Our novel hardwood flooring in addition to a living room reveal!

Hey y'all! Thank you hence much for all of your thoughtful, wonderful comments on the in conclusion post well-nigh the kitchen makeover. I can't adequately limited how much it way that you receive got the fourth dimension to read my blog. I was hence nervous to portion the kitchen, because I had pose hence much pose out energy into it, too I tend to endure from lack-of-confidence syndrome. So, give thank you you for such sweetness feedback. If you missed the kitchen reveal, you tin acquire here. 

Also, I know that inward that in conclusion postal service I made it audio similar I would last sharing the flooring bring out soon, too hence it took me 3 weeks to eek out some other post. You guys, this is my life now. I brand grand plans to practise things, too hence I am slapped dorsum to downward to public amongst the reality that I receive got well-nigh an hr of productive fourth dimension each day. And it's unremarkably later 8pm, when I don't experience similar beingness productive. The proficient intelligence is that you guys seem to totally acquire it. I mightiness non last lonely inward this struggle. Plus, for those of you next me on Instagram, you've been watching me pass nearly all of my costless fourth dimension making art, too it's actually becoming a novel affair I am loving to do, too I'm non actually certain what I am doing or where it is going, but I recollect I volition spider web log well-nigh it inward my side past times side post. Just wanted to chop-chop update you on that. 

Anyway, today is the day: flooring, living room, too dining room reveal....let's practise it!

Here are a few earlier pics from when nosotros bought the house. It wasn't awful, it but felt hence dated. 
So Tuscan-inspired. So soul crushing. 

I kid. It's non that bad. But it is. You understand.

The flooring was a mixture of skinny brilliant orangish hardwood too some awful brownish tile inward the kitchen too bathrooms.

I persuasion well-nigh keeping the existing hardwoods too but running them through the residue of the house. Everyone told me to perish along them too but refinish them. Everyone.

Jesse was proficient well-nigh reminding me to take heed to myself. I am actually proficient at letting others drown me out sometimes.





For well-nigh a calendar month (while nosotros were waiting on our contractor), I got a peril to alive inward the house, amongst some of our stuff, too but run into how I felt. I went ahead too painted all of the walls white, too painted some of the woodwork, too the to a greater extent than I worked on stuff, the to a greater extent than my vision came together inward my head.

I started bringing inward flooring samples. And that ultimately helped me brand a decision.
I recollect it could receive got been beautiful either way, but I'm glad I went amongst what I actually wanted, which was broad plank flooring.





Here are a few to a greater extent than earlier pics. These are from earlier I painted the walls.





Remember that annoying coat cupboard correct past times the front end door?





It variety of cutting the dining room off from the residue of the room, too although it provided storage, it but felt off to me.





See how much it but eats into the room?





I made the determination to take away the closet, too I am hence glad nosotros did. It resulted inward some additional drywall too cut work, but it was worth it. 

The original hardwoods weren't run nether the closet, hence that would receive got been an number that nosotros would receive got had to patch if nosotros had chosen to perish along them, hence little headache avoided. 
Right but about this time, I also painted the front end door dark (Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze) too updated the chandelier inward the dining room. It was from Lowe's. I used them inward my in conclusion house, too. Nothing fancy, non expensive, but a prissy create clean update.

The previous wainscotting was but painted on for the most part, hence that got removed. I recollect I mentioned this before, but I didn't intend to tear it downward but yet. I was going to but alive amongst it until Jesse had fourth dimension to rebuild it, too hence Jesse told the contractor to but acquire ahead too tear it off, too I came domicile 1 twenty-four hours too was like, crap. Time to drib everything you're doing too construct some wainscotting, Jesse! 

Of course, the actual timeline was something like: Move inward amongst my mom for vi weeks spell entire delineate of piece of occupation solid gets torn apart. Pop inward too out of delineate of piece of occupation solid biweekly to receive got photographs too brand certain things are going every bit planned. Move dorsum into delineate of piece of occupation solid when flooring too kitchen is done. Nag Jesse to start edifice wainscotting 48 hours later moving dorsum in. 

So, dorsum to the flooring. Before the contractors starting demo-ing everything too nosotros had to movement out for vi weeks, Ava too I would acquire to flooring stores during the twenty-four hours too haul a bunch of giant samples home. Not an tardily feat to practise amongst a toddler. Luckily, people are prissy too volition unremarkably aid you elevator materials into your car when they run into you trying to also wrangle a tiny toddler beast.

I brought domicile all sorts of dissimilar samples, likely 20+, too in that location were all sorts of widths too colors too finishes. Ultimately, nosotros narrowed it downward to 3 choices that nosotros loved the most, all of which were a really calorie-free wash, broad plank hardwood.

Ava was a really proficient assistant during this time.

For weeks, I but lugged the samples but about the house, squinting at them. And of course, the 1 I ultimately chose was the 1 I picked out too brought domicile first. I never trust my gut correct off the bat. It's annoying.

The ultimate winner was Provence Manor European White Oak inward River Rock inward the 7.5 inch plank. We got them from Heartland Flooring inward Knoxville. I've gotten flooring from them twice now, too I highly recommend them. And no, that is non an ad. 

They receive got no persuasion I fifty-fifty exist.

Once the onetime flooring was gutted, nosotros discovered that all of the subfloors needed to last replaced. The onetime ones were inward actually pitiful shape too in that location was fifty-fifty some rot (likely from H2O harm inward the past). It was 1 of those annoying things you don't know is incorrect until you start ripping materials out. So, that bought us an extra calendar week at my mom's delineate of piece of occupation solid too damage us to a greater extent than money. That's how it goes amongst renovations, I receive got discovered.

All of the cut was off everywhere too everything was a bit of a disaster, but I was hence excited past times the progress. The lighting is terrible inward all of these photos, but but curlicue amongst it.

I've loved these floors from the infinitesimal they went in. The master copy score of the delineate of piece of occupation solid is kinda small, too I but wanted everything to last calorie-free too airy hence that it would experience to a greater extent than open. I dear dark, warm floors, too, but I know myself, too I knew that these floors were the way to go.

It's fun to expect dorsum through all of these photos, because fifty-fifty though it seems similar yesterday to me, it was actually almost one-half a twelvemonth agone now, which is a lot of fourth dimension when you receive got a toddler. She already seems hence piffling inward that photo.

So, 1 time the flooring was done, nosotros moved dorsum inward too Jesse began working on the wainscotting. We didn't construct the wainscotting inward the onetime delineate of piece of occupation solid (I but painted it), but I wanted a similar look, too Jesse assured me he could construct it. He's handy too never afraid to tackle a project, fifty-fifty if he's never done anything similar it before. It's a approbation too a curse. 

Mostly a blessing.

I recollect he regretted his determination well-nigh seven hours into this project. Also, nosotros were using this inexpensive forest to construct the wainscotting hence it looked awful going up. I knew nosotros were going to pigment it, hence it actually but made me laugh. Like, are nosotros edifice a trailer? Jesse, I experience similar it's trailer paneling. 

And of course, nosotros had to practise it during the twenty-four hours hence that nosotros had daylight, too Ava was the MOST helpful.

Nope.

Jesse ultimately ended upwards modifying my blueprint for simplicity's sake, which I was inward total back upwards of at this point. 

And fifty-fifty though it wasn't painted yet, I was proud of his handiwork. Not every bit good shabby for individual who was but like, sure, I'll figure it out. 

Once Jesse was done amongst his part, I agreed to caulk too pigment it, too hence it sat similar this, driving me nuts for a few days. Because mama tired.

We learned a lot well-nigh how to practise this too nosotros could for sure practise it ameliorate too easier if nosotros did it again, but this volition alive hither on this wall until terminate times.

Eventually, I primed too painted it, too it took hence many coats of paint. It is what it is.

But in that location are few things to a greater extent than fulfilling that when you acquire to that indicate inward a projection where you tin finally run into your vision come upwards to life too you desire to vociferation too express mirth too never practise whatsoever of the things always again.

It happens amongst every projection I do. The exhaustion, the joy.

And, that's the wainscotting segment of this post.

We eventually moved our tabular array dorsum inward but about Christmas, but inward fourth dimension for Ava to aid me decorate.

My brother, Mathias, came domicile from the Navy but about New Year's too helped me hang curtains. He's quite handy too also restless, too every fourth dimension he comes home, he's similar 'What tin I build?.'

Curtains, son. Build me curtains.

I hung them all the way upwards to the ceiling too I swear it makes the biggest departure of anything I did. Isn't that annoying.

I painted that onetime thrift shop TV stand amongst some chalk pigment (I used Rustoleum chalk pigment  in Country Gray, too I dear the color. That's an affiliate link). 

I similar the novel color hence much ameliorate than the white. Looks to a greater extent than adult-ey.

Here are a few to a greater extent than photos of the room.

Real talk, I moved Ava's rocker inward hither because, comfort. And in that location are toddler toys everywhere. And I wouldn't receive got it whatsoever other way. If you expect closely, you tin run into Ava sitting inward the window, reading a book, behind the curtains. My living room has never been a happier identify inward all my life.

I bought this piffling wooden toddler table (affiliate link) too painted it to represent our actual dining room set, too she literally spends one-half of her twenty-four hours at that table. I painted the top of the tabular array amongst dark chalkboard paint, too it's been a existent hit.

I also made some to a greater extent than gilt leafage fine art for the living room. 

I shared a lot well-nigh it on Instagram, too a lot of you guys were bespeak for a tutorial.

I don't recollect I'm going to practise some other tutorial correct now, but I did a pretty thorough gilt leafage fine art tutorial inward this post from in conclusion twelvemonth if you are curious. I shared a piffling flake well-nigh how nosotros brand the frame, too.

Anyway, kinda loving how that 1 turned out. I eventually desire to practise a large gallery wall correct there, but for now, I demand something elementary that I tin but pose in that location too non fuss with. 

Here's the dining room. I'm hence happy that nosotros took out that cupboard too went amongst the broad plank floors. I nevertheless receive got some travel to practise on this space, but I experience actually proficient well-nigh it hence far.

That's an onetime thrift shop mirror I painted. I eventually invention to hang some fine art inward here, but babe steps.

So far my color palette is pretty neutral, per usual. I acquire the occasional comment from people telling me to purpose color. I acquire it. I actually do. 

But, I alive here, too I receive got to practise what makes me happy, which is neutral. I receive got plenty hot pinkish too primary colors floating but about my delineate of piece of occupation solid correct at 1 time inward the shape of toddler toys, hence an otherwise neutral infinite feels hence calming to me correct at 1 time inward this stage of life.

And the honest truth is that my passion for decorating but isn't what it used to be. Lately, I am actually into this whole mom affair too also making art. And also nevertheless renovating too DIY-ing, but like, that's a lot dissimilar from decorating. Decorating has never been my specialty, too these days I notice myself devoting way less pose out energy to it. I endeavor non to resist these changes, too but follow my interests, because I believe that every bit long every bit I'm doing that, life volition Pb me inward the correct direction.

So, earlier nosotros go, let's compare a few earlier too later angles of this infinite hence far.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

And that's where nosotros are today. It genuinely feels similar a breath of fresh air. And sometimes smells similar toddler sweat.

You practise what you can.

Thanks for beingness here, ya'll.