Ep. 459: Trials and Triumphs

Summary

How to Decorate Ep. 459: Trials and Triumphs

Podcast: How to Decorate by Ballard Designs
Date: March 31, 2026
Hosts: Caroline (A, Marketing), Taryn (B, Product Designer), Liz (C, Head of Creative)

---

Episode Overview

This installment of the "Trials and Triumphs" series gives an intimate peek into the hosts’ home renovation journeys, showcasing the emotional highs and daunting realities of major DIY projects. From an avalanche of kitchen and bath plans, to hard-learned maintenance tips, to a full-on septic system saga, the Ballard Designs team shares honest anecdotes and actionable takeaways for anyone feeling the highs and lows of homeownership—and striving to create beautiful, healthy spaces.

---

Key Topics and Discussion Points

1. Liz's Massive Kitchen (and Bath) Renovation Update

[01:24 – 34:38]

• Motivation: Everything Broke!

  • After a spate of household mishaps, Liz launches into a full-scale kitchen renovation (“everything is breaking in January…this is the time to jump into the kitchen.” – C, 01:24).
  • Tapping into their own experience working with architects and designers, the hosts point out how different it feels being the client. (C, 02:03)

• Emotional Attachments & Decision Fatigue

  • Liz admits to becoming surprisingly emotional about practical details, especially the sink location.

    “I started getting very… personable about where’s my sink going? I got really, like, emotional.” (C, 02:25)

  • The placement of the sink even sparked push-pull discussions with both her family and her architect.

• Planning & Timelines

  • The initial expectation is 6-9 months for plans and city approvals, on top of another 6-9 months for actual work (C, 03:39).
  • Liz summarizes the perennial renovation challenge:

    “A life lesson is [it’s] never going to be like, ‘oh, right now it’s perfect.’” (B, 04:20)

  • Hot pink tape now marks out kitchen layouts and clearances everywhere (“it’s bananas,” C, 03:04).

• Scope Creep: Kitchen, Both Baths, and Maybe More

  • Plans have crept from kitchen-only to “gut both bathrooms” (C, 07:07).
  • Liz acknowledges:

    “There’s going to be creep all over the place, but it’s all about awareness.” (C, 07:32)

• Asbestos Flooring & Demolition Risks

  • The floor tiles are confirmed asbestos, complete with a “proudly” labeled box (“They were so proud,” C, 05:29).
  • Removal will require sealing off the house and specialized handling.

• Design Aesthetic: Honoring 1920s-30s with Modern Functionality

  • The primary inspiration is a “Duval kitchen” look with mushroom-colored cabinets, checkerboard floor, 1920s/30s sensibility, and a nod to modern needs.

    “The vibe of it being a 1920s and 1930s kitchen, but with modern sight lines and modern functionality.” (C, 09:14)

  • Discussion of materials: built-in dark wood hutch to stay, plus debate over a stone vs wood shelf for style and practicality (11:33–13:07).

• Color Dilemmas

  • Liz considers “malted milk” (Sherwin Williams) for pink/mauve lower cabinets matched with chunky subway tile (C, 14:25).
  • Conversation around the risks and rewards of bold paint colors and what makes a kitchen timeless vs. trendy (18:00–19:42).
  • Ideas for pops of red or emerald in accents or pantry color (A, 19:10, 34:08).

• Functionality Must-Haves

  • No upper cabinets on stove wall; 4” ledge on backsplash (C, 13:13; 13:56).
  • Built-in hutch, coffee station, maximized corners and pantry storage discussed (27:03–33:59).

• Space Planning and Accessibility

  • Using original architectural drawings, hot pink tape, and serious attention to traffic patterns and accessibility:

    “Having that 36 inch clearance at a door to make sure our friends that are in wheelchairs can get through... is so important.” (C, 28:01)

• Family Dynamics

  • Husband Steve mostly defers but has opinions on layout, especially the sink (“there is some push-pull,” C, 32:05).
  • Teenager gets the en suite bathroom; Liz opts for a guest-friendly bath.

• Memorable Quotes:

  • On renovation emotions:

    “There are gonna be things I’m going to be oddly attached to that the rest of my family or my architect is going to tell me to sit down…and I’ll… I’m open to that.” (C, 08:20)

  • On the process:

    “It’s gonna be fun. There’s gonna be a lot of tears. There’s gonna be a lot of joy. It’s gonna be crazy.” (C, 34:50)

---

2. Taryn’s Spring Cleaning and Bedroom Refresh

[34:57 – 43:44]

• House Maintenance as an Achievement

  • Taryn celebrates finally pressure washing her home:

    “For the first time since we built and finished in 2021, we had it pressure washed… it looked amazing.” (B, 35:44)

  • Her husband David is a classic “it’s fine until it’s not” type but is sold by before/after photos.

• Furniture Dominoes

  • Swapping and upgrading beds throughout the house: prepping a king for the main bedroom, a new white poster bed for an upstairs guest room.
  • Facebook Marketplace escapades, including a logistics snafu and a second trip for straps (B, 38:57).

• Bedroom Design: Fun with Wallpaper

  • Torn between a serene oak-leaf print and a folk-art “Folklore Tree” paper in vibrant greens and blues:

    “I feel like a white poster bed up against this, like very busy [paper], keep the white molding, keep the white Romans… making it a perfectly happy space.” (B, 41:15)

  • Practical commentary on room light and furniture to guide wallpaper color choice.

• Relatable Joy:

  • Power washing as a marker of adulthood:

    “You can tell my age because I’ve told everyone I know, ‘Did you look at my house? Power washed.’” (B, 43:05)

---

3. Caroline’s Plumbing & Sewer Catastrophe

[43:46 – 56:06]

• Signs of Trouble

  • Unexplained gurgling, slow drains, then water leaks into the crawl space.
  • Multiple plumbers called over several days, with unclear or unhelpful results (A, 44:15–45:54).

• The Hidden Septic Surprise

  • A recommended plumber, trying to install a “cleanout trap,” discovers a buried concrete tank:

    “They start digging... and eventually they hit a giant concrete box. They’re like, I think you might have a septic tank... We’ve been on city water and have been paying sewer for seven years.” (A, 47:00)

• Epic Septic Excavation

  • Heavy equipment used to excavate and ultimately service a never-before-maintained septic tank—unbeknownst to all past owners.
  • Yard and irreplaceable peonies get destroyed in the process.

• Lessons, Humor, and Recovery

  • The septic system is ultimately declared in good shape ("now that it's cleaned out, you shouldn't have a problem for 20 years," A, 49:54).
  • Now a “beautiful” green plastic access cap camouflages the yard.
  • Sharing a laugh about years’ worth of French press coffee grounds and other don't-put-this-down-the-drain lessons (A, 52:14; 52:33).
  • Makeshift workarounds for basic tasks while plumbing was down (“washing my face into a Tupperware,” A, 54:54).

• Memorable Quotes:

  • On finding the septic:

    “I don’t know how to feel about it. I’m like, that’s a big one, Caroline.” (C, 50:08)

  • On homeownership:

    “Now that I can run the dishwasher and do laundry... I can laugh about it now. I was crying for a while.” (A, 55:46)

---

Notable Moments & Quotes

• Liz, on the hot pink tape method:

  “It ended up with me and the architect’s plans and a whole bunch of hot pink tape. And I’ve taped everything off in my kitchen…” (C, 03:05)

• Taryn, on adult milestones:

  “You can tell my age because I’ve told everyone I know, ‘Did you look at my house? Power washed.’” (B, 43:05)

• Caroline, on crisis innovation:

  “Because we could run the water, but I couldn’t put the water down the drain. So I would put a huge Tupperware in our sink and then like, do the dishes, dump it.” (A, 54:36)

---

Listener Engagement

• Liz asks listeners for “success stories” about kitchen corner cabinet storage and pantries (C, 33:18–33:59).
• Caroline invites empathy and commiseration over plumbing disasters.
• Taryn requests feedback on which wallpaper to choose for her guest room.

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Liz’s Renovation Update Begins: 01:24
• Kitchen Design & Materials Discussion: 09:00 – 22:41
• Architectural Plans & Family Dynamics: 23:02 – 33:11
• Corner Cabinet & Pantry Advice Request: 33:11 – 33:59
• Taryn’s Pressure Washing and Bedroom Refresh: 34:57 – 43:44
• Caroline’s Plumbing Saga: 43:46 – 56:06

---

Tone and Takeaways

The tone is candid, humorous, and deeply relatable. Each host recounts setbacks and victories with warmth and a willingness to laugh at themselves. Whether confronting asbestos, “scope creep,” surprise septic tanks, or power-washing pride, the episode ultimately affirms the “journey” of home improvement is as important as the destination—and that sharing our hard-won lessons makes all the difference.

---

For More

For advice, questions, or to weigh in on Liz’s design dilemmas, email [e-mail].

Until next time: "Happy decorating!"

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to how to Decorate from Ballard Designs, a weekly podcast all about the trials and triumphs of decorating and redecorating your home. I'm Caroline. I'm on the marketing team.

[B]

And I'm Taryn, and I'm a product designer.

[C]

I'm Liz. I head of the creative team.

[A]

We're your hosts. Join the expert team at Ballard Designs for tips, tricks, and tales from interior designers, stylists, and other talents in the design world.

[B]

Plus, we'll answer your decorating dilemmas at the end of each episode.

[C]

We love answering your questions, so don't forget to email [e-mail] now, on with the show.

[A]

All right, trials and triumphs, guys. It's been a minute. I know we said that we would be doing these more often, but it's been, like, almost two months.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Since we were.

[B]

We had a ton of good guests. We have been, like. I feel like we've had quite a few. Yes.

[A]

Some that are our listeners haven't even heard from yet. So, you know.

[B]

Oh, yeah, duh.

[A]

Like, they haven't come out yet.

[B]

Right.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

This will come out even before that. But, yes, I think that's why you haven't heard from us. Correct name.

[A]

Correct. Correct. So. But that means that everyone has a lot to update each other. Correct.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay, who's going?

[B]

As we look at you, I need to go last. You need to go last. Okay.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

You go first. You got a cool stack of papers over there, which has me.

[C]

I've got a clipboard.

[A]

Yeah, clipboards. And I was like, I don't need a clipboard. What do I need?

[C]

I have reference materials, obviously.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Definitely go first.

[C]

All right, so huge update. Um, I started this year off with everything breaking. Right. And I think that's where I left off last time. It was. Everything is breaking in January. Um, and it made me realize that this is the time to jump into the kitchen. So we are. I know. So we're back into working with our architect to make sure the plans are going to work for us. And it's super duper exciting. It's super terrified. Absolutely.

[B]

Yeah, absolutely.

[C]

I mean, we're looking at. We're looking at images all the time, and we're talking to so many talented, incredible designers and architects, and just. It's such a different ball game when you are the client. Yeah. And, you know, I started getting very feeling really personable about where. Where's my sink going? I got. I got really, like, emotional.

[B]

You found your weird thing, and it was like the Location of the sink all of a sudden was like, no, this is so important.

[C]

I was like, this is.

[B]

Yeah, Yeah.

[C]

I was like, this is 18 inches. Far too far to the.

[B]

And they all were like, but then your range and. Yeah, it was a whole. Like, no, that was 18 inches. Or for XYZ. And you're like, but, no, but that

[C]

kills my sightline to this corner. And like, what is this? I mean. Oh, my gosh.

[A]

Yeah, okay.

[C]

That was just conversation number one, too. Like, you know, I'm just like. So, yeah, you guys are all along for the ride.

[A]

Ah, that's the best.

[C]

But, yeah, so we're. We're just figuring out where everything goes. And it ended up with me and the architect's plans and a whole bunch of hot pink tape. And I've taped everything off in my kitchen. Like, what is the clearance I need for the doors? And what is, you know, where are the cabinets going to go? So, yes. So lots of hot pink everywhere. Everyone's just going to have to walk around it for a little while. It's bananas. But, yeah, it's all going to be good. It's all going to be good.

[A]

So what is your timeline?

[C]

We are very loose on our timeline right now. So she initially told me that, like, it's going to take about six to nine months to get plans together and then work with the city and get, you know, our contractors lined up and everything like that. So we are about a month in kind. So I just, I. At that point, I don't want to wait another six to nine months to start and then wait another six to nine months. So we're just. We're just going to go in for

[B]

it and it's never the right time.

[A]

Yeah, that is.

[C]

That's what I'm realizing.

[B]

A life lesson is never going to be like, oh, right now it's perfect.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

I have nothing to do right now. I should build a house. I should redo. My gosh.

[C]

You know, come on over. Do you want to make some decisions? Yes, you are welcome.

[B]

And a kitchen, like, it's such a vital area of your home working and so to rip it out, but if it's not functioning and everything's broken. It's already not functioning. So.

[C]

Right.

[A]

You can only from. Only up from there.

[C]

Yeah, right.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. Because.

[A]

So exciting. You've been talking about this for years.

[C]

Oh, yeah. No, in my last meeting with Karen the other day, she was like, well, you just do it already.

[A]

I'm tired of hearing it.

[B]

So.

[C]

Yeah. So. So we are going for it, you know, we had some issues with the sink, and we have to get rid of the tile, which is going to be a whole asbestos journey. And is the tile just the backsplash or the floor?

[B]

Where's the floor? The floor.

[C]

The floor. So once we take that up and we take the sink out. Because there were plumbing issues in January, too, so that's. That was kind of the. The kick in the pants to kind of realize you do those two type of things. And to a house that's nearly a hundred years old, we just don't know how much damage there is underneath. Yeah, those great asbestos tiles that are, you know, and seriously, we know that they're asbestos because there was a box in the basement that proudly said asbestos and, like, the biggest type face imaginable. They were so proud. They were so proud. Yeah. So, I mean, once we take that up, there's kind of no going back, so. So we're on the journey.

[A]

You gotta do the whole. You can't, like, because you may as well just do the whole thing.

[B]

And with asbestos, you know, you have to, like, seal off your house.

[A]

House.

[B]

While they blow all that up.

[C]

Or we'll. We'll have that conversation with the contractor soon, I'm sure.

[A]

You know what?

[B]

Yeah, we're not gonna worry about that right now.

[C]

We're in dreamland.

[B]

Oh, I love dreamland. Yeah, we'.

[A]

Dreamland.

[C]

And measuring tapes.

[A]

Show us your. Show us your references, you guys.

[C]

You also have to know, like, since we're in it, the initial plan is to also do our main bathroom, which is kind of in the hallway. And then because that's adjoining to the bathroom that's in Finn's room, because we only have two bathrooms in the house, I decided to give the bathroom to the teenager. I was like, I don't need an ensuite. Like, I need. I need my guests to come into a decent bathroom. Like, I don't need them to see a teenager's bathroom. So.

[A]

So you're not gonna have your own en suite?

[C]

No, and we don't have it now.

[A]

Oh, okay.

[C]

But Finn has one, so. But because the bathrooms are butted up against each other, too, there's some things going on with both bathrooms that I would love to change. So we might just gut both bathrooms, too, at the same time.

[B]

Oh, my gosh. So, yeah, kitchen and bath. We are.

[C]

We. Let's. Let's have fun. It's going to be a year. Let's go on the journey. But, yeah, so here's some creep to a extreme. Oh, it Is scope creep to an extreme? It really is, but.

[A]

Well, I mean, wait till she adds on the porch and.

[C]

Right.

[A]

She regards the floor.

[C]

I need water in the backyard. Can we just. While I've got the trade here, can I just, you know, Mr. Plumber, go and do some more stuff? I. There's going to be creep all over the place, but, you know, it's all about awareness.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

I'm aware. And. And people can tell me. No.

[B]

I mean, the beautiful thing about this podcast, and I hope others have found this, is like, we've talked a lot about house and renovations, and you know, what you're up against, I guess, is my, like, yeah, I mean, there will be things that are going to make us all go no or, oh, my gosh.

[A]

But, like, right.

[B]

You know what?

[A]

You.

[B]

You can see it ahead, and you're like, all right, buckle up.

[C]

Right. Well, and there's the whole psychology behind it, too. It's like, well, why did I get so emotional about the placement of the sink in, like, conversation number one?

[A]

Wait, did you cry?

[C]

Sit down. No, I didn't cry, but I was like. But I. I felt very attached to it. It was a very kind of funny thing. And I think that that's going to continue to happen, too. Like, there are going to be things that I'm going to be oddly attached to that the rest of my family or my architect is going to tell me to sit down and. And I'll. I'm open to that. Yeah, that's fine. Yeah.

[A]

But there's also probably some opportunities for you to be like, no, this is what I want.

[C]

Yes. Yeah. And I think. And I think that that's. That's where I'm definitely in alignment with my architect on the aesthetics of the room, the aesthetics of the space and. Yeah.

[A]

Okay, so what are the aesthetics? What are you going for?

[C]

Okay, so here are some. Here are some images. So this first one, I really, really love the colors. The colors of the.

[A]

It's a Duval kitchen, everybody. You know what that means?

[C]

It is totally a Duval kitchen. Like, please. I've watched all episodes of Duvall Kitchen on hbo. It's amazing. But the mushroom color of the cabinets on that one, the checkerboard floor, the vibe of it being a 1920s and 1930s kitchen, but with modern sight lines and modern functionality.

[A]

Something about this feels like I could see the cast of Downton Abbey, like, minus the marble, maybe. Are we gonna put a pillar.

[C]

Are we ring a bel. Ringing on the side? Totally.

[A]

That would actually be super cute.

[C]

That'd be Adorable.

[A]

That would be kind of fun.

[B]

I love the crown that they've run around the.

[C]

Is a little bit fancier.

[A]

Like, like it looks like furniture.

[C]

Yeah. Like built in furniture, which is what Duval does so, so well. So I love the floor. I love the cabinets. I love the hardware. I love the functionality. I love. Yeah. That kind of like tall crown that goes around the hood and around the. We're going to emulate that. There's a great point in our dining room where you can see our living room that has a fireplace that doesn't work. But it's a very simple craftsman, like 5 inch, almost 6 inch molding that goes all around the height of the room and it also goes around the fireplace. So we're going to mimic the. The fireplace in the kitchen on the range hood. So those kind of things that you would see from different. From same angles at, at different points in the rooms. So love, love that in the second image. I absolutely love the vibe of this. Like, it's a little bit more. It's different. They are, but I feel they're so different. They're. They are, but I feel like with.

[B]

She's gonna marry him.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

With.

[A]

I mean, both pretty.

[C]

With images number two and three. Those are mo. So much more about adding a little bit more mood and dark wood. So there is. So there's a built in hutch in our kitchen that we're gonna be keeping that is dark, it's stained dark wood.

[B]

You're molding.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Yes. So you're on the dark molding.

[C]

Right.

[B]

You are keeping some wood element in that space.

[C]

Right. And we're gonna. So we're gonna keep the original hutch cool. And that's kind of where that comes in. There's also. There's going to be a 4 inch ledge that goes 18 inches above the cabinet or above the shelves. And right now we're talking about running stone all the way on the backsplash. 18 inches up, all the way around.

[A]

Oh, with that stone shelf.

[B]

Love.

[C]

But I'm. I'm kind of debating whether we do a stone shelf or we mix in some wood in that too.

[A]

Stone.

[C]

Stone. Just stone all the way.

[B]

I think. So without seeing the space, I can see if you have an old wooden cabinet. Trying to get a little more wood in there.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Like to carry it somewhere.

[A]

I just think it. It's wipable.

[C]

Right.

[A]

You know, you're going to stick like olive dispenser, olive oil dispensers. Like.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Dishes that might. You might have hand dried that are Slightly wet and you put them up. I don't know.

[B]

So the cabinet guy, he like my walnut slabs are like, they're really.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Whatever shellac that is on there. Because it doesn't look like shellac but like. Yeah, whatever grade he has on there, he was like, you can put anything on here.

[A]

Literally.

[B]

And it has come true because I've so many times we've left wet things and me being like, oh no and not right. So I.

[C]

Okay. Yeah.

[B]

Okay. All right.

[A]

Just saying.

[B]

I agree though. Don't go and cut a piece of wood, put one layer of varnish and stick it up there. Because I do think that happens.

[A]

But both would be pretty, honestly, and that probably happened.

[B]

So you are going to do the open shelves. So that was what I was going to like, some open shelves versus cabinets up top.

[C]

So we're not doing uppers. We're not doing uppers or shelves. On the wall that has the stove.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

That's just going to be open and that's where this 4 inch lip is just kind of going to be fun. A pretty. Yeah. So. And then the wall opposite is going to be all cabinetry and it's going to enclose the. The refrigerator and up above a hidden fridge. I don't know if I'll do a hidden fridge that's up for grabs right now, but it'll be a counter depth fridge. And the. Yeah, all these, all the rest of these are really just kind of getting vibe doing a little bit of dark and moody.

[B]

What's your big like function have to have? Because you know, I mean they. You've seen them all where like now people have like a slot that comes out and it's a ladder and they have like the dog food, cat food.

[A]

Yeah, I love this color combo.

[C]

I am super obsessed with that. So I think last time we talked, I.

[B]

You gotta describe it. Yeah.

[C]

Okay. So in this kitchen there is kind of like pink cabinets, pink lowers and then mauvy pink. Chunky. Yeah, it's.

[A]

So is it nude? Is it pink?

[B]

Is it.

[C]

It's actually not so different than the paint chip that I currently have up in my kitchen. Anyway, it's called malted milk by Sherwin Williams. I think I talked about it last time. So the, the lower cabinets are kind of that malted milk and then like a bigger subway tile. Like a chunky subway tile.

[B]

Are you trying above it? Are you trying to stay authentic with the timing of like.

[C]

I am, yeah.

[A]

Subway tile probably is more.

[B]

Well, when you. That's what made me think of it actually is when she was talking about the subway tiles, like.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I feel like that fits with.

[C]

Because your house was 1930.

[B]

Yeah. So sticking in that 1930s kind of.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. So, you know, we're kind of. We're kind of bouncing between all of those things. But I'm. I love this inspiration image. It also has.

[A]

Well, looks great with the brown hutch.

[C]

It's got a brown hutch on top of, like, a marble slab countertop.

[B]

Same hood, too design. It's got where it's, like, straight, but they very similar crown molding to, like, blend in.

[C]

It's very similar.

[A]

I love, but also kind of hate those. Those old school, like, handles.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I love.

[C]

Oh, the swing.

[A]

Do y' all ever, like. I have such a specific. There were several dressers in our house growing up that had the.

[B]

Every dress.

[C]

They are. They are clanging. They are clanging and driving me craz.

[A]

That sound.

[C]

I. I know, but they look so pretty. But they look so pretty. But they. But yeah.

[A]

So I'm like. I think I would hate having that in my kitchen, trying to, like, pull it, like, with the clanking all the time. But it looks so good right here.

[B]

I. I have a cup. I have cup poles, which I do love, except every now and then those little kids get me because my hand up in there, and they're just like, you know, something. You're like, well, someone didn't wipe their hand and touch this, you know, where you're like, man. And so then I'm, like, wiping it out, like, hoping no one else touched whatever that was.

[C]

Oh.

[B]

But a couple is great. I think when you have a little bit of molding on your.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

On your cabinet doors, where, again, those swing ones look great because it's a. It's a flat door there. Yeah. As somebody who draws a lot of hardware and doors for a living, I can tell you. But. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. Like, there's not enough ornamentation, so you need the.

[B]

It's that balance of, like.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Never. And especially in your style house, it is going to be keeping those kind of, like, clean but not so clean that it looks modern. But you are like, yeah, right.

[C]

But it needs to be. It needs to be freshened up. Yeah.

[B]

How fun.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So what are you thinking for floor? Black, white tile?

[C]

I'm. I'm thinking black and white.

[B]

I think that's very, like, you can

[A]

also do one of those, like, white and, like, beige or something where it's, like, not as.

[C]

It's not as high contrast.

[A]

Like, if you went with the More pinky.

[C]

Right. To do one that's kind of like a.

[A]

Or like gray. Yeah. Yeah.

[C]

So I'll be playing. I'll be playing with those and, like, getting those kind of materials all locked down.

[A]

This looks very you.

[B]

It's very.

[A]

This looks more really living than the mushroom one. I love the mushroom. Really? First.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

You wear red lipstick every day.

[C]

I do, but.

[A]

So, I mean, well, but it's one of.

[C]

It's one of those things.

[A]

Well, that is gorgeous. It's one of those to me.

[C]

Oh, well, thank you. That's really nice.

[B]

Hold on. I want to hold both.

[A]

Don't you think?

[B]

Get the vibes.

[C]

I'm. I'm trying to. So I guess I'm trying to. Like, I've got time on this. Right. But do I go with something that works with the kitchen and, like. Or do I. Or do I go with, like, kitchen cabinets that are. That are pinky mauvey, like, I. Or is that too. Is that too girly, too pinky mauvey?

[B]

Yeah, because pink is really.

[A]

You could. You're doing a very traditional style of cabinetry.

[C]

Right, Right.

[A]

Anyone could come in, paint it any color, and it's going to be classic.

[C]

Right.

[A]

So, like, you're. You're taking a little bit of a risk on paint, but that's the. Would truly be the only risky thing you're doing, don't you think? All right.

[C]

And, yeah, we're always talking about taking a risk on a paint. That's fine.

[A]

How cute would it be? She's in to do this and then do, like. Like, this even has, like, a little red box in it. You could do little accents of red, like, little red pieces of art. You could do, like, a sconce with, like, a red pleated shade or something. Or even, like, a red sconce.

[C]

That would be super cute red stools. That would be super cute red metal stools. Well, I'm also always thinking about, like, what is. What does that mean?

[B]

Fabulous.

[C]

That would be fabulous.

[A]

Anyway, sorry not to take over your.

[B]

I. I think both are beautiful. I mean, both are beautiful because you go along with that because all your molding is. Is dark brown.

[C]

Right.

[B]

So, like, in my mind, all of these are going to have that heavy visual up above, so I think any of these will be.

[A]

I mean, I love mushroom, so. I do, too.

[C]

It would look so just polished.

[A]

You just have, like, a whimsical. You have a more whimsical style and like an artistic.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, frame of reference that, like, how is that going to get worked in.

[B]

Yeah, I'm kind of back to now. I'm kind of still on the wood shelf because she's going to have brown up above too. She could have brown in the corner, brown above. So she might need.

[A]

It'd be pretty. I mean, I think that this is.

[B]

Oh, I do love pretty with the dark up top. I do think then she. Especially if you do the. I know. You're like, I love this.

[C]

I love this. You guys, come on.

[B]

I know we're gonna need all that. We'll have to have people. You're gonna have to upload them so people can see and, like, give their feedback. But if you're gonna do the subway tile, so doing stone on, you know, like, then you're gonna want to do the wood with the subway.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Especially if you can find that good old vintage subway. I think it's gonna fit the timing of your house so well. Where I think this will be. This will be a little more, like, to date, right?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So I could see. Yeah. This one feels more your vibe, for sure.

[A]

I kind of love how this subway tile is like an almond color with a white. White top. I would not have thought I would like that.

[B]

No, I would not pick, like, I wouldn't pick it. And I absolutely love.

[C]

Feels insta. Aged.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Right. Like that. That feels really good to me. And there's something about the Craftsman house, too, that needs to have a little bit of humility to it, and I feel like that's kind of something. Yeah. Too fancy would feel really wrong for that space. So that's kind of where, like, a taller, fatter subway tile feels like it would have been, like, of the period. Right. And. And there's a little bit of. A little bit of humility and a little bit of kind of just honesty of materials. So.

[B]

And I think the play on the floor, too, like, when you do a flooring that, you know, because, like, we. We ran wood in both of them. We. When we renovated our ranch, we just ran wood in the kitchen. Yeah. And then this time, we just ran wood. So again, we didn't play on the floor, if that makes sense. I do think you're playing up the floor will also change the whole whole look.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, it doesn't become just another surface. Yeah. Ah, so fun. Yes.

[C]

So, yeah. So we're. We're beginning the journey. And, you know, really hot pink tape everywhere. Like, everywhere. Everywhere. It's really kind of comical.

[B]

I can't wait. I mean, because of somebody who's done. I've only Done two kitchens, but it's been fun.

[A]

Two kitchens is a lot.

[C]

Two kitchens is a lot.

[B]

I did an all white kitchen with black top, but that was 2012, so it was very timely, I feel like. And then I have green with white, so I'm loving all of this.

[C]

That is awesome. So, yeah. So I will. I will keep you all posted. I will be pulling you all in for feedback. Yeah.

[B]

But we're lighting in here. Well, I'll get you some sconces in here.

[A]

I kind of. I. Yeah.

[C]

I mean, you guys, there's architectural plans, too. We haven't even, like, oh, my God.

[B]

Forget our trials and triumphs.

[A]

Get over here.

[B]

Oh, my gosh. Okay, so your kitchen is a big square.

[C]

It's a big square. It's about 14 by 14ft.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

And so really kind of thinking about where we really. The one really great way that we talked about the space was what is our high traffic, like, move around area and then where is kind of the hangout areas? So we. There are. There are two entrances into the kitchen. There's an entrance from the dining room, and that's a swing, like a classic, like, old swing door with a three over three panel windows. And then there's another door that goes into the hallway. And the hallway is kind of a funny 9 by 7 room that has six doors in it. Like, it's really just a room of doors that connects all the other rooms. It's a really kooky thing.

[A]

I love it.

[C]

But what we did is we took that square of a. That rectangle of a room that is the kitchen, and we divided it on the diagonal. So from the hallway door to the northeast corner where we're gonna have. We're going to have a coffee bar in that. In that area. That whole area from the coffee bar to the corner where the sink and the stove is, that's kind of our. Our hot zone. Like, that's gonna be a high traffic, high energy zone. Mm. And then the other half of the. Of the room is really kind of like, I'm gonna hang out at the coffee bar. I'm going to grab something from the pantry. I. To just kind of chill at the countertop. Cause we're gonna put in a kitchen island. Right now. She's got it planned for the Ballard Wallace kitchen island with the little scallopy edge. It's got. Yeah. It's got some curves on it. It's so cute. It's got a marble top. It's dark wood. It's got the scallops.

[B]

I Do it. So I love it.

[C]

Did you draw it?

[A]

A little bit of Taryn in your kitchen?

[C]

Oh, my gosh. Well, Taryn, you already drew my dining room table.

[B]

Like, did I?

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

You're all over my house.

[A]

How often do you have a dining room table?

[C]

I don't know. We don't sell it anymore. But it's a really gorgeous 60 inch round dining room table that has brass inlays at the top. And then it's kind of got this.

[B]

It was very modern.

[C]

It's got this modern brass arch, like double arches. So arches that go up this way

[B]

and then like down that way and then.

[C]

Yeah, it's pretty stunning. It's stunning. It's my favorite.

[B]

That's a great kitchen island.

[C]

It is a great kitchen island. It's a really great kitchen island.

[B]

Well, I feel like again, aesthetically it fits so nice with your, like the age of your home too.

[C]

It's a smaller kitchen island too, which if you're in the market for a pre made kitchen island, they're really big. They're like the ones that I've found in the marketplace are either really big or they're really dinky and cheaply made. So that's what I like about the Wallace kitchen island because it's got a solid marble top. It's got drawers, it's got seating for. Seating for two. It's got open shelving.

[B]

So it's very exciting.

[C]

It is a very exciting time. I love it. Caroline is going through all.

[A]

Sorry, like I'm listening.

[C]

Going through all of it.

[A]

I know you're hearing the flipping of things.

[C]

So again, we are still in the very beginning stages and it's just. It's just super exciting.

[B]

That is okay. So you have a little broom vacuum cabinet.

[C]

Yeah. So that's. So that's a little cleaning storage area. There's not a lot of storage in the whole house. So we need to kind of just maximize everything. So cleaning storage cabinet to the right of the built in refrigerator cabinets all up above that that go to the ceiling and then on the other side of the refrigerator is going to be the coffee station.

[B]

I love it for you. I love it.

[C]

It's going to be super exciting.

[B]

A coffee station. So fun. So that's a must.

[C]

Oh, yeah. No, there's actually three doors in the. In the kitchen because there's a door that goes out to currently that goes out to the driveway. So we're going to take that door out.

[A]

Oh, nice.

[C]

And put a window in its place.

[A]

Oh, that's nice. Yeah,

[B]

that's awesome. Yeah. And I see you added spice it. You have a pull out spice thing. We're, we're spice up your life.

[C]

We're talking about how we love it, how we move through the space, and that's fantastic. That's the fun part about.

[B]

Looks like you guys really counted a lot of where people stand, sit, hang out. This is awesome, right? This is great.

[C]

Where we're going to keep some dishes. Where we're going to keep.

[A]

Aren't architectural plans so fun?

[C]

Oh my gosh, they're so fun. They're so fun. But making it real with the hot pink tape on the floor, on the walls, on the, on the sink, to try to figure out where it goes, like, has really been something that's totally new for me to kind of really understand the logistics of the space and the parameters of the space too. Like having that 36 inch clearance at a door to make sure that, you know, you know, our friends that are in wheelchairs can get through the space. Yeah. You know, that is so important. So. Yeah, it's really very cool. It's really cool.

[A]

I'm excited for you.

[B]

I see the.

[A]

You made a lot of progress so far.

[B]

Oh my gosh. You made so much.

[C]

Well, I mean, it also helps that she had the drawings from 2022 when we first were like, we're like, let's dip our toe in the water. And we did. And we, we. And a lot of it. No. And. And she knew we were just dipping our toes into the water at that point too. And so the structure of the drawings was already there. So this is just kind of measured.

[A]

That was probably.

[C]

That was a lot in and of itself. So now we're just making sure that this is what we want. And like the way that we've been living in the space all this time too, still functions the way that we want to because the flow of the space is great. But when I do post pictures of all of the craziness of the current state of the kitchen, you're gonna see things like the previous owner painted the asbestos tiles over the years.

[A]

I'm impressed with how long you have, how patient you've been.

[C]

That's because I walk into the room with rose colored glasses. Like every time I see the architectural plans, I don't actually see the craziness. But it also means that I don't see the craziness, which is not great either. But I mean, there's a spot like where we're Talking about this 36 inch clearance that you need to get in and out of the room. The previous owner had the refrigerator right in front of that door. Yeah. So to get into the room, you kind of had to shimmy, shimmy, shimmy, shake on into the room from the hallway. And that was one of the first things we did, is we moved the refrigerator to the opposite end of the room. And that's also when we found out that she had painted the kitchen floors gray and didn't treat it very well. So when we did move the refrigerator, it scraped up that paint. But the paint that they did do really, really well, and it was super sealed onto those asbestos tiles. It is. Wow. It is a bright cyan blue.

[A]

So how wild is that?

[C]

So there's just some, you know, choices.

[A]

I bet you're gonna find some gems when y' all start demoing. Oh, there's, like, you know, colors or.

[C]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. So that's exciting. We'll find everybody's choices along the way, and I'm sure, you know, it's gonna be. It's gonna be a journey.

[A]

Yeah. What is Steve's thought on the whole thing? Like, is he on board with all your ideas? Does he have strong asks that he's.

[C]

No, real strong asks. But it is interesting because when I move. When I started moving the. The sink over, he was like, no, put it back over there. So we're working. So there's. So there is some push. Pull on that. So we're. We're figuring it out.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[C]

But he hasn't. He hasn't said a whole lot in terms of what his needs are. I'm sure that will come out. Yeah, I'm sure that will come out.

[A]

He's an artist, so I would imagine he would have some thoughts on color and texture and stuff.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. It'll be interesting. But when it comes to, like, interior stuff, he just kind of leaves it to me. Yeah.

[A]

Well, that's good.

[B]

Smart man.

[C]

So that's nice.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So that's really nice.

[B]

Smart. Amazing.

[C]

So now that I've taken up all of our time.

[B]

Well, we didn't talk bathroom, so are we going to. Are you going to.

[C]

Oh, let's talk about that another time. I haven't even talked to my architect about it because we started talking about the placement of the sink and the flow of the room.

[A]

Yeah. Okay.

[C]

So we haven't even.

[B]

So that next time we'll. We'll talk bathroom. We'll expect it.

[C]

Sounds good.

[B]

So kitchen, keep us updated.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I think you should ask. See what everyone else thinks too. Maybe Someone will have some hidden gyms for you.

[C]

Oh my gosh. Right?

[B]

Be like, listen, any.

[C]

Any thoughts that. Or any success stories that anybody has about kitchen cabinet storage, like how to deal with corners? Those are kind of the biggest. The biggest things that I'm kind of

[B]

like dealing with now because you get two good corners. So you gotta like, max those.

[C]

I've gotta max those out. And then we're. We didn't even talk about the pantry. We're gonna build cabinetry and I saw that storage. Amazing. Have a problem in the pantry.

[A]

Yeah, amazing.

[C]

Because it's a big. It's a big pantry for what it is. It's basically a little walk in closet. But yeah, so we'll. We'll build that out as well.

[B]

Oh my gosh. You'll be so happy about that too. Oh, what did you say?

[C]

She. She said I should do it in red.

[A]

Right? I was like a color. I was thinking ice machine.

[C]

See, I was thinking emerald green.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Pretty.

[B]

I mean, because it has a door, doesn't it?

[A]

Like a cup.

[B]

Yeah. You can do so many.

[A]

You have your comical and then you open it. It's like. Yeah, Pretty.

[B]

As a person who has a punch of yellow. I get it. Oh, and wallpaper.

[C]

And wallpaper in the pantry. Yeah.

[B]

I love it.

[A]

Okay, so you also have. You've also brought some sort of.

[B]

I brought material.

[C]

Well, thank you for listening.

[A]

That is really exciting.

[C]

It's very exciting.

[B]

I'm so excited for you. I do want to say that first and foremost, I know, like, this is going to be fun. Please drag us along. All of us.

[A]

And you've been talking about this for so long.

[C]

It's gonna be fun. There's gonna be a lot of tears. There's gonna be a lot of joy. It's gonna be crazy.

[B]

I'm excited.

[A]

Really exciting.

[B]

So for me. Yes, I got my. Let's see. So for the first time since we moved in and I've been talking about this. Liz and Caroline know this for a long time about, like I've hit the maintenance of, like, I need to schedule this maintenance thing, like to keep upkeep of the house. And so I. For the first time since we built and finished in 2021, we had it pressure washed because again, it didn't need it. Like it was fine. And then the past two years I've been like, like the, like and the soffits. So my house is concrete siding. Like it's. It's the siding they use now. So it's concrete. It's Painted. It looks great. Like I. That doesn't need any touch up. But the soffits are all plywood that they've like spray painted. And it doesn't seem like they prime them because the wood grain's coming out of them and it shouldn't be right. Does that make sense? And they are old, but like, but

[C]

five years isn't that long.

[B]

Exactly. So I didn't know how much of that was like normal growth from like just the environment and needed to be pressure washed or like do those need to be repainted? So of course, David, you know, classic David. Nothing's a problem. Nothing's a problem until it's a problem. And so let's just flicker now.

[A]

Yeah, exactly.

[B]

We just live like that. Same, same. He's like, we don't need a pressure washed. I know. So I convinced him we needed a pressure washed and it looked so good. He even was like, take before and after photos because I bet it'll look the same. And it didn't. It looked amazing. What did he say about that? He does. He was like, it looks really good. And I was like, yeah, because it needed a pressure washing. Like our gutters were green from like again five years of all the organic growth. Because we have trees in our yard. We all know this, like it's going to happen.

[A]

So.

[B]

And we picked white. We picked white. Like we didn't pick brown gutters that you can't see the growth. We picked white. So this is on us. So we did it. And that looks really good. I've finished sanding the king bed I bought. That was a very cherry wood. And with the pressure washing we did our driveway as well. And I had been taking the lacquer and the finish off outside that was the for the paint thinner and it was just dripping the red cherry stuff onto and I thought it would come out with the pressure washing. Come to find out, I have stained the driveway with those drips. But. Oh no, that's okay. It's not a big deal. It's just part of the driveway. It's a driveway. It's okay. But I did, I was like, oh man, that didn't come out. So FYI, some put down something because whatever the surface is, it's ruined. So that was a bummer. But the bed is. I have not painted yet, but I did buy a queen bed. It is white.

[A]

Wait, you said king.

[B]

No, sorry. I think last time I told you I bought a king bed, okay, it was cherry. I stripped it down.

[A]

But you bought a king mattress, right?

[B]

I haven't bought the king mattress. I own a queen mattress. I don't own a queen bed. I just have a bed frame.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I bought a king. I know this is very confusing, but the king bed fits in my primary downstairs. So the king bed will be moved into where there is a queen bed mattress sitting on bed rails.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And we used an old screen. Since we got married with this bed, it's just been like a put together. We all have one of these. And I was like, I'm gonna get a bed finally for this upstairs room that I'm redoing.

[A]

You're moving the queen upstairs. King, new king that you're saying is going, yes.

[B]

So there is this very like, yes, domino effect in the house. So the other upstairs room that I'm putting this queen bed in, I have purchased a white poster bed that's just wooden. I wanted wooden. And it was just the perfect simple bed. And I was like, this is exactly what I want. It was a Facebook marketplace. And David did not bring straps to go pick it up because it was unassembled, guys. And he gets there and he's like, I thought it was unassembled. I was like, yeah, headboard, footboard, side rail. It's never going to fit in our car.

[C]

Like, right.

[B]

And he was. He had to drive all the way back. He decided, excuse me. To drive all the way back angrily and pick up all the straps and then go back up and pick it up. But I have it and it looks great. So that room up there is white. And it's. It's a box. When you walk in straight ahead, there's a transom window. Because of the architecture outside, there's a. So there's just a random transom. And I have white Roman, big long shade for that. To the left you is one window that faces the front of the house. And then the wall on your left, like the wall as you come in, has a little closet. Just a perfect little closet. Cause this was always going to be a small guest room. And then the wall on the right just has nothing. So I don't know where I want to put the bed yet. I mean, there's two. There's three walls. I could go over the transom window wall. I could go over in the plain wall. I can go in the one with the closet. There's like three ways I can put this bed. But I wanted to do something fun in there. And. And the. I just couldn't decide. So I really wanted to do wallpaper. I was just like, I do I wanna do wallpaper in there to make it fun. Do the white symbol bed. Keep the white molding. So I only got two of my four wallpaper samples. So I brought em.

[A]

Yay.

[B]

I was either gonna write em down, I mean then we can. Obviously we can share em online. So one's a little earthy and then one is fun. So I first have this one.

[C]

Oh, that's lovely.

[B]

It's called in the Oak Best of Boris de Peter. Anyway, it's kind of got like a lineny background and it's got oak leaves and little acorns. Little brown. It's a little earthy wallpaper. Direct.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, of course. I [e-mail] but I didn't see what I wanted for this kind of more. I wanted something that was a little. I don't know, I wanted some trees. So this one that's brighter than I

[A]

expected it to be.

[B]

Very bright and it's probably my favorite. It's called Folklore Tree. And this is in the. I kind of love it sky colorway. It's by Graham and brown. I absolutely love it.

[A]

I love it.

[B]

So it has every shade of green. Like kelly greens, lime greens, kiwis. Like it's got so many greens and then it's got a little bit of blue and it's like a marine blue.

[C]

It's like a really bright, beautiful blue.

[B]

And then the background quote unquote, that you can barely see is just like a sky blue. So what I love about it is I just feel like a white poster bed up against this, like very busy. Keep the white molding, keep the white Romans. I could even add panels on top if I want later. But like making it this perfectly happy space, which is something I'm going for too. So it's like. And the only other thing in there furniture wise is an old secretary that I want to keep like in a corner with a. Like so for guests with a nice little chair. And then there's a long low nine drawer. Campaign style, like walnut dresser.

[A]

So.

[B]

Or maybe it's not walnut. It might be more chestnut. It's a little bit lighter, but it's a medium tone wood with the good brass little caps on all the corners. Campaign style. So I think like I feel like the.

[A]

I feel like a white bed on.

[B]

On top of that on this bright paper. Yeah.

[C]

Super fresh.

[B]

This one is definitely more earthy feeling like if I wanted to go more subdued, I think this would. Yeah, I think this probably fits the rest of my house if we're Being honest, this bright colored folklore one. So these are the two. I'll send a photo with the little papers up against the walls. But how much light does the room get? It's pretty good. Even with the one window, it's pretty good. Cause it faces front of house, so it gets sun right at evening. It's bright in there in the evening, probably in the morning, it's pretty. Just kind of neutral. But having the two windows kind of helps. Even the transom window, though it's little, it kind of still gives enough light in there. Yeah. So that's why the one paper might get real bright. But it's really going to be the evening time that.

[C]

That will.

[B]

So, yeah. So that's what I've been doing that. So it's been a big bed swap. And that has been our big. And getting the house kind of cleaned for the spring.

[A]

Nice.

[C]

That's so exciting.

[A]

That is exciting. Yeah.

[B]

Power wash. You know, my age. We were talking about that. I was like, you can tell my age because I've told everyone I know. I was like, did you look at my house?

[A]

Power washed. I think it's so great. I've done it myself.

[B]

Like, all the window seals, you know, but it's not the same as someone just coming and dumping bleach all over your house. I literally thought I was swimming in a pool because I was inside. And it was like, all of a sudden, you know, I can't see out the windows. Everything's covered in bubbles. And I am. I'm like, this smells like I'm in a pool. Is that chlorine? And then my kids got home and they're.

[A]

Why does it smell like a pool in our house?

[B]

And I was like, well, doused and bleached, but it looks great.

[A]

Good, good, good.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. Does this mean it's my turn?

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Okay, y', all, I have a saga, so I'm gonna try to be as quick as possible.

[B]

Oh, my God. Everyone is listening to this episode. They're like, they brought it the two months.

[A]

Yeah. And I haven't mentioned this to either of you, so you have no idea what's coming. Oh, God. All right, so last trials and triumphs, we talked about how my bathroom had an issue. And remember.

[C]

Yeah, it wasn't good.

[A]

The plumber, the Roto Rooter guy, found wet wipes in the main sewer line. Got him out. All was well until.

[B]

I don't like this story.

[A]

About a month ago, when we started to hear, like, you know, like, when your toilet gurgles like air Bubbles coming up. We were having, like, some flushing, not working, which, you know, when you have young kids that have. Yeah.

[B]

You're like, is this on the kid or is this on the toilet?

[A]

Yes, sometimes it's unclear, and it's not totally unusual. So it was happening again on, like, a Friday. We call the plumber. He's like, okay, I'll be out on Saturday. He comes out Saturday morning, looks around. He says, there's no big issue. All is good. Like, I can't find anything. But, you know, call me, keep an eye on it. Call me Saturday night, you know, we've had dinner. The kids are in the bath. I'm doing the dishes. I throw a load of laundry in, and we. I can't remember how this came up. Maybe the toilet started gurgling again for some reason. Will goes down into the basement. There's leaking under, like, in our crawl space from the bathrooms. So this is like, the bathrooms by me and the girls where they take their bath into the crawl space. So we're like, okay, gotta turn off all the water. And the plumber's like, I can't come out until Monday now. So he comes out Monday, tells us, oh, I can't figure out where the leak is. Anyway. Charges us an absurd amount of money to supposedly unclog the main sewer line. But he's like, I think you might have roots in your sewer line. But, like, I can't tell. I made a little hole, so you should be able to use your bathroom. We're like, okay. That night, again, leaking, gurgling issues. Guy comes out the next day, and he's like, I really can't wait.

[B]

This is the same one, too.

[A]

Different. Different plumber. Because the first plumber, I was like, he did absolutely nothing. Charged us an amount of money that I don't even want to admit out loud. And there was no solution. So I'm like, we're not like that guy. No. Bye. We get another plumber. And this person had been very well recommended by all of my neighbors. So I didn't have any reason not to think he was great. But I was really annoyed because I was like, you've done all this stuff. You haven't solved the problem, and now you're leaving. And I have this huge bill that I've got to pay. Like, what's going on? Right? Anyways, next guy comes out, and he's like, okay, I do. I. He had to, like, hammer the drain. He's like, I do think you have some, you know, roots. Let me. I want to Install a. What's it called? A clean out trap. Have y' all heard of these? I didn't know what this was. It's basically like a extra pipe that comes up out of the ground where you can either snake the drain or you can kind of see water build up.

[C]

It's okay.

[A]

Apparently.

[B]

This is the thing I feel like I have.

[A]

You probably have one.

[B]

Yeah, I have like a. I have an ugly cap in the middle of my yard.

[A]

That's the clean out drain.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

It makes sense. So that they don't have to then, like, they could potentially use that if something happens.

[A]

Correct. If you don't have one, they have to take the toilet off of the. The floor and snake it through the toilet. If. So if you have that, then they can do that outside of your house. They don't have to, like, take your bath out. Oh, okay. Anyways, I think. Anyway, so he's like, I need to install a cleanout trap. And then that will help us, you know, solve. Figure out what the issue is. So he gets his shovels and like, oh, no. And they start digging. And they're out there all day digging, and eventually they hit a giant concrete box. And they're like, I think you might have a septic tank. We're like, that's impossible because we're on city water and have been paying sewer for seven years. And they're like, well, I don't know what else this could be. Like, I'm pretty sure you have a septic tank. And like, I don't know. We're like, well, we've been in this house seven years. We've never had it cleaned out. Called the previous owners, they weren't unaware. They did not have it ever cleaned out. And so anyways, we're like, I don't see how that's possible, but okay. So Will calls a septic expert, gets a septic guy out there, and we do, in fact, have a separate. You have been on septic all these years. The previous owners didn't know. Oh, maybe the people before that didn't know it had never been cleaned out.

[C]

Wow.

[A]

So they had to get a bulldozer into our yard, dig up whole half of our yard. Our yard is like, half clay now. They also dug up and ruined all my peonies, which I'm really sad about, but that's really the least of my problems.

[B]

I mean, right now I want to be really sad for you, but I'm sure, again, like, you've lost.

[A]

There's like. And they had to get.

[B]

Have A septic tank.

[A]

They had to, like, dig up the whole yard, take the top off of this ginormous concrete box.

[C]

Right.

[A]

And they basically, like, pump it out with a giant hose.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

It's disgusting.

[C]

It's disgusting. I grew up in a house with one. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

The septic is like a no joke.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

We have it in Maine too. And so, like every summer, mom is all over us to like, not feel the septic. Don't feel the septic. So I feel like I grew up just like that vibe of like, don't. Don't feel it.

[A]

Oh, my gosh.

[B]

So you have a. So what about paying?

[A]

Yeah, we. We.

[B]

That's a bigger.

[A]

Pretty recent.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

So we have a lot of investigation to do. I mean, we. Anyway. Yeah, there's a lot of. Still unknown. Luckily though, everything is fine. The septic guy was like, actually, this is in great shape.

[C]

Okay, that's good.

[A]

That's actually good. Now that it's cleaned out, you shouldn't have another problem for like 20 years. And we're like, okay, yay.

[B]

I guess.

[A]

Quite an ordeal. And yeah.

[C]

So I'm. Wow.

[A]

I don't know how to feel about it. I'm like, that's a big one, Caroline. Yeah.

[B]

So keep us posted how that goes.

[A]

But, like, I mean, I believe that we are grandfathered in and we don't. We're not forced to tie in to the sewer, the city sewer system, because we had one pre existing. Okay. And here's the annoying part. So. So Will, before the septic guy comes out, he pulled the sewer map for the city and you can tell where the sewer system ends. Like, one sewer line ends right before our house about like 40ft down the hill from us.

[B]

No.

[A]

And then another one starts about 30ft up the hill from us, and we're like, very much on an incline.

[C]

Right.

[A]

And so he kind of saw that map and he was like, oh, yeah, we, We. We probably are on a septic because there's not a. A connection really anywhere with. Close to our house.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

So there's really no way for us to tie into the city sewer. But anyway, we. Again, we need to talk to the city and all the things.

[B]

But yeah, because now it's like a. It's not just, oh, we were backed up. Now you. There's a bit like you've found a newer kind of.

[A]

Well, I mean, I'm like, would it lower our property taxes? Like, can we. I mean, we'd certainly need to get off paying sewer. But I'm more worried about like, what if the city makes us tie into the. To the sewer system? That's what worries.

[B]

Yeah. You're, like, in the investigation.

[A]

Really would have to rip up, like, a lot.

[B]

Did this ruin a lot of landscaping?

[A]

No, because it's in. It's sort of like in a side bottom.

[B]

Yeah. I was gonna say, is it your, like, hill, Your grassy hill? It's sort of classic septic area. Of course. Just a nice grassy mound. Yeah.

[A]

That's what all that English ivy is. Oh, my gosh. Big.

[C]

Under the ivy, there's this big sort

[A]

of slope that kind of goes from our house that.

[B]

Yeah. And they just let it cover an ivy. They were like, yeah, just cover the septic and ivy.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Can't believe your last owners didn't know you're on septic.

[A]

Yeah, that's.

[C]

Wow.

[A]

So anyway. Yeah. So.

[B]

So you. Okay, so. Oh, yeah. So it's cleaned out.

[A]

It's cleaned out. Everything's functioning fine for now. I will. And I have been laughing because we are very devoted French press drinkers, and so we drink French press every day. And we always put our coffee grounds down the disposal. Yeah.

[B]

Into the fridge.

[A]

There's probably like a 50 gallon drum of coffee.

[C]

Coffee.

[A]

The septic. Because we assumed that so we could put it down the drain and.

[C]

Yeah, but you really shouldn't. And I learned that too, because we also do French press and do the same thing. But when we had our issues with our kitchen sink, we had to have a plumber come out and he found an entire rag, like, shoved down our kitchen pipe, which wasn't Not. Yeah. So he's like, I found a whole bunch of, you know, coffee grounds. And. And. And I'm like, where did you find. Like, I just.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

When did it get there? How did it get there? Who knows?

[A]

Yeah. Must be. It must be a season for plumbing issues. So.

[C]

It must be. Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

They just had them on Armchair Anonymous podcast I was listening to. They had, like. Anyway, they had one about some people who got backed up, but then, like, the husband went out and tried to fix it himself, and it shot all the sewage into the house.

[C]

So.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

So I'm really glad that wasn't your story about how you, like, just.

[C]

Oh, my gosh.

[A]

We also have. We have been really lucky. I mean, because nothing really backed up into the house. Like, a toilet never overflowed. God.

[B]

You just had the dripping.

[A]

We had some dripping into the crawl space. Into the crawl space. But we kept. We caught it pretty soon to where, like, it wasn't a ton like, we could. We could turn the water off and like, clean it up with a shop vac and put like a bucket and it was fine. But. Yes, it has been. But there were three weeks where I was doing. We weren't. We couldn't shower or do like, we would make. We were making the girls, like, we were making the girls do like a camp bath where like. Yeah, turn the water, spray them down, turn it off, shampoo, spray em down, turn it off. And then I was like doing all the.

[C]

Just run down the hill because the YMCA is down the hill from here.

[A]

Me up.

[B]

Oh, my God. How are you doing the dishes? Same.

[A]

You're just filling out a Tupperware. Oh, I was. Because we could run the water, but I couldn't put the water down the drain. So I would. I put like a huge Tupperware in our. In our sink and then like, do the dishes, dump it. I'm sure my neighbor was like, why is she dumping water off the balcony every 10 minutes? I was washing my face into a Tupperware. Yeah.

[B]

Oh, you were really trying.

[A]

Well, yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. Because we, we would like, do a bath for. To me, the girls bathing was probably priority number one. Right. Yes, I could. Your children could not off the laundry for a week. And I could wash the dishes as long as I could wash the dishes then. And then we could like, every couple days we would like, shower in the morning because then like, by the morning, nothing would be going down the drain for like 10 hours.

[B]

Ah.

[A]

So it would like. Yeah, it was empty enough.

[B]

The best time of day would be like. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Even if you were backlogged, you'd had the night to rest. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. So anyway, it's interesting. Yeah. So that's a nice one. That was. That was that. We had so many try try ons. Just trials this time.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Liz had lots of try ons.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

You know what? And I'm usually the Debbie Downer here, so. With tons of trials. So I'm so sorry, this is on your.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

It's. I can laugh now. I was crying for a while, but I can laugh about it now. Now that I can run the dishwasher and do laundry.

[B]

I mean, the good part. Yes. The positive is you've ended with a. A whole new realization.

[C]

But, like, it literally is a whole new realization.

[A]

Yeah. I'll let you know what happens with the stuff.

[B]

But I guess is my like.

[C]

Yeah, but yeah, things are working, though.

[B]

But isn't that, Isn't that normal for a septic, though, every so often to Be done like that.

[A]

Yes. Yeah.

[B]

So, like, that's what I mean. Sorry. It was bad that it happened, but it literally became a. Oh, we just have to do this X amount of years, like, and he.

[A]

He was like, you call me to two years. I'll come out here with my truck. I. They had to install, like, a. Basically a top.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That comes up out of the ground, which is lovely, I'm sure.

[B]

Beautiful.

[A]

Yeah. It's green because it's going to camouflage right into the grass.

[C]

Right.

[A]

But I mean, they literally just like, pop the top open and, like, stick

[B]

a hose down it and, like, check out layers and. Oh, yeah, yeah, whatever.

[C]

Oh, I'm so.

[A]

Anyway. Yeah. Good times. But so far, so good. I guess we're in week two.

[B]

You should be empty. Your box should be empty.

[C]

We're all good.

[A]

Oh, my gosh. It looked like a ginormous. Like. Like. Like a bunker. Yeah. I mean, it's just a ginormous concrete box.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

It's crazy. Anyhow, all right, until next time, thanks for sticking with us. Listen all the way here to the end.

[B]

Decorating doesn't sound like a final end to this one. Happy housing.

[A]

Yeah, Happy homeownership. We love our homes. And that's our show. You can find all of the show notes on our blog howtodecorate.com podcast to

[B]

send in a decorating dilemma, email your questions to podcastallarddesigns.net so we can help you with your space.

[A]

And of course, be sure to follow us on social media.

[B]

Ballardesigns.

[C]

Don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. And please leave us a review. We'd love to hear your feedback.

[A]

Until next time, happy decorating.