roundup!

we made a corral with our neighbors and had a big party.

before and after

Cabinet doors

We finally made our cabinet doors! They are bamboo-based particle board. A new product we found that is ecologically friendly [because it uses glue that is formaldehyde-free, and is made from waste product of a rapidly renewable resource], and inexpensive [costs less than most plywoods]. Unfortunately, it is also really dense, and there were small rocks in the wood, so we ended up going thru too many drill bits. The whitewashing is a combination of natural vegetable oils [sunflower, soybean, thistle] and waxes [carnuba, candelilla], and available with a variety of pigments. We're still fine-tuning the finish.

last splash

And for those of you tracking the kitchen remodel, we are continuing to chip away at that one, too. Here's the new backsplash. It's made from Hardi-panel, a cement-board originally developed for a backer to ceramic tile, and since used as an exterior siding. We tried it for backsplash because it's inexpensive, unaffected by water, and holds paint really well. Stay tuned for cabinet doors!

DECKER!

You may remember last summer we built a deck and skinned it with plywood/OSB salvaged from our demo projects. It made a great dancefloor and canvas for our wedding, but it didn't hold-up through the winter so well...as we expected. This spring it was kind of like walking soggy cornflakes, so we re-decked it with different salvaged wood, 2x material this time. There is wood from the wedding "oil derrick", from Chung's shed, from our old back room, from the neighbor's garage; there is cedar, fir, and SPF; pressure treated, painted, stained, and raw; 2x4, 2x6... we built it and then we relaxed on it.

unveiled

We don't have cabinet doors or backsplash yet, but you can get the idea. And yes, those are roofing nails holding the flooring down.

still working

...but occasionally distracted. Here's a current pic of the Kitchen, the Hotdog, and the Sander. Also new additions from the nightshade family [Solanaceae]: Stupice, Applause, Country Taste, and GOLIATH [thanks Shep!]

sneak preview

we teach the fundamentals...

counters

Last Friday we braved the snowstorms and drove down to the muddy banks of the Wishkah, to the Paperstone factory in Hoquiam. The trip enabled us to pick out one of their "handyman specials" for a great price. [http://paperstoneproducts.com/] Now we're in the process of cutting, fitting, finishing and installing. Danielle is shown creating the sink cut-out template, and Stewart is cutting a panel down to size.

simmering

The kitchen project is moving along leisurely right now. Danielle and I are both working a lot of extra hours at our day jobs, and trying to spend some down time relaxing and visiting friends, instead of cranking at last year's break-neck pace. We received our first tax-return as homeowners and that's going to help speed things up. You can see we've started moving into the new niche: relocated our crappy old uppers, and bought some new IKEA lowers, and have them assembled and in place. I'd tell you our plans for the cabinets doors & drawerfronts, but that would spoil the fun. The real exciting part was tearing down the wall between the kitchen and back stair. It's so much brighter with that rear slider uncovered. And more exposed... I think we'll be making a curtain soon. Stay tuned!

welcome to the drywall

Well, plumbing and electrical are done; with no leaks and no shorts, fortunately. Stewart did most of the plumbing while Danielle did most of the wiring. Then we "rocked" together. It's always surprising how different the space feels once the drywall goes up. A few more coats of mud, and then we'll be ready for primer and cabinets...

Ready for infrastructure

We've finished demo, and have the new niche framed. Next step is to run the plumbing for the sink/dishwasher, and add outlets and lighting. The new space is strategically located over the existing laundry room, so we dropped the lid there to give access to existing pipes & wires. Our "extra bedroom" is a little smaller, but still big enough for guests or kids, if we ever get our stuff out of there. Maybe we should build a shop...