May 13, 2011
Working on the House
WH and I have been doing a lot of work around our house over the past two months. It’s amazing what a difference a little thing like brushed nickel door handles and new light fixtures, make. We’ve been in our house for 16 years and I didn’t realize how much I did not like the gold door handles and fixtures until we got rid of them. One of my very favorite things about our house is our screen porch. We added it to our house 8 or 10 years ago, and we use it daily. I recently saw the blue-ceiling porch photo (below) in this fun online magazine, that shows a blue ceiling on a screen porch. I think it makes it look like a beautiful blue sky. (Not sure I could get WH to buy into a blue ceiling on our porch and I’m not sure it would look right on ours, but it sure looks perfect on the one in the photo.)
My friend Janice and I were talking about things we like and don’t like about our houses this week. What’s one thing you love about your current house/condo/apt and/or one thing you wish you could change?
Thanks for all of your blog comments on the May Contest post. We bring a LOT of years worth of knitting experience together! If there weren’t over 1200 comments, I’d go through and add up all of our years. 
But just suffice it to say, it’s a LOT. I drew two names for the two Spring Fling Goodie Bags that I set aside for our May Contest. We’ll be sending those out to Caroline from Oregon and Maria from MN. Thanks again for participating in the contest!
WH and I are heading out to Colorado for a quick few days this next week. I’m leaving the Lovely Loopy Elves in charge here at Loopy, and one of Knitting Daughter’s good friends in charge of housesitting and cat watching at home. (I’m betting he will gravitate to the porch on most days, just like we do. I’m also betting he’ll be glad that we didn’t paint the ceiling baby blue before his housesitting job began.) I’ll do a blog update on Monday to fill you in on the Monday Update stuff (but probably later in the evening), and then I’ll be back to blogging again on Monday, the 23rd. In the meantime, back to the blog question today – what do you love and what would you change about where you live?
Sheri aworkerattheMontessorischoolacrosstheparkinglotis
randomlyspritzingwaterstraightupintotheair.Why?
TMTTYRR said,
May 13, 2011 @ 12:57 pm
Randomly spritzing water makes rainbows for the kids.
And yes, I know about working on/updating houses. We’ve been in ours for 36 years, and I’m fighting a slightly uphill battle with Mama right now on getting some things updated. Some things she’s good on. Others, well… She just doesn’t see. I started with the upstairs bathroom, as it’s small, and if I screw it up really no one will see it. It’s almost done, and looks 1000% better already. Next up: the den downstairs. Mama’s up for that. BFF Liz will tell you. It’s potentially great space. Just needs some help. And I’m dangerous with a paint brush.
Allison said,
May 13, 2011 @ 1:14 pm
I love our dining room: it has windows on three sides, and is the perfect size for our giant dining table.
I hate the kitchen: it’s in 3 shades of 1970′s yellow and we’ll get it redone someday, but for right now it’s ugly and poorly laid out.
Carol in Zion, IL said,
May 13, 2011 @ 1:41 pm
When I win Powerball Lottery, I’m going to knock out the wall in the kitchen that leads into the garage, and turn my garage into a larger kitchen and family room. Then, I’m going to have to build another garage. That’s a good start.
kitrin said,
May 13, 2011 @ 1:49 pm
I love the fact that my home is on 40 acres at the end of a private road with a view of the Crazy mtns. I wish I could change the fact that we rent it, not own it and the fact that it is a 1974 era mobile home(think avocado green appliances and kermit the frog green shag carpet and linoleum)If we owned the place, the trailer would GO and a proper house built with a premium view of the mountains.
Michelle said,
May 13, 2011 @ 1:51 pm
I love that my house is now PAID for!
I wish it had more interesting architechtural features, though. It’s pretty rectangular all over.
Jody said,
May 13, 2011 @ 1:59 pm
We live on 10 partially wooded acres, which I love. My house is a modular ranch, and even though we had some things rearranged on the blueprints, a few things didn’t work exactly as we had thought. My biggest nightmare is the ugly gray carpeting covering the tub surround that the builder thought would be a nice touch instead of tile. One of these days…..
Robin said,
May 13, 2011 @ 1:59 pm
I’m in an old apartment. I love the old look with high ceilings and wood floors, but the landlord could definitely improve some things. All the windows have cracks in them and drip with condesation. Even more than good insulation, I’d have him fix the windows.
Seanna Lea said,
May 13, 2011 @ 2:01 pm
I love that we have a huge yard. It allows me to send Mr. Victor into the backyard during the dead of winter rather than giving him a real walk.
I wish our kitchen had better counter space. We are thinking of getting an island. It won’t fix everything, but it would potentially help a lot!
Jeannie said,
May 13, 2011 @ 2:02 pm
I love that I live in a log home with woods around us. Inside, the house has golden, warm feel to it and I like that.
I don’t love the bugs that like to bore holes into our house. I’m looking at you carpenter bees!! Besides, that I don’t like our upstairs bathroom. It’s stuck in the 70′s with a yellow tub/shower, yellow toilet, and gold toned sink. We already updated the downstairs bathroom that was entirely baby blue.
BFF Liz said,
May 13, 2011 @ 2:30 pm
I’m a renter, but I’m living in my all-time favorite apartment. It’s just so BIG, with two bedrooms (plus a tiny one for the cats and their cat tree that looks out onto the back yard) and a living room, dining room, eat-in kitchen and tons of storage. I think my favorite thing is that I finally have room for a table and chairs (I’ve lived in a LOT of studios). Most nights you’ll find me prowling the interwebz on my computer at the table (not at my desk, of course) and just loving it.
Jo Anne said,
May 13, 2011 @ 2:31 pm
I have always wanted to turn the wall from our kitchen to living room into a partial wall to open up the space between them. Also re-do the kitchen to improve layout and have more cabinet space. I love your porch just the way it is.
Mandy said,
May 13, 2011 @ 2:32 pm
I love our condo – the layout, the rooms, the space, the patio and patio garden. I also love the memories that are here.
I don’t love how little natural light we get (overhang outside and placement limits sunlight), the yappy dog next door which really kills the patio experience and how the heat makes the upstairs unbearable sometimes.
Janet said,
May 13, 2011 @ 2:34 pm
I love my Jacuzzi tub surrounded by windows. If I could change anything, I would replace those windows with opaque glass so I could keep the shades open while I’m enjoying my Jacuzzi without offending the neighbors.
Kathy said,
May 13, 2011 @ 2:37 pm
As much as I love that the laundry is upstairs, I wish it were a real laundry room rather than a closet. One that has a bench, cubbies, hooks and storage. If only!
Mary said,
May 13, 2011 @ 2:42 pm
A friend of mine must have seen that same picture! She’s painting her porch ceiling blue (a little darker than baby blue)… she has the BEST decorating “eye” I trust it will be perfect. I’d do it if I had an appropriate porch!
Karen in Toledo said,
May 13, 2011 @ 2:43 pm
In Key West we learned that the porch ceilings are painted blue to prevent birds from nesting and keep spiders away… they think it’s the sky!
My house is little, but I love my enclosed front porch. I hate that I only have 3 bedrooms (mine and 2 kids) so I have no room for guests. I would add another bedroom, and enclose the back porch to make the kitchen bigger or make another living area.
Lisa in Los Angeles said,
May 13, 2011 @ 3:07 pm
I live in a 900-square foot condo in LA. I have three cats. Husband and I desperately want to buy a small house – 1,500 sq ft max – in our neighborhood so we have a little more room for the furballs, who often let us know they don’t like having such a small “territory” by leaving us little “presents” on the living room floor.
One room is going to be a crafting room – with a DOOR we can close to keep curious little paws from batting at models in progress, sewing projects and knitting OTN.
Melissa said,
May 13, 2011 @ 3:12 pm
I love my house. I can’t choose just one thing I love about it, but I can choose two things I’d change! I would knock down the wall between my kitchen and sun room so I could have a view of the deck and woods from the kitchen. I would also extend the entrance porch, which is almost a tiny sun room, and redo windows and walls so it would be a screened-in porch with room to sit and watch deer in the front yard.
Vickie said,
May 13, 2011 @ 3:20 pm
In regard to the spritzer, I have one word: Rainbows!
Lynn Z said,
May 13, 2011 @ 3:28 pm
I love my main level…especially my kitchen. It’s an open floor plan with beautiful cabinets, countertops and hardware. Perfect for having guests over. I wish I could add a large, well lit studio space for my wheels and looms. There just isn’t enough room in my house for all of my hobbies.
Martha in Dc said,
May 13, 2011 @ 3:41 pm
Sheri,
on one of the Home and Garden shows they paitned the porch ceiling blue. This is a custom in the south and because they said it repelled bugs and misquitoes.
I thought the picture of the porch with the blue ceiling and the qhite wood look fresh and cool.
have a great trip.
Martha
pattie said,
May 13, 2011 @ 3:54 pm
i love that I’m on my little lake, and I love my kitchen. Mostly I love the whole house, b/c I’ve remodeled most of it! I hate that I need to replace the skylight and that I have a persistent leak in the roof. I also hate that I don’t have enough $$ to make a master suite addition. It would cut into my yarn funds!!!
Dixie said,
May 13, 2011 @ 4:15 pm
I love my office that I created from one of the bedrooms once the kids were all out. I had bifold doors put in as a second entrance off the family room, to make it more accessible. Wish I had a porch like yours – what a great spot to relax on a warm evening! Do your cats try to scale the screens? I went through two sliding door screens before my cat finally got that it was off limits.
Mary Beth said,
May 13, 2011 @ 4:28 pm
Well, we’re looking for a new house, so I guess I’d change everything! It’s just too small for a growing family with spacious hobbies.
The porch ceiling is a traditional color called “haint blue”, used on porch ceilings all over the southern states. According to some, evil spirits can’t cross that color. (The evil spirits were called “haints”.)
Mindy said,
May 13, 2011 @ 4:36 pm
We built our house 30 years ago and we just screened in our back porch last week. No more mosquitoes! I love the porch that goes all the way around from the front to the back. I wish I could knock out the wall that is between our kitchen and formal dining room and have one big giant kitchen.
Mary Beth said,
May 13, 2011 @ 5:37 pm
I love that porch! The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, MI also has a porch with a blue roof. Very classy!
Jan said,
May 13, 2011 @ 6:41 pm
What I don’t like the most is the cramped space — it’s a Cape Cod starter home built in the 50s for returning war vets. And no dining room! Or guest room!
I like my remodeled kitchen with more cabinets and counter space, and lighter feel.
Would love to have a screen porch! Yours looks to be about half the size of my ground floor!
Cheryl said,
May 13, 2011 @ 6:43 pm
First of all I love your porch! In fact I want one just like it!!!!!! I love my mom’s house on the lake but I don’t like the mosquitos or the big horse flies that bite in the summer. So IF I could change something that would be the first thing I would do!
Castiron said,
May 13, 2011 @ 7:08 pm
What I love: the crazy colors I painted the dining room and kitchen; the gray walls and white trim in the living room; the quiet street, the large yard to send the kids out into.
What I don’t love: there’s really no place where I can reliably sit comfortably and knit or read. (The comfortable chair in the living room is likely to be taken up by someone watching TV.) The lack of insulation in the exterior walls. The back door and back porch that badly need replacing.
Dawn said,
May 13, 2011 @ 7:08 pm
Your porch looks very inviting.
We bought our house because of the great room with the wood beam ceiling. Now, to just find the time to finish the painting and finally get rid of the paint color we’ve been living with for too many years that also came with the house.
Ask a question someday about the strangest thing someone did to your house and I’ll tell you how some previous owner partitioned the basement.
Dorothy said,
May 13, 2011 @ 7:11 pm
I love that our neighborhood is small and kind of hidden, with big, old (though not “fancy” ) trees. If I could change something, I’d wave a magic wand and remove the icky popcorn ceilings we have in most areas, and I’d have had white woodwork everywhere. it goes with anything, anytime.
P.S. Sheri, I see the two of us don’t stalk only the same jewelry websites but the same decorating ones! And my motto is, if you can, ALWAYS go for the blue ceilings.
Susan said,
May 13, 2011 @ 7:59 pm
Spritzing makes rainbows for me! Play is something we forget to do.
I like that this is the house with the memories of my kids growing up years.
I don’t like the lack of light in almost EVERY room. Not a good idea when you live with gray skies 9 months of the year. My next house will have MUCH better light all year round.
Cindy said,
May 13, 2011 @ 8:06 pm
I love my new kitchen with lots of planning desk space but not the basement which I wish were a finished basement. I also love our 14 acres of land that is home to a lot of deer, rabbits, and Ugh! coyotes which try to kill the deer and rabbits.
LoriAngela said,
May 13, 2011 @ 8:37 pm
I wish I could swap the places of my stove and my sink. I don’t have a window at my sink, so I try to have fresh flowers there.
Joannah said,
May 13, 2011 @ 8:59 pm
I’m a renter, currently making my way through a year of transitions. What I don’t love: currently, most of what I owe is (still) in storage – ugh! What I love: I am staying with some very terrific friends who I’ve known since God was young.
Sherry said,
May 13, 2011 @ 9:09 pm
The blue ceiling confuses wasps, so they won’t build nests on your porch.
I have a free-standing stove (range + oven) with a microwave above. The sad little vent fan built in to the microwave doesn’t vent to the outside, which means smells linger, not only in the kitchen but in our bedroom which is above the kitchen. I don’t cook any kind of fried foods… not just deep frying, but also shallow pan frying… basically any recipe that starts with ‘heat oil/butter over medium high heat’. I would love to have a proper range hood that vents to the outside.
I’d also like a magical, moth-proof walk-in closet with lots of cubbies so I could display my yarn stash, but wouldn’t we all?
Kelly said,
May 14, 2011 @ 12:22 am
I live in an apartment in the city…have for most of my adult life…I love the feeling of coming home and being in a place where I feel comfortable and can relax. BUT if I could change anything it would be to have a garden/yard AND to live in the country without losing the convenience of the city…I think that would take teleportation!!
Karen said,
May 14, 2011 @ 8:04 am
I wish I had a dishwasher and a door for my bedroom. I am thankful for the new roof over our head and the new furnace that keeps us and our water warm.
gina said,
May 14, 2011 @ 8:43 am
I think a house is always a work in progress you no sooner think it is “done” and you find something else that needs attention. I love my kitchen now, used to hate it and its green countertop. I put in a new, more me, counter and back splash and changed out the handles on the doors and it looks totally different. Now I need to tackle the master bathroom…it needs a new counter and the tile needs to come out!
Terri S said,
May 14, 2011 @ 9:43 am
What I love about my house-we have a big front porch that’s perfect for sitting on.
What I’d love to change-our house is small, and I’d really love to add on a little studio for my fibering and a big workshop for DHs woodworking and home brewing. We have the space, so someday it may actually happen.
Elise said,
May 14, 2011 @ 9:51 am
Oh that’s an easy question. I’m a renter and there are too many things I would change about my apartment. First clean from top to bottom with a fresh coat of paint. And while I’m dreaming I would also like a new window in my bedroom that looks into a shady tree and a brand new bathroom with a jacuzzi tub. Someday I hope for a home with a fancy bathroom where I can take baths with a glass of wine and a book.
Ginny said,
May 14, 2011 @ 2:21 pm
I live in a condo and love it. The best thing is having an extra closet that houses my stash (and it is full, floor to ceiling). I don’t like the carpeting which is what came with the house when I bought it. I have plans to replace it this year.
Barbara-Kay said,
May 14, 2011 @ 4:24 pm
When I was a child in SE Iowa six decades ago, it was the “rule” that farm houses were white, with porch decks painted grey (after all, they got walked on) and the ceilings of the porches painted sky blue. It just wouldn’t seem right to paint the ceilings any other color. That way, no matter what the weather, you could swing under blue skies.
Edna said,
May 14, 2011 @ 4:53 pm
The best thing we have done to our house was to replace the kitchen tile countertop with granite and replace the electric cooktop with a four oven AGA. I love my kitchen. The bathroom could use an update.
I read that a blue ceiling is recommended to deter mosquitoes.
Catherine Ristola Bass said,
May 14, 2011 @ 7:53 pm
I can’t figure out how to widen the doorway from the dining room to the kitchen without changing/damaging the century old quarter-sawn oak trim lintel.
Ann said,
May 15, 2011 @ 12:29 am
Today is the 1 year anniversary of my family moving back to NJ. We bough this almost 100 year old house and it positively depresses me every moment. I wish I had something nice to say but I don’t. In my opinion it’s an awful money pit most things are broken or on the to fix list. Why you may ask don’t we move now? It’s just not financially viable right now, nore will it become viable for at least another 5 years.
My house is just that, a house it is not a home. I hope I can leave it a little bit better than when I got it, but that’s all I can hope for.
Janet B said,
May 15, 2011 @ 10:26 am
I love my home. We retired to Cape Cod six years ago and found our dream house. Built by a builder for his own family (they outgrew it after five years), this house overlooks a beautiful kettle pond (small lake). The kitchen is perfect, and I didn’t have to make decisions. The bathroom big enough to have a tea party. The house is small enough so we don’t rattle around in it, but big enough for kids and grandkids.
I wish the closets were a little larger. But maybe I should just get rid of some “stuff.” Not my yarn!!!
By the way, our front porch has a light blue ceiling, love it!
Kandice Force said,
May 16, 2011 @ 2:02 am
I love that our 2 bedroom apartment is cheaper than our 1 bedroom was before!!! Saving $400 a month.
Rachelle said,
May 16, 2011 @ 4:34 am
I love that we’re on a back section, near school with a good workable home. I hate the old carpet which is had it, the new earthquake cracks and that we need one more bedroom; we’re planning an outbuilding instead though so I can have my sewing/knitting/spinning stuff out there and the boys can then have a room each.
Sarah (potterknitter) said,
May 16, 2011 @ 8:04 am
My father painted their porch roof blue, but a much brighter blue than that. He was told it would keep the spiders away. No idea if that is actually working but it’s really fun. Go for it!
Wanda in AR said,
May 16, 2011 @ 10:24 am
My house if 4 years old and was custom built. I picked out everything. With that being said, I would still make chagnes. I would have made the kitchen a little bigger so I could have put in a commerical stove.
Karen said,
May 16, 2011 @ 10:32 am
My kitchen is both ugly and dysfunctional. Hate it!
Linda said,
May 16, 2011 @ 11:19 am
I love the fact that I have a pleasant place to knit indoors all year and a semi-shady yard in the summer. I wish that I could get rid of “unnecessary clutter”, but need to be careful lest DH applies the same criteria to knitting & quilting stash/supplies/libraries.
Christine said,
May 16, 2011 @ 12:11 pm
I just found out this past weekend that the reason that people used to paint their porch ceilings blue is it is thought to repel bugs. Not sure how much truth there is in this but a lot of people apparently believe it.
In our house I want to change the kitchen, the layout is horrible and we want to add a screened in porch on the back of our house also. There was a house very similar to ours that had one when we were house hunting and we loved it, we are probably going to try and do the same thing.
Kathy said,
May 16, 2011 @ 12:17 pm
I really like my new house so not much needs to be changed yet. I think the most favorite thing is the patio. I have had many patios but this one is used more than any previous house as it is covered and out of the sun, plus the weather, even though it is hot, is more conducive to being outdoors. Enjoy your break!
Marsha in Colorado said,
May 16, 2011 @ 12:48 pm
Growing up I always wanted to live in a two story house across from a college- and now we live across from Western State College in a 107 yr old small 2 story house with a yard full of aspens in western Colorado. So I really love my house, but I hate that we are beginning a major remodel including new plumbing and wiring!!!
im just lori said,
May 16, 2011 @ 1:24 pm
I love the view from my backyard–we back to county-owned woods, that are land-locked and protected (there’s a seasonal stream back there) so I will NEVER have back-door neighbors. I also love the street–one way in and out, and there’s a good number of children the same age as my son. It’s a big bus stop.
I do not like our interior doors. They’re the cheapest things, have awful plastic door handles, and no longer close completely. I want to replace all of them. But the non-sealing fridge will probably come first.
dana said,
May 16, 2011 @ 2:31 pm
I love the quiet here, and the turkey vultures that soar in lazy circles in the late afternoon thermals.
Sometimes I wish my nearest next door neighbor was more than a quarter of a mile away.
Jane said,
May 16, 2011 @ 4:06 pm
First, two years ago I had our bedroom painted a med green with a med blue ceiling and my husband loves it!
I want a screened in porch! Want so bad.
Cheryl said,
May 16, 2011 @ 6:25 pm
My home is 111 years old a Victorian farmhouse we have been restoring since purchasing 3 years ago. My porch ceili ng is blue,was when we came and repainted. It is to simulate the sky and rumor has it confuses bees so they tend not to congregate under it. We also have a three story barn with a tin roof, which is my favorite thing along with the 3 out of 4 tin ceilings in the home we were able to restore. The one in the livingroom is painted chocolate brown with a trim of copper and blue..I love it, it was old dingy white. What I would change is the plaster hiding the ceiling in the diningroom as it is permanantly damaged now after many years under the plaster, I am not sure why folks covered the tin and it is very sad that they did.
Anne said,
May 16, 2011 @ 8:06 pm
I would really really love to have a first floor bathroom. And I *do* love my garden, which is looking good right now in spite of the miserable cold and rainy weather …..
KathyD said,
May 17, 2011 @ 9:05 am
What do I dislike about our house? The back screen porch! It was cobbled together by the last owner and we have given up trying to fix it. It is on the lowest level of our tri-level house, and as far from the kitchen/living area as humanly possible. Extremely inconvenient for sitting, and that was before the raccoons tore up the screens.
The “roof” of the screen porch is also the “floor” of the deck above-so during the rain it leaks.
But I love where I live, so eventually the the back porch will be redone.
Marji said,
May 17, 2011 @ 11:56 am
My grandparents had a blue ceiling on their porch~ thanks for bringing back that memory for me!! It was lovely!
Maria said,
May 17, 2011 @ 12:12 pm
Hi Sheri,
I just wanted to Thank You for the Spring Fling Goodie Bag Prize. I really appreciate it. The Wollmeise Yarn is something I have many a times thought about getting, but being frugel always won out. My favorite prize in the bag I have to say was the Loopy Ewe Mug, for some reason my coffee tastes better. he he
Thank you again.
Terri Derrick said,
May 17, 2011 @ 12:27 pm
Love my baby blue patio ceiling – it keeps the bugs away because they see it as the same color as the sky. It’s a Southern thing, so I’m told. I would change my kitchen cabinet doors.
LittleWit said,
May 17, 2011 @ 3:06 pm
I love the yellow walls of our guest bedroom and my craft closet in the office. Things I would like to change include the faucet in our kitchen and carpet in the master bathroom. All in due time.
Kim said,
May 18, 2011 @ 12:17 pm
i love my “project room” with lots of windows & built-in bookshelves! And our blue-ceilinged porch
and neighborhood full of sidewalks and happy kids. Not crazy about green walls & gold drapes that “came with” our master bedroom but that is minor and theoretically changeable.
Paula said,
May 20, 2011 @ 9:48 am
I love the location of our house. It’s close to walking trails next to a creek. You can feel like you are out in nature in a matter of minutes.
I wish our laundry facilities were on the main floor. Tough on the knees going down and up. I love your screened in porch. Wish we had one instead of a deck. I’ll keep playing the powerball…
Val said,
May 21, 2011 @ 4:39 am
We’re putting a new paneled ceiling in our porch…I have paint that color. Seems like a win-win situation.
Sheri at The Loopy Ewe » Heading West said,
May 27, 2011 @ 2:04 pm
[...] this post, where I talked about the work and updating that WH and I had done on our house this spring? (And [...]
Jo Ann said,
May 31, 2011 @ 9:44 pm
My MIL’s porch had a blue ceiling, so my niece painted hers that way as well. Did not know it was a southern custom until reading these comments. I love it!
Gail R said,
June 8, 2011 @ 10:39 pm
Woh. I decided to chang my guest bath two months ago, then thought might as well do the hall. took out the old wainscoating, textured the walls, took out the old floring and put down tile, beautiful. then we thought might as well tile the kitchen and great room portion of tile and then do the carpet in there too. Jest got through with five days of people laying the tile and in the morning more strange people to put down the new carpet. today my son and i finished texturing the kitchen walls……..one thing leads to another It will be great, but there is not one room in my house that is straight. Going to love it though..Hot here in Texas…should be doing this in the fall…Its exciting doing this after 28 years of the same stuff…