It really doesn’t help that this is the one room I haven’t really finished. I mean, yes, there is a lot we have done to it. It is really really frustrating trying to figure out how to make it better.
I do admit that it is 50 million times better than the day I got the keys. The carpet was the rec room type and it was all put down over the original linoleum. There were two different wallpapers and that lovely stained glass (all plastic) door didn’t open. It was such a tiny room with that wall. That little cabinet was on wheels (it now resides in the shed and I will turn it into a potting bench when I get that shed cleaned out). The dishwasher and the oven hood didn’t work and the fridge didn’t make ice.
I removed all the wallpaper, removed the backsplash that was over the sink, painted everything but the ceiling, changed out the light over the sink, changed the faucet, changed the metal blinds to the fabric ones and added “curtains”. Removed the oven hood and installed my parents’ old microwave, switched out the dishwasher and fridge for my parents’ old ones and had all the outlets changed out (to white ones). And removed a bookcase, a rolling cabinet, carpet, padding, sand and linoleum. And cut down a wall.
The ceiling in here is smooth, not popcorn, so nothing has been done to it yet. The big bookcase thingy was bolted in (my dad had to go into the attic to get the other end loose) and the electric lines from the wall we removed are tucked into the ceiling, so there are those patched holes. I haven’t painted that ceiling yet because I need to replace that florescent light first. My brother thinks I should have had recessed lights put in when the electrician was here but frankly I don’t like the look of those. I would rather just put up a track light that matches the other lights and will shine onto the island. What do you think? Would the recessed lights be better for resale?
This kind of track light is movable so you can shine the lights where you want them. They also kind of match my other lights. I also like the kind where you can add as many pendants from the track as you like.
This is what I have where they used to have the dining room table. It is kind of empty space now with the pantry we are building. I am kind of thinking it would be better over the island, with recessed lights in the rest of the kitchen and something smaller by the pantry.
Seriously? These are lovely. Ali at Gimme Some Oven used the pendants that match my other lights. I think these lights would be perfect.
But on to the other elephant in the room. That time when I cut down the wall.
Power tools that can hurt me, kind of scare me. I picture cutting off a finger. It can be nerve racking. But we got er done. (I really was wearing goggles and a mask to do the work, this was a staged photo.)
All those nails sticking out of the 2x4s? They all got removed. But the 2x4s aren’t budging. They are staying there. Have to work around them, somehow. See that “invisible” line on the ceiling, over in the middle, where the tape is hanging? That is where the kitchen and the old popcorn ceiling were “divided”. The kitchen side is smooth and was painted in a glossy paint. I haven’t painted it yet but the difference in texture have me pondering what to do to make it more seamless, or completely seamed.
The elephant. You can see where my mom tried to cut out the other wood on the wall but it only seemed to burn it. I might just have to use a chisel. We need it more of a hole to get a piece of drywall on there to make that part of the wall flush and finished. The question I have today (though I haven’t received a comment in over a year) is how to finish off the 2x4s? Cover it with what? And how do I make the ceilings more blended over there were the old popcorn meets the kitchen part?
The rhino (uglier than an elephant) in the room is the cabinets. I have these brand new cabinets that made the island. The drawers open. There is no laminate peeling off. There is no gap where they didn’t make the doors tall enough for the cabinet openings. The drawers aren’t plastic. I thought maybe I could just pull off all the white laminate (since it’s peeling) and paint everything white, just for a temporary fix. But it is only particle board under the white laminate. Still, figuring out how to paint them all white would help disguise better their imperfections. (Not to worry, the front door has since been painted.)
If someone has tried to comment and for some reason it isn’t letting you, would you please email me at purplehysteria@gmail.com and let me know. Thank you.
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