Ceiling and Lights

Antsy Pants

I am ready for progress. I am ready to build walls, install windows, sheet rock and yes, even mud and sand. I am ready for my house to be torn up, for that constant state of disarray. I am ready to cook out of a basement and wash dishes in my bathtub. I am ready.

We received our building permit in late December for our kitchen addition and I was naïve to think that we were going to trudge outside in subzero temperatures and in the pitch black to work every night and weekend. Considering that we have about four feet of snow in our backyard right now, I am not sure if mobility would even be feasible. I know, we could work wearing snowshoes! At any rate, spring is just around the corner and we are gearing up for our project. Our downstairs laundry room is almost complete, and looking very nice I might add. We still need to add the dropped ceiling, can lights, flooring and trim. When it is finished, I think I might actually “hang out” in my laundry room. You might even be getting an invitation that would read something like this:

The Johnson’s are having a party

Location: Laundry Room

Well, probably not, but it will be nice to have such a clean and polished space for some of the most loathsome chores. Who knows, maybe it will change my perspective on doing laundry . . . then again, maybe not.

Carolina Hotel Aqua

While other girls ate chocolate and went out for a fancy supper, I spent Valentine’s Day covering my laundry room walls in the most beautiful shade of Carolina Hotel Aqua – an understated bluish, greenish, grayish hue that makes my heart do somersaults. I know I haven’t posted in a while. Surprisingly, the laundry room is coming along quite well. I’ll post pictures soon . . .

Laundry Room Progress

We made good progress on our laundry room over the weekend. Our good friend Ian was in town from Arizona and he dedicated his Saturday to helping us sheet rock. It was too bad that we weren’t able to work outside, but it was raining. Minnesota weather never ceases to amaze me. Here are some pictures of our progress.

Scott and Ian finished insulating, now ready for sheet rock

The boys finished and proud of their handy work

Framed up and ready for closet doors

Bare walls ready for tape, mud, and PAINT

Brrrrrr

I am beginning to think that a winter remodel wasn’t such a good idea. With temperatures barely topping off in the low one digits, traipsing outside to work hardly sounds appealing. Most recently, we’ve decided that while the frigid temps persist, we are going to focus our energies on finishing our laundry room. That way, when it comes time to move out of the existing kitchen, there will be a clean, nice, non-dungeony space to move into.

Finishing our laundry room will be relatively inexpensive, yet it will add 160 finished square feet to the size of our home. It will require framing up some walls, adding sheet rock, a dropped ceiling, paint, lighting, and some cheapo stick-down floor tiles. We also want to add some cabinets, a deep sink, and a nice long countertop to span the length of our washer and dryer (my future food prep station). Almost all of the materials we will be able to get at the salvage yard. In the future I would like to add a craft station—some base storage cabinets with a tabletop laminate countertop. I’ve seen this sort of setup while touring the Parade of Homes, and thought the concept was really smart. This way, we’ll have a suitable work space for messy kid’s projects, folding laundry, wrapping gifts, ect.

Our current basement:

Drum Roll Please . . .

We got our building permit! Three weeks later than expected, but nonetheless, we got it. Maybe we’ll be pouring footings in 2009 after all.

On another note, our good friend Ian from Arizona is coming up for several days in late January for his job. He is very excited to pitch in and help us on our project while he’s in town. To describe Ian as a “motivated worker” would be the understatement of the century. Ian, Scott say’s he already tired knowing that you’re on your way. We look forward to seeing you!

I Can See Clearly Now . . .

That we got our windows! Scott and I ventured back to BMO (Building Material Outlet) over the weekend after learning that they had just unloaded a large truck shipment of windows. Lucky for us, we were able to purchase all the remaining windows for our kitchen and sunroom at deep discount prices.

Now if we could only get our permit . . .

Scott called for our silt fence inspection last Friday. Theoretically, we should be able to pick up our permit as soon as the inspection is approved.

I am still hoping to pour footings before the end of 2009!