When we moved in to the Glen Park  house the first thing we did was straighten out the main bedroom, the kitchen and the dining room. It was nearly easy. The plan for the kitchen would have been perfectly executed except that it took us a couple of days to find the silverwares. One of the guys we hired to help us move inadvertently put them inside the Sumatra wooden trunk with other unrelated stuff and we didn’t find them until we started to arrange the living room. We did find some chopsticks so this is where our chopsticks skills came in handy for a couple of meals.

Just like in most San Francisco homes, there is a space in our dining room that is intended for the wine cabinet to hold a dozen of select whites and reds and a set of everyday goblets. I was telling the Salvadorean that back in my parents’ house in Novaliches, this same space belongs to a rice dispenser. He smilingly responded that he never really noticed and promised to be more keen on his next trip to the Islands. In the Glen Park house, the rice takes a small area inside the wall cabinet.

The next one to take its form was la sala. We needed a new sofa since we sold the one we have. Fortunately, we knew exactly what we wanted for a sofa, including the size and the color, so choosing a new one was just a walk in the park. The challenge was how to fit our existing furniture and the new sofa in the living room. We tried a few set ups and then everything fell into place after we figured out where the entertainment center will be best placed – not too close to the main entrance and not obstructing the sources of natural light.

The second bedroom is an absolute mess. The only way we can straighten it out is to organize the storage area near the garage. I bought some storage bags from the Container Store to keep sweaters, jackets, coats and beddings from gathering dust. The remaining books will have to stay downstairs as well. I will use the two stainless shelves to store these books temporarily. The sun does not seep into the storage area so the temperature is kept cool which is ideal as a red wine cellar.

There is still a lot of work to do. The deck, the storage, the closets, the misplaced caps, and the list goes on. I found some green Adirondack chairs at Pier 1 that would be perfect for lounging by the garden. The outside corner between the kitchen and dining room is currently the place for my herbs but it can be converted into an undersized outdoor hot tub. I am thinking of converting an area downstairs for my darkroom and the Salvadorean gave his thumbs up already.