Noobies VÜ

It's not quite done, but here is a view of my fireplace. (as always, click to embiggen)


Some people probably think i am crazy for blacking it out, but I just did not dig the previous look, plus, thanks to the brilliance of others, the brick was quite stained and the wood insert was, in a word, hih-dee-us. blah. No more!
I still need to frame the stainless and I might put up some fabu things I found at Pier 1 to cut the severity, but I don't know just yet.

Now this whole exercise, with the fireplace and kitchen, has really woken me up to the grossness and filth that some people live in. Mostly the kitchen. Do people (or these people more accurately) choose to live in this kind of filth or are they simply unaware of it? I was getting pretty grossed out by the amount of grease on the cupboard doors above the stove. Totally nasty. And I think it is very possible that if I were ever to meet the previous owners that I would likely do some talking with the back of my hand. What The Phuck man? The tape, seriously? That was the best you could do?
But then they did eventually put on child proof plastic dealies, on everything that opened. The linen closet doors, the doors for the laundry area, all the drawers and doors on the cabinets. For the love of god people, instead of putting that stuff everywhere, here's an idea, watch your damn kids. My mother was a firm believer in the idea that you teach your children what they can and cannot touch. She refused to put things out of reach or "child proof" our home. It made perfect sense, what happens if your precious offspring goes to a friend's home, or baby-sitter's and they don't have the same precautions you took? Teach your kids that what is under the sink, though tasty it may appear, is not for consumption. Knives are sharp, stoves are hot, and peoples' objet d'art are not toys.
I thought I was going to need a blow torch to get the little catches off the drawers, because the damn things wouldn't let me pull the drawer out so I could remove them. But by the grace of god and a pointy screwdriver I was finally able to Conan the damn things off the cabinet.
I am now at peace, mostly, and I am looking forward to completing my kitchen. hopefully putting the doors back on today, and then... hardware. Someday. Of course the stuff I like has to be just about the most expensive you can get. It's not THE most expensive, but in relation to other choices, its' not cheap.
psh. god I wanna slap some people.