You probably haven't noticed, but I'm also trying really hard to make sure our remodel is earth-friendly. It's a nice idea but it really slows things down. It takes a lot more dang time and energy researching where to find good used, vintage, and earth-friendly materials than it does to just go buy it all at Lowe's. Okay, I admit I can't resist Lowe's paint chips and who wants to buy a used plumbing line? Not me!
Anyway, I decided to scour the Habitat for Humanity Restore in our area yesterday in search of a light for the kitchen and a bathroom vanity. I didn't get either, but it was still awesome. I left with a five-foot vintage 1950s mirror medicine cabinet for my guest bath ($10!!) and a huge vintage wall mirror ($29!!!). They have these stores all over the country, so google your local Habitat and check it out. They basically collect used and new building materials that would have otherwise ended up in the landfill.They use the money from the store to build houses for low-income families. Oh, and it's a great resource for people who already own houses and don't have a huge budget to fix them up. I count myself as one of those-- I always just about poop my drawers when I read articles about "cheap" $25,000 one-room renovations. Hell, that's more than I'm going to spend on my entire house!
In other news,a pile of papers fell out of the cabinet above the fridge this week. Turns out it was four pages of blueprints for the house, with the name of the home builder (Norman L. Koon) and the developer, (Gabay Development). Very cool. I want to find out more about my neighborhood, and now I have the first clues to start me on my way. Although I did notice that whoever paid to build this house moved the stove around in the kitchen,ditched a cheesy flower bed outside, and went with plaster walls and thick stucco instead of drywall and wood shingles.
On another note. I'm one of the three people left in the U.S. that doesn't have cable TV. Somehow, I don't want to admit that I like television enough to pay for it every month. Plus, I'm scared it'll take time away from other projects. Anyhoo, I have to balance my TV ideology with the fact that I am addicted to HGTV, so I often drive down to my mom's to spend the night vegging in front of her HGTV. Lo and behold the episode of Designer Finals was a makeover of a house in Columbus,Ohio. My brain spun. I often check the Be on HGTV button on their Web site, and never once did I see a request for houses in my town! Holy cow. I'm totally bummed out that I missed it. I have a few rooms that could use the touch of a young professional other than me. But maybe next time...
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