a couch in the house!

Things are moving along here, slowly.  In the dining room, the former occupants nailed trim to the wall to make a frame and inexplicably painted the frame's interior a deep watermelon pink, which clashed with the wheat-colored walls.

The frame was the first thing to go.

Next, Todd peeled off the mirror backsplash that ran the length of the new kitchen...revealing a pea soup-colored panel of Formica. We're going to put up cream-colored subway tiles sometime in the next 2 months.

That pink had to go, so the kitchen was repainted a soft yellow-cream color.  I think it suits the area much better, since it's such a sunny spot.

We managed to match the wheat-colored paint, and the dining room was repainted to cover the big pink splotch on the wall.

After the paint dried, I unpacked my German pottery.  Everything made it through just fine...

...with one casualty.

Everything was carefully placed into a wood hutch we found at IKEA several years ago.

The watch word here is SIMPLE.  I have been known to really load this thing up with clutter.  Not now.  I want everything to be simple here.

The big new is that we finally have couches!  A trip to IKEA this weekend netted us a regular couch, and my first sectional.

I have to say, I was skeptical at the store, but Todd was right.  We did need it.

We finally unpacked our books...

...leaving the main living room pretty empty.

 

Bosewichte loves this room, though, because the windows go all the way to the floor.  Perfect for a cat that likes to keep an eye on things.

 

Tabitha does the same thing, but from my craft room window.

She mainly sees deer.

The various trees, bushes, and shrubs around the house are a big of a mystery to me.  All I've been able to identify is a few holly-type bushes, which make for amazing bouquets.

But the former occupants delivered some paperwork to the house this week, which included several rolled-up landscaping plans.  They had landscaped in 2008 and saved the paperwork...thankfully.

Although I'm unfamiliar with the plants, the names are intriguing.  Fragrant Tea Olive.  Shi Shi Gashies Sasanqa.  Fatsia Japonica.  Convelsatia Piece Azalea.  And I saw one familiar name - helleborus, one of my favorite delicate spring flowers.  We've been told over and over again that springtime is the most beautiful time of the year in South Carolina, that flowers bloom everywhere and the weather is so mild.  We can't wait to see what the property does in the spring!

My only definite plan, so far, is to place a potted climbing rose plant at each side of the carport and train it to climb up along the deck.

I think we'll really enjoy it.

Sorry for the dark photos...I'm not taking my usual care in my hurry to document everything.

Have a great week!