Finally! The Rockaway house is vacant and spruced up once again after 3 years of dweller wear and tear. It’s going on the market right this second because if I waited for every little detail to be finished, it would be 2020. I so wanted to finish the basement, but I’ll leave that as an option for the purchaser. Either I can do it for a higher price or they can finish it.

A few new painting techniques and Ikea hacks. Whaddya think? Who wants to buy it?

The Ikea Maskros pendant lamps in the living room above didn’t hold up so well after 3 years. The paper “flowers” totally wilted. I was bummed to find out that Ikea doesn’t offer replacements, you have to buy a whole new fixture. F dat! I stole someone’s ping pong ball idea online and I’m lovin’ it! Ten bucks for a bag o’ balls.

This mudroom had a simple painted plywood floor that needed refreshing. I used a damask stencil that I happened to have lying around. Because plywood isn’t smooth, it came out a bit sloppy. What’s the solution to sloppy? Distress, distress, distress! After some sanding, it looks like I meant to do that.

Guess what? The pipes froze this year. And burst. Luckily, I was there to know they had broken because I was unthawing them with a heat gun in the basement when the water starting pouring out. Emergency plumber guy had to break through the walls in the bathroom. The pipes WERE insulated, but sadly the insulation had shifted. Insulation is now taped on and not going anywhere. I lost my original wall technique which I wasn’t in love with anyway. The new copper patina matches the copper sink.

There’s still loads of touch ups and basement and exterior tidying, so it’s not open house worthy yet. But appointments. Appointments I can do.