THIS ROCKS!!!

The granite counters went in today... and they look so pretty! I went with a very neutral color called "Giallo Santo" and it is a perfect fit with both of the cabinet colors. It is a fairly simple granite (ie. not to much "movement" or "veining") leaving the butcher block on the island to be the standout countertop. The second picture gives a little glimpse at the travertine backsplash that we will be installing in a subway tile "brick" pattern.

FLOORS, FLOORS, FLOORS... YEAH!

Here is a quick little glimpse of the flooring we have chosen to go throughout the house (everywhere throughout the house :P... hard work... VERY HARD WORK!!!) Hopefully we will be done by the end of the week! (oops, should have dusted the floor before I took the pic! please forgive me, as our home is a construction zone right now ; )

SHEDDING SOME LIGHT ON THE BLACK HOLE

THE MASTER BATHROOM

The vanity area will soon look a lot like this...

but right now it looks like this...

the tub will eventually look somewhat like this...

or perhaps a little bit more like this...

but right now it looks like this...

and the shower will look similar to this...

but at the moment it is looking more like this...

The master bathroom has been affectionately referred to as the "black hole" for months now. Nobody ever wanted to go in there (like an over-stuffed closet, we would just toss things in and run away without ever really looking inside) partially because it was dark and musty in there... but mostly because it was really frickin' SCARY! So we just avoided it. But the inevitable day has arrived, it is time to face this room that has been haunting our home.

Here is a little reminder of what the bathroom looked like before any demo began...

(REMINDER: the only window in the bathroom is looking into the garage!)

and truthfully the room got even uglier as the demo progressed.

(keep in mind these pictures are all taken with a flash... this room was very, VERY dark! hence the name ~ The Black Hole)

The demo of this bath was quite intense, that shower wanted to stay and really put up a good fight, but in the end, good taste prevailed (good bye 80's! go try to sell peachy pink tile and red lightening bolts to someone else!) The bathroom was quite small with just a walk in shower and no bath, so we opened up a couple of walls to make space for a large tub and a make-up vanity, and then added a couple of windows (while getting rid of the little drive-up window to the garage ; ) Ahhhhh... there is a light at the end of this tunnel...

SOME FAVORITE KITCHEN IDEAS

the ultimate French country kitchen

got to love that sink, those windows and the "bb" counters

(countryhome.com)

ridiculously beautiful with all of the windows and glass doors

(pointclickhome.com)

L O V E the color of this island

(westchestermagazine.com)

all around gorgeous!

(1805anita.com)

perfect, I especially love the backsplash!

(hawthornevillager.com)

so pretty...

(decorpad.com)

b e a u t i f u l

(maidsontime.net)

I have had such a blast getting to pick and choose all of the finishes and fixtures throughout the house... but the kitchen... wow... the kitchen has been quite the stumper. You see, I have always (ALWAYS) been drawn to "painted" white cabinets. I just love them! A casual glance at all of the magazine articles I have kept thru the years will confirm this within seconds. I knew I would be incorporating white cabinets with dark stained cabinets (I just love the feeling that you get from that strong contrast of color) the only question was... which ones would be on the walls and which on the island? And the answer to this question lied within 2 key components~

#1 The Butcher Block countertop for the island- I really, really, REALLY wanted the butcher block top and I just couldn't picture it on similarly shaded cabinetry.

#2 The Kitchen Sink- I really, really, REALLY wanted a white farmhouse-style apron sink and I just couldn't picture it on similarly shaded cabinetry. (btw... this sink which you now know played 50% of the role in choosing the cabinetry, is the same sink that was almost ditched from the plans just a few weeks ago on the account of it weighing as much as a new born elephant!)

Obviously I have some kind of addiction to high contrast objects. I just can't stand it when anything matches perfectly. Seriously it is a disorder... the kind of disorder that means I could never bring myself to buy a "bed in a bag," I could never (ever!) match paint swatches to anything else that was going to be anywhere in the same room, and I feel like I will become dizzy and perhaps even faint, if a fabric pattern is repeated more than once in any space! SERIOUSLY IT IS A DISORDER! And I think it goes hand in hand with my issues with symmetry. I really hate when things are completely symmetric. I like things balanced, but rarely ever symmetrical! I suppose it is some kind of passive aggressive issue with my "embrace imperfection" philosophy. I am not perfect, and I certainly don't want a house that makes me feel like I need to be :)

Anyhow, this is the reason that I ended up with dark stained cabinets on my walls (something that in the past, I would have never thought I would willingly choose for my own home) But I am so incredibly excited, it is all coming together just beautifully.

WELCOME TO...

(our... beautiful home)

(or... the Dark Dungeon)

We have definitely put changing out the front door on the back burner (for now) but... I am hoping (fingers crossed) that it will be replaced at some point (soon). I sure hope the "subtle" subliminal messaging works here, cause the current door just "screams" the 70's! I know it could be be totally hip and "retro cool" in a different house (perhaps one that was... umm... totally hip and "retro cool") but it just doesn't seem like the right fit for our home. Not only do the double doors contribute to making the walk up to the house a bit unsightly, once inside, the entry seems somewhat dark and cavernous as a result of this "solid wall of wood". I am hoping to eventually replace the doubles with a single door unit with sidelights. I like the style of the one pictured at the top of the post... it would let in so much beautiful sunlight (without allowing solicitors to gawk while I'm trying to pretend that I'm not at home ; )

Imagine it painted a nice and welcoming red... ahhh, so pretty, I can picture it already...

(image courtesy of http://www.mtndoor.com )

MY BIG GREEN BOARD (of inspiring ideas)

Inspiration for bath's 1 and 2

Master Bedroom

Master Bath

Tucker's room above, Tanner's Room below

Breakfast Nook and Den

Dining Room

At the very beginning of this whole house renovation process, I started going thru my "massive" collection of magazine clippings (that I have been gathering over the past 20(?!) years) Trying to find the perfect inspiration for each and every room. Tanner and I then picked out all the fun color combinations and started tacking them up all together on the "big green board." It really helps to have a map to guide the way to where we are going...

"THE BUTCHER" IS IN THE HIZZOUSE

The butcher block top has been attached and it is so beautiful! I JUST LOVE IT! I had to go around and prop all of the "faux" doors and leg posts around it, so that I could catch a glimpse of what it will look like when it is complete! I also thru in a plank of the flooring for a little sneak peak... so pretty! so exciting! so worth the wait!!!

Interestingly, Billy is not loving it quite as much as me... he thought I had ordered a light shade of maple rather than the dark walnut that I went with. All I can say to that is... "HUH?!?!?!" I can't even begin to picture light maple in this kitchen! I have asked him a million times during this process "Hey what do you think of this???" (from light fixtures, to paint colors, to... butcher blocks!) and his response is always (ALWAYS!)... "I love it"... yep he said he "loved" it before I ordered it... oh well can't win them all, but you gotta love an agreeable man ; )

FIJI? JAMAICA?? HAWAII???

OK, ok, it's not any of the above... but it is an island. MY ISLAND! and I love it!!! WooHoo! Three cheers for all the work that Mr. Bill and Dana did to make this all work out! The drawer microwave turned out just perfect... now I can't wait to see it with the butcher block on top :)

"ALIVE AND KICKING"

Thought I would post a pic of Hairy (the palm from our front yard) at his new home on Litchfield Rd. just north of Wigwam Blvd. He is looking a little ragged, but to be fair, he has been thru quite an ordeal these past few weeks :P. I am thinking he is really going to like it here with all his new friends. Luckily his new home is very close by, so we will get to drive by and wave to him often.

btw... The title of this post is a nod to my aunt who has been blogging for years and has came up with the rather clever idea of titling (this means to give a title to something... I looked it up ; ) all of her posts with the name of a song. I have been loving 80's music lately (painting rainbows, while inhaling the accompanying fumes, seems to call for it) plus I am definitely feeling "simple minded." And lastly it refers to dear Hairy, since he is still... alive and kicking.

THE KITCHEN PUZZLE

I decided to go with a two-tone pallet for the cabinets. Highly contrasting dark macchiato stained maple and painted finish cream cabinets are now filling the once vacant space... it is so much fun to see the dreams I have had for this kitchen come to life! The computer desk area and the center island are the cream finished cabinets, while the stained cabinets make up the remainder of the wall cabinets. The island is proving to be quite a challenge, since we have a "drawer" microwave going in which requires a custom created base cabinet, but the guys have figured it out (just like they always do!) and it is looking fabulous! Can't wait to see how much it changes when the crown molding goes up and the island surround is finished.

"ANYTHING" BUT THE KITCHEN SINK

The original kitchen plans called for an apron-front-farm-style sink. But once we got a chance to try to heave (yes... heave!) this bad boy onto the cabinet, I began to question our choice... because it weighs 150 pounds... that is right 150 POUNDS!!! I started to panic and cut the apron sink from the plans. Thinking it would be no big deal. Boy was I wrong!!! Billy was adamant that the sink stay. His confidence won out... THANKFULLY! Cause this sink truly is a show stopper... I think it will be my favorite part of the kitchen!

A NEW VIEW

The new windows changed the whole exterior!

I'M SO EXCITED... I JUST CAN'T HIDE IT... WHOOOWEE!... The windows are in and they are fabulous!!! I knew I was going to love these new windows, but I didn't know that I was going to L O V E these new windows! The entire exterior changed when these guys went in and so did the interior... no more road noise, no more drafts, no more lead paint and most exciting- no more broken glass!!! They were a bear to replace though. In AZ most people have windows made of aluminum, vinyl or fiberglass. Very few people have wood clad windows (which are the kind that we purchased) so replacing the 1 inch (no exaggeration) 1960's steel windows with 4.5 inch wood windows has been quite the challenge, but the process is almost done, and it will definitely be worth it in the end! I did keep a few of the old windows as souvenirs. I have a special project in mind for those... (fyi, the old windows are in the two lower pics, with the diamond patterns ; )

I NEVER SAID I DIDN'T LIKE THE RAINBOW ROOMS, DID I...???

Tuck's room above, Tan's below

"THERE BACK........." yep I couldn't resist the pleas of my children, for bright and exciting, personalized rooms. And yes I do realize these look like "before" pictures... but I assure you that they look better in person. Once the trim, flooring and furniture are in, they will be fan(frickin)tastic! (at least they better be... I spent an entire week taping, painting, drying, taping, painting, etc...) A special thank you to my mom for helping out all week long!