Wednesday, December 13, 2006

I'm loving this....



I don't know why, but these colors are what make me happy. I love the blue and orange combo. I had great plans to paint the kitchen this color of blue. We have white cabinets and crown molding so it would still be very light and airy. Then, I wanted to paint the kids table orange with matching chairs a light color of orange. The color of the berries isn't very good in this picture, but they are a really great October-y orange.

THAT would be a happy kitchen.

Instead, we are getting a new kitchen (new as in "rip everything out and put it all back in again shiny and new and exactly how the NEXT person that buy's this condo would want it to be"). It will some sort of cookie cutter neutral wood w/ dark counters and stainless appliances. No blue or orange in my future. We are hoping to move back to the next town over in the near future because it is a little bit more culturally diverse. In our area, doing stuff like this to a house can bring HUGE returns in the resale. Since all houses cost one million billion dollars (well, more like just a million) every little bit counts. One the one hand, it totally stinks that the down payment on our house will be the same as the entire mortgage for my parents house. On the other hand, we get to live HERE. It is awesome here and we love it. Besides, I don't mind condo living. Sure we share a few walls but we also have a pool and a gardener and someone else has to deal with things like garbage bills and burnt out light bulbs.

The sad part is that we will only live with the cool new kitchen for a little while before we sell and move to a place that will NOT be remodeled (I have a feeling we will not be in that kind of mortgage range...) and we start over at "old and needs work". That is ok. A yard would be great for my kiddos'. I met with the designer yesterday and it is going to be really cool. We will get to live with the cool kitchen for just a little while before we sell our souls and move to a new place that we can't afford to remodel. We might even (gasp) be able to move into a house. An actual house with a yard (but don't get too excited....the houses here are the size of a condo..you just don't share walls). So, until then, I will cook in my cool new kitchen and store up that grate new kitchen feeling. I will also do my best to keep my children from destroying the kitchen before we can manage to move away from here......

That is it for me this rainy Wednesday. I am frantically doing last minute projects so I can pack up and leave town for two weeks (why did I think that was a good idea?). Christmas cards are on their way...... sort of........ I will post from the road. :-)

20 comments:

Carina said...

Isn't that the irony? You get all these projects and things done around the house...just so that you can leave it. We are in desparate need of a new bathroom, there is no way we can sell our condo without a remodel. However, I'm loathe to embark on that amount of work right now. I'll get the new bathroom, for sure, just in time to move out.

If I had my druthers, I'd pick a mosaic tile bathroom with cool fixtures and funky accents. Instead, just as you said, we'll be putting in the most vanilla bath ever to appeal to the middle of the road (read: people with NO imaginations!)

I will be so jealous when you are in a house and we are still condo-bound. I will not be jealous at your spectacular mortgage however, not jealous one bit.

Bek said...

Well Carina, I have a feeling that you will be in a house long before we are. I don't know if a house is in the plans anytime within the next 10 years... really. It is the mortgage thing. I have kind of decided that I can happily live in a condo/apt for the next 10 years. We have good weather, parks, etc. It is less to clean.

Our last place was also a remodel to sell. They did it when we moved out...it took 4 months. One of my friends just finished a remodel (and it was pure and living hell... she had a suprise twins pregnancy in the middle of it..) and another friend (Hi Suz) is getting ready to start on a house that hasn't had much done in the last 50 years. That is just the way it is around here.... It stinks to LIVE in it while they are doing it. :-)

Hope you are feeling well. Good luck with your traveling this week. :-)

dalene said...

I think the name of that color is celestial blue. I want to cry it makes me so happy!

Can I tell you Design Mom is ruining me? (blog forthcoming). In a good way, of course, but now I'm addicted or something.

You're not helping. *smile*

When are you coming and when can we get together?

Third Mom said...

Gorgeous shade of aqua blue, it would make anyone happy!

We're thinking of a mini-remodel, too - just the floor, countertops and backsplash. Funny, the tile we're leaning toward is a similar shade of blue, a glass tile, subway size. I'm going to remember orange as an accent color - maybe could even do a terracotta shade on the walls. I think it would be lovely - thanks for the idea!

Bek said...

LOVE it Third Mom. I fear that it smacks of future "what was I thinking?" for me with the blue and orange, but right now.. I am loving it.......

Anonymous said...

Just as a warning...
Back when I had cable TV, I was addicted to HGTV and completely impressed about how easy it was to do a room makeover in 60 minutes-less commercials.

I now have an orange bedroom with a Mexican "rug" ceiling. Yes, I painted navy, rust, light blue and orange wide stripes on my ceiling. Everyone seems to be wowed by it. However, they also do not spend sleepless nights staring at their ceiling noticing the crooked paintlines.

I do think orange and blue is a good combo, though.

PS I tried your family recipe. It was a hit.
http://myboys.wordpress.com/2006/12/08/toothpick-fruit/

Girl con Queso said...

LOVE the blue and orange combo.

Happy Christmas!

Carina said...

Now I'm drooling over the glass subway tiles and terracotta walls of third mom.

Anonymous said...

Very nice colors... I love orange but I'm not brave enough to use it in my house much. The boys wear a lot of orange, though!

Bek said...

Amanda... My kids wear orange a lot too.. Even Lauren...but I LOVE LOVE LOVE it on Jacob. It is my favorite color on him. :-)

Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielson said...

that is pretty...oh so pretty

Suzie Petunia said...

The blue and orange would make such a cheery, happy kitchen. I hope all of your kitchen dreams come true. And I hope you have safe and happy travels!

LuckyRedHen said...

You MUST take before:during:after shots of the remodel. Especially if it involves accidental electricution not relating to death or extreme injury.

LuckyRedHen said...

And can I say that I'm pissed. So much so that I won't see you while you're on vay kay.

liz said...

i totally get this post 100%. it's all about perspective and my friends with big houses don't get it when i say 'i just want my own walls to paint' which is really all you can look forward to when living in such a high cost of living area.

i so get it. good post. ;-)

Anonymous said...

hi bec

orange and deep deep deep indigo purple. i want to do a landscape install for someone brave enough to bask in this color combo - Suz doesn't think I'm serious when I tell her she's my target. and yes, it was pure living hell. our recovery looks to be about 10 years.

Bek said...

Is that my dear Catherine? Twin Queen? You can do whatever you want at my house. I would LOVE those colors. I'll give you a couch and you make my 4 feet of "backyard" look nice....

I am also hoping to paint my bathroom blue and paint purple flowers.... so pretty.....

Lorien said...

I love those vases!

tracy m said...

Bek- I orderd some fabric for you online this morning- it's positively delicious, and I can't wait to get it to you! Call it a late birthday present...

owlhaven said...

Wow, that IS a gorgeous color! I also love the header pix of your kids...

Mary, mom to many