Tuesday, June 29, 2010

House -- Master Bedroom Suite
















The master bedroom is a whooping 23.75 feet by 15.75 feet. It has two ugly ceiling lights (dated in the not-good way), one on a dimmer, and a large mirror in the middle of the wall (I've just listed the three things I plan on getting rid of in there first!). The seller is going to take down the border paper and paint a "neutral color." Since the room is so big, I want to put a nice sitting area near the french doors, and the bed in the end of the room near the bathroom... angle? wall? Don't know yet. I bought an antique iron bed today (old beds only come in Full size). If it is too small, it will be the guest bed. Hear that, friends?!

Big, "his" and "hers" closets with little shelves for shoes and lighting inside. Did I mention there are an obscene about of light switches in this place? Probably not.

Fabric I like for the bedroom curtains maybe:
[link broke]
with a dramatic accent wall, something like this:


Back to the Bathroom


Pink and minty green decadence.

There are no curtains in there now, but I think I found Pink and Green fabric that would make an even More appropriate curtain. Especially for a tweeter like me.


















The fixtures and grout appear original, without any re-caulking. It is shockingly clean and nice, despite the dated look.

House -- Kitchen


A door from the driveway comes into the stairway... two steps up to the kitchen, the rest straight down to the basement.

There is ugly indoor-outdoor carpet in the entry--good for snow, but ugly--then the cute, retro black and white lino, which is in amazing shape.






This is the view of the driveway-side (south) of the kitchen (the door to the basement is on the left there).

Notice: Microwave-range hood, Dishwasher. New but boring laminate counter tops. Vintage cupboards but mundane handles that have been placed right in the middle of the doors.






The north side of the kitchen. Someone thought putting kitschy border-paper up would compliment the floors.

To the right, a 3 foot square recessed space holds the fridge. It's an ugly black one, but it will do for the next several years. Dead center is a 4 and a half foot wide "breakfast counter" hung awkwardly on the wall, in front of the fridge and the left counter. That and the cupboards above it have to go... thinking either a free-standing, narrow cupboard or open shelves and maybe a butcher block on wheels.





Here, you can see how the counter sticks out... there is also a bit of counter out over by the stove... was it for a trashcan?






The sink area is nice with a little window to see the front (why is that silly curtain hiding the view). The light fixture is a little boring, as is the counter/back-splash. Maybe a light more like this or this, though probably something more affordable, like this, and a back-splash like this and this.

My favorite house -- Outside



The outside of the house in rotational order... starting with the driveway side of the house (you can see the door to the kitchen on the right in the first image). The second-to-last image shows the north (left) side of the front of the house, where the deck off the master bedroom is. The last image is the stair-way to the deck. The deck used to have a jacuzzi on it... it has been reinforced for one!




Behind the master bedroom is a patio made with paver stones, 26 feet long by 12 feet wide, with a small brick fireplace/oven. On the driveway side of it are decorative rocks, then an old, wooden garage/shed. This would be replaced by an Alice cover.

The left and right side of the yard (the north end of the property is the largest green area, technically the side of the house, not the back).

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Brewery

This buger is so good, I may have died on the way here and don't know
it yet.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Sixth House - Monty's

Realtor Site
$228K
4 bed / 3 bath








Beautiful Decks, full height windows, great light and fireplaces, window seat in living room nice neighborhood, giant trees, some view of the Rims, giant covered patio, large, separate room in basement with walk-in, shelved storage (off a family room with fireplace) for studio/equipment storage. Large dining room with fireplace (small sitting area by fire?) and some openness to kitchen. Big separate laundry room. No place for Alice. Ugly cheap faux-wood laminate floors upstairs and bad vinyl in dining room.

Fifth House - Ave F

Realtor Site
(lots of pics on realtor site)

$199.5K
4 bed/3 bath (one room that could be a bedroom, but probably an office)

This house has an open floorplan with big, gorgeous windows in the living room. You enter the house into a little hallway with vinyl, before going on the new carpet. Awesome light. All the light switches and drapes and fixtures are very dated, but not screamin'-ugly-'70s (the house is a 70s ranch).







There is a nice sized dining space next to the kitchen, and a large area in the kitchen with a breakfast table. The cabinets are old and very ugly, though they went to the trouble to put "new" ugly laminate on top of them. I would gut the whole thing and make a big kitchen with maybe a bar/island eating nook or something.


The master bed room is carpeted and has a small, pink-tubed bathroom (most of these seem to have those) with a little counter and ugly vanity.

There is a bedroom next to the master and another full bathroom in the hall.





Off the kitchen is a small room with cute cupboards and laundry machines. Enough room for a table and ironing board.







In the basement are two more bedrooms, another full bath, a large, well lite family room, and a storage room. The 2-car garage is extra high--- possibly enough to change it to an RV garage door?---and deep with enough room on the sides for a workbench.








Pros: good flow, new carpet, good layout, big yard, good bones, .4 miles to Natural Foods and Coffee
Cons: ugly fence, no covering over patio, lots of renos needed


Fourth House - Ave B

Realtor Link

$176.5
3 bed, 2 bath 1920 Foursquare

Pro: awesome front porch, gorgeous fireplace and wood floors/built-ins, cute kitchen layout, large family room in basement with guest room, nice covered front porch, existing covered RV parking, quiet area, walk to campus and downtown, really bright light in all the rooms
Con: ugly light fixtures, some unfinished projects (handrail in laundry area--laundry area should move back to basement and be made into breakfast nock); older kitchen cabinets and countertops; porch is slanty and might be difficult to level; master bedroom (typical of foursquare) has a door by the front door and shares its bathroom with the 2nd bedroom and the main house

Third House - Norman Park


Realtor Site Link

$184.9K
4 bed/2 bath ranch house (no basement)

Pros: completely renovated in a contemporary style, large corner lot, really quiet, nice trees, amazing kitchen with high-end appliances, RV parking in back, beautiful fireplace, attached 2 car garage, covered deck, new carpet, walking to super market, probably can take off a lot from the price (to pay a yard contractor)
**new pro-- .8 miles to Natural Food Store and Coffee Shop and Book store!!**
Cons: untended yard needs lots of work, fence needs lots of work, some of the trim hasn't been finished (painted or stained--done in the 3 beds, not done in the master); floor has been sanded but not finished, farther from campus or downtown

*** NEW***
Pictures from my $40 digital camera (not nearly as good as my $200 camera, surprisingly!)

Great Room
Inside the front door (or french doors) is a small entryway and coat closet. The great room and master both have vaulted ceilings. Note the unfinished, but recently sanded floors.

View of the living room over the custom counter and stove-top. All the appliances are stainless steal, "near" new, with new, dark cabinets. To the left (on the second picture) there is the hallway to the other three bedrooms and bathroom. To the right (on the second picture) you can see, a second set of french doors going to the backyard/patio/fire pit area.
The kitchen counter is a concrete and tumbled glass custom thing.


There is a wood burning fireplace. To the right of it is a dry-wal nook for a flat-screen t.v. and another for the components. Would have been nice for it to be over the fireplace, but I think he wanted it to swivel to be seen in the kitchen.




Off the kitchen is a tiny laundry room.





The bedrooms are all a nice size with two or three windows and a small closet. The bathroom is very nice, with fancy fixtures and nice, new tile. Two have a brown berber carpet, one has green like the master.
Master Suite
There is a new, green textured berber carpet. There are also sheet rocked nooks for a flat-screen t.v. and ??

More french doors with inter-glass blinds in the master.

There aren't doors on the closet yet. The room is small, so this space will need to be MAXIMIZED.


The shower is a little like a transporter. The vanity is nice with a little counter space. Great tile.



Note the unfinished, but beautiful door! And oh, yeah, that blue acrylic fish toilet seat is totally staying (not).



Outside
There are beautiful glass doors with between-glass blinds in the front, off what used to be the dining area. They are very welcoming... yet the original door is still in the stylish brick corner. Get rid of it?






The front yard has been somewhat tended to. The plants and trees could use some trimming, but it is pleasant and shady.

There is a decorative fence around most of the yard that is in style that's popular here, but is in bad repair.



Here is the least good part--the backyard. Weeds to your head, and needs a new fence. The railing is "okay" but could be made into a bench or bar--something useful. The deck and firepit are in good shape.










At least the garage is big!