Hello all! I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! We sure did- Russell's mom came down for Christmas Eve Eve. Then we had a very Berry Christmas Eve dinner (oyster stew and raw fish: you know, typical Christmas stuff. If you're Swedish.) followed by a very relaxed Christmas day, followed by the annual trip to Memphis where we manage to see alllll of Russell's family in about 2 days! It's been fun :)
But all of these relatives reminded me: I need to update the blog! So here's what we're going to do: I'm going to update you, one room at a time, so you can see where we are now in the renovation. Today's room: The dining room.
When we first moved in, the dining room was Apartment 1's (our side) living room. That's what the former owners used it for and we did the same. Here's a picture of the first day we saw the house:
So, as you can see, it's a living room. Here are some pictures once we moved in: as you'll see, I didn't take any shots of the living room without people. So....here are some friends watching a Vols game. Oh, and a gratuitous cat shot.
So, just fyi, below the chair rail, the walls consist of paint, over wallpaper, over wood paneling, over plaster. :) Isn't that fun. On top, it's just plaster, except for the wall behind the couch. It's drywall and also hiding a fireplace. And the couch is hiding a nasty spot on the floor where the hearth for said fireplace used to be before some sweet "remuddler" ripped it out.
So, after we'd relocated all "living room" stuff to our new family room in the back of the house, this room became (drum roll please!) the dining room!
Woohoo! Big difference, eh? So, what we did:
1. Bought a dining table, chairs, and bench off Craigslist. The table and bench are handmade.
2. Painted the lower half of the room with glossy white paint.
3. Used molding to create a "board and batten" look-- p.s. this was reaaaaaalllly easy. And not too expensive- like, under $100 for paint and molding. I highly recommend this project. Also, everyone else in the blogosphere has done it, so here's a link to someone who explains it better then I can :)
4. Took down the ceiling fan and replaced it with an ikea light fixture my mom had sitting in a closet. Gotta love free stuff.
Here are more pictures:
Someday we'll open that drywall wall up again, restore the fireplace and hearth, and add some (hopefully reclaimed) built ins. Someday.
Everyone we see asks the same question: "Are you done with the renovation yet?". Then they seem a bit disconcerted when I burst into maniacal laughter and exclaim "DONE??!! Hahahaha we'll NEVER BE DONE". We've come up with a better answer that's kinda a combination of "Yes, all the major components of the 1st reno are done" and "We still have a "to do" list from here to the moon." But we both know that this whole "owning a hundred (and eight) year old house is a marathon, not a race. There will always be projects! Good thing we're enjoying ourselves!! :)
But all of these relatives reminded me: I need to update the blog! So here's what we're going to do: I'm going to update you, one room at a time, so you can see where we are now in the renovation. Today's room: The dining room.
When we first moved in, the dining room was Apartment 1's (our side) living room. That's what the former owners used it for and we did the same. Here's a picture of the first day we saw the house:
So, as you can see, it's a living room. Here are some pictures once we moved in: as you'll see, I didn't take any shots of the living room without people. So....here are some friends watching a Vols game. Oh, and a gratuitous cat shot.
So, just fyi, below the chair rail, the walls consist of paint, over wallpaper, over wood paneling, over plaster. :) Isn't that fun. On top, it's just plaster, except for the wall behind the couch. It's drywall and also hiding a fireplace. And the couch is hiding a nasty spot on the floor where the hearth for said fireplace used to be before some sweet "remuddler" ripped it out.
So, after we'd relocated all "living room" stuff to our new family room in the back of the house, this room became (drum roll please!) the dining room!
Woohoo! Big difference, eh? So, what we did:
1. Bought a dining table, chairs, and bench off Craigslist. The table and bench are handmade.
2. Painted the lower half of the room with glossy white paint.
3. Used molding to create a "board and batten" look-- p.s. this was reaaaaaalllly easy. And not too expensive- like, under $100 for paint and molding. I highly recommend this project. Also, everyone else in the blogosphere has done it, so here's a link to someone who explains it better then I can :)
4. Took down the ceiling fan and replaced it with an ikea light fixture my mom had sitting in a closet. Gotta love free stuff.
Here are more pictures:
Someday we'll open that drywall wall up again, restore the fireplace and hearth, and add some (hopefully reclaimed) built ins. Someday.
Everyone we see asks the same question: "Are you done with the renovation yet?". Then they seem a bit disconcerted when I burst into maniacal laughter and exclaim "DONE??!! Hahahaha we'll NEVER BE DONE". We've come up with a better answer that's kinda a combination of "Yes, all the major components of the 1st reno are done" and "We still have a "to do" list from here to the moon." But we both know that this whole "owning a hundred (and eight) year old house is a marathon, not a race. There will always be projects! Good thing we're enjoying ourselves!! :)
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