After A Long Silence

February 1, 2013

Wow, it has been a month and a half  since I last posted.  Funny thing about silence, it speaks volumes...

We made it through the holidays with very little fanfare.  Our tree was up a few days before Christmas and down a week after.  It was definitely a minimal year in that department, so I intend to have a super long and fabulous Christmas season for 2013.

I did leave the outside Christmas lights up through the end of January because they really cheer me up.  Two of our neighbors do the same and I love looking out at them every night. David and I took the outside lights down today.

So, back to the inside of the house.  I would say that we are 95% there.  So, over the next few weeks I will try to post a room at a time.  I am starting with the living room because it is the only one that is actually completely finished.  So, here are some before and after pictures.

Before, there was carpet and old windows that made it really difficult to keep the room warm...

Now there is hardwood floor, a rug, and new windows that keep the cold out.

Before, there was a blue wall map and an oversized fabric sofa (that has now been relegated to the basement).

Now, the wall map is more antique and there is another leather sofa (the two ends recline, which I just love, and the kids seem to think is their new toy).

Before, we came in the back door and hung up our coats and took off our shoes and anyone visiting was assaulted with the bad visual of all of our STUFF.  Also, before you look at the after picture, keep in mind the window to the left of the door as I reused it but it is used horizontally.

Now, we have a closed off little mud room to store all of the coats and boots...  It is behind the horizontal window.  

I also repurposed the door to the mudroom  It came from a pocket door that was between the living room and kitchen (you can see the opening in the next 'before' picture).

Before, we were separated from the kitchen with only a tiny little door and closet in the way...

Now, we have an open archway into the kitchen with a bar as separation.  The window next to the bar lets loads more light into the room as well.

So, there you have it, the new living room.  Not only does it look better and is quite a bit more functional, but it is also much warmer as we put in underfloor heating.  It is my favorite place to be as I can sit on the rug and it is all warm and cozy.  It should be good for sleepovers for the kids too.

So, I am in a much happier place as things seem to be coming to a close on the inside of the house.  I will post about the kitchen soon...

~Mary