Window Casing & More!

Why is it so difficult to come up with window & door casing??  I have searched and searched and searched some more looking for ideas for what we should do.  Today we put together a couple different options with window aprons...and I'm still not sold on any of them, ugh!  I have on more idea...hopefully we can try it out tomorrow.

This was our first option...just a basic baseboard flipped upside down with a piece of cove moulding pushed up against the bottom of the window sill.

Option number two...just another piece of the same thing we're using on the sides of the windows. (an MDF 1x3)

Option number three...the same as the first...only trimmed down about a quarter of an inch. (yes, I realize that isn't very much, lol, but sometimes just a little is all you need to take off!)

Option number four is no apron at all.  Just a piece of cove moulding under the sill.

At the moment I think this one is our favorite! (Didn't see that coming!!)

Then we went out in the sunroom to test some window apron options out there.

This is the plain mdf 1x4.  These windows don't actually have window sills...so it's going to look a little different out here.  We decided to go with something similar to the headers for the sill/apron area.  We're actually using the scraps from the boards we used on the window sills (they were about 1" x .25" x 8', so each board/window sill we made will do one window)

This is that upside down baseboard again.  We're going to give it a try tomorrow with a return and see how it looks that way.  I think it's everything being so "square" that's bothering me on each one of these trial window aprons that we made!

Oh...did I say that the weather is FINALLY nice here today?  So nice actually.  So we finally got to get the table saw and miter box out and get some stuff done!

First thing Kade did was cut the last board for the back of the mudroom.

Now it's my turn to figure out what we're hanging our coat hooks on and then I need to get it done!

See that blue piece of tape in there?  That's marking our only stud that actually runs where I'll be able to hit it...there's one at the very edge on the left too...but I probably won't be able to get a screw into that unless I use one that's really long!  Anyway....this room is SO close to being done now!

Kade got the fillers & side trim done in the dining room.  I'm so glad he's doing that because I sure don't have the patience to cut all those filler strips!!  Darn old walls!!

It's also done in the kitchen!  Now we can do the backsplash this week!  YEAH!  Then I think all we need are the window headers and appliances and the kitchen will also be done!

(oh wait...gotta install the faucet still too!)

Looks pretty darn good (besides the mess on the counter & island, lol)

More headers are up.  LOVE THEM!!!

And the filler strips are cut and installed in the front bedroom.  That means the sides can be cut tomorrow and then hopefully we can get some more headers built this week too!  YEAH!

It REALLY is coming together...slowly but surely!

Hopefully tomorrow will be another beautiful day and we can get lots of cutting done!

The Hole Has Been Cut!

I can't believe it!!  All of this time waiting and the day has finally come!!  Kade cut the hole in the laundry sink countertop for the wash tub & pull out faucet!  I realize that it's NOT a traditional sink!

BUT OMG!!  I LOVE IT!!

We've still got to cut the hole in the bottom for the drain...maybe this weekend.

Now it's time to pick the tile for the backsplash!

This one is a natural stone...like slices of rocks...

and some of my favorite rocks with crystals exposed!

 

This one is a 3x6 white marble with a strip of smaller white/gray marble tiles.

I really thought I'd love this one...marble octagons turned at an angle.

I'm starting to think it's a little too busy though!

Another marble :) pinwheel pattern.

2x4 marble subway.  I think this one might be a little to gray.

Same 2x4 marble subway tile with that smaller white/gray accent strip.

White ceramic octagons...hmmm.

The white subway that we're using in the kitchen.

The white subway with that white/gray marble accent strip

I seriously need to give myself LESS options!!

I think we've narrowed it down to the top two.  The natural stone or the 3x6 marble.

UGH!!  SOMEONE ELSE DECIDE FOR ME!!!

If we do the natural stone then we'll do this beadboard backsplash on the pantry side.

If we do the 3x6 marble subway then I think we'll just do the same on both sides.

I also finally decided what to do in the back of the mudroom sitting area!

Can you believe it...a decision, lol!

I was thinking that since that wall will just get scuffed in the back of the seat anyway we might as well just use a darker color all the way up.  Well...we had some of the walnut flooring left, so why not just run it up the wall?  Then I can hang the hooks on something the same color as the cabinets!

I do believe that will work!  Now we've just got to finish cutting and get them all nailed up!

Have I mentioned that it REALLY needs to stop raining around here??

We're going to have a bunch of stuff to run through the table saw when we finally get a dry day!

Mudroom - Done! (almost)

SO CLOSE, lol!  It still needs casing around the doors (the pocket doors to be installed) and I've also got to decide what's going in the back - above the seat.  I was originally going to do some horizontal tongue & groove painted the same color as the cabinets...but you know...that would be too predictable!

So now I'm thinking maybe some of the leftover hardwood floor?  With a "rack" painted the cabinet color with big wrought iron hooks.  I also thought about maybe using galvanized tin...but then thought that may snag a coat or sweater that's hanging there...and that would be BAD!  I'm wondering if the flooring might be too dark in there....I guess I'll have to try it out and see!

ANYWAY - we got the fancy crown moulding on the top and the furniture moulding on the bottom.  I LOVE the way it turned out.  I can't wait to fill up all of these cabinets and have everything ORGANIZED!

A Flooring Filled Day

So I'm still not entirely sold on the flooring for the laundry/mudroom/1/2 bath.  Ugh!  There's just something about it.  So today I went to town...ran errands...visited Lowes & Home Depot (imagine that) and then went on to do some shopping for some different tile.  While I didn't have any luck (so I guess I'm using what we've already got) I did find a great deal on some Travertine.  I've got to call them and tell them that I want it....hopefully they've still got it.  I think it will work perfectly in our basement bathroom.  I'm a little concerned that travertine is just too fancy for a basement bath...but since our actual family room is down there I think it will be ok.

I think it'll be pretty, and work really nicely with the vintage cabinet & sink that we're using for our vanity.

After I got back from errands and Kade got home from work we went straight to grouting.  I hope it turns out ok.  I get myself worked up about every project that we do, lol.

I think Bisque was the grout color that we chose.

Done...cleaned up...and ready to install a toilet!!!

Let's make that a priority!!  :)

Kade sat in a couple of the cabinets for the mudroom while I was grouting.  I'm going to love this.  He said tonight that this was what he was most excited about!  That makes me smile!

Before we stopped for the evening I had Kade hook up an option for the "over the island" lights...the other one he had to just hold up there...which one do you like best?  I think I like the big one.  I've got 2 other options for that spot...but these are the ones I've wanted from the get go...so they're probably going to win out in the end  :)

Cabinets are Ordered!!

FINALLY (now that I've got my fancy sink, grin) I can get the cabinets actually ordered!  The final decision on them was to stain the island and have everything else painted soft white.  I think because the kitchen is so big it will help it to not look too cold (plus the sunroom is right by the kitchen and it's going to be pretty much all white!!)

Left to right- Backsplash color, wall cabinets, stained island,

island countertop and the bottom is the hardwood floor!

 Island: It's now 8' long...not exactly sure on the width yet...we're thinking about 38".

The middle cabinet is actually a trash can - that'll be SO NICE!  I hate to see the trash! :)

We just went ahead and ordered all of the cabinets at the same time...so that meant the mudroom, laundry and pantry cabinets too!  For the laundry/pantry in the clutter room we were able to use a set of display cabinets from the cabinet shop that were only $1,000 - we just had to add a couple more cabinets to the order.  We also got the sink, faucet and countertop (ok, the countertop has got to go, lol)  These are the same style as the kitchen/mudroom cabinets...the doors just aren't "inset".  I'm going to have to paint them though I think...light, just like the rest of them!  Here's the display that we bought:  I cant't believe that we got such a good deal and were actually able to make it work in our space!  YEAH!

Pantry side of the clutter room. (remember I bought a little table on wheels to go at the end on the left.)  We had to add the 24" base cabinet and one 3 drawer set on this side.

 

Laundry side.   We added the tall pantry cabinet (for my laundry baskets) and then the cabinet above the washer/dryer.  I know this room looks big....but I think it's going to shrink drastically when we get everything installed!  It will still be very usable...just not quite as large as we'd like  :)

The mudroom, ahhhh, I'm going to love this spot!   These cabinets will match the kitchen wall cabinets, painted in soft white with inset doors and soft close hinges.  LOVE IT!

We've Got New Walls!

I mean ACTUAL NEW WALLS!!  :)  Walls that weren't there before!!  Actually....now we can call it main floor laundry, mudroom, clutter room and a half bath!!  Yeah....well....ok, we still need to add another wall and the pocket doors to complete the framing of the half bath!

 

View from the sunroom doors. (the back of the house)  The kitchen will be to the left.  We have to move the door coming in from the garage over to the right a couple feet still.

 

View from the front door.  The wide part is the laundry/clutter/pantry and the narrow part will be the mudroom and the half bath.

 

I have to say....we can build a very impressively square wall, lol!!  When I'm not behind the camera I am actually working my buns off.  I love this part of remodeling!  Finally seeing some change!  I could work all day and half the night!!  Hopefully we'll finish up framing by Friday night and we can move on to plumbing & HVAC!  Oh...I forgot we've still go to rebuild the wall on the side of the stairs where the termites did all of their damage!  Gerrrr.... Maybe framing will be finished up on Sunday....