Boxes Little Boxes

Whoa, boy did we have boxes. 92 of them, to be exact. And they weren't filled with ticky tacky, either. Instead, they arrived full of all of the necessary components for our new kitchen cabinets. Now we know why Joe isn’t the biggest fan of Ikea! The puzzle has finally been completed and our kitchen officially looks like, well, a real kitchen. 

We've logged quite a few busy weeks since our last post. We're happy to report that we passed the sewer inspection, the houses are breathing together and the trenches are filled, giving us some sturdy ground to walk on (and landscaping to dream about). 

All the doors have arrived and most have been installed. The temporary front door has been replaced with its beautiful permanent cousin (soon to be painted). 

And speaking of painting! Kevin and his crew finished painting the cottage last week and will soon be headed over to Drew and Jacob's house to create a matching set. Bye, bye ugly purple porch! We just hope they'll be able to tackle the 100+ years of paint over at the big house (yikes). After that, the interior walls of the cottage will be painted a delicious shade of creamy butter. 

Have we mentioned the floors? And the stairs? Oh, friends, they're gorgeous. 

Joe put his tiling skills to good use and did a wonderful job on the upstairs bathroom. Toilet shopping isn't a glamorous job, but that's what we'll be tackling next. One throne for the tiny powder room downstairs and one for the full-size bath off the upstairs bedroom. 

Meanwhile back in West Seattle, Elyse and Meredith are trying to keep pace with the progress in Ballard. Downsizing is in full swing which means numerous trips to the Northwest Center truck in the Alaska Junction. Moving from a 1,700 square foot home to a 613 square foot cottage means lots of choices about what stays and what goes. Last week they officially put their home on the market and are hoping to find the perfect buyers soon. 

As always, you can see regular updates by following us on Instagram @abackyardcottage!