The Vacation Challenge

I am on vacation this week! Whoohoo! (Although taking it in January seems a bit Pam-esque from The Office. lol) My challenge? Complete as many half-finished house projects as possible. Without spending a dime. Gulp. The reason for the second part of the challenge is because letting me loose in Lowes is not wise. I'll come home with an armful of tools (and a couple gallons of paint) for some new project. And the truth is, I have everything I need for these projects that I started one (or two... or three) years ago.

My current project: the built-in bookcase.



I never finished painting the bottom half when we moved in. It might not be noticeable, but some of the older paint is looking pretty dingy. I never touched the interior and it smells musty. So far one coat of Kilz primer is drying and it already looks (and smells) better. Now the trick is keeping the nosy cats out while it dries.

The picture doesn't do justice to how "blech" it really is.


With one coat of primer up, you can start to see the the old flat color was really a dull beige. I can't wait until I slap on some semi-gloss bright white and organize it all nice and pretty. lol

Flipping It Around

For the last year, I've debated flipping the living room with the dining room. The current layout, which is L-shaped, isn't very efficient. There's a LOT of wasted space in some areas and very tight quarters in others.

Current layout:



(Click to enlarge)

Layout via floorplanner.com.

See that space behind the loveseat? It needs to be somewhat open to access the built-in. I couldn't push the furniture against the adjoining wall due to TV placement. Overall, the current set-up was making the best use of the space. I even tried moving things around via Floorplanner and even the graph paper method.

After we had some new (smaller) living room furniture delivered last week, I decided to try the living room/dining room switch. Perfecto!



Here's a sneak peak of things to come (in its initial stages):





There's still a lot to do...

1. Change ceiling light fixture.
2. Purchase white coffee table, end table, and paint entertainment unit.
3. Decor for end table and back wall.
   
4. Add texture and lighten up the area via throws and rug.

No pictures of the dining room yet until I get my new dining room light. I found the perfect one for us, considering that the electrician won't be coming out any time soon. (It can be easily converted to hardwire.) So purty, isn't it?



I was unsure of entering into the house into the dining room. But it doesn't feel that way at all. And it's soooo much more open and airy with ample space to walk around. Much more entertainment-friendly!

Buh-Bye Ugly Carpet!

When we closed, we had a laundry list of items to complete before moving in. Top of the list was painting and replacing the flooring. We were lucky that we were house-sitting for friends at that time. The pics of the existing carpet don't do it justice. It was an honest-to-goodness pink beige.

Not my style, to say in the least. I know you are asking what is the weird splotch of color on the wall. Well, the previous owner never moved her piano when painting. So she tried to color-match. Is there anyone out there that would have wanted to keep this color?? Not only was there the pepto-pink-paint-puke, we also had this awesome floral border.

However, I think the former owner ran out of border midway through. What's a girl to do? Well, apparently cut out the flowers and strategically scotch tape them in the empty spots.



After a little freak when we realized what we had gotten ourselves into, we got to work. First up to bat: the floor. We decided to install a laminate. And our crazy selves decided to install ourselves... with a lot of help. After doing some extensive shopping around, we decided on Ikea Tundra Laminate Flooring in Maple.

Matt pulled up the carpet and padding, only to discover a tile underneath. It was original to the home and most like contained asbestos. Who had the thankless job of chiseling that up? Mmmhmm, yours truly! This was also about the time that I developed the flu. Full-blown, achy bones, tossing my cookies, type of flu.









Let's not forget about the gorgeous tile in the entryway. I know, I know. I was crazy to want to replace it!

Looking a wee bit better, don't ya think? The paint is one of my favorite parts of this room. It's a perfect taupe. (Ralph Lauren's Natural Gray) It is so cozy and inviting.







And finally:

Project cost breakdown:
Flooring (1000 sf): $1000
Paint: $112
Light switches/outlets: $50
Light fixtures: $60
Total: $1222

It Hurt Your Eyes

When we bought our first home in April of 2007, I don't think we really knew what we were in for. Matt and I could see that the house had good bones, but she was outdated. I refer to the house as "she" because the previous homeowner was an older woman that had an obsession with peachy-pink paint. Pink walls, pink trim, and in some cases-pink ceilings. All in flat paint. Oh, and how could I forget the pink-beige carpet?! BLECH! I considered it my obligation to turn the uber-feminine house into something that was a little more modern yet inviting.

Does this hurt to look at?

A peek of things to come: