House Progress

I apologize for being absent.  My father passed away and the past month has been more than rough.   I haven't been able to work on the house much, but there is some progress being made.  Before I confuse everyone I need to tell you the story.   I bought the house from a national builder.  As to be expected, they were inflexible, and I wound up having to settle to do things after we moved in.  For instance, I could only use one cabinet manufacturer, and we didn't feel the quality was what I could get elsewhere for the same price ($325/lineal foot).  That buys pretty custom cabinets and all handmade out of real wood, not picturewood on cardboard that I could tear with my bare hands.  I'm not a strong person!

This is the shot I took as we left the house this evening.  Sorry about the cell phone shot (again)

Here is a before photo of the kitchen from my previous post. 

Much improved, don't you think?!!

Here is the awesome crown moulding:

Here is an other shot of the floor:

It is antiqued travertine.  for some reason it looks really vibrant in these photos.  In the house is looks like a pale cream color.  I am really proud of these floors, because my husband and I put them in ourselves.  We do stuff because we get tired of contractors on getting things right....and tile is something I get really picky about.

This is what I am thinking about for the backsplash:

I haven't ordered it yet.  I am supposed to get my counters tomorrow.  I'm not holding my breath.  Oh someday!

Moving on to other things.  The guest bathroom is almost done.   

Yes I know, what possessed me to wallpaper.... Well, I wanted antiqued mirrors, but it was turning into a Taj Mahal project so something had to go out of the budget.

Next item:  The houseplans have two french doors accessing the patio--to the left and right of this bank of windows.  These windows are in the family room, and when you sit down, there's NO VIEW.

Well, not any more:

Other things I am working on is carpet in the master (on the left)  and office (on the right)

so how would you lay the arabesque pattern?   If I lay so we are walking on the pattern when we enter the room, wouldn't it look funny with the bed on it to the left, going the other direction?  That's the problem with a non-square pattern.  I don't know why I am liking the geometric carpets, I just do.  Maybe I should order the same carpet for the 2 bedrooms on the other end of the house....

And then I am messing with fabrics...

I am looking at Vervain, Bennison and Chelsea editions.   I will mull things over.  I pray for a very quiet November. And progress on the house.