Here are random things I’ve learned during the construction of our house that may come in handy for you to know.

Our new house has hardwood floors throughout.  (Technically, engineered hardwood.)  During our on-going construction process- Husband is installing interior doors and trim as I write- the messes have been epic. . . sawdust, sheetrock dust, and mud on the floor from one end of the house to the other.  Two weeks ago Husband had a phone conversation with his mom who, altho 87 years old, is still the best housekeeper I know.  Her house is immaculate.  The topic of keeping floors clean came up and she mentioned that she likes using a steam mop.  I could have hugged her through the phone!  You see, I’ve been enamored with the idea of steam mops for over a decade.  But after several mop purchases which were abysmal wastes of money, our household has had a moratorium on steam mop purchases.  But perhaps now it will be lifted?  A few days later we were at Costco and what should be on an end cap on sale?  You guessed it.  So what is my evaluation of our new mop in use for a week and a half?   I love it.  I was beginning to doubt our choice of flooring because no matter how often I mopped, there was a pale haze.  Not attractive.  Vinegar water had worked for me on wood floors in our last house.  What was wrong?  Now with my new steam mop, I have glowing floors.  The haze is gone.  Perhaps our well water had been leaving some residue.  Perhaps cold water just couldn’t lift all the dirt.  Now I’m using distilled water, the only cost, in my steam mop as per directions because of our well water.  Whatever the reason, I couldn’t be happier with the appearance of my floors now that I use a steam mop.  I know someone will ask, so I’ll tell you which one we bought.  I have no connection with this company, so no bias.  We got a Shark Genius Steam Pocket Mop with 2 pads (plus a triangle mop head and pad which I doubt I’ll ever use) at Costco for $79.99 on sale.  So far, so good. https://www.costco.com/Shark-Genius-Steam-Pocket-Mop-with-Dirt-Grip-Pads.product.100326620.html

Not often in a normal lifetime will you be able to choose your cabinetry, but should you ever have that opportunity I hope you’ll consider my input.  Ready?  Here it is:  Drawers.  We decided early on in our house planning to buy bathroom vanities with drawers instead of doors.  We waited to buy them until we could get a good deal.   We bought the last pair of a certain style on close-out last Summer at a big box store.  The hassle of storing them was worth it.  Having convenient storage right under our sinks is so important because we have no closet or shelves nearby. Being able to easily see and access our toiletries while having a vanity that looks like a piece of furniture is a win/win.  When it came time to order kitchen cabinets, I chose drawers for all of my lower cabinets.  Yep.  All drawers.  I ordered my cabinets in our last house the same way and never regretted it for a second.  Being able to see and reach everything at the pull of a drawer was easy on my back.  And the added benefit was that I wiped those drawers clean more often than I would have wiped shelves because I could see when those ‘bits’ accumulated in the corners.

I’ve always felt strongly that lighting sets the mood for a living space and therefore should be chosen thoughtfully.  In a twist of fate, early in our house construction process I was wondering the lighting aisle at Lowe’s soaking in ideas when suddenly from a distance I saw it.  It had my name on it.  A mica shade.  Not the orangey mica popular in the original Craftsman style, but the silver kind.  I had never seen that type before and I was an instant fan.  It was attractive with the light off, but when lit, it glowed with a natural random pattern from the thin slivers of rock embedded in resin.  Over the next few months, I slipped away to the lighting aisle every time we had to pick up supplies at Lowe’s.  A plan formed in my mind.  Not only were there large drum shades in my new favorite material, but there were smaller sconce sized shades available.  Jackpot!  So the search began.  We would need a chandelier for the living area, something for above the table, kitchen counter pendants, 2 pairs of wall sconces, and a semi-flush fixture for the office off the kitchen.  Soon I found a chandelier at a Habitat for Humanity Restore.  Size, color, condition and price ($28.) were just right.  I purchased the small mica shades from Lowe’s which perfectly fit the chandelier.  I was delighted that the living room fixture had come together so well.  Had to think it was a gift, or as my neighbor calls those happy times when things come together in ways that we couldn’t have planned, a God hug.  Later I found a  pair of classy mica sconces on the internet for 1/4 the price of an expensive pair I liked, but couldn’t afford.  The two pairs were so similar and one fit our budget.  The other needed pair of sconces were very simple and inexpensive, but exactly the look I wanted.  That left the dining room, kitchen counter, and office.  I had decided I wanted the simplicity of one drum shade over the table, but what about the glare from bare bulbs suspended in an open drum shade?  I stewed over this forever.  In the end, we just bought a two bulb pendant fixture from Lowe’s, attached the shade, and hung it fairly low over what would be table height and found there wasn’t a glare issue due to its low position.  But hanging the same drum shade in a semi-flush position near the ceiling in the office made the bare bulbs too visible.  I needed a semi-flush fixture and a diffusion shield but after months of checking retail stores and the Restore, nothing worked.  All the other fixtures were installed and still no suitable office fixture.  You can read the story here.  The counter pendants were a breeze with pendant fixtures from Lowe’s on sale and the small mica shades just like the ones on the chandelier and sconces.  All the light fixtures have similar mica shades.  The test is that even without furniture, window coverings, kitchen cabinets, rugs or accessories the space feels homey and pleasant because of the lights, most of which point upwards with some spill downwards bouncing the light off walls and ceiling for a soft look.  Have you considered the possibility of new or repurposed light fixtures in your home?  Bang for the buck, only paint surpasses light fixtures for impact.  Often just changing out older globes on a chandelier for updated shades completely transforms the fixture and the look of the room.  Lowe’s and Home Depot are good sources for sconce/chandelier shades at good prices.  They also routinely significantly reduce the price of light fixtures to make room for incoming new styles.

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