Redemption

So on Sunday we went in to the Middletown Home Depot to grab a few items. We decided to take a look in the flooring section just to see if they had the flooring at the lower price. Low and behold, they did! We spent about an hour with the head of Customer Service (Lisa) who was so wonderful and helpful when it came to explaining why there were 2 different sku's, why one was on sale, why she couldn't just give us the price difference, and that she would also sell us the 17 boxes that had been on hold for someone who never came to pick them up! She also talked us into trim and T-molding and told us that if we don't use it, just bring it back. It was a complete 180 from our last experience. We left feeling so satisfied that we could bring back 23 boxes of the higher priced product and get 23 boxes of the lower! When you're buying this kind of quantity, it makes a huge difference to save what you can. The only thing that sucked was that when we got home at 11pm. we had to go through 60 boxes and of course, the ones we needed were on the bottom. The Home Depot has redeemed itself and we now have an alli who we feel confident is there to help us. It all boils down to having GREAT customer service and taking the time (even if it's an hour when you close in an hour) to make sure that the customer leaves satisfied no matter what.

All we need now is some soundproofing underlay and we are good to go and get this project started!

Flooring

Ah, and then there is the flooring.

It is a laminate floor called Valley Walnut that Artie found on clearance at Home Depot. It is a great color- almost like coffee. We originally were going to do Ty Pennington "Sambucca" Bamboo floor from Lumber Liquidators, but stumbled upon this one.

Getting the flooring was quite an adventure. We went to Home Depot in Waterbury and picked up 24 boxes, Home Depot in Middletown to pick up 23 boxes, and Home Depot in Bristol to pick up 19 boxes. I have to say that we had THE BEST service in Waterbury and Bristol, and the ABSOLUTE WORST SERVICE EVER in Middletown (where we have already spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars). It was a very frustrating experience- the customer service ladies were rude to us and less than helpful. The problem we ran into was that there are two different sku's for this flooring. One is on sale for around $30 a box, and the other is not on sale at around $46 a box. That makes a huge difference when making a purchase of a total of 60 boxes. We found this out at the Bristol location from a very helpful young lady. So by finding this wonderful sale, we are saving amost $1500 and even more since we are installing it ourselves. We still need to buy something to put underneath to soundproof, but the project is going to cost a fraction of our original estimate of about $4000.

Painting

It almost seems as if all we do is paint....
So far I've spent about 30 hours painting. Two coats of primer and two coats of paint per wall. It's a lot of work, but once it's done it will look amazing. We've chosen to use Sherman-Williams paint exclusively because it is high-quality and what professional painters tend to use. Also, if you set up an account with them you can be eligible for discounts. Behr paint from Home Depot just doesn't cut it anymore. It's what I've used in every other place I've painted, but once I used Sherman-Williams, I'll never go back. It goes on beautifully and they make special bases for certain colors. We've chosen to use Online (gray) for the living room, Calypso (blue) for the "office", Tricorn Black for accent walls, and Lime Granita (light green) for the bedroom.
One great thing about this paint job- we are putting up bamboo "molding" that will be the same colors as the walls so we don't have to be super-neat. We were going to paint the bamboo black, but decided that if it is the same color it will make the room look more cohesive. If the molding is the same color as the walls, it will give off a seamless look without being too distracting, especially since the bamboo is very non-traditional and has a lot of texture and character. If the molding is contrasting, it may make the room feel heavy, smaller, and the walls appear shorter than they really are.

Ghetto Fridge

And here's the kicker....
We don't have a fridge either. It died two days after we moved in!
So now we have Artie's sister's mini fridge from her dorm room. It's tiny and barely holds anything. There isn't even room for ice. So this is how we chill our champagne (it doesn't fit the bottle either). Yes, I know it's G-to-the H-to-the E-T-T-O, but we have to make do with what we've got. And you do have to admit that it is pretty funny.

Kitchen

And this is our lovely kitchen. Notice the convection oven right over the stove top. The best thing about this set up is every time you cook, the vapor condenses on the underside of the convection oven and drips back down into your pot of previously delicious food. EEEEW. The vent (which is pretty much useless) is that drawer-like looking thing on the top. Well, I no longer like to cook because of this awful arrangement and I also think that whoever came up with this bright idea should be fed to the lions.
I can't wait to rip it all out and start over.

Office

Before and during: "office"



Overall,, the layout of the place is pretty good. We knocked out one partial wall that was put in to hide the office/second living area. It was about 3 feet in length, but it made such a difference when it came out (see first picture).
The demo was done by Artie and our friend Mike, who also installed our recessed lights. There is something to be said for using your resources...most of the time you know someone who can help out with a project you've never tackled before. And most of the time it will cost less than hiring a contractor. Mike has definitely been a huge asset to us and we are so thankful to have a fellow do-it-yourself friend willing to help us out.

Although demo is fun, it is important to remember to be safe and absolutely sure you know what you're doing. Always check first before knocking down walls and beams that they are not structural supports, and know what each breaker goes to before doing any electrical work.

Master Closet

Before and during: Master closet removal.

Master Bedroom

We started by ripping up the carpet in the master bedroom. It was quite a process, especially in a peach colored room. We also knocked out the closet that the previous owner built in as there are his and hers walk-ins right around the corner. We are going to use the nook for either an office or seating area.
This is one of the last rooms we will get to before we get to the dirty work of re-hashing the kitchen and bathrooms.
I have begun priming- the paint color is a white-greenish-yellow. It's bright and happy and will look great with the new floor.
After months and months of looking for the right place, we came back to this one...
It's not much to look at and had been on the market for quite some time.
It would take the right people to be able to see past the dirty carpet, lack-luster appearance, and old-lady-with-pet stench.
We saw a blank canvas.
We got a great deal.
We got right to work.
(We also spray painted the walls because hey, when will we be able to do that again?!)

Ghetto Fab

Well, the ghetto fabulous air mattress has finally sprung a leak. Can I just say how NOT fun it is to sink into the floor in the middle of the night just to fill up and wake up on the floor again in the morning.....

Once Upon A Dream

Once a long, long time ago I slept in a real bed. Since we've moved in on August 1st, we have been "sleeping" on an air mattress. I say "sleeping" because anytime either of us moves, the other can feel it. Now I'm starting to get a little aggravated that I am not sleeping well anymore- and I can sleep ANYWHERE. Damnit, it's time to get a bed!!!

I totally love my place. Now that we have some furniture and fun paint, it feels very comfy and finally livable (you just have to look past the nasty-ass carpet). I also looked up a table that I've had since high school (found it after my grandma died) and it's actually worth about $150! Wow. There's nothing like free money!

09.16

On July 31st we bought a condo in need of some TLC right on Elizabeth Park in West Hartford, CT. After a month or so of living here, we've finally started this blog. So far we've knocked down a few walls, ripped out some molding, installed recessed lights, and have been painting, drinking, and more painting. Almost done with the painting and never done with the drinking, we've moved in some furniture to try and decide where everything should go. As soon as I get up off my lazy ass I will post some pictures to show just how far we've come. There is still a long way to go, but hey, one day at a time!