mommommom's Profile

Can't say goodbye to the granite trend fast enough. I once tried to explain to a friend who was doing over her tiny starter house with crazy high-end finishes why it wasn't a good idea. Didn't get anywhere.
Here's something I have learned as I get older: "Contemporary" eventually ages into "Dated." I soooo wish I could spread that gospel far and wide.
I can walk into a house and guess: "Oh, you got married in the (1990's/2000's/2010's) just based on the couple's furniture. That's why subway tile is called classic. It is in the house I grew up in (built circa 1927) and my first apartment (circa 1948) and it goes on and on and on. I can't wait to put it in my unfortunate 1970's dark oak and "earth tones" dungeon (oops, I meant to say), kitchen.

How could "Something's Gotta Give" not make your list? Every night I dream that I live in Diane Keaton's spacious, calming Hampton's beach house. I am not the only one obsessed http://hookedonhouses.net/2009/05/04/the-beach-house-in-somethings-gotta-give/ I know my life would be better if I only could live in that house....the ridiculously spacious kitchen, the walls of windows, the adorable eyebrow window on the shingle style facade, etc. When that film shows up on cable, I HAVE to watch it.
The director Nancy Meyers has been accused of making "real estate porn." In the film "It's Complicated" Meryl Streep even hires an architect to expand her kitchen! Makes me hot!
This list makes me happy to know that I am not alone in my craziness. In the dark, at the multiplex, I have been known to whisper to my husband "Look at the woodwork!"

I have a "birthday drawer" - a couple of generic emergency greeting cards, a shiny Happy Birthday crown from Party City, candles, of course, pretty paper dessert plates, napkins and matching forks. Hit up your local chinatown for paper lanterns and tissue paper garlands. But the BEST thing in the drawer is the plastic pedestal plate that LIGHTS UP AND SINGS "Happy Birthday to You" A tacky/fabulous gift from my MIL that never fails to make us laugh. I think it is this one http://www.amazon.com/Happy-Birthday-Singing-Cake-Plate/dp/B002U0M0RO (Those lotus flower candles are pretty amazing, too) Make room in your life for celebrating! Give it a little forethought, stock your drawer, then you can grab a quick Carvel ice cream cake and make a party out of thin air.

Barri S. I'm with you: pastels don't work for everyone! Did your search include The Company Store? I get their catalog, and they seem to always have super bright color choices. I also find tons of stuff at the Marshall/TJs/Home Goods stores, and my brother bought saturated colors (deep navy and burgundy) at Bed Bath & Beyond (Were they made by Wamsutta?). For everyone looking for sheet separates, BB&B or Land's End are my sources for fitted only or extra pillowcases.

Crazy because I had the EXACT same thing in my den when I moved in...guy who lived there was really into circa 1970's "HiFi" There were huge oak shelves fixed at vinyl record height and holes all over the house so that the speaker wire came out in the dining room, etc. The wall was freezing!...no insulation between shelving and garage, and the TV shelf was for the older models, small and very deep. We took the plunge and tore it out! We planned ahead to recycle the wood and were very careful dismantling the whole wall. Our contractor was a very handy guy who knew cabinetmaking, too. He used the material to make a (much smaller) long, low open bookcase with our flat screen on top and shelves below for component/DVD/Game storage. The wood already matched all the window and door casing trim in the room, so...bonus! Also, we placed the new arrangement on the perpendicular wall, so that now we have NO WINDOW GLARE on the TV screen, and insulated the outside wall. The whole room functions much better. Completely worth the trouble and expense. Don't feel you are chained to the previous owner's design solutions if they don't work for you!!

The "limited budget" must be relative. You don't move a powder room on a truly limited budget. Plumbing is ridiculously expensive. Re-routing water supply is not so bad, but waste lines are a big deal. And FYI, the reason why kitchens seem small, even in McMansions, is because of the work triangle. No one wants to log a millions steps just to make dinner. Appliances, work surfaces and storage are supposed to be close to each other. This enormous counter looks too far away to be useful, and maybe its the photo, but now the living room looks tiny...maybe she hasn't got any furniture yet? Just one seat by the fire? I see this is an old post, and I would love to know what choices would be made now that they have worked in the kitchen for some time.