5S Ranch

Pics of Vent a hood

The vent a hood is almos done.  Matthew will trim out the top this weekend. It looks so nice.

One Change ALWAYS Leads to Another

When an interior decorator helps you with your house, she develops a plan from the beginning.  She knows what ALL needs to be done to make something work.  Well, I am obviously not an interior decorator.  I make a change, then realize, I have to change something else because what I just did, makes something else not work (probably something I did before and now I have to redo).  I do this all the time.  It is always makes me think "why didn't I see that coming?".   It also means no project is a small project.  One project will just lead to another and another.  After I painted the fireplace and TV cabinet, I realized that all the white trim in the house was screaming at me.  There is no way I can paint all of the trim, so I decided to paint a little of the stair case in the same "wood look" as the fireplace.  I really like it, but of course, I just drew attention to the awful carpet on the stairs that I have wanted to replace for 5 years.....

 

We really are on the home stretch now.  Matthew made the island countertop and we are getting the finish on it this weekend.  Other than that, the last thing is the vent-a-hood.  That is also in process and just about complete.  I am very excited to see it all together.

Pics of Furniture

OK, here are the finished pictures of the furniture I have painted this past few weeks.  I like the fireplace, but may need to tone the brick color down some.  Still a bit yellow.

Here is the hutch with the books back on it.  Mom and Nancy, I have the painted ponies in there together.   Then I painted the TV cabinet that Matthew built a while back.  He didn't want it white like our trim, so I just made it match the fireplace. 

Fireplace Facelift

  I painted the fireplace.  I think we will eventually reface it in stone, but we haven't decided exactly what type of stone or the desing.  I decided to just paint it while we think about it for a while. 

When it Rains, it Pours

Here is the finished cabinet.  I was able to put it back in the study today.  I spent New Years Day going through all our old files that were stored in this cabinet.  I was happy to throw away at least half of the papers, maybe more.  We burned them.  That felt good.  I must have been more organized years ago because I found a file with all these owner's manuals for stuff we had for the kids when they were little (car seats, big toys, etc).  That was pretty funny.  Like I would have ever remembered where they were if I did need them.  I also found all these old pay stubs from when Matthew and I started work at Andersen Consulting.  We had them all  Some were from 1990.  How crazy is that?

Christmas day Matthew noticed that the kitchen ceiling, right near the new cabinets was wet.  He pulled some of it down and discovered a leaking toilet.  Lucikly, he only had to pull some crown molding down.  The cabinet could stay.  We already have a similar hole in the laundry room from the boys toilet that did the same thing.  So, we called a plumber to fix both toilets, then I called a guy to come out and repair the holes in the ceiling.  Before he came, a couple of days later, we hear this weird noise.  We go into the kitchen and see water coming from the kitchen ceiling, just down from the one we noticed on Christmas. This is from the air conditioner/heater.  A fitting on a pipe broke and water was gushing out.  We turned off the heat (brrrr) and once again, Matthew is pulling down ceiling so the boards can dry.  The AC people will fix this one because our AC/Heater was just put in this summer.  When the guy comes out, I am going to hire him to fix the other 2 holes.  I was so upset, but what can you do?  I am just so glad we were not out of town.  The water from the ac/heater would have totally destroyed things.  That water would have continued to pour in the downstairs and ruin the new floors/cabinets, etc.  I can't even imagine coming home to that.  We usually spend this week in Ruidoso, but didn't go this year.  I am really glad we stayed home.  We did learn a lesson.  From now on when we travel we are shutting down the AC.  Since both units are in a closet upstairs and run using water (geo thermal), we can't tak the chance of a break and it raining down on us.

Crafting the New Year In

I decided to paint the shelf in our study this week.  We had this piece made when we lived in the house on Aberdeen.  Matthew made the bookshelf (top part) and he had a cabinet maker, make the base cabinet.  It was stained golden oak.  I decided it was time to give the cabinet an updated look.  My idea was to make it look aged.  My girlfriend Kelly helped me.  She has painted furniture for her husbands restaurant, so she walked me through all the steps that she does to give a nice aged, finish.  We stenciled the back of the shelf  in turquoise and brown.  I wanted a western look since that is what Matthew likes.  I just love how it turned out.  It is still drying so I can't put it all back together yet. 

After painting this piece this week, I realize that every year during this week I paint.  Usually I am in Ruidoso and paint at Mom's house.  I have painted 2 doors and numerous rooms when we go there the week after Christmas.   Guess this is the week I feel creative every year.

Install Day 4 & 5

Yesterday Matthew put the panels on the Frig and Freezer.  That was a tough job.  We also did some odds and ends to get everything pulled together.  The undercounter lights were attached to the cabinets.  Today Mark is here putting up the crown molding trim.  We have a little electrical work to do as well.  The microwave and wine refrigerator are hooked up and now in the kitchen under the island.  We don't have to walk down the hall to use them anymore.  That is nice.  The next big thing for me is to get everything out and organize the cabinets.

Install Day 2 and 3

Progress is being made.  Thanksgiving Day Matthew and I started the morning by putting the island together.  It is huge and heavy, but we were able to prop things up and hold them level so Matthew could bolt everything together.  I enjoyed helping him. 

I was so worried about the island looking good and wondering if my design made sense, but I love it.  It is huge and probably could have been a little shorter, but I think it will work out fine.  It seems to fit the scale of the room and that is what I was so worried about getting right.  It definitely is going to serve all the functions I had in mind.  The little cubby holes on the side where the kids can sit are for homework papers and mail.  These papers were typically sitting on our countertops so we didn't lose them and they usually would get messed up by food spills.  Now homework can get back to school without being maked by dinner.

On Day 3 of the install we started on the hutch that will contain the refrigerator and freezer.  That was a big challenge.  Getting the everything level and the frig and freezer in the cabinets just right took us all day.  We called an appliance guy that used to install subzero, but he told us he didn't do it any more because they were so big and difficult to get in.  Matthew and Craig ended up doing it and now I know why the appliance guy doesn't.  The overall process seems simple, but getting everything just right since they are intergrated units was not so easy.  We have another helper and his name is Elvis (really Larry, but he goes by Elvis - that is another story).  Elvis and I installed the upper cabinets around the vent a hood and then he installed all the toe kick cover. 

Today Matthew is working on getting the cabinet panels on the frig and freezer.  Ben is his helper today.  Matthew is teaching Ben why the saying "for good measure" must have orginated.  They are measuring and re-measuring before they drill on these panels.  Usually 3 times is good, but because this is so different, I believe they are even adding a few more checks for really good "good measure".   

I am so happy with everything.  I can't believe how it is all coming together.  Lots of work, but Matthew and his workers have just really done a fantastic job.  I am so very pleased with the layout of everything.

Here are some pictures of all the little "extras":  I have a cabinet for things like the crock pot, griddle, toaster, a spice drawer, bread drawer, cutlery drawers, and vertical storage.  A place for everything.  I can't wait to move in the kitchen.

End of Day 1 Install

WOW, today was SUCCESSFUL!  It didn't start out looking like it would be.  Matthew thought the electrical wiring for the range was wrong, but it ended up that we could use what we had.  We were so relieved that new wiring didn't have to be run since the walls were all patched up and we were ready to go. 

Matthew with the help of Craig and Larry, got busy this morning installing the lower cabinets.  The gas man was here installing the new propane tank.  Since he was here, we installed the range and tested the gas to it.  All works well.  I now have a working range.  It looks awesome.  Matthew and Craig also were able to get the sink installed and they even set up a temporary countertop so the faucet could be hooked up.   The granite guy doesn't come until Tuesday and I am sure it takes 7-10 days before the countertops are completed.  The vent-a-hood liner is up, but not the blower inside it.  Also, we still need to design and make the cover.   I didn't do too much in the kitchen today except install all the hardware.

Since I wasn't that useful in the kitchen I painted the study.  A couple of weeks ago I decided to pull the fabric off the walls that must have been put up around 1980.  That was a project.  I pulled thousands of staples out of the wall, textured, primed and painted.  It looks much better.

So after a 14 hour day, here is where we are.....