Kitchen Conundrum: Tidbits

A few well remembered but not-long-for-this-world elements of the old kitchen are pictured below. Enjoy as much as we have!

Hand-painted electrical outlets (to match the green tile!):


Well crafted electrical supply for the over-the-range microwave (blue tape our addition):


Roach traps (have lost count of how many we've found). These were lurking in the gap between base cabinet and dishwasher:


Roach habitats, found under the dishwasher and neighboring cabinet, as well as behind the sink backsplash:



(PS: It's rather disgusting and scary to realize what you've been living with, despite what you thought was a relatively clean kitchen. Ugh.)

(PPS: Happy New Year! Did you eat your peas?)

Kitchen Conundrum: Hot New Year's Eve

Yes.

Back in the Scrape of Things

After a two-month hiatus, I'm back to scraping wallpaper this week. I've been working on our entryway, which has so far been underwhelming as a vision statement/aesthetic experience.

Here it was on Monday. Note the shiny, shiny texture (texture!) and beautiful light fixture (why that is still here, I do not know):



As of this morning, however, the shiny, shiny texture had gone missing. I'm left with a lot of clean up and a few plaster blemishes to patch.





Also a big mildew colony prospering by the front door. Eew.

Porch Projects: Sleeping Porches are Complete (mostly)

When we first saw the Sow's Ear, the little sleeping porches off the back of the house upstairs were being used as storage areas. They contained some cheapy armoires and some clothes rods.





They were cold, dirty little spaces with uneven mismatched floors and mismatched walls (textured wallpaper, vinyl siding, drywall, etc.)



I cleaned up the walls, filled holes, moved out the old armoire that was left behind (it's now our tool cabinet in the basement), and most importantly, put down a new floor. See the difference:







I still need to create some window coverings, but I have a scheme for that to be completed in the next couple of weeks. I'm also planning to have an electrician come out and (I hope!) install an overheard light in the smaller room and an electrical outlet as well. I am hoping to use these spaces to host art exhibitions, in the tradition of the Chicago apartment gallery and French salon. We'll see if I pull that off. For a few days at least, I'm happy to just savor the change.

Attic Fun

Heavy rains + imminent arrival of in-laws = leaky roof. A couple of days ago during "rainpocalypse" our skylight in the bathroom graced us with some drips. I climbed up into our little attic to investigate. I didn't find any wet spots, but I feel sure there are monsters up here:

Please!

Clean your air return register!



(seriously, the people who sold us this house were blind to their own filth. it was really gross up there.)

Please!

Clean the backside of your refrigerator.