A Seat with a View

In addition to the nursery and master bath projects, we had some home improvement activity taking place on the first floor over the weekend. When we first moved in, one of the first things we thought of when we looked at the bump out window in the front of the house was "wouldn't a window seat look great there?". Well, we finally put those words into action.

Our awesome contractor, Doug Kidd of Kidd Construction, arrived at 8:30 am on Saturday and got right to it. Doug is like a little gift from the heavens. There is nothing that that man can't do. He installed all the windows and sliding glass doors in the house about a year ago along with the chair rail in the kitchen and did an amazing job so we knew we were in good hands with this project. He set up shop out front and got to it.


And of course, Lucy was on hand to make sure that things ran smoothly.


Once the frame was in place, Doug installed the "seat" which is also the lid to the storage area below.


It took about 4 hours to build the custom storage bench and we couldn't be happier with the outcome. Now all we need to do is have a cushion made and we will be all set.


While we had Doug here, we also had him install a recessed light in our very dark kitchen...and let me tell you, I am SO happy we did. I can finally see what I'm doing when I make dinner!!


As I said, Doug is a Godsend. We can't wait to have him back to tackle more of the many projects on our house list. All in good time. And all in good tax return. :)

Some "To Do's"

In addition to fixing up the nursery, we are also taking this pre-baby time to tackle some other projects in the house. If you are a home owner, you know that the list of "To Do's" is never ending. I actually have a "To Do" notebook and 3-ring binder filled with lists and ideas for future projects (nerd alert, I know!). This coming weekend, we are going to be checking a few of those projects off the list.

Our friendly neighborhood contractor, Doug Kidd, will be on hand this Saturday to build us a window seat / storage chest in the front window bump out. While we don't have a full on bay window, we do have an 18" bump out giving us plenty of room to create some much needed storage in the living room. With a new custom cushion (that I'm hiring someone to make) it will give us some extra seating and be a great vantage point for Lucy to look out the window.


As you can see, this area is kind of bare, but in the next 2 weeks or so there will be a total transformation. In addition to the bench, we (meaning Home Depot) will be installing new blinds so that we can finally stop everyone on the street from checking us out.


Another happening this weekend is the minor remodel of the Master Bathroom. Ed has been working hard to get the walls into shape so that they can be primed and painted. Since this bathroom has no window and flat paint, the walls had started to look shoddy so we knew it was time for some updating. While we can't afford to do a major remodel, we do plan to paint, add a new light fixture and medicine cabinet as well as some glass shelving. Once tax time blesses us with some cash flow, we will be adding a clear glass shower door, a canned light in the shower and a vanity for storage. Here is what the bathroom looks like right now...


...not a pretty site. But things sometimes need to get ugly before they can be pretty again. Luckily, we have another full bath on the 2nd floor so we've been living like this for the past week:


FYI - we decided to add a medicine cabinet to this bathroom as well so that our child's future toiletries do not need to live in boxes on the toilet bowl.


So it looks like we have another exhausting weekend ahead of us. Luckily Dad Q. will be back in his snazzy attire to help us finish the trim in the nursery. Gotta love a man with a paint wardrobe!