Living in my cute little house

I expected this blog would be a great place to chronicle my adventures and experiences living in my cute little house, but so far it's all gone pretty smoothly.

There wasn't a lot in the way of mishaps and misadventures once I got moved in. I sold my old furniture and got some that fit this space and now it seems exactly right.

With all the built in cabinets, there is a place for everything and my battle has really been about getting rid of even more furniture. The more stuff I take out, the better it looks.

The other battle I've been having is the color scheme, which I have not gotten quite right just yet. All my previously black furniture needs to be painted white, which is not as simple a task as I'd imagined.

I've tried a few different techniques and not quite got it right to my satisfaction yet. I may have to buy new stuff one day, but I'm still trying to paint what I've already got. I think I'll get another weekend of warm temperatures to try again tomorrow, but soon it will be winter and I'm starting to come to grips with the reality that living with mis-matched furniture is not the worst thing that could happen.

Other than painting furniture white, there isn't a lot that still needs to be done and I've been spending my time living in my cute little house.

My kitchen is probably the most functional place I've ever tried to cook, because it is compact. Everything's right where you need it, and no mess is ever too big to clean up right now. I'm much neater in general living in a smaller space.

Turned out I fit just fine in here and it all feels just the right size.

If the sofa is beige, Then what color is the carpet?

Armed only with a floor plan of my little house before I moved over here, I knew I'd need to buy new furniture that fit in the room. I set about looking at every sofa in every store both in town and on the internet.

And I came up empty.

I was willing to pay for some nice furniture, just wanted it to be something spectacular and comfortable since I'll likely be sitting on it for the next 15 years. And it had to be pink. or white. or something totally crazy maybe. And it has to be cottage. And modern. all at the same time.

I entertained the notion of futons, loveseats, daybeds, foam furniture, used ones, vintage ones, leather ones, new ones, custom ones and even parts of sectionals. Nothing seemed quite like the right fit.

As moving day got closer and closer, I started really stressing out over it. Because the color of the sofa had to work with the color of the carpet I was about to get installed for more money than I could just do-over if it turned out it wasn't quite right.

Of all the sofas I'd seen, and there were a lot, it was really only this off-white one that spoke to me because of its styling. Totally modern but with enough tufting to make it sort of cottagey. I had no idea how I would make that color work and then all of a sudden I found a pink area rug with beige stripes which pulled all the colors together.

"That's how i make it work!" I thought and ordered the sofa and chair right after I ordered the rug. Turned out the sofa looks awesome with the rug, as I'd expected... but the coffee table was another story. Totally wrong size and shape.

I started looking on craigslist for coffee tables and I got lucky. Within a few days, I managed to somehow find one that was the perfect size and shape and also somehow in-between modern and shabby chic and also grey and beige. The two colors I would have sworn don't work together before I saw 'em doing it in my living room.

The coffee table is spectacular. It is also busy enough, and matches enough that I didn't need the area rug at all. In fact it just seemed to be clutter. The rest of the living room is still a work in progress but it seems the more I take away, the better looking the room is.

I've halted plans to paint all or part of the table white. It seems to be the star of the room and everything else should be adjusted to match it.

That sofa and chair are really comfortable. Also scotchguarded and guaranteed for stains as well as structure for 7 years. I imagine it will become important. I have two cats, an off-white sofa and no dining room.

Do you have a basement?

I was out eating dinner the other night with the guy who's real estate guy I hijacked to buy my cute little house. He seemed interested in the details, probably because he just bought a house himself in the same neighborhood, and had once been outbid on a house on my street.

He wondered if I had a basement.

Do I have a basement?

I have a whole 2nd bathroom in my basement! I laughed the first time I saw it because there's a toilet on a pedestal and it's open to the whole room. Not sure why someone thought that's what they needed, but then it all makes sense when you see the cable outlet on the opposite wall. Clearly they were sitting on "the throne" watching cable TV.

I'm guessing, because its the only explanation for a one bedroom house with two bathrooms, that a couple lived here. And that one would have a place to 'go' when the other was having a bath in the upstairs bathroom. Probably one or both of them liked to take a shower and it was probably best for them just to make a whole 'nother bathroom downstairs than it would be to totally remodel the pretty one with only a tub upstairs.

That's my best guess.

I took a shower just now for the first time. It was surprisingly good. There's a shower massage showerhead down there. My only complaint is that the people who showered there must have been shorter than me.because it seems a little tight on head space.

Just found out the hard way that I need a bath mat down there if I'm going to use the shower. I see it as a place to dye my hair that if I get hair dye all over it's okay.

I've got laundry down there too and some room for setting up my sewing machine once I get around to it.

But yes, I have a basement and as unfinished basements go it's a rather nice but small one. Just like everything else about the house.

Gotta start thinking like a homeowner!

My windows, which are all odd sizes, were all already outfitted with lovely new replacement windows and custom blinds before I got here. Which was a selling point. But now that I live here, these blinds are terrible.

I mean they're nice if you like blinds but I like sunlight coming in in the morning. Oh and the cat messes with the blinds all night trying to get in the window so he can see out. Makes all kinds of noise and in a house this small I can hear him no matter which window he's trying to get in

I got a tension rod and put up some curtains but some of these windows just aren't the right size and shape for that. I was bummed out for a minute till I remembered that I am a homeowner. Not a renter. Which means I can drill any holes into any part of this house I want to anytime.

I bought a drill with the intention of hanging curtains this weekend when I have more time to mess with that kind of stuff. I'm sure, as a homeowner, it will end up being handy for other reasons as well.

"What a cute little house!"

I was leaving yesterday and a nice couple out walking their dog remarked what a cute little house I have. I wanted to tell them it has a blog at mycutelittlehouse.com. I obviously picked exactly the right domain name.

Meanwhile, I've been selling my old furniture on Craig's List and buying other people's old furniture that would be more functional and appropriate for the space I have now.

It's been a fun adventure. I've met lots of interesting people and heard their stories. I love that. And I've gotten some really fantastic pieces in exchange for what I think is my junk. And I've got everything delivered and assembled for free by folks who were happy to get rid of their things for the cash.

Strangely enough I seem to be breaking even. But I feel like I'm winning.

First up were the dressers. Now I've been looking everywhere for white dressers for my small bedroom that would be roomy enough for my massive clothes collection. I was willing to buy new as well and I just looked and looked and didn't find anything.

Even on Craig's List, I was searching "white dresser" daily and not finding even a poor substitute for what I was imagining. And then one day, in-between carpet and moving in, there they were.

Two huge white Scandinavian dressers, exactly the right size, for a reasonable price including delivery and assembly from a lovely couple who lives in my neighborhood.

I thought I was lucky to find exactly what I needed exactly when I needed them, but it seems like there's a lot of that going on Craig's List. Everyone I've dealt with so far seems to be finding exactly what they needed exactly when they needed it.

Patio sets are on an end-of-season sale in a lot of the stores right now, but I've found that when I get there, whatever I wanted is gone. I got really tired of chasing down sales only to come home empty-handed.

There's an abundance of patio sets on Craig's List, so I was taking my time.. since its just turned cold the last few days and I won't really use it probably until next spring anyway. The more I looked, the more I got into the idea of Adirondack Chairs.

When I saw this set of two, including a table and 2 ottomans that take up space roughly in the size and shape of my patio, I was interested. As soon as I had enough cash in my hand from selling my stuff, I sent the guy an email telling him I wanted them if they were still available.

Within an hour he called me up, told me he was on his way to my area in his truck anyway in a few hours and he'd bring them right over.

When he got here he told me he was so happy that this order came at exactly the right time. Not just because he was headed this way, but because he's got some friends with an anniversary coming up and he didn't have any spare cash at that moment to buy them a proper gift.

Told him I was glad I could make that happen for him and also get these chairs at the same time. He was about to leave when he explained to me that he actually makes these chairs. He makes them to order when folks ask for them, but since he needed cash and the timing worked out, he actually brought me his set, that he sits on in his workshop. And that he'll make more for himself later.

I've similarly been getting rid of furniture that is exactly what people need exactly when they need it. We all win. It's kind of awesome.

I'm kind of bummed out that I'm running out of things to buy and sell now.

It's not perfect.

I knew going in that this house wasn't perfect.

Because it's so small, there wasnt a lot of money to be made by selling it, so they just fixed it up quick and dirty to look pretty.

Not a lot needed to be done to make it liveable, but there's plenty to do if you want to fix up stuff.

My real estate buyer agent also advised me not to put a lot of money into the house since it won't increase the resale value.

Most of the key improvements folks look for had been made before I got here, which means I got a great deal. But what I paid is about what it's worth, so now any more money I sink into the property, basically I won't get back out when I sell.

Oh whatever. I'm still going to make the improvements that make it a nice place for me to live in. The carpet, for example. And the screen doors, which are the thing costing all the money, since the doors are not a uniform size. I need those to help keep cats inside.

But now that I'm really living here, I'm noticing the things I didn't. The kitchen floor (which I hate) was obviously a rush job to make the place look more attractive to buyers. It's totally uneven and parts of it still need to be glued down.

The cabinets are beautiful to look at but maybe not as functional as I'd imagined and some of them don't close quite right despite the obviously new hinges. Like they got the doors on and decided that was close enough and didn't bother to adjust them.

My decorating choice to go with white and other light colors, to match the style of the house... well I always knew it would mean work with two cats. But my girl kitty is having bowel problems in her old age and without getting into the details, let's just say white is going to be a challenge for me.

I've always promised myself never to be a person who loves their furniture more than their cats. I also don't want to be a person who doesn't let themselves have white things because they might get dirty. I am glad that the house came with a washer and dryer because I suspect it will get a lot of use.

The carpet is a stainmaster with a pet pad. The white sofa to be delivered at a later date is scotchguarded.

And if it any of these things get dirty and start to show wear, then they do. And I will know I lived a life while it was getting dirty.

I'm still missing a few things. My old desk and entertainment center are totally the wrong color. Theres still a few boxes to unpack and a few boxes at the old house. I'm using a plastic shelving unit in the corner even though I had intended to have all "real" furniture.

Things don't fit quite right in some places, my digital tuner doesnt get any over-the-air TV reception here, and my one door has a trick to it I haven't quite figured out what it is yet.

But its okay.
It doesn't have to be perfect.
It doesn't ever have to be perfect.

Everything fits.

Brought everything but the kitchen stuff over. Mostly because the kitchen is where I was putting all the electronics while we moved the furniture in.

So now the TV is hooked back up and it turns out there's a huge amount of room in my walk-in closet. Which is great because I have a huge amount of clothes. This closet holds what I've got, some extra hangers, all my boots and sneakers and my purses and belts with a little breathing room. Plus both cats have already used it for snoozing.

That duvet cover is just perfect. Not just that the colors tie in the green cabinets in every room and my pink fuzzy pillows I couldn't bear to even consider getting rid of. But because it instantaneously changed the color of my comforter from black (with light colored cat fur all over it even seconds after I go over the whole thing with a lint roller) to white instantaneously. The whole room brightened up.

I left about half my stuff behind. In fact, once I started unpacking, I found some more things I was willing to part with. Gonna see if I can find some charity that might be willing to do a pickup and take everything leftover away. 

What's most surprising is that there's still plenty of space in the bathroom cabinets.I don't have anything to put in some of them at all.

I will do my best to try not to fill them up!