the house

My mother has renovated her kitchen. It really needed it. She has counter space now. Not more counter space... counters. Period. Something where there was nothing. New flooring, new pristine, white cabinets, a shiny new black stove... fresh paint on the freshly plastered walls.

She lives in an historic row home, and the kitchen appears to be located in an addition to the back of the original house. Teeny tiny. I would have passed on the house based on the kitchen! When B&I did our home improvement project 12 (gasp - was it that long ago?) years ago, the kitchen was my baby! Ok.. to say "home improvement" is really not accurate. We gutted a row home to the brick and rebuilt it, keeping the feel of an 1870s Federal row home. Ah, but the kitchen. It measured 11' x 19'. I had acres (it seemed) of counters in addition to an island and a corner cabinet that backed up to the pass-through to the dining room. I loved that kitchen.

Now I live in a lovely little Cape. It's a modular home. Modulars ROCK. They are NOT trailers!!! Our house is better constructed than many "stick built" homes out there. I have Corian counters! B is planning to build all new cabinets for the kitchen. The house was a model, so it's a bit more up scale. We splurged and replaced the ratty (well, it was a model) living room carpet with a lovely Cinnamon colored hard wood. I LOVE it. It helps that he was a contractor, and does the work himself. He's in the process of milling (is that the proper term? he's using his router) all new trim for the doors and windows to match the floor. We're going to an Arts & Crafts style.

The next project is another bathroom for upstairs for the girly-girls. Three women, one man and one bathroom just isn't cutting it! L is going on 4, and C 9... peace will not reign for long. I would love to put in a big 'ole whirlpool tub, but I get over-ruled on that one - he says they take too long to fill and people just don't use them like they think they will. Sigh. I guess he's right. But I still have the garden tub fantasy - the one in the perfect bathroom with the candles all around it, music, wine... oh well. Someday.