Monday, May 16, 2011

Before and After

Our house was built around the turn of the century and was in need of much work when we moved in a few months ago. It still is in need of much work! But I think we're making progress. Many of the rooms are in a state of work-in-progress, but I think they will always be that way.



 The kitchen needed a coat of paint. We also rearranged the cabinets a bit.
The subfloor is just painted grey for now.
Can't you just imagine a beautiful tile?
I'm grateful for tall enough ceilings for my hanging pot rack.

I'm not sure if the front porch room is my favorite room or not. I just need to learn to not kill houseplants then we'll be doing fine. I'd like to paint the subfloor in this room, maybe even with a pattern.


This front porch is full of light all day!




The downstairs bathroom is probably the most dramatic difference so far. We removed wallpaper, textured the walls, installed flooring, replaced the vanity and toilet and painted the cabinet white. (Not to mention the plumbing that had to be done before we moved in.) The shower has a step-in tiny square tub that is a bright aqua color. Its is just the right size for the toddler in our lives.



We took down wallpaper from the dining room as well as the chair rail and a plate shelf. The fantastic green carpet is still here. I thought about ripping it all up, in every room- but then thought about how cold my feet would be this winter and left it, for now! The light fixture is a gas chandelier that was also wired for electricity. The dining room walls are textured and the paint is a neutral tan. I have grand schemes for some artwork. 
I'm dreaming of a china hutch here, but
a dresser will do. I'll be putting up some
shelves to hold my dishes just above the
dresser.






I'm not posting any pics of the school room. It is a perpetual disaster, but it can be hidden behind closed doors! The laundry room is a cheery light yellow but has so many windows that it is difficult to get a good pic. It is a small room that holds our large chest freezer and has a small hand washing sink as well as cabinets. Both the kitchen and laundry room have doors to the back yard. Also not included here are the living room and the library. These rooms have had very little done to them, but I did unpack a few books into some make-do bookshelves this weekend.

This upstairs office may just be my favorite room. The paint is a color I got from mixing paint we had and it is very vibrant, almost too vibrant! I did much of this room all by myself, even learned how to put down laminate flooring. Our pet bunnies were in this room while we built them an outdoor hutch and they nibbled on the trim. I'm not sure if I've forgiven them yet.

I'm not sure if we have a style of decorating, or if the paint on our walls coordinates. But it is so much fun to make this house our home. 

So who wants to come over for a glass of sweet tea?