likes & gripes...

this post is dedicated to lori....because who knows when the next coffee night will really be.

when we started this whole renovation process we were so, so, SO naive. i don't even think that at this point you could consider us "seasoned" re-modelers...but i wish we knew then what we know now....the BIGGEST things i wish we knew (seriously, we knew NOTHING)

oh we were so clueless, yet full of hope....

1. everything takes A LOT longer than you expect.

2. everything costs A LOT more than you expect.

3. there are A LOT more problems than you would expect.

so i thought i would compile a list of the things that i'm super pleased with and things that are not so much.

let's start with the not-so-much:

{rain shower heads} over rated. i don't even use it. it's kind of like all or nothing. you're either fully under the water (water pouring down your face...i feel like i should wear a visor just so i can open my eyes and not get water in them!) or only slightly under water and slightly freezing...i guess there's a reason why people get those body spray things w/those shower heads...it's not a fancy hoity-toity-thing (ok, maybe it is a little) but a keep-warm necessity thing. but if you insist on getting one because it looks super cool (like i did) get a hand held one too for practicality...mount it high so it can double as a regular shower head for you to use when you realize the rain shower head isn't all that great.

see? it would be perfect if the rain shower head was in the area where nolan is standing...

{cabinet upgrades} SO WORTH IT. too bad we didn't get any. seriously, our cabinets have so much dead space it's ridiculous. lazy susans, pantry pull-outs, pull out drawers...worth their weight in gold. too bad they cost more than gold. my advice? find those local people (i don't know why but they all seem to be chinese) that do cabinets for cheap. don't go to home depot/lowes because you're super picky about cabinet color (like we were) so you can afford the upgrades. also....i don't know what they do if you go with those local companies, but if you do go w/home depot or lowes...{TIP for ya:} it is SO much cheaper to buy your hardware from their hardware aisle than it is to order say, thomasville cabinet handles. (HUGE RIP OFF!)

this bag of handles ended up being almost half the price of what it would've cost to order handles w/the cabinets.

{sliding closet doors} i hate that there's always going to be parts of the closet that's not accessible. i hate that. i grew up with bi-fold doors. some may find them old fashion or ugly (nolan) but i love opening them up and seeing the entire length of the closet. that may just be my opinion...."personal preference" (i hate that answer!!!)

{lighting} i hate relying on lamps. invest in ceiling lights.

{medicine cabinets} while i looooove my bathroom. especially my mirror...my pride and joy...the only thing i insisted on....i do miss having a medicine cabinet. easy access.

{dark, wood floors} omg! shows ALLLLL the dust! and so hard to keep nice and clean. you gotta vacuum, sweep, swiffer, then wet swiffer. i'm gonna be the eternal cleaning lady. go with light colored flooring, people! you probably will have to go through the same cleaning steps, but at least the dust doesn't show as much.

sigh....everything my mom was saying is coming back to haunt me. hahaha. she's all about practicality and i was all about looks. moms are always right.

let's move on to the LIKES, shall we?

{shelves} i never thought i could be in love with shelving, but i am. i literally stood in the bathroom staring at the simple shelving we had put in and smiled like an idiot for about 5 min. when we moved in, all the closets all had this type of shelving:
image source: rubbermaid.com

who knows how long they were there but they felt old and sticky. you know that soft sticky rubbery feeling things get when its just....old? i hated it. we kept it in certain small closets, but replaced them in the important areas. i love the linen closet shelves. i love our clothes closet shelves, and i love the entryway shoe "closet" shelves. i love the shelves. so simple, basic, yet i love them so.

{tiled mirror} sometimes you gotta fight for something you want. and although i miss the easy access of a medicine cabinet, i love looking at that mirror.

ollie makes an appearance!


{lighting} i love our kitchen and bathroom lighting. thanks randy! i like the cable track lighting...
nolan approves too...of course he does, he picked those.

{bedding} i LOVE our new bedding. i don't want to get out of bed in the morning. so soft and comfy....cost-per-use really does help justify the investment. ;p spend the extra $$ on the things you'll use everyday. that's what i say at least ;p

{good contractors} we've dealt with both....the kind you love working with...and "the other kind". the-other-kind did our bathroom shower, all the tiles in the unit, and....i'm not sure what else. in terms of quality, the work is good. but i'm not even sure what happened but nolan refuses to talk about it because it makes him super angry. to this day i still don't really know what happened...every time he starts trying to tell me about it he gets super angry and just stops and says nevermind...what's done is done, but we'll never work w/that guy again. the contractor we have now is amazing. so easy to work with. does good work, and you just feel comfortable working with him. you don't always have to worry that you're being ripped off or anything like that. he did all our kitchen cabinets, our shelving, light installation, and a bunch of other things. it's fun to come home to find new things that are installed/works/painted. its great.

i'm sure i'll find more likes & gripes, so stay tuned for more...