REMODEL- PART 7- BEFORE & AFTER

Not a great 'Before' photo of the cabinets, but the best I can find. It does give an idea of our old layout.

From the same point of view as the first 'before' photo.

The other side of the kitchen.  We are still waiting for the glass cabinet doors for our china hutch.

The same point of view as the second 'before' photo. Our table will not be there for good. Eventually we will have a couch in there for a TV room. The red cabinet is our computer armoire.

The new entertainment center for a TV and books.

We are finally finished!! I can't say how happy I am it is all done, but not near as happy as I am with the finished product. Our house is amazing! It is beyond anything I ever thought we would ever have. It is completely transformed.

FHE REMODEL SERVICE PROJECT

Last night was our turn to be in charge of combined Family Home Evening last week, so we had everyone come over and help us work on our remodel. We got cabinets hung in the wash/mud room and also got our wood burning stove put in place. 

The guys trying to figure out how to set up the stove.

It sure is nice to belong to a family that loves to help. They have blessed our lives in so many ways.

The kids just played and had a good time with their cousins.

C-Man and Cousin C enjoying their ice cream.

REMODEL- PART 6

We are making some real progress! I am so excited! Our cabinets have taken forever, but hopefully they'll be worth it. We are STILL waiting for the cabinet doors, but we did get my new fridge in. I couldn't take photos of us putting the big island countertop in, because it required my help (it took 6 of us!), but here it is...

I love it so much! It looks great!

Big C also built a computer armoire over some pipes in our wall and I am loving the way it is turning out!! It will have two sets of doors on it when it is done.

I painted it red and don't regret it for a minute! I love it!

The backsplash was a much debated topic for us. I really don't like grout, so I didn't want tile, but there's not many other options, so we did this vintage tin look-a-like stuff. I really like it! (I am posting this about a month after we put it in and it really has been wonderful! Very easy to clean. We caulked the seam between the wall and the countertop with clear caulk and are thrilled with it).

Sorry for the poor quality phone photo. I'll do a better one later. Do the white outlet covers bother you?

REMODEL- PART 5

The countertops are done! It was a HUGE challenge and TONS of work. Would I do it again? I really don't know. It was exhausting and stressful, but it saved us tons of money doing it ourselves. We used the brand Surecrete and I am glad we did. They have made working with this type of concrete so much easier! Here's the process...

Forming the countertop.

We used melamine and styrofoam for our forms and poured them upside down. Big C was so precise with the sink hole that it fits perfectly! I was (and am) super impressed. He traced the shape of the sink onto a piece of styrofoam and then spackled the edges and then taped them with clear packing tape to make them ultra smooth. Then caulked the seams everywhere to create a bit of a rounded edge on the corners. After that, I treated all the surfaces with olive oil.

Big C mixing the special ingredients. Very important!

We chose to do hand pressed countertops because of the textural quality of the end result. It was by far my favorite type of concrete countertops when I researched them. Big C mixed the concrete about the thickness of silly putty and then you press handfuls into place. 

Our island countertop form. The cut out in this form is for our stove.

After the concrete is dry, Big C mixed up a different colored slurry (in our case, a dark gray), and filled in all the holes and gaps left by the putty-like cement. I creates a beautiful texture! He then wet sanded it and slurried/sanded again 2 more times.

He put a piece of plywood on the underneath side so that he could save space on material and weight.

Thank goodness for in-town family! They came over and helped us put in our countertops. They're a little heavy.

My countertop with the undermount sink. I LOVE IT!

Now we need to seal them and they are ready to go!

REMODEL- PART 4

Here's another remodel update. Our lives are consumed with it. This is Big C's job right now. He is literally not working except on our house. I have mixed feelings about that- on one hand, I love his dedication to the project, but on the other hand, he expects the same dedication out of me and that is exhausting! I now know why he sleeps so well. I try to keep up with him in the day and physically cannot. I am so spent at night that I read a paragraph of my book and am zonked. No more insomnia for me.

Little C helping Big C build shelves.

 Big C can do anything. I am not kidding. He has built me an entertainment center for our new little TV/family room and a built in computer desk to hide the pipes in the wall.

Princess P being his go-fer.

Big c and the entertainment center (minus the crown molding). 

I'll post more photos as it gets painted, etc...

We also are getting all our trim and woodwork done. I LOVE IT!

Board and batten wainscot and pediment trim on the windows.

REMODEL- PART 3

We have made some significant progress since I last posted. Big C has been building the face frames for our entertainment center and computer cabinet. They are going to be beautiful!

Face frame for the entertainment center. 

 Big C has talked me into concrete countertops and now I don't want anything else. They look amazing (if they're done right) and we are practicing. The first piece we poured was a slab of light gray that we are going to use to put our wood burning stove on. It was too light, so I spent a couple hours painting on a stain pattern. Cory brushed on the sealer instead of using a roller and completely destroyed my stain job. Oh well, live and learn...

Watercolor brushes come in handy for staining concrete. Just thought you'd like to know.

Today our flooring came and we were able to put in most of it. Is is a brand called Adura. I LOVE it! It looks like wood, but is VERY durable and looks beautiful! I sure hope it holds up like it's supposed to. I really don't want to put in new flooring for a long time!

I came home from class and this is what I saw. Glue on one side.

It was very easy and quick to install. I was very impressed and so was Big C. We've made so much progress. It's only been a month since we started knocking out walls. Also, note our framed windows and doors with the pediments- they'll be white. I love those too!

SIL N and Grandpa G helping us.

Almost done within 2 hours!

Little Miss C and Princess P played outside since the weather is so gorgeous.

REMODEL- PART 2

The house carnage continues! Our house is torn apart! Big C has cut out parts of the ceiling, floor, and walls to rewire. Our floors are particle board and the kitchen is completely disassembled.

Big C and Awesome A take out the pantry.

Grandpa G and Big C putting drywall back in place.

This WAS my kitchen. Now it's just a workroom with a sink and a stove. 

Our open area is going to be so nice!

The kitchen still functions, at least.

Grandma G came and helped us paint the ceiling. I love our new recessed lighting!

REMODEL- PART ONE

We are making some huge changes at our house and I am still trying to come to grips with it. Last month Big C announced, out of the blue, that he was going to take off work over the winter (January/February) and remodel our kitchen. I was very surprised, to put it mildly, because I've been asking for new cabinets for years now and all of a sudden he says, 'YES.' I married the least predictable man on earth- haha! I am SOOO EXCITED!

As we got talking, we decided to do even more than just the kitchen. We are doing most of our upstairs. We are taking out a wall and creating a small family room/TV room out of an old bedroom. We had to move Princess P downstairs, but she's fine with it so far.

BEFORE- You can see by the garbage bags that I'd already started cleaning out.

I can't believe it, but we tore out my favorite wall in the house. I had just talked Big C into putting up wainscot in the kitchen two years before and now we have to get rid of it? Sad day, but worth it in the end, right?? Here's to hoping...

Last view of our old kitchen- Sister S and Princess P packing up the cabinet contents.

Upper cabinets gone...

I came home from teaching yesterday and this is what I saw! Bye bye wall...

Demolition is NOT fun.

Huge mess and lots of back-breaking work hauling all that junk out.

The wall is gone! Our first taste of the new, big, open space.

We are going full force now!

FROM GREEN TO GREEN

My favorite color in the world is GREEN and has been... pretty much my whole life. The shades of green change, but my devotion to the hue remains the same. Case in point, my bedroom. About 6 or 7 years ago, I chose a minty/hospital scrubs green (by accident) for my room. I have lived with it ever since-- I was too lazy to paint again (we all know how much I 'love' to paint).

This time, however, I got it right. My sage green is PERFECTION- and I love it!

My children, not so much. As I painted last night I got lots of negative feedback:

• Princess P: "That's not green, it's gray."
• D: "It looks like MUD!"
• Little C: "I liked the other green better."

Well then, I guess it's a good thing it's not their room!

P.S. New carpet in the bedroom tomorrow... almost DONE!

REDO

It has been a LONG week. I have had a horrible head cold, lost my voice and painted almost my whole upstairs. May I just say how much I hate painting walls? NOT my favorite activity. Anyway, we are finally on the road to recovery-- both my house and my throat.

Here is our stripped living room. I just had to take a photo.

I remember getting new carpet in our house growing up. We came home from Hawaii and it was there. Quite a different experience for my children...

Big C had the kids up at the crack of dawn pulling out the carpet and the pad, hauling it out, getting up all the staples, so I could have it ready for the carpet layers.

And here we are with the new carpet and paint. I rearranged the furniture too, so it has a new feel which is fun. I am still not sure about the new shade of red I chose...

I am happy we are almost done. We still have a bit in the bathroom, so I'll show that when it is completely done, and our bedrooms upstairs. The light is at the end of the tunnel...

CONSTRUCTION ZONE

It all began with the decision to get new carpet... now my house is torn apart! We decided to paint since the carpet was going to be out, then Big C realized he'd better get the tile in before the carpet, and now we are living in a disaster area! It will be nice when it is done, but this week has been a trial.

We pulled up the carpet for Family Night on Monday. See the lovely particle wood floor? Pretty classy.

Big C is almost done cutting the tile for the bathroom. He hates having to come home and work more after work, and I don't blame him. It really looks nice though and I am excited for that new floor in there! We've needed it for a LONG time. Well, I'm excited for it all, I am just struggling with the living conditions. I'll post after photos next week (hopefully)...