OK, OK... Upstairs!

The GrandPrince's birthday party got me going on a project, too.  Princess Sassy pretty much begged for the 'doors' to the pantry and hall closets to be sewn.  I'm glad she did, even though it meant being up until 2 or 3 AM the morning of party day.  --It's about the only project I can put in the "accomplished" column for the last few months.

 By the way, this is what the island will look like someday...I hope!

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Garage Addition Update - Paint and Flooring

Breezeway/mud room area.
Right side: Seeding counter under the window, and
we moved the main floor laundry to the walled
off space behind.
Left side, from front: Half bath, utility storage (hot water
heater), and additional pantry storage

Did you imagine that the little family has been tucked up in their special space for awhile now?  Nope.  But there is substantial progress inside, and a light at the end of the tunnel.  Just how long is that tunnel?  That's always the question.  Hopefully, not too long now.

Garage exit, stairway, and "Mini Split"
heating unit

Princess Sassy and I decided on the set of paint colors: walls, millwork, and cabinets.  We LOVE the wall color, Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray.  Just in the center of taupe and gray.

We had SW Nuance chosen for the trim, and SW Gray Matters picked out for the cabinets.  The island will be a somewhat bright, deep color for fun and contrast (keeping that to myself for now).  But I went upstairs today to double-check the color swatches with the wall color in natural lighting, and I'm second-guessing both the trim and the cabinet colors.  The trim looks like it might be too dreary, and maybe a touch green, which I sure don't want.  The cabinets might be too dark, forcing the island darker or much brighter than we want to get the desired contrast.


So anyway, the walls and ceilings are painted, and as of this week, the vinyl flooring is in upstairs and in the breezeway. 

Bathroom.  Princess Sassy wanted to change up the paint
in here for a little more freshness and fun

 We chose a medium shade of wood-look vinyl for the kitchenette area, bathroom, and hallways in the upper level, and a gray, tile look vinyl for the breezeway.  They look great.







The princess and I thought the carpet would go in immediately after the vinyl, and we could start moving things in.  Boy, we were wrong.  

Kitchen area with shallow pantry on the right, opening to the hall

 - Before the carpet, we need baseboard, which needs to be carefully installed, then have the nail holes filled, sanded, and the woodwork painted in place.

 - Before that, the interior doors need to be hung and cased.

 - Before THAT, the interior doors need to be painted.

Full circle... we're back to me, and the trim color choice!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

We're having some dishwasher leaking trouble again... times 2!  The one on the right has been sitting out like that since December, and the left one joined it last week.  Aargh!!!

More on that, and getting to that light at the end of the garage addition tunnel, as things develop.

Is this Kitchen Obsession, Color Obsession, or Just Plain Crazy?

Last Sunday, after enjoying our church's special outdoor baptism service at a state park on Hood Canal, we continued our nice day at Hubby's friend's family cabin across the water.  

While the kids boated and played on the dock and beach, Hubby helped his friend scrape and prime the boatshed, in preparation for a new paint job. 

As I chatted with them while they labored (Gotta love the division of labor in our teamwork!), I had the chance to gaze at the shed.  It had been there for years, it and the cabin, both a cozy, bungalow type of style.  The old layer of gray paint was going to be covered with a new layer of a similar color already on the house.  

Hubby guaranteed himself a repainting job
the day he referred to these cabinets as 'blue,'
and gave credence to my nagging concern 

But wait.  Isn't the gray on the shed just the color I've always wanted on my range area cabinets?!  I searched out the bucket of new paint to see what it was.  As soon as I found it, though, I realized the old and new light grays weren't exactly the same.  The new color, Parker Paint's "Seattle" gray, was more of a medium gray with maybe a bit of blue to it.  But the shed's gray had a creamier, tanner edge to it.  Just possibly the shade I've been searching out for the last 4 years...                                                                                                           
But how to get a look at this color at home, and in a paint store?  Obviously, knowing the color and brand of the new paint wouldn't help, and there were no remaining cans of the old stuff.  I knew that taking a photo would never work, since I can't ever seem to get paint colors represented properly with a camera.  

I tried to see if there were any loose pieces I could peel off the building, but couldn't find any.  That's when I realized there were samples lying all around me...Scraped off the building already, and on the ground.  I picked up the largest pieces I could find -- decades-old chips of paint -- and stowed them carefully in my purse.  


They are dirty, so no good for a computer color match scan.  But I can sure compare them to the samples of possible paint options I already have on hand.



Sure enough...It's almost the same color as SW Dorian Gray, which was top on my list of colors to try.  Seeing the color on a whole building instead of just the 1 x 2 inch sample gives me more confidence that it's the one I want.  











Now to add "Repaint the range area cabinets" on Hubby's list...  
Right after 'little' things like
 - Build the garage addition with bath and kitchenette for the newlyweds 
 - Build bookshelves in 2 rooms
 - Finish the island detailing and paint it
 - Build file drawers
 - Finish downstairs interior window trim...  
All around teaching school, coaching cross-country, and doing whatever other tasks come up.  At least I'm ready with the decision.  That's something.  As I said, I can't really complain about the division of labor around here...


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