When we moved into the back "apartment" of their home, we got to pull up the carpet, rip the wallpaper out, and paint it a lemony yellow. It's fun to experiment using someone else's walls. I just had to try it - and I love waking up to the sunshine shade - and now I want to try it in a bathroom when we get our own house.
For a few years now I've been developing a color palette for our Someday Anchor's Rest, built subtley around a ship theme, with white, red, and turquoise. Maybe seafoam. I don't want porthole windows and I refuse to use a single seashell, but I wouldn't mind an antique ship's helm lying around like some people keep old wagon wheels, and maybe if my curtains billow a little like masts it wouldn't be so bad...
...the semblance of our future galley?
This past week, however, my hands began to itch for a project, and Andrea had often mentioned how she had always wanted to remodel the kitchen but it had never really happened. Our bedroom sits directly above the kitchen, so I decided that stripping and painting would be no sweat, and Brian and Andrea were celebrating 30 years of marriage on August 23rd, so what better gift than a bright new room?
Little did I know what I had begun. As I picked ever-so-slowly at the wallpaper (which had cemented itself to the wall so permanently that hot water, DIF solution, oatmeal, and putty knives combined had little effect on removing the stuff), I discovered that underneath was a hodge-podge of surfaces around the kitchen. Brian took a look and within minutes was prying away at wallboard, trim, and plaster. Suddenly my project is taking on a slightly larger scale. A simple coat of fresh paint turned into a pass-through, new walls, new ceiling, and new countertops.
Little did I know what I had begun. As I picked ever-so-slowly at the wallpaper (which had cemented itself to the wall so permanently that hot water, DIF solution, oatmeal, and putty knives combined had little effect on removing the stuff), I discovered that underneath was a hodge-podge of surfaces around the kitchen. Brian took a look and within minutes was prying away at wallboard, trim, and plaster. Suddenly my project is taking on a slightly larger scale. A simple coat of fresh paint turned into a pass-through, new walls, new ceiling, and new countertops.
photos courtesy ASJ
The first photo is the current state of the kitchen. Notice how far I got stripping the old wallpaper? And the now-window-that-once-was-wall? Andrea likes the warm earthy tones in the second picture; we will see how it turns out! We picked up a design book and a pile of color samples, and while Brett ripped out more ceiling I made a collage out of the elements Andrea liked best. Her inspiration and centerpiece is the Carl Larson.
During all this, Norah wanted to express her creative side by drawing a face all by herself:
Norah's First Face!
1 comment:
Wow, looks like you have your work cut out for you. :0) I'm sure everyone will be so happy when its done. I LOVE the final vision and the pastel blue and red together, so pretty! Keep us posted on your progress!
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