Since returning from Tucson I’ve been enjoying living in the house. It was a whirlwind of activity, unpacking and decorating before I left, but I’ve actually been just “living” in the house for the past few weeks (with a few little projects here and there). And I can now say, without reservation (well, without much reservation), I LOVE this house!
A few observations about the house that I didn’t realize before. I love not having stairs. I didn’t realize that in my old house I’d head downstairs from the bedroom in the morning, and not return upstairs until it was time to go to bed, unless absolutely necessary. I hated going up and down the stairs, and some days, more than others, it was getting increasingly difficult to do so. It was one of the main factors in buying this house, but I didn’t realize how much I’d appreciate it.
We desperately need to finish the half-bathroom off the kitchen. It’s a very long walk from the kitchen to the master bathroom (about 75 feet), and it’s time. The good news is, it’s getting closer to being done. All we need to do is put in the floor, and then the toilet and sink which we bought months ago can be installed, and perhaps the door can be put on (I’ll take this open concept just so far), the trim can be done, the window shade can be hung, and pictures and accessories can go in.
The walk-in-pantry will be the finishing touch in the kitchen. I’m loving the utility of the layout. The island is a great size for both prepping and for informal meals. The “command central” cooktop with the pull-out spice racks is fabulous. The monster fridge isn’t all that huge. I love having “cooking explosions”, and both the fridge and the freezer are well stocked . The best part is I can actually find things in it, unlike the bottom-drawer freezer in the last house. Once the glass block window is trimmed, the backsplash can go in and the room will be finished (kind of, sort of finished).
And what really makes this house seem more like a home rather than a very, very large hotel room, is the sunroom/den/family room. I’m still not sure what to call it, but it’s a space off the main open area, with doors you can close, that is a great place to sit and watch TV or listen to music and read. It still needs a ton of work, but I’m looking forward to it. We hung the curtains I ordered probably eight months ago, even though the window trim isn’t back up, but they help block some of the sun especially in the mornings.
And then there’s the setting. The house is very light and airy, with tons of windows. Although I’ve been staring at snow-covered yard pretty much since I got back, there’s no lack of scenery. You never know what you’ll see when looking out the kitchen window, but here are just a few examples.
Time to get back to work. As much as I’m enjoying living in the house, I really can’t relax fully until more projects are complete. I have a very long “honey-do” list, and I’m even importing another “honey” to do some of it next week. Hank’s brother Joe has volunteered to come back out and do more work on the house. He was such a huge help when he was here in December I’m really looking forward to his visit.
MidModMad 