The Pool Is Open!

It seems fitting that on this, my 150th post for the blog, there should be a momentous announcement. And there is: THE POOL IS FINISHED!!!

Last week, there was a flurry of activity on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the finish went on. That didn't really take long at all.

Then we started filling. We didn't run the hose overnight Thursday because we didn't want to accidentally flood the pool, so it ran from Thursday morning until it was full on Saturday morning.

 Close shot of the steps and the pebbly finish.

 Full :D and freezing. We think it looks like the Wood River (a spring-fed river near Klamath), and it still kind of feels like it, too.

For reference, here is the Wood River...

Maybe not quite so green. But still... you get the idea. 

So, for your viewing pleasure, here is the progression of the pool.

 Before. Ever so slightly worse than what we started with six and a half years ago, but...barely.

 Coping stained.

 Bond coat applied.

 Pebble Tec applied.

DONE!!!

Kitchen Backsplash + Trash Dresser's Cousin

Trevor was finally able to get the kitchen backsplash in over the last few weekends. 

 White subway tile and white grout.

 We were a little concerned that the white wouldn't look quite right with the off-white cabinets, but it's fine.

 At least, it's not bothering me. I can't believe how much it snazzes up the kitchen. I knew it'd be nice to have it done, but I didn't realize how much of a difference it'd make.

 AND! Acquisition from a couple weekends ago: a hideous free dresser off CL. It is uncannily similar to "trash dresser," a dresser I saw in the trash on my way to work a few years ago and drove around the block to collect. I stuffed it in the back of my car, where it remained for a few weeks because we had nowhere to store it. (We were still living in the studio in Bend before moving to the Fishhawk house.)

Anyway, still waiting for the hardware for this one to arrive: an oil-rubbed bronze modernish style. I rehabbed it a couple weekends ago and went with the same painted bottom, stained top approach as the one that's in the dining room. I figured it looked good, so why reinvent the wheel? This fits in the laundry room way better than the other one and provides a lot more storage and surface area. All our shoes are in the bottom four drawers, so no more tripping over shoe piles. Love it.

 Trevor also cut slate and installed the backsplash in the upstairs bathroom. Great to have that finished and checked off the list. It looks fantastic. I love how that bathroom came out.

Christmas Kitchen

I have been waiting a long time to write this post. Over five years since we bought the house and redoing the dreadful kitchen was in the project pipeline, and close to six since we first walked through this house while we still lived in California in the spring of 2008. That was when I first started envisioning what you're about to see!

We're not done yet, but it's mostly details that remain. Important details, like finishing the bar counter, the backsplash, installing and painting trim and baseboard and probably other things I'm not thinking of, but it's mostly done. Here's the first round of "afters."

These are the pendant lights over the bar/peninsula, up close.

 This is the fixture over the kitchen table, from Lowe's.

 Looking into the kitchen from the dining room (previously impossible, due to the wall that used to be there).

Standing in the eating area looking south. You can kind of see the sliver of space behind the new slide-in range that will need to be filled with a bit of counter.

Another south-facing picture. The back of the bar, where your knees are if you're in one of the seagrass chairs, still needs to be painted. We picked up the paint to match the cabinets today.

The eating area and bar on the left. Counter still needs to be finished there. It's just plywood right now. Kind of splintery. We also have to figure out what kind of pads to put on the bottoms of the bar chairs. They have feet, but I'm worried about them scratching the floor. Everything I've stuck on so far just comes off, so I have to keep experimenting.

 From the dining room looking in facing east. LOVE the dishwasher.

All the dishwashers with the control panel on the top and just a blank stainless front were $$$$ but this was on crazy sale and really well rated. It's so pretty.

I'm thinking I'd like to get some remote-controlled puck lights to stick under the cabinets. The big upper on the left, anyway. The corner is pretty dark.

Deviation from our original plan, we ended up getting a new slide-in range. Slide-in is the kind without the back, so it doesn't stick up awkwardly above the wall. This was another well-rated, on-sale buy. I went in Monday night to Lowe's to talk with an appliance person and make sure it'd fit our space.

The site said it'd take until Jan 2 before it arrived, so I told the guy that Home Depot had the same thing and could get it to me three days earlier, hoping he might be able to match that. He paused for a second, then said he thought he might have one on the warehouse. This exact model. Turns out someone had ordered it, opened the top of the box and decided it wasn't going to work for whatever reason. So we got our range a full week before we thought we would; it was delivered the day after Christmas. I get to eat eggs for breakfast again!

The counters are beautiful. Next time for pictures, they'll be darker because I need to wipe them with mineral oil to protect them, but we are so happy with the choice.

The new faucet doesn't leak, which is obviously a very positive thing. Unfortunately they sent the wrong hose, so it's a regular braided hose instead of the chrome coil one, but I haven't dealt with that yet. I do love the faucet though, and it's perfectly in proportion to the giant, fabulous sink.

This is the trash and recycling pull-out. It's great. The silent-close drawers and cabs are spoiling us though, and we both have been accidentally slamming other things in the house that don't have that feature.

I have probably about half of the hardware on. All the single knobs are on but I haven't felt patient enough to try for the handles, other than the two in this picture. Lining up two holes is a lot trickier, and I am just plain awful at measuring. I try so hard, double check, and then somehow screw it up. I'd say detail orientation isn't my strong suit, but... have you met me? I'm not really sure what the issue is.

 This used to be the laundry room. I know.

Speaking of terrible measuring, why yes, I did in fact hang the mirror exactly 1.5" off center. How? No idea. Another product of careful measurement. Also notice the doors in front of the washer and dryer in the mirror!

Kitchen from the opposite direction, standing in the mudroom looking north.

 Again...

 Ok just one more. I just love it so much.

And lastly here's the dining room, looking mostly put back together except for the not-pictured old range sitting in the corner (anybody want to buy a five-year-old gas Maytag? It's a champ!) and the to-be-installed dining room light fixture sitting on top of it.

Can't wait to show you befores and afters when all the little details are finally all in place!

Difficulties.

I don't know why, but this is the only picture that will go into this post properly oriented so I'm making it extra big. 

Today, the floor was finished, the remaining lights were installed (pendants and the table light fixture), the dishwasher electrical was hooked up, the garbage disposal was mostly installed AND the hot water heater was fixed. 

It was a stupid $95 loose wire nut in a junction box. Oh well. Win some, lose some. Having hot water back is definitely #winning. (Thank you, Charlie Sheen, for this singular useful contribution to pop culture.)

Tomorrow's a big day too. The doors get put in and trimmed upstairs, so the bathroom and the storage unit guest room will be real rooms again!!

Another victory for today: I convinced the nice folks at ATG customer service to convince Ruvati, the faucet manufacturer, to ship the replacement faucet second-day air, so we'll get it Thursday and it'll be installed Friday. If all goes as planned (unlikely, but maybe a Christmas miracle) my kitchen will not be under construction by this time next week! Quiet. I think I hear angels singing.

That floor. I DIE.