The neighbors have all pulled their boats from the lake and the trees have dropped their many, many leaves. It's unofficially the winter season around here.
We took a brief house hiatus to work on Halloween costumes and to enjoy a trip to Disney. Now that we're home the goal is organization. We finally got the garage cleaned up enough to put both cars inside. Just in time for the snow to fly! D has worked had to build overhead storage for the garage and I hope to have the kids toys hung up in baskets on the wall this spring (very similar to our old house if you ever saw that arrangement). I'm also thinking about bike and scooter parking possibilities but for now they can be pushed to the back of the garage. Our kayaks are hanging from the ceiling for the winter and our bikes are mounted on the wall.
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| Still lots of outdoor things to get organized, but it's progress |
I also got the front hallway/mudroom cleaned up. For now we're using command strips to hang up coats and hats but I hope to eventually have built ins. Similar to this...
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| One of the many mudroom inspiration photos |
Our mudroom right now has plain closet doors will be switched out for 6 panel doors that close properly. For now I'm just happy to have room in the closet for our snow gear and the boys' winter bags for school (filled with boots, snow pants, hats, mittens..) and for a place to hang backpacks and coats.
In the kitchen, we removed the old vent hood from the oven area and purchased a stainless steel, mounted microwave. It was really great to retire the small microwave we were using as it was originally sitting in our bar at the old house and is not meant for high volume cooking. Now, without the hood, the kitchen feels more modern. D installed small cupboards over the microwave. We had to think about this arrangement because those cupboards are pretty inaccessible and we were wondering if it even made sense to have them. On the website, Houzz, I've seen people put in wine racks or use the space for decorations. In the end we decided to go with cupboards to store things that we like to have around but don't need to have out all the time: camelbacks for running, water jugs for soccer games, etc.
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| The original kitchen oven and vent hood |
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| New mounted microwave with cabinets (still need to add the door pulls) |
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A new double oven was just delivered as well
(I didn't even take the sticker off before snapping a photo).
Drawer and cabinet pulls were added to all the kitchen cabinets. |
We ran into a bit of trouble getting cabinets to match our existing set. We decided to purchase the same style but in a different color since we will painting or staining the entire kitchen. The paint or stain color is still up in the air. I love the look of the dark cabinets, especially now that we have some, but I have my heart set on dark wood floors. With the large amount of mature trees in the area, we don't have a ton of sunlight in the kitchen. I am concerned that dark floors and dark cabinets will be too much. An alternative is white cabinets and dark floors. Plenty of time to continue researching, thinking, and seeking examples on Houzz since the kitchen will be a summer project.
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| Dark kitchen cabinet example with stainless appliances |
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| White kitchen cabinet example with dark floors, modern lighting. |
I'm really leaning toward the white with the dark floors. We'll have to be careful that it doesn't slip into the "country" esthetic...probably my least favorite style. But the white with dark floors is a complete change from our old house and that's what we're hoping to accomplish. Still plenty of time to think about it while I organize the play room and loft.
What's up next: 1) Finishing the ceiling and walls in the loft area (that's what we're calling the bonus play area between the boys' rooms). We removed an oddly placed ceiling fan and added recessed lighting but still need to patch and paint. 2) Selecting stone for the new fireplace surround. We replaced a wood burning fireplace with a gas insert. In order for the guys to run the gas line, we had to demo the existing tile. It was on our list of things to do anyway, it just jumped to the front of the line. We are absolutely loving the gas fireplace! 3) Post about the boys' bedroom makeover. So excited to share this one! I finally finished the paint and I am waiting on two deliveries before the "final reveal." 4) Find our Christmas decorations!
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