Scott and I are  about to close on our new home (less than two weeks!), and we’re getting ready for all of our projects.  Well, we’re getting ready for bits and pieces of our projects.

Our plan is to start by knocking out a wall between our kitchen and living/dining areas.  Apparently it isn’t a load-bearing wall, but it will require an added beam in the ceiling.  While I’m perfectly happy to play a supporting role in the supporting beam project, that one is really more on Scott’s plate.  Then after that, things will be more in my neck of the DIY woods.

We have big plans for the kitchen, the bathrooms, and a few minor tweaks to other rooms in the house.  Don’t get me wrong, we love this house.  It’s in great shape, it could just use some updates.

So to give you some reading variety (instead of just recipes), I thought I would show you some of my favorite pictures of things we’re considering.  First up, we have our current countertop choice (subject to change): soapstone.

Although some people don’t like that soapstone is a softer stone than granite, I like the idea that it will have more and more patina over time.  It can vary from medium grey to black, depending on whether you oil the counter or not.  Also fun.  It’s really heat and stain resistant, which is fantastic.  And to top it all off, it’s substantially cheaper than most stone options, and it’s soft enough that we can cut it ourselves.

Second, we’re considering some striped tile in the master bath shower.

I love the idea of using budget-friendly white tile with a dash of color to add more personality.  There’s a chance that we’ll just go with white tile all over though.  It kind of depends on how confident I am with tile installation by the time we get to that project.  The kitchen backsplash will be the test zone.

We’re playing around with a lot of ideas.  Beadboard as a replacement for wall tile in the bathroom…

…painting bathroom vanity bases and changing out the tops/sinks, and plenty of other things.  Scott is definitely going to be my DIY teammate, and I know he’s great at making things work the way they should.  But I’ll be at home all day, taking care of projects while he’s at work.  Here’s to hoping I’m good at it.  If I’m not, there might be nothing but recipe posts for the next two years, as I drown my DIY sorrows in tasty food.  Silver lining for you.