How is it midnight and I’m just getting home from work?? My career has been amazing so far, and I’m excited to keep moving up and forward! (Fingers crossed). I mostly don’t mind working late, and this show looks like it’s going to turn out gorgeous. I’m excited to see it progress.

Meanwhile, speaking of progression, I’m also moving forward on the home renovation front. Today while perusing Pinterest for kitchen cabinet and cottage paint ideas I was reminded “how did I forget about shiplap?!!!” How many times have we heard Johanna Kerns talk about Shiplap?!  Jeesh! Yet somehow it completely slipped my mind. Looking at photos of cottage interiors made me realize I wish I could start over with this place and work with an actual professional designer because I could TOTALLY “cottage” my cottage up for realz! Add beams and shiplap….etc. But alas, I am on a budget. Also, by nature, I actually picked things that felt beach cottage-y anyways. Except the floor. I’ve never been convinced I have picked the right floor. I literally picked it because most “affordable” laminate or vinyl flooring is hideous so I picked the best one I could get for .68c a square foot. The sample looked decent in my place, so I pray it looks good when Mike lays it all down. My bathroom selections feel, to me, like a Ritzy beach cottage (marble tiles with hints of blue grey). I wish I could have done gold fixtures throughout, but those are more specific to my taste and less “neutral”, so I went with brushed nickel.

Sunday Rudi was busy training a puppy so I took one of my closest friends, Margaret, with me to meet Mike at Designer Warehouse. I know this isn’t the correct name of the place, but honestly I can’t ever remember the actual name of Mike’s favorite store in North Hollywood. Maybe it is Builders Depot? Anyways, it’s like Home Depot but less annoying with less choices. Also, it’s freezing in the store for some reason, but that’s neither here nor there (what does that expression even mean?? Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever used it before. I wonder if using it means I’m turning into an old lady. I hope not!!! Though Margaret did mention I seem “less carefree lately”. That breaks my heart. I’m not sure what she means by that, but I need to work on it!!!).

Sunday was slotted for selecting kitchen cabinets, kitchen backsplash, and front and back exterior doors. A friend shared with me the name of a supposedly affordable custom cabinet place, so I am using the cabinets at Designer Warehouse as my backup plan. We decide to go with a step up from “shaker doors”, and in natural wood which will allow us to paint them a color I want. The pre painted ones seriously look like cheap prison cupboards, so I am grateful my budget affords me something a bit classier. After my ikea experience, I am grateful for Mike who helped plan out a kitchen layout that makes me feel like living with a tiny kitchen for a while may not be so bad!! I may even have more space than I thought. I hope his ideas work out as nicely in person as they have on his unscaled drawings!! (Uh oh!). I have faith it’s going to be better than expected.

👆🏼Color palettes I’m considering for The Cottage interior. I love them all!

Deciding whether or not I should have a dishwasher has been like an existential dilemma. I don’t use them. I mean you have to wash the dishes to use the dishwasher, so what’s the point? It’s a waste of space, water, and electricity, in my opinion. If I was making this cottage for myself (as opposed to a tenant), I would have a wine fridge where the dishwasher “should” go, and I would call it a day. It’s been a constant struggle trying to remember that this cottage is to be a rental unit. I mean I WILL be living in it while the main house is renovated, so I wish I could splurge and design it as if it is mine as well. I have also been reminded by numerous friends that after a few months in a 580sf house, I’ll be excited to move into my house and rent this one out. I am looking forward to the income and would love to one day add another unit and turn the property into a real Bed and Breakfast! Regardless, I want the place to be cozy and nice but also durable. So the cabinets we picked, I think, will be great. It’s a good thing too! It turns out the custom cabinet place has a 3 week turn around and we’re chasing the clock so that I can move in and stop paying rent and mortgage simultaneously, which is eating money from my budget for the main house.

We picked an awesome front door (Margaret helped a lot), and decided for sure on a dutch back door. I am super exited! I also put a bid on an antique door knocker- but no hints on that. You’ll just know if/when I win!

The back splash was fairly easy to pick due to a lack of choices. It was sort of nice to not be overwhelmed. I love what I picked because it does feel modern beach-y. I started with  three styles, and once held to the countertop it was obvious which one had the best aesthetic. Mike is thrilled because I finally picked something easy to apply. The countertop choosing was more challenging because I had something in mind that didn’t exist at Home Depot Warehouse Whatever, likely because what I pictured probably costs a fortune and is not sold at discount places. What can I say, I have exquisite taste and should be having tea with the queen of England rather than working to be financially independent 😉 And on THAT note- seriously?? Let’s see how long The Prince and his wife last having “real jobs.” It just makes me think about the time I worked my very first job at The Ski Haüs (I worked there for one day!) I came home and I was like “Mom! They made me hang up clothes after people tried them on in the dressing room!” I thought I would be helping customers pick out ski clothes, not cleaning after them. I never went back. I’m honestly not even sure I got paid for the day I worked. I must have. This was a long time ago, so I probably made $30 (after taxes) for 8 full hours of work. They really need to raise minimum wage! But that’s a conversation for another time.

The last thing I picked was a kitchen faucet, which took all of 5 seconds. I looked and was like “I want that one.” Last time I was that sure of something was when I bought my car (which has worked out great so far). The time before that was when I got Daisy (best choice of my life!!) Actually I also felt that way when I decided to put a bid on this property. So that’s a great sign!!
Today on Pinterest I saw some color schemes (scroll back up for photos) that really inspired me for finish work on the house. And I purchased the barn doors I’ve been looking eyeing. It’s a good thing, too, because they’re gonna take 6 weeks to construct.

Im not sure what Mike has been up to today at the house but I know he didn’t go back to Builders Depot Home Design Warehouse to get anything because I saw no activity on my credit card. Come on Mike! I gotta move in soon!!

 

xoxo

QJ