Our 1970's House Makeover: The Real Story Behind a Renovation, Part One

So, it's fourth dimension I allow y'all inwards on a fiddling secret. Remember in conclusion week's bedroom post? Well, we'll hold out living inwards that room for the side past times side month, every bit the ease of our theater is a total disaster. Last week, nosotros began the demolition that volition ultimately lawsuit inwards us having hardwood floors throughout our house. And somehow, the flooring projection sent me forthwith downwards the wormhole of renovations, in addition to at nowadays in that location are 45 projects simultaneously underway inwards my house.

And I'm barely fifty-fifty kidding. 

We've been waiting to practice all of this big materials until nosotros could afford to practice it all at once. I thought that that would but miraculously move on months later nosotros moved into this house, but instead it took almost 4 years. Four real long years amongst wall-to-wall-catbarf-carpets. But, ultimately existence broke was a huge approving inwards disguise. It made me figure out how to practice materials on my own. It made me acquire creative in addition to figure out how to improve our theater using materials I could afford, similar paint. 

And ultimately, it led to this blog. 

So, at nowadays the twenty-four hr menses is finally hither when I acquire to practice some of the materials to this theater that I've been planning all along. 

It's thus exciting. 

The cats select been quarantined to our chamber during this whole process, every bit they select yet to larn how to safely navigate a structure zone.

Things were all fun in addition to games when nosotros were moving all of the slice of furniture out of the living room in addition to into the basement.

But things inevitably took a plough for the worse, every bit Tootie apace became very discontent over the changes inwards her daily scenery.

It's almost every bit if she knew what was coming, every bit she took to actively boycotting the rug removal. 

She has rights, y'all know.

Meanwhile, Cheese has been inwards her park life euphoria, totally oblivious to the devastation of her dearest home.

You gotta love a daughter who volition but become amongst the flow.

So, at nowadays that y'all know how the cats are doing, nosotros tin movement onto less of import issues similar the devastation of our house.

Basically, our theater has been gutted. 
And no 1 saw it coming, including me.
In my head, it went something similar this: 
POOF. New floors.
But, instead, total chaos.

So, at nowadays all that's left inwards the theater are the walls in addition to windows. All of the existing flooring, trim, in addition to doors select been removed.

We went dorsum in addition to forth amongst the conclusion almost doing all of the function ourselves or hiring mortal to aid us. After analyzing the toll of labor vs. how apace Jesse in addition to I would murder each other, nosotros opted to hire the guy who did my mom's hardwood floors a twosome years ago. We decided to practice some of the demo ourselves, similar removing all of the cut down in addition to doors, in addition to and thus left the flooring removal to our awesome flooring guy, Mike.

So, here's a fiddling glimpse at how our theater currently looks.

Here's the living room later the rug was removed.
Someone had apparently decided it was cool to spray pigment subfloors.

After the rug was removed, in that location were several stains in addition to some pigment ease on the subfloors, thus Jesse in addition to I spent an flush icon the floors amongst Kilz, prepping it for the floors to hold out installed.

We were supposed to but pigment a few areas that needed it, but in 1 lawsuit I got rolling, I couldn't stop. 

So, at nowadays nosotros basically select totally unnecessary white subfloors.

I mean, what practice y'all expect? 

Currently, our living room looks similar a disaster zone, every bit we're using it to shop all of the materials that's been removed from the other rooms. Eventually, the junk volition acquire hauled off in addition to the flooring volition start to become in.

Although, I'm thus excited almost the halt lawsuit that I've non fifty-fifty minded the fact that our theater is a nightmare. 

Jesse is real surprised past times my newfound chaos-tolerance.

The demo has reminded us that this theater is from the 1970's, every bit every fourth dimension nosotros pare dorsum a layer of the onion, nosotros honour a minimum of iii unexpected issues to bargain with. For example, nosotros constitute remnants of tile underneath the rug inwards the office. 

Reaffirming my long held belief that it's totally fabulous to tile a random spare bedroom.

And it has to hold out chipped upward slice past times piece.

We lovingly refer to this flooring every bit 'The Great Decision To Hire Someone 2014'.

And in addition to thus inwards the room that is behind those french doors inwards our master copy bedroom (you know, the mysterious 1 I've never blogged about, but that y'all e'er enquire about), in that location was a hardwood flooring that was installed throughout this room in addition to and thus it was carried downwards the hallway. And for some reason, the previous owners glued and nailed this flooring in. Our flooring guy has had to cutting it out chunk past times chunk.

This room was the original master copy chamber inwards this house. They apparently built on the add-on that sits on the other side of those double doors inwards the slow 1980's. That's our electrical current master copy bedroom. I all the same select no thought how to occupation this room, but I'm hoping my hear volition miraculously solve the puzzle in 1 lawsuit all of this is done. 

There are no windows in addition to it's kinda a dark hole of a wasted space. Any ideas?

Also, I realize this room looks similar a haunted theater correct now. 

Hold me.

The entryway has also been interesting, every bit in that location are several layers of flooring where the parquet sits on the entry landing. They but layered flooring upon flooring to where it at nowadays cuts the bottom step inwards half. 

So, obviously, that's going to hold out fun. 

Sidenote: Having the rug off of the stairs is thus exciting, every bit I tin finally envision what they volition human face similar when they are done. Also, inwards regards to the aforementioned wormhole of renovations, that step track has to hold out removed to install the hardwood on the stairs. Since it isn't upward to code anyways, we've decided to rebuild 1 that nosotros genuinely like. 

I've been on Pinterest nonstop lately looking at pictures of staircases in addition to formulating my eviiiil step plan. I'm super excited almost this fiddling side project, in addition to volition weblog almost it every bit it develops.

So, nosotros select weeks of function ahead of us, my life is kinda messy correct now, in addition to materials is everywhere. I've been doing my best to but become amongst the flow in addition to relish the process.

Jesse's genuinely adept at knowing how to decease along me sane, thus in conclusion weekend he arranged a fiddling weekend trip to Gatlinburg. It's a genuinely touristy place, but it's exclusively almost 20 minutes away from our house, in addition to I believe inwards existence the type of gal who tin select fun anywhere she goes.

So, to acquire away from our dustbowl of a house, nosotros enjoyed a dark at a hotel amongst a fiddling balcony overlooking the mountains.

And in addition to thus nosotros spent the side past times side twenty-four hr menses doing fun tourist stuff, similar going to the aquarium.

There were babe penguins in addition to turtles the size of cows, thus naturally, it was heaven.

And in addition to thus nosotros constitute our agency to Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum, which I'm pretty certain is for kids, but who's to say. 

I genuinely enjoyed the shadow making machine.

Jesse's worst thought of the twenty-four hr menses was convincing me to become to the 5D Movie Theater correct later our trip through the Ole Smokey Mountain Moonshine gustation testing facility (which is awesome, btw). To amount it up, the 5D motion-picture demonstrate theater is basically a roller coaster. You sit down inwards a giant padded topographic point that gyrates uncontrollably, y'all article of apparel 3D spectacles in addition to a seatbelt, in addition to they blow snowfall inwards your face.

To interpret the uncomfortable smiling on my face: I'm in all likelihood going to barf on you.

So, that was nice. 

And piece I planned to weblog almost this when I got dorsum on Monday, I've ended upward spending this calendar week amongst the worst head-cold known to mankind.

And I've lost my vocalization for the start fourth dimension ever.

It's perfect timing if y'all enquire me.

Jesse says I audio similar Emma Stone, but I'm pretty certain he's but existence sweetness in addition to secretly thinks I'm genuinely becoming Gollum. Like for existent this time.

To forestall a surefire meltdown, Jesse has totally made life ameliorate past times bringing the living room jumbo-tron dorsum into the chamber for me to scout Dirty Dancing, etc. So, this volition probable hold out my persuasion for the side past times side few days every bit I recuperate from my mutual frigidity in addition to occasionally wander into the ease of the theater to snap pictures of what's going on.

Sidenote: I moved my entire occupation into the side room thus that I could select a identify to weblog peacefully. Just human face at misfortunate Vern, all smashed upward inwards there. I decease along telling him he's gotta but human being upward in addition to bargain amongst the situation, but thus far all he's done is whine.

Sigh.

 VERN.

Also, how many people desire to brand a joke almost putting Baby inwards the corner?

 Raise your hand.

Also, pardon my mismatched Duo Dry socks.

I'm sick in addition to can't hold out held responsible for fashion.

Anyways, let's utter almost what comes next.
We've decided to practice the renovation inwards 2 phases. The 2nd stage volition hold out the basement score (The basement score has a living room, chamber in addition to bathroom. It's where the cats live. I've never blogged almost it. Hopefully the renovation volition alter that.) For the start phase, we'll hold out doing the entire chief score start (minus our master copy bedroom, since I clearly quest a identify to wallow). That includes the living room, dining room, kitchen, entryway, both sets of stairs, hallway, invitee bedroom, office, in addition to master copy chamber side room. We've also decided to supervene upon the cut down in addition to doors, build a novel step rail, pigment the entire living/dining area, practice something crazy to the stone wall (which I've been systematically karate chopping for the past times 4 years, hoping it would magically disappear), in addition to and thus practice 1 to a greater extent than genuinely crazy affair that has me thus excited I tin barely stand upward it. 
This delightful video of Jesse should shed some low-cal on that, in addition to fully explicate why he completes me.

That's all for today, ya'll.

I'll hold out dorsum to portion to a greater extent than of the story as it unfolds.

P.S. The other posts inwards the House Makeover serial tin hold out constitute here:

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10

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Our 1970's House Makeover Part Two: Knocking Down Walls

Hey ya'll! I'm back! I've kinda been a hot mess lately, crammed inward a sleeping accommodation amongst ii cats who think they're mini-buffaloes, living off Papa John's, in addition to struggling to shape a coherent thought amidst the dust in addition to noise. So, give cheers y'all for bearing amongst me during this weird-house-limbo-time. Despite the dust, I'm thence excited, in addition to we're finally making progress. So, I've got some fun things to part amongst y'all today.
Cats + pepperoni pizza + dust = life.

If y'all watched lastly week's video of Jesse smashing his agency through the wall, y'all in all likelihood knew what was coming.

We started past times knocking downward the wall betwixt the kitchen in addition to dining room, in addition to and thence somehow ended upward knocking downward some other wall, too. 

So, let's start amongst the dining room wall first. You may recollect that this wall has had several dissimilar looks. 

It started out amongst ugly orangish cut back all over it when nosotros foremost moved in.

 I painted that cut back every bit fast every bit I could. This niggling dining room was the foremost room I always painted inward this house, in addition to it was thence exciting to meet the orangish cut back disappear nether white paint.

This room marks the commencement of my descent into paint-everything-white-madness.

On the opposite side of that wall, inward the kitchen, I painted a chalkboard environs in addition to some thrift shop stools. I also painted the outdated tile on the countertop, which was a huge improvement from the 1970's colors of yesteryear it previously sported.

Later on (seen here), I painted the cut back around the look-through white in addition to spray painted those same stools silver.

It looked much thence better, but if I'm beingness totally honest,

 I nevertheless didn't love it.

It was a cute niggling area, but totally non functional for our life.

Whenever nosotros take hold people over, I ordinarily halt upward sitting on my kitchen countertops amongst 10 people crammed into this niggling kitchen space, all in all likelihood annoyed amongst me that there's nowhere to sit.

Hostess amongst the mostest. Crowned 5 years in addition to running.

That's a lie.

Awhile back, a practiced friend was over in addition to nosotros were sitting at this uncomfortable niggling bar area and she looked at me in addition to said, 

'You know...you should knock downward this wall.'

I looked at her similar she had absolutely lost her mind. 

I mean, who do y'all think I am? H5N1 Fraggle Rock Doozer?

But, Margaret totally planted a seed inward my caput that never went away, in addition to for nearly a twelvemonth at nowadays I've wanted to karate chop this wall forthwith to the ground. When it came fourth dimension to rip upward the floors, I knew that if I was going to take away the wall, at nowadays was the time. Especially since nosotros were putting the hardwood flooring through the kitchen. 

So, tardily ane night, Jesse in addition to I began to accept downward the wall. We started past times removing the cut back off of the door in addition to the look-through.

The cut back was pretty tardily to remove, but the countertop removal basically turned into an archaeological dig, in addition to Jesse had to blast a bunch of tile to larn to the 800 screws soul fastened this matter with.

The #1 inquiry I got afterwards ikon that tile countertop was most whether or non it was durable. Well, since the pigment is nevertheless intact afterwards getting sledgehammered, yes, it has proven to live really durable indeed. If y'all take hold some one-time 1970's tile stinking upward the aesthetics of your delineate of piece of occupation solid somewhere, I nevertheless highly recommend that epoxy paint. 

Totally works.

So, Jesse removed the countertop amongst some virile force. I to a greater extent than oftentimes than non stood in that location amongst a camera, entertaining Jesse amongst song, dance, in addition to moral support.

Once the cut back in addition to countertop were gone, nosotros left the residuum of the wall for our contractor to finish. 

By the adjacent day, the wall was to a greater extent than oftentimes than non gone. There was a large beam (not structural) in addition to some wiring to live dealt with, thence the wall stayed partially cutting out similar this for a niggling while.

Take a quick minute to abide by the 1970's linoleum nosotros flora underneath the tile. 

Not that I desire that on my kitchen floor, but it kinda reminded me of backsplash tile. 

You've come upward total circle, niggling linoleum.

So, inward the below picture, I drew some arrows to demonstrate y'all how much further nosotros took the wall out. In a perfect world, I would gut the ceiling inward the kitchen in addition to vault it similar the residuum of the house, but that's a projection for soul who isn't me. So, my adjacent best selection was to take away the electrical materials in addition to the beams in addition to brand the wall even out amongst the ceiling in addition to side of the house.

So, eventually lastly week, that finally happened.

And I've basically spent my calendar week running dorsum in addition to forth, leaping in addition to celebrating.

It completely changed the agency this infinite feels, in addition to I volition finally live able to comfortably gibe a tabular array inward the dining room. 

I've non had a dining room tabular array for over 2 years, thence the twenty-four hours that finally happens, we're going to celebrate. You in addition to me...so larn ready.

We nevertheless take hold to cut back it out, in addition to pigment it, in addition to all sorts of other stuff, but y'all larn the idea.

The step track has also been partially removed, leaving a dainty hole inward the middle of my house. The novel ane should live getting started soon, but no updates on that only yet.

Just for perspective, here's that same expanse when nosotros foremost moved in.

And here's the electrical flow condition, amongst a chip of flooring finally installed.

 Sidenote: I'm pretty certain I'm going to whitewash the stone fireplace. I'm going to hold off until afterwards the floors are done, thence that I tin lavatory meet how everything looks together, but my gut tells me that that 1970's stone has GOT to go. 

I know one-half of y'all are going to freak, in addition to one-half of y'all are going to celebrate, but I'm pushing forward. I also take hold no thought if it volition fifty-fifty work, but let's gamble, shall we?

 I also desire to supplant the lastly of the outdated forrest light-green low-cal fixtures inward the living room. 

They each concur some 400 dead bugs at all times. You tin lavatory climb a ladder, build clean them out, in addition to in that location volition live 400 novel põrnikas corpses past times Friday. Sometimes I'm pretty certain soul is putting them inward in that location only to mess amongst me. 

Here are a few to a greater extent than pics for perspective.

Here's a sentiment from the opposite way, from when nosotros foremost moved in.

And in addition to thence sometime lastly year.

And at nowadays today, amongst a hint of novel flooring. This is actual hardwood, rather than engineered flooring, thence it's only raw woods correct at nowadays in addition to doesn't take hold whatever stain on it yet. 

I am having quite the province of affairs over picking out a stain color. It's a large commitment, in addition to frankly, I only desire to run away in addition to never return.

I'm staining some samples this calendar week in addition to volition part my thoughts inward my next post. I've decided I don't desire to larn super black anymore (thanks to all of your wise suggestions in addition to stories of lint in addition to dust), in addition to portion of me kinda likes the natural wood. 

Totally didn't meet that coming. 

So, obviously, I'm kinda all over the identify amongst my decision. 

To live continued on that one.

Jesse totally doesn't empathize my mania over choosing a stain color, in addition to his commons input involves something like 

'Yeah, sounds practiced to me. I similar all of the colors.' 

The below picture, taken at Señor Taco (home of the best burritos ever), in all likelihood does an accurate task of depicting how I await at him every fourth dimension he tells me he likes ALL the colors. 

Anyways, we'll cross that stain span when nosotros larn there.

For now, let's motility on to the adjacent wall that got knocked down.

See that niggling doorway? There used to live a really old, really dysfunctional steal door there, in addition to it leads into the hallway. It's insanely narrow in addition to drives us both crazy.

Here's some other sentiment of it afterwards nosotros took the carpet up. 

Still narrow in addition to nevertheless annoying.

Once nosotros took the dining room wall down, the tiny hallway door seemed fifty-fifty to a greater extent than awkward.

So, nosotros decided to take away a large chunk of wall there, too, in addition to opened upward up that niggling doorway.

And it's awesome.

It makes the whole infinite experience different.

It also completely opens upward the hallway in addition to volition brand my laundry province of affairs a niggling less cramped. 

This hallway leads to the invitee bedroom (at the halt of the hall), the office (to the left of the invitee bedroom), the laundry space, the striped guest bathroom (to my immediate left), and in addition to thence behind me, the original bedroom.

Just to laissez passer on y'all some perspective, hither is a crazy moving ikon of what this hallway looked similar when nosotros foremost moved in. This below moving ikon is taken from the same angle every bit the moving ikon above.

I apologize if y'all take hold nightmares most this hallway of horrors.

I know I did.

So, every bit y'all tin lavatory tell, it's actually come upward a long agency since nosotros moved in. Thank goodness.
Here are a couplet to a greater extent than views of this expanse today.

Again, nosotros nevertheless take hold to cut back everything out, in addition to pigment everything, thence squint your eyes.

There's nevertheless thence much to live done, but I'm thence excited at nowadays that I tin lavatory sort of say what it volition all await similar when it's all done.

It genuinely feels similar a dissimilar house.

And my encephalon is going crazy amongst ideas.

I'm basically starting over amongst most of the rooms because my sense of savor has totally changed since I decorated our rooms the foremost fourth dimension around. H5N1 few practiced things volition remain, but tons volition change. So it's going to live actually fun, in addition to there's going to live thence much to spider web log about. 

We'll all await dorsum fondly upon this fourth dimension every bit 'The Great Blogging Drought of 2014'. 

Before I go, since my lastly post, many of y'all take hold sent Tootie your love, wishing her a quick recovery from her truthful cat depression. She cheers you, in addition to wishes to say y'all that she is kinda enjoying living inward the original bedroom, napping adjacent to me on the human bed spell I blog.

She occasionally nevertheless gets depressed over her inability to freely roam the house, but she's doing her best to hold a positive attitude. 

I'll live asset her tiny manus until it's all over, don't y'all worry.

Cheese has no comment.

That's all for today, ya'll.

 I've nevertheless got some other calendar week or ii of chaos ahead of me, thence give cheers y'all for beingness patient amongst me. I dearest ya for it.

'Til adjacent time.

P.S. The other posts inward the House Makeover serial tin lavatory live flora here:

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10

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