Sunday, July 11, 2010

One Project Down...Thousands to go!

I know this place has been a bit quiet for the last six months or so. It seems sometimes life is hard to keep up with and it races past you without your consent or knowledge most of the time. I know I've been hard to get a hold of lately. I apologize.

I like to call this year the year of change. Everything around me has changed. Others are changing. Leaving careers for new ones. Moving. Having babies......life. That's what it is and we can roll with it or not. It's easier to roll.


This home... the home I so fell in love with even though it's on the wrong side of town. Even though there was an exponential amount of work to do...I still fell in love. We started changing it. And it has been quite the process.


We decided that one of the first projects would be to re-do....or just make the basement. Or at least a half of it. (The house is BIG... have to take it a little at a time.) There was nothing down there. Nothing but plywood, lots and lots of spiders, concrete and dirt. No ceilings. No walls. And we were suppose to go down there to do laundry. Which I couldn't get myself to so, because it was so freaky.


So we hired a contractor. Who has done an awesome job. He did the big stuff and we did what we could to keep costs of labor down. I have to say.. all the myths are true about remodeling. Everything takes 3 times longer than you think it will. Everything will cost more. But everything is totally worth it in the end.


About halfway through our little project... the water came. The previous owners did not disclose that this basement gets water. (Not cool. Not cool at all) .....and we had a huge mess. There were lots of tears and then there was just rolling with it. That's all you can do. SO...along with the basement we had excavators working outside. With about 8 inches of dirt and new concrete window wells.... we've been able to control it.


So..what we did to this old house was this:

New ceiling

New plumbing

New electrical

Lighting.

Two headed shower.

Moved laundry.

Moved closet to put in a new one.

Made room for potty.

Linen closet

Tiled the back room.

Tiled bathroom

Painted from ceiling to floor.

Carpet

New stairs (Much easier for everyone)

All new knotty pine molding

Railing

Windows.



The list could go on and on.... but those are the main things. This is my husband's area. But...that won't keep me from decorating it.



Pictures seriously do it no justice. But here are a few anyway.

























4 comments:

Kara said...

I love it!!! Wow! Hope the water can stay away with the new window wells. We need to come see your house. I feel bad that we haven't yet!

Kristine Pratt said...

Love the bathroom! What hard work! When I watch those house flip shows it really stresses me out, so I can only imagine.

Shannon said...

The carpet totally makes it come together!! That's how I felt after our remodel anyway. Looks fantastic, can't wait to hang out down there. :)

Diane Galloway said...

Stacey - I still say it - you have the best blog I have ever seen. It's a treat to see it every time.

How can I get my order for pictures of the kids? \You captured them so beautifully.

Wish we could Amber and Ash to poise with their kids. :(