still smiling as a result.
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14 Responses to “The lack of blogging is a direct result of this:”
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January 22nd, 2006 @ 1:40 pm
sounds like you’re going about creating a home for yourselves in this house-with-a-history … in exactly the best way. With love and thought and feeling. Yay for jellybeans and other lovely things.
January 22nd, 2006 @ 1:57 pm
Am i too young to be reading that?
I love these pictures…..seeing the process take shape and imagining the possibilities. What a great start to making your own home!
January 22nd, 2006 @ 2:36 pm
Can’t wait to visit!
January 22nd, 2006 @ 2:47 pm
There’s nothing like claiming a house: ripping, painting, replacing, loving… it’s all part of making this place your home. I am so excited for you all! And I totally want a photo tour. Nevermind, I’ll just come visit!
January 22nd, 2006 @ 3:08 pm
oh love this. jelly beans and such. creating your house, your home. fantastic.
January 22nd, 2006 @ 3:15 pm
It’s really something to watch a house become home to new people. I laughed reading about ripping the wallpaper off - when we moved to the house we’re in, it was a nightmare of wild floral and animal prints with all kids of overdone froufrou window treatments. To make matters worse, there were several different floors - gross dark tile, green marble, astro-turf green carpet, and white carpet. Oh yeah…there was some kind of patterned carpet in the previous owner’s study. Mind you, this house is a California contemporary with high ceilings, natural wood beams, and huge floor to ceiling windows on the top floor. I remember especially enjoying taking the window treatments down. Anyway, it took months and months to remodel, but now it looks like it should - clean lines, simple, contemporary but funky - and best of all, it feels like home:> All the work and ups and downs will be so worth making your dream happen…and those lovely moments after jellybeans make it even better:>>>>
January 22nd, 2006 @ 3:52 pm
I know the pleasure of ripping off wallpaper! I learned to do this when I was nine. We had purchased a turn of the century Queen Anne Cottage. My parents gave me a quick tutorial and handed me goggles, a blow torch and a paint scraper. NINE years old! And I removed all the wallpaper in my room, up to about 4 and a half feet. It was so empowering!
Enjoy!
January 22nd, 2006 @ 3:55 pm
Doing a house is the most fun in the world - and a great charge to life all around.
January 22nd, 2006 @ 4:32 pm
i am excited to watch your new home adventures unfold here =)
January 22nd, 2006 @ 5:35 pm
Now that’s some wallpaper! I love vicariously renovating with you.
January 23rd, 2006 @ 3:40 am
Ripping off wallpaper is SOOOO satisfying.
Is that lino on the bottom? If so, I actually kinda like that pattern! 
January 23rd, 2006 @ 2:08 pm
You are very naughty…unsayably lovely things…leave it to your imaginative, creative readers…
XO!
PS You have to enlighten me on Yak traks..what is it…
January 23rd, 2006 @ 10:52 pm
Yak trax are basically like chains for your shoes so that you have traction on snow. I have unbelievably bad balance on ice so they’re my favorite things in winter here!
January 24th, 2006 @ 11:08 pm
Thanks Christina! I checked it out on Amazon. BTW, nobody will have good balance on ice
But I would still be scared to run on icy sidewalks…do you think it is completely safe..