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Thumper
Veteran Poster
Username: Thumper
Post Number: 61
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 28, 2004 - 12:20 pm: | 
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Hello All,
This past week, I ain't read or wrote a thing! It's spring and I have some unfinished business to finish up, read, my kitchen. My kitchen is the last room in my house that has yet to be touched by paint, or any other decorative device since I moved into my house 6 1/2 years ago. I've been putting off messing with it until spring. Now, I'm back into it, knee deep in paint strips, furniture catalogues, yard sale and dumpster diving (I can strip and stain with the best of them).
My main problem with the kitchen, or any room in my house for that matter, is that I'm trying to keep up with the Johnsons, I got champagne taste on a Kool-aid budget. Last Saturday, I paid for my granite countertops (Home Depot $59/sq ft--includes installation, can't beat that price with a stick), got a new sink and faucet. Needless to say that was the most expensive Saturday I ever had in my life. It gets uglier, cause the countertop people will charge to remove the old countertops, they won't touch your sink. Fortunately for me, my older brother knows how to do it since he had his cabinets and countertops replaced last year. So, I'm sitting as right as rain. Well, not quite, as I was looking at the guy measuring the countertop, I thought, I need some new appliances to go with the new decor. So there I go to Wal-Mart for a new toaster and a new can opener. I ain't geting rid of my Kitchen Aid mixer or food processor, blender, etc, though. I'll just but them in the cabinet or under my new kitchen table.
I'm getting a new kitchen table. I have a buddy who builds furniture. Yep. Actual the table should be called table/island. Because of my height, I basically can't do anything on a normal size table, my back starts to hurt with all that bending. So, he's going to build one for me and all I have to pay for is the oak wood! Now isn't life good? *big smile*
Now, I can't find the butter cream yellow paint that I had picked out last fall, which means I have to venture BACK into a land that only women and gay interior designers seem not to dread...PAINTLAND! *with the music of "Going Down Slow" playing in the background* I want you to pray for me, I may not come back the same way I went in.
Next payday, I'm going to buy my flooring while Sam's still have it on sale. My love affair with laminate wood flooring still rages on. It looks good, a dream to take care of, and easy to install WITH THE RIGHT TOOLS! When I put the kitchen floor down, the only floor I'm going to put down after that is my master bathroom. I'm thinking of a deep green marble for that one. But I rather not think of that right now, cause then I start thinking of replacing that sink, and all that other stuff. Another bill for another year. Now, all I have to do is dread moving the refrigerator, stove, and washer and dryer to put the new floor down.
Last night, I went to dinner with my brother and sister-in-law. I had commented needing some wicker baskets for my old video game systems and all the games that went with them. My sister in-law made the fatal mistake of telling my about the Pier 1 clearance store. Initially, I thought she said Pier 1. I gave her a look and told her that I'll be a good one paying $100 for a damn basket, it ain't that deep. She then gave me a look that said "you can't hear worth a damn". Once I got the "clearance store" part down, I was ready to go. Gawd, I love that place. I left that place pulling 2 shopping carts, overloaded with stuff. I highly recommend it.
This home improvement racket is for the birds. But fortunately for me, I live by myself, so whatever paint, wallpaper, etc goes up on the walls, will not have to come back down.
What did all this have to do with books? Not a damn thing! *LOL*
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Tee
Newbie Poster
Username: Tee
Post Number: 5
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 28, 2004 - 01:01 pm: |
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ROFL Thumper, what a delightful post!! Hubby REALLY loves granite countertops. Your kitchen sounds like a dream, and we won't mention bathrooms. Both of those rooms in the house are my favorites.
We finally settled into our new house and I might just have to tell hubby to try to hit those sales at Home Depot. I was in there week before last looking and got tired going up and down every aisle looking for "something" I just really didn't know what. I'm not a shopper AT ALL, but getting the house together kinda demands it.
Sooooooo, if you get a spare minute, come on ova with those ideas and help a sista out. Our kitchen has the ugliest wallpaper I've EVER seen, but I can't get the motivation to touch it.
-Tee
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So, this is kinda where I've been too and STILL unpacking boxes. |
Yukio
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Yukio
Post Number: 112
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 28, 2004 - 01:36 pm: |
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thumper....you should take a class in carpentry...or something like that....when i grow up...i'll do the same! |
Akaivyleaf
Newbie Poster
Username: Akaivyleaf
Post Number: 8
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 11:11 am: |
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I love home decoration. I'm not much into putting floors down but I've done it and I'm with you, I just love laminate flooring. A true dream to keep up. I've even refinished hardwood floors.
I'm more into sewing though so I get a kick out of making curtains, drapes, duvet covers, reupholstery and the like. I like to look at pictures in home improvement magazines and see how inexpensively I can create the whole look on my own.
Like you, I live alone so I don't have to conform to someone elses taste. If you don't like it, hopefully you'll like the door and especially its feel as it comes up rapidly on your backside. (I've never had to do this, but I like the option) |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 149
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 02:15 pm: |
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What is wrong with me? I have a secret desire to live alone in a studio apartment with a let-out couch, a TV tray, a mico-wave oven, a computer, a CD player, cable TV, and a cell phone. My theory is that I have a desire to return to the womb because people in my space intrude on the solitude I crave. So much for True Confessions.... |
Bookgirl
Regular Poster
Username: Bookgirl
Post Number: 44
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 05:22 pm: |
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Cynique; I have the same desire. LOL Except; give me some bookcases for my books, my Black art on the walls, and a king-sized bed instead of the let-out couch. |
Blkmalereading
Regular Poster
Username: Blkmalereading
Post Number: 27
Registered: 02-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 09:14 pm: |
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I'm with Cynique and Bookgirl on this one. But when you have a home it's nice and expensive to fix it up, so it's like an investment. Something very simple and small would really do but I would like to add some kind of game: X-box or something and a lifetime supply of free 'good' take out food. Something other than your regular pizza and chinese food. I would also love to have a sound proof room so I can blast my music when I'm in that mood and a few chains on the wall and ....oops wrong post..LOL! |
Thumper
Veteran Poster
Username: Thumper
Post Number: 67
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 07:09 pm: |
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Hello All,
Tee: Hey there! *smile* I didn't mean to ignore you. I apologize.
1.) My biggest advice is research! Whatever the project or repair, read up on it, ask people about it, and never underestimate the power of the "free estimates". Research projects and stuff that you are having a professional perform that way you have something to base their work on. Second, you may find that you can do some stuff yourself. I had never laid a floor, any floor, ever in my life. But I have laid floors and carpet in my house from reading about, watching a class and talking to people who did it for a living. Now, the first floor my cousin and I laid have a few issues. We made some mistakes, but we learned from them. The second and third floor we laid is damn near flawless.
2.) Tools: get some and keep 'em handy. I know I'm going to sound like an advertisement, but I try to buy all of my tools from Sears. With the exception of their electric tools, the tools have a lifetime guarantee on them. All of my hammers, hand saws and screwdrivers are Sears or Craftsman. And if one of those suckers break, take it to 'em and they will give you another one. I saw my grandmother do it with one of her hammers. Check with the salesperson to determine which tools has the guarantee and which ones don't. And buy the right tools for all of those projects for you may use them again. Take my floors again, I had to buy a rotary say and a jig saw to make the cuts. By doing the floors myself and buying the equipment, I save thousands of dolllars. Read the instructions and have all of the safety equipment before operating. Safety goggles is a must. And if you're going to be on your knees, invest in some really nice knee pads. Now, there are some stuff that it's cheaper if you rent the equipment. Like when putting down a carpert, rent the carpet stretcher. The absolutely best situation for learning is if you can learn on somebody else's house! My cousin and I wanted to learn how to do some of this stuff, so I agreed that my house was the trial house. I'm cool with that. If you know of somebody that is putting down a floor, for instance, and its the same type of floor you are going to put down in your house, volunteer your services so you can see what NOT to do.
3.) Lowes and Home Depot are my friends. On Saturdays they have classes on painting and other things. Real helpful.
4.) When you have a professional or repairman doing whatever it is they are doing, get all up in the business. Find out what they are doing, why they're doing it, and see how they're doing it. You might learn some preventive maintenance procedures that you can do so that you won't have the same repair bill. For instance, a couple of years ago, the main board in my heater was blown. When the repairman came out, he showed me how to clean the heater filter (which I hadn't been doing) and the registers. By doing this, my heat is warmer and in the summer, my air is cooler. Just today, I was told that I need to clean the air vent that is connected to my dryer. I didn't know that a dirty or clogged air vent can cause the dryer to overheat and catch on fire. It's tidbits like these that helps prevent costly repair bills.
4.) Repairmen: Three terms that will help prevent you from getting ripped, "free estimates", "bonded" and "licensed".
5.) Keep your receipts for major purchases, owner manuals, fill out the registration forms and get warranties. Keeping the receipts is common sense. Registring your products and having your owner manuals will come in handy if its stolen or destroyed. It will make your insurance claim real easy. Be sure to jot down the serial number inside the owner's manual as well. Warranties: Yeah, it will cost extra, but two or three years down the line, you may need it and then you'll thank the Lord that you got it. |
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