home design

Buy a Foreclosed Home & Save Big

/ Quilly / 16 Comments

Many of my friends will be relocating over the summer. They’re in the market for new homes, so when I was asked to review this Foreclosure Listings search engine I thought it might come in handy. To use the Bank Foreclosures search engine, just visit the website and type in the city and state you are moving to and you will receive a list of foreclosed homes. Even though you won’t get a brand new home, many of them are like new — but you don’t get those brand new prices.

Believe it or not, I found six listings for right here in Friday Harbor, WA. and the prices almost blew me away! I found a 1,264 square foot, 2 bedroom 2 bathroom home on a 25000 ft (approx. one-half acre) lot for less than $200,00.00!

Stats and photos are available for each home. The ForeclosurePatch also provides a large selection of instructional articles about how to buy a foreclosed home. Further information on affordable housing options is also available.

Storage Solutions

/ Quilly / 6 Comments

Okay, I live in a big house and it has lots of room. I even have a huge two-car garage and only one little car. I have plenty of storage space, what I seem to be in short supply of is storage organization. I am in the market for a good storage system. I want places to keep stuff that will help my storage area stay neat and tidy.

For the garage I was actually considering using school lockers. I think they would do a great job organizing our tools, lawn equipment (except the mower), and even Amoeba’s bicycle gear — especially Amoeba’s bicycle gear! Plus, he wouldn’t always be asking me where he put things. Hello?

I was kind of excited when our local second hand store advertised lockers for sale.  I rushed right over.  Big disappointment.  They had only two lockers and both of them were quite small and made of flimsy plastic.  They were more like theme decorations, especially since they were in black and gold and displayed the name and emblem of a well known NFL team.  I did think about getting just one locker to store our coats in, but they were just too flimsy.  Besides, we have a wonderful coat closet.  It just isn’t near the garage, which is where we mostly come and go from, and I am lazy.

I think a bank of wood lockers along one wall would look really nice and keep things neat.  I even considered the wire basket type gym lockers since we could see into the baskets and know what was where, but I don’t think they would look as sleek and nice as enclosed storage.  Maybe we’d be better off to just go out and throw all the tools, bike paraphernalia and garden equipment away.  Then the garage would be clean for sure!

Bathroom Vessel Sinks

/ Quilly / 5 Comments

You’d think, living in my dream home, I would quit coveting other people’s bathrooms, but I recently saw this sink at someone else’s house, and I just loved it.  The sink is nice and deep, there is no “splash out” when the water is on full.  The faucet is very distinctive.  It was a very stunning presentation.

Generally I am a fan of  Undermount sinks because  they look so much more finished and are easy to keep clean, but I am quickly falling in love with these high profile porcelain vessel sinks. They pop with personality.  I’m taking notes.  This is pretty much my dream home, but I am not thrilled with the bathroom vanities.  Sometimes it boggles my mind that the builder was so meticulous on luxury details throughout the home, and put in run of the mill bathroom sinks and vanities.

Light Up My Life

/ Quilly / 15 Comments

Lamps.  I have been thinking about lamps a lot lately.  We don’t have any and we have just moved into a home with very high ceilings and recessed lighting. The ambiance of the recessed lighting is nice, but when I am reading or sewing or doing other close work, I actually like to see what I am looking at.

We have absolutely great exterior light fixtures. I guess I could go sit on the front porch to do me reading, but even though Spring has arrived, it is still a bit chilly out there in the evening! Both of the back decks have brilliant lighting, too, but once again, they are outside. I want great lighting inside. Has anybody priced lamps lately? Yeow!

I suppose I could do all my work in the kitchen. I have under-the-cupboard lighting all the way around and can make it bright as day in there. plus I have acres of counter space — but it is all for standing. I much prefer sitting when I do my bead work and embroidery. As for reading, the bathroom lights are quite bright. I will just read in the sauna tub.