June 9, 2014

Remodeling a house: What to do first?


We have a lot of projects to tackle in our new home.  Scott told me he wasn't going to start any of it until I was there to document the process.  He's the one who wants me to blog about it.  I told him that the idea of public humiliation will keep him (and us) moving.  I spent a lot of time taking "before" pictures this weekend.

These projects will indeed be finished.

1.  Hardwood floors
Self-explantory.  Carpet should never be in an area where you "live".  Why would you throw your money away like that?  The plan is to do the living room, the dining room, and then the kitchen after we take care of the other things we want to change/replace in there.

2.  Fencing and a gate on the deck.
There's fencing 3/4 of the way around the immediate yard by the house.  We need to finish it so we can just let the dogs out without worrying.  This is a priority.  Also, in the department of prettying up the yard:  burn all the tumbleweeds.  Sigh.  We're being overrun.

3.  Connect bathroom to master bedroom and close in the hallway.
There's a bathroom next to what will eventually be our bedroom but not connected to it.  We're going to close in the little hallway that divides the two by putting up a new wall.

4.  Carpeting
Two bedrooms-something fluffy and patterned.  To add comfort and hide stains.
Basement steps- something not fluffy and patterned.  For easy walking and hiding stains.

5.  New countertops and add in a gas range to the island.
Quartz countertops and maybe extend the island.  I'm pretty set on the idea of (as much as it kills me) living in the house for a few weeks before I decide on the kitchen.  Pretty is good, but functionality is key.

6.  Cupboards and add in a wall oven.
Paint them and move them around a bit.  We need to make room for our refrigerator and for our wall oven.

7.  Build a garage.
This is Scott's big ticket item.  It'll happen at some point.

Little things:
Paint over crazy horse mural/princess/pink/purple/swirly cotton candy colors on the bedroom walls.
Replace bathroom fixtures
Replace toilet seats
Paint entryway
Paint living room/basement entrance
Paint kitchen (can't be done until the cupboards are moved around)

I'm planning on doing a lot of painting on my own.  Scott said I "have to help".  He also said, about a month ago, that I have to give him time because this stuff takes time and money and I (me) don't have a job, etc, etc.  Twenty minutes later I got a job offer.  I think this is a sign that God wants me to have a new kitchen as soon as possible.

Does anyone have paint color suggestions for a living room?

16 comments:

  1. So exciting! It will be hard work but it is all going to turn out awesome. :)

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  2. I cannot wait to see all of this! I am totally going to live vicariously through you since this move will be the first time in our lives we haven't owned our home and can't do more than paint haha.

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  3. So are you living there or in a hotel/motel until some things are done?

    Good luck with it all, can't wait to see the posts about it!

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  4. This was the first time you saw it in person right? Can't wait to see all you do with it!

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  5. When I read this: "Paint crazy horse mural/princess/pink/purple/swirly bedroom walls" I thought you meant that you're GOING to paint those things. As in, put them there because they're not already there. And I was about to text you a "WTF" text. But then I read it again and realized you probably meant paint OVER them, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

    Painting sucks but it is really nice to have freshly painted walls. As far as living room color...I'm always a fan of just plain white, in a flat or eggshell finish. We have white walls with a dark gray accent wall...it's easy to coordinate, you can change out your accent colors as often as you want, and it looks bright and clean.

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  6. Love it! Can't wait to read about all of this.

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  7. My living room is summer suede. I forget the brand though so that doesn't help.I do really like Sherwin Williams Sea Salt.

    I can't wait to see this all do down.

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  8. OOh, I can't wait to see how this all goes. Our first priority in our new home is a fence for the dogs. Sadly, we started actively looking for a home because of the dogs...is that sad?

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  9. Wow you guys are ambitious! Can't wait to watch the process! How do you like Colorado so far?!

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  10. That is a LOT to do!! I've painted 5 rooms in our current house since we moved in, mostly by myself, I actually like painting though--turning on the radio full blast and knocking out a room in a day is pretty fun in my opinion.

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  11. You are ambitious! We have/had some similar items on our list...we (and that really means Justin) want to build a garage too, but we know it will be a while before that happens.

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  12. Good luck? You're going to love seeing your house transform- I know I did! :) As for the living room, a pale sage green looks good with everything!

    xo, Hima
    Hima Hearts

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  13. As a gift to my sister for her 30th birthday, I hired the team at Classic Kitchen and Bath to remodel her kitchen… you know... give it that modern look we see on HGTV. I learned about them from a buddy of mine in Clarendon Hills, IL. These guys did an exceptional job... from design through execution. They not only have great service but their products are high quality. Check them out today www.myclassickitchenandbath.com or visit their amazing showroom in Westmont, IL. I highly recommend them to everyone considering a new kitchen and/or bathroom.

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  14. You got this!! It'll be a lot of work but SO worth it in the end!! Can't wait to see all the progress!!

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  15. You can't paint over the purple horse. Keep the garden border too. I suggest you erase Cinderella and draw a gnome in her place. Gnomes go much better with purple horses. Decorate the bathroom with care bears, Scott loves care bears.

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  16. Oh, painting. It's so much better once it's done. And wood floors vs. carpet - yes. We just redid our downstairs and other than the constant stream of dog hair, I'm loving it. (And, the amount of dog hair that I see now - when I didn't see it on the carpet - makes me want to throw up.)

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