Reflections on Accomplishments

I've been going around the house taking pictures of various projects to share with you about, in preparation for a few weeks away from home. I'll still be writing articles, but "from a distance" as it were, and I'll need the pictures with me. Anyway, the simple process of taking pictures has been a kind of "time-travel," reviewing the past few years of projects, and a very encouraging thing, to see all that we have accomplished in this little home. We came into a classic home meant to be sold-- everything in neutral white, clean, "nice," and functional for any and all would-be buyers, but with absolutely NO personality.

In the five years since then, I have to say the house is developing a personality. There's literally not a room we've left untouched, as we've dealt with pretty much everything, including the proverbial kitchen sink-- unless you count the hallway going upstairs, but we gave that all the personality it needs by making it our portrait gallery. And, by the way, it does need some attention, but that will have to wait until after the big siding project that I hope to get to before the winter winds come.

The whirlwind tour of the metamorphoses of this house has been pretty exciting, and has seen us experiment with quite a variety of techniques. The first big project was the kitchen counter and sink. It was even uglier than the worn-out bright orange and avocado green left over from the early 70's that I had to live with in a previous home! It was a makeshift, home-made Formica project with a stainless steel sink. I personally have never seen the attraction of stainless steel, in sinks or otherwise, so that was the first eyesore to be addressed. Not that I have anything against Formica, as the new counter is also that substance, but there is Formica that is well-done and attractive, and there is ugly stuff that is literally tacked together, and the latter is what we had. We also put in tile flooring that made a big impact in the space as well.

The bathroom was the next target, but it was more than just a bathroom project. THAT will be a whole series of articles by itself! In a nutshell, we replaced poorly apportioned space, a half-bath, and a crumbling floor, with a walk-through closet and full bath with an oversized whirlpool tub and beautiful stonework-- a masterpiece, if I do say so myself.

Every wall in every room has been painted (except the hall stairs), from your basic clearance paint (a wonderful resource I might add) applied in the most simple, straight-forward way, to varieties of faux finishes and murals, adding both whimsy and sophistication to previously bland spaces. And the fire-place, still underway, with beautiful wood-work in its mantle-piece that had been sinfully whited out, but is now developing again the style it was born with.

I could go on and on -- and trust me, I will! But in future articles. Take a look around YOU for encouragement as well, be reminded of all you have accomplished (or all the dreams pent up inside of you that you have yet to realize). The doing of these projects is rewarding in itself, but take time to bask in the beauty of your work as well, and share it with your friends and family. Life and all its accomplishments, especially those in which we bring beauty out of blandness or brokenness, is meant to be shared.

Helping make the world a more beautiful place-

Jim