Some of you may have noticed I have been MIA these last two weeks. I just bought my first place and decided to take some time off to paint everything and get the place ready, to pack, move and unpack, getting everything all settled in. going to work for the first time from my new condo tomorrow morning I feel a little like a school kid getting ready to go to my first day at a new school.

Here is a snapshot of where I’ve been these last two weeks… and before you ask: yes, the paints are low VOC; yes, the new bathroom has a low-flow showerhead! In addition, there are a few changes I will make in the near future to appeal to my own sense of architectural integrity. My unit is in a 1918 building and I found that I just couldn’t quite stomach the cheap, ‘paneled’ hollow core doors. I spent all day yesterday at Community Forklift and found some beautiful vintage salvaged solid wood doors, white porcelain and brass doorknobs, and vintage door hardware. I will be stripping them (CitriStrip), painting them and installing the new hardware. I discovered that every door in my new place had different dimensions, but that a couple of hours combing the salvage warehouse will yield anything!

I am so excted to own my first home and so glad I took the time to get it fixed up right! It has been exhausting to say the least. I literally laid on the floor for two days straight painting baseboards and learned that I can actually freehand them quite nicely (I think arch school prepared me for endless hours of tedious tasks!). The entire place was painted in shades of brown and tan, even the baseboards and door trim. In addition, everything was painted matte, which sucked all the light out of the rooms. The new colors inlcude Perennial, Lemongrass, Mexicali Turquoise, Paris Rain, April Showers and Super White. All paint was Benjamin Moore Aura, Low VOC, self-priming. The yellow was tricky, but overall I love all the colors.

I will post more photos when I get the doors done, hang all my artwork and when I eventually purchase more furniture. In the meantime, I’m back at work starting 08/03!