Project Central

After a very busy and wonderful Christmas, we have been steady working on tons of different projects around the house.  Graham ended up taking the week after Christmas off and has been keeping me going.  No pj's and LMN for me!

I've been mainly piddling around inside and trying to figure out where I want to put things.  We brought the big recliner upstairs, which is nice for us, but not really want I want in our den.  One day, when we get the basement "hang out" ready, hopefully we will put it down there and I can get something different upstairs.  I'm very thankful we have bedroom furniture and that all of those rooms are mainly done.  The rest of the house is another story!  It's going to take me forever to get this place furnished how I want it!

End shelves in the ktichen.  I found the owl at Theodore Morris and thought he was so cute!  I can't for the life of me get the shelves on the other side looking how I want them...

Got this super cute lamp shade at World Market!  Loved the colors.

Besides hanging the mirror, the foyer is done.  I used the rug we had in our office at our old house and got the flowers at Garden Ridge.  Really happy with how it's coming along.

I think the shelves are just going to be how they are for a while.  I've been looking on pinterest at shelves all the time.  Who would have ever thought that figuring out where/how to put things would be so difficult.

Graham installed a new light for us over the sink.   I'm really happy with it!  It took us long enough to find one!  We originally planned to do a can light but because of the studs or something we couldn't do one.  I brought home at least 3 or 4 other lights before we finally found this one at Stone Lighting.  It's super small, was able to be mounted flush, and gives off plenty of light. 

Love the light...definitely need a valance or something!

Graham has also cleaned out and reorganized the storage room in the basement.  It looks so much better and is way more functional now!  Today he started working on the patio.  There was an area of broken tile that needed to be cleared out and refilled with concrete.  I've ordered a rug to cover the mis-matched patio!  I'm hoping it will fit, but I'm afraid the hole got a little bigger than I expected.

Completed pic to come!

We have also officially lost our minds and decided to have a New Year's Eve party over here.  Oh my goodness!  What were we thinking?!

Done and Done

Dare I say, I think we are officially DONE...with the contractor side of things!! 

Simon and his crew finished up this week.  They lowered the mantle, installed knobs/handles on the cabinets, and touched up a few things.

Finally found some glass knobs I liked for the cabinet doors.

We ended up doing knobs on the doors and handles on the drawers.  The drawers are a little hard to get open, so Graham felt like we needed a little more to hold on to. 

Mantle is lowered!  I like it much better, and watching tv is more pleasant.  The bookshelves are still a mess. I think I'm happy with the bottom four, but I'm still working on it.

The painters also finished up yesterday!  They finally came back and worked on the kitchen cabinets some more and did all of the touching up they needed to take care of in the bathrooms, etc.  I forgot to tell them about the cabinets in the mudroom area, so they might have to come back...oops!

We finally got mirrors hung in our bathroom!  It's nice to finally be able to see ourselves when we get ready.  Graham has also been working on a new mailbox.  I don't think I have a picture of the old one, but it was camo or something awful.  The new one is looking much better!

Graham getting ready to put in our new mailbox!  The mailbox standing in the picture is our neighbor's who lives down behind us.  I believe we'll be dressing hers up a little...

New post is up and set in concrete!

All is level...

I can't actually see myself in this mirror that's over the sink, but Graham is super excited about it!  Haha...

This mirror is over my vanity area.  I've still got to get a small chair or bench or something.  I also think I'm going to do some glass shelves on the wall next to the mirror.  Didn't see the need to have 3 walls full of mirrors!

I have still been moving things around and trying to decide how I want things.  I put this chest in the den...still trying to decide on it.

My goal for these next two weeks (while I'm off work) is to get everything a situated as possible.  I still have a whole bedroom full of stuff that needs to be put out and made pretty.  ***sigh***

I'll post a completed picture of the mailbox soon.  Graham should be done in a few!

4 Months In...

On Thursday, we will be exactly 4 months into our renovation project....

I feel like we could have been finished a month ago, but we are not!  We lack just a few small things being done.  I'm currently at a very frustrated level on the getting finished scale.  There is so little left to do, that if four (maybe less) solid hours were spent working over here, they would be 100% finished and I could get started getting back to my normal life.

Inside, the mantle still needs to be lowered, a window pane needs to be replaced, hardware needs to be installed on the closet doors, and the sunroom door needs to be adjusted so that I can get it open more easily.  There are some small paint touch ups that need to be done and the cabinets also need to be finished...yes, STILL.

Outside, there are some things that the gutter people need to finish up and I think that's all.

Last weekend, Graham worked really hard in the yard and I tried to get some things done on the decorating front.

Graham (with a little help from Brian, our brother in law) trimmed all of the shrubs out front and even straightened our crooked light post!  It looks so much better! 

Here are some before and afters..

Still need some landscaping, but looking much better!

Our ugly, crooked light post...haha

Definitely not as pretty of a day, and the grass isn't summer time green as the before pic, but the post is looking much better!

I have been working with things inside trying to get them put away pretty.  So far, the only thing I've seemed to be able to complete is the Christmas tree and getting the presents wrapped.

I have decided that decorating shelves and glass cabinets might possibly the most difficult thing I've done this whole time!  I've had lots of help from my mom, Audrey, and my stepsister, Katie.  Things are finally coming along!

Bar Cabinets...

Corner cabinet in the kitchen/mudroom...still in progress.  Thinking of adding some small bud vases with some pretty flowers for pops of color.

Mom and I spent forever on the china cabinet.  Anyone have any thoughts on spray painting the hardware silver?  I think that would look much better with the chandelier and my china.

I bought these lamps for the foyer.  Definitely need a mirror or something, just haven't gotten that far yet.

 Here's a before and after pic of the foyer...

Just love the gorgeous green trim and green, nicotine stained wallpaper!

Another shot of the foyer.

I've done 3 of the 14 built in bookshelves in the den.  I think I'm happy with these, but I'm not convinced.  Thoughts/suggestions welcomed.

Decided to go ahead and put some stuff in the kitchen even though they are still working!  Couldn't stand it any more.

1/2 bath is complete!

So, all in all, things are coming along.  I'm looking forward to getting some pretty window treatments, fabric for pillows, a couple of small accent chairs for the den, and just some decorating stuff.  Maybe we'll win the lottery so that I can afford all of that! 

I'm counting down the days until they are 100% finished over here and I can take up the sheets in the floor and finally really get everything clean clean and put away like I want it!  Hopefully this week will be the last one!