The Sink Dilemma

Stu and I agree that we want wood counter tops for our kitchen. Where we disagree is at the sink. He wants a white ceramic farm sink and, although I love the look of them, I know that they stain quite easily. Jenn (who has one) has said that you can bleach them to get the "new look" back, but I would prefer not to pour bleach into my septic system. I would prefer and under-mount stainless steel sink that, after a simple abrasive scrub, looks brand new again.


Love this one...  

What a Difference a Little Green can Make!

In a feeble attempt to provide some more shade (and greenery) to our deck, Stu and I added 4 x 5' cedar trees to our existing planters. I was shocked to see how much better the deck looks with them. I'm still not sure how much shade they will provide but they do look nice...

Mix & Match Dining Set?

Stu and I were talking recently and we agreed that neither of us really like our dining chairs. I think it is the black- they look too busy. Stu suggested that we paint the dining chairs a colour that will provide less contrast with the rest of the room- maybe the wall colour? Now I am thinking...

Here is the dining set now.

Now the mix and match- table and chairs inspiration.

If in the end I don't like the way it looks I can always paint them black again!

The Things we would LOVE to do to the house...

Below is a list of the jobs I would LOVE to do if we end up keeping the cottage for years to come.
(Not necessarily in this order!)

1) Install wood counter-tops with an overhang for a breakfast bar with some stools underneath.

2) Install a rainfall shower head.

3) Rock the entire shoreline with river rock.

4) Replace our traditional washer and dryer with front loaders and a counter-top.

5) Replace the existing crown molding (if you can call it that) with proper crown molding in the living room.

6) Replace the existing front door with a door with windows to let light in.

7) Replace our gas furnace with geothermal heating and cooling.

8) Replace our electric water heater with an on-demand, tank-less water heater.

9) Replace all the windows in the house with larger, UV protected windows. 

10) Replace the asphalt shingles with a black metal roof.

That's all the jobs I can think of for now!

To paint or not to paint?

Now that we have our online thrift find in the living room we cannot decide if we should paint it cream (same colour as the end tables) or not. I like the natural wood and intend to have the seat recovered in something light. I also intend to re-finish the coffee table to match the floors and the current stain on the chair. On the other hand, it is a formal chair and painting it will make it look a bit more casual/cottagey (actual word?). What to do...

Bathroom Storage Essentials for $350

My latest online thrift finds include a "sideboard and hutch". They are asking $350 for both pieces which are locally made and solid wood. I was thinking how nice they would look in a bathroom painted cream or just cleaned up- the sideboard as the vanity and the hutch as extra storage (assuming you have a large enough bathroom). I wouldn't even change the hardware!

Latest Online Thrift Find

I found the above French style cane back chair on Kijiji this morning. It is in good condition and the seller is asking $40! I offered $30 since I intend to have it recovered, so keeping the upfront cost down will help keep the overall price tag down. I realize it is a departure from my normal style but how nice would it look recovered in a cream linen fabric and used as a statement chair in my 'one day' living room?