The kitchen

A few posts ago I mentioned "design our marmoleum floors". Well, Scott saw some pictures and was inspired. He designed the floor and back splash below. He incorporated it into an Ikea photo that shows our cabinets (the brown cabinets on bottom) but not really our layout. We are considering 1 or 2 of the horizontal cabinets - probably in stainless though. We also decided to go with a re-issue laminate (boomerang, the offwhite version with the light gray booms) counter tops for now. We can add the red quartz counter tops later fairly easily when money isn't as tight.



In other news....we are still in the waiting game. The house in not ours yet. Appraisal still to come. General contractors can be so elusive....
For those who don't know how a 203K loan works - you have to turn in your #'s and they have to cover everything that needs done on the house (even if you're going to do it yourself - you have to show that the contractor is doing it and getting paid...rubish) within the amount of money they are giving you to do it in. They don't want to know that you are going to add some money to the pot in order to only have to do it once instead of spending $800 now to "get it done" and another $2K later to do it right. It's a frustrating process but one that will HAVE to be worth it.

Floor Color, oh my....

We have bamboo floor samples from every manufacturer the internet has to offer, I'm sure of it. We have them in every color they make, I'm sure of it. Scott has been on the phone day in and out with every company that sells bamboo (along with several tile guys in Indy and faucet shops and and and....). We spent some time yesterday looking at the bamboo samples next to the window, next to the 2 dark beams, next to kitchen door where you can see the cabinets through the door, next to the closet door, next to the bathroom doors. I hope it sounds as exhausting as it was. Our original plan was birch. Seems to fit the style of the house best. Then Scott woke up one morning thinking darker floors would be more elegant. I thought - hmmm, less dirt will show, more dog hair will show. Matching the 2 dark beams could be worth it though. But when we placed the samples through the house I just kept feeling the birch color. I'm not one to hem and haw but Scott really wants to think this through. He also can't sleep because he's thinking this (along with tile, showers, sinks, cabinets) through constantly. This morning he layed the birch floor down in a photo of the formal living/dining room. This is what he does at 6:30am.

Notice he also matched the mantle to the 2 beams.



Thanks for the emails about counter tops. There's also a comment button down there at the bottom of this post. Feel free.....

Red counter tops?

We are currently trying to decide on counter top colors. Seems too soon, you say? In order to get the two appraisals (before rehab and post rehab) we have to submit a list of all the work we are doing, including cost of materials and labor. It's extensive. Counter tops vary in pricing based on many things. The picture below is a close approximation of the colors of the cabinets we've picked. The lighting is what it is in the photo, but otherwise, how do you feel about red counter tops?

From Ideas

Stayed tuned for the next installment: Design our marmoleum floors!

In the beginning

I've never wanted a blog before, and I don't think Scott has either. However, looking around at other blogs of those who show the progress of their "fix-er-uper", I've changed my mind and I'm bringing Scott along for the ride. Right now I'm the paper pusher and he's the designer.
The bank accepted our offer and the purchase agreement is done. Next: appraisal in it's current condition (see pics) and then appraisal based on our plans for using the 203K loan to rehab it. Then we give our right arm to the loan Gods and the house is ours.

Current closing date set for Aug. 2nd.

Here are a few photos if you don't want to click on the link:

From Sunny Lane

From Sunny Lane