Daphne preps her condo for construction.

Demolition begins tomorrow. I have come to hate the wall between the kitchen and the living room. I thought that having it torn down would be the exciting part—maybe I would cover it with graffiti or swing a sledge hammer at it. But now that the day has arrived, I am stressed.

This renovation is already far more expensive than I imagined, and who knows what surprises this old building could hold. If there is a steel beam in the wall, everything changes. What if a pipe breaks? What if the electrician takes one look at the wires and says it all has to be redone? Lately I find myself wondering whether I am qualified to be a homeowner.

It’s also terrifying to lose your kitchen without knowing when you will get it back. These are the thoughts that run through your mind when you find yourself paralyzed in the paper-plate aisle at the grocery store because you have no idea how many plates, cups, bowls, and utensils you need.

Fears aside, I have come too far to back out. This weekend, it was time to bid the old kitchen adieu and empty her out. First, my boyfriend set the kitchen on fire. The idea was to say farewell with a home-cooked meal, but a couple of tablespoons of walnut oil in a wok can apparently burst into flames. The damage was minimal: a singed hood that is set for replacement in a week and a blackened pan. The stir-fry was delicious.

This funky side table, available for $40 in Fort Belvoir, could be a fun addition to a kid’s room. It’s hand painted with bright colors in a patchwork pattern with stars, dots, and flowers. You could pair it with a lamp, like this one ($10), and use the bottom shelf for books.

Other good finds:

• A rug with blue flowers from Pottery Barn for $350.
• A cherry-finish coffee table with glass top for $100.
• A boat-shaped bookshelf—with oars!—for $85.
• A brushed-metal chandelier with frosted-glass shades for $78.

Thanks, Craig!

• Uh-oh! The Washington Post takes a look at the once-booming real-estate market in DC’s NoMa neighborhood. We wonder: Will NoMa be DC’s Red Hook? [WaPo]

• Carr Properties is building a five-story, 115,000-square-foot glass building at 1701 Duke Street in Alexandria. [Real Estate Bisnow]

• The Department of Housing and Community Development is looking for offers to develop a lot at Florida Avenue and Q Street, Northwest. [Bloomingdale]

Carlyle Place Apartments is offering specials on their three-bedroom apartments, which have wall-to-wall carpeting and ceramic tile in the kitchen, bathroom, and foyer. The kitchen has stainless-steel appliances and granite counters. The apartment building also has a fitness center, clubroom, swimming pool, and dry cleaning service. It’s one block from the Eisenhower Avenue Metro Station, and within walking distance of Old Town.

Address: 2251 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria
Price: $2,433 a month, plus electric.
Move-in: Immediately

Know about a great rental? Send it to eleaman@washingtonian.com.

More>> Open House Blog | Homes | Real Estate  

What: Adagio Condos

Where: 6820 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda

Number of Units: 92

Floor Plans and Sizing: There are 14 different floor plans—one-, two-, and three-bedroom units—ranging in size from 896 to 2,100 square feet.  

Prices: $599,000 to $1.6 million

Luxurious Touches: All units have floor-to-ceiling windows, private terraces or balconies, hardwood floors, and kitchens with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances.

Perks: There’s a fitness center with weight and cardio equipment in the building, but Adagio residents also get memberships to the 35,000-square-foot Washington Sports Club next door.

Where: 2 Oxford Street, Chevy Chase
Listing price: $4,600,000
Time on the market: Three-and-a-half months
Bedrooms: Five
Bathrooms: Seven

This elegant home in Chevy Chase Village features a brick patio, garden, pool, and pool house with a portico and space for entertaining. Rooms on the main level have ten-and-a-half-foot ceilings, and the living and dining rooms have fireplaces. The cozy library features knotty-pine paneled walls; the family room is also wood-paneled. Upstairs, there are five bedrooms, some with fireplaces and built-in shelves. The sunny master bedroom is painted pale yellow and has large windows that fill it with light.

Have a tip about a luxury property on the market? Send it to eleaman@washingtonian.com.

More>> Open House Blog | Homes | Real Estate 

Daphne's friend's renovated kitchen was an inspiration—and helped her find a good contractor.

After months of toying with the idea of a kitchen overhaul, I dropped by a friend’s condo to see her recent renovation. Charlotte was like me. She started talking about renovating her kitchen soon after she bought her place, but she never had the time or will to get started. Also like me, she wanted to take out the wall that separated her kitchen and her living room.

We all have secret means of getting motivated. I refused to fix the drawer face that came off in my hand, with the idea that it would force me to get a new kitchen. Charlotte and her boyfriend took to throwing knives at the wall to see if they could make them stick. Maybe I should have gone with the knives idea, because one day—all of the sudden, it seemed—she had a fabulous new kitchen. It was heartening to see that somebody, somewhere, had made it happen.

I asked for her contractor’s contact information. I admit that I have been a bit promiscuous when it comes to the collection of renovation-related contacts. I did the same thing with realtors when I was contemplating buying a place. It’s part of my process: Make a decision, buy every related magazine on earth, interrogate everyone I know who has already done it, and on and on. Seeing a finished product, however, was apparently all I needed—this time I actually called.