#125: A Tale Of Two Kitchens: a house log

Our holiday was full of lively, family, and a freakish amount of Ikea boxes filling the duplex. So this week we are sharing how we navigated the task of installing not one, but two kitchens over winter break – including how things got off to a rocky start – and when we in fact saw the light (both literally and figuratively). We also got AN AVALANCHE of feedback from you folks on the small sleeping nook we debated filling with various bed layouts in our last episode, so today we are sharing how we have adjusted our plans to make the room work for as many families as possible. Plus, we tried out a new money-saving trick (why have not we been doing this for years?!) and requested some info from our international listeners that we hope leads to some interesting revelations.

You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Spotify – or listen to it below! Note: If you are reading in a feed reader, you may have to click through to the post to see the player.

What is New

• This was the scene on Christmas morning when our kids found their dollhouses (which we discussed getting in Episode #124). Below you can see the interiors a bit closer, which we filled with furniture that came with one of them, plus a $35 box of stuff we snagged off Facebook Marketplace on Christmas Eve (!!!).
• We will share more of them as Sherry and the kids begin the process of fixing them up.

• And thanks for your feedback from Episode #124 about the small sleeping nook on each side of the duplex. As you heard in the episode, we found a flexible solution that involves these Ikea mattress bases.

• We will share more photos of our final plan once they come together a little more, but for now I will treat you to these incredibly lifelike “renderings” that Sherry did on her phone to show the three configurations that we can achieve with the beds we picked up.

• Also, this was the pop-up trundle bed from Ikea that came highly recommended by plenty of you! Since it does not accommodate the highest voted option from last week’s poll (two separate twin beds) it was not right for us, but if you are looking for a pop up trundle (with two twin mattresses on the same level to create a king), about 1,000 people suggested this one!

Pinterest 100 Game

• Here is the full 2019 Pinterest 100 list for your perusing pleasure, plus you can hear last year’s game in Episode #78 and the year before’s quiz in Episode #30.
• Also, here is the makeover we shared where reader Angela painted her tile floor to give it total makeover for under $75. It still blows my mind that this is simply a stencil!

Design Norms Around The World

• As suggested by a UK listener named Jo after hearing Episode #122‘s discussion of laundry room placements, we’d enjoy to hear about home design “norms” that are common in your part of the globe (particularly if they differ from what you hear us talk about).
• Please use the Google Form below, and do not forget to specify what country, state, or region you are writing about.

Duplex Kitchen Progress

• Those are HALF of the boxes that were delivered for the duplex kitchens and laundry rooms on each side of the house (the other half were stacked on the other side).
• It was slow-going the first couple of days, but we eventually got rolling and are truly excited about our progress. We are planning to write a detailed journal post about the actual steps and materials that can make installing an Ikea kitchen go a lot more smoothly (this is our fourth rodeo) so you can stay tuned for that – hopefully in a week or two.

• Below you can see the wall Sherry mentioned in the episode that was so bowed that it required plenty of shimming to keep the metal cabinet rail straight (this was an exterior wall where we used the original framing).

• And again, we will share more pictures soon, but below is a peek at how far we got by the end of the holiday break. There is still toekicks to be brought in, hardware to be installed, plus little details like appliances, counters, and backsplashes.
• But getting this far means we can at last get our counters templated and our appliances installed!

We are Digging

• Since I cannot link to the specific eBay coupon that I used for our shower curtains (I used it up!), I will link you to the shower curtains we picked up. They are the same extra-long white waffle shower curtains that we used in the beach house, which work strong for 8ft ceiling (there are also these longer ones for 9ft ceilings). Oh and we use these shower liners for the 8′ foot ceiling-ed rooms, and these are the ones we use for 9 ft ones.
• I also want to add that after recording I spent $3 to get THREE 10% off your order coupons for Lowe’s, which has already saved me over $50 on curtains rods & ring clips (more glamorous duplex purchases).
• And last but not least, here is Headbanz, our family’s new go-to game for everyone in the household.

If you are looking for something we have dug in a past episode, but do not remember which show notes to click into, here is a master list of everything we have been digging from all of our past episodes. You can also see all the books we have recommended on our Book Club page.

And lastly, a big thank you to You Need A Budget (YNAB) for sponsoring this episode. Sign up at YNAB.com/YHL to get your first three months free!

Thanks for listening, folks!

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