My Home Renovation: Hello Lovely Fixer Upper {week 8}
September 02, 2015
2 months into the cottage makeover--
can you believe it???
Hard to imagine there remains any appetite
whatsoever out there for more pics of messes
in the house we plan to call home in a few weeks,
yet share them I will
for y'all faithful design masochists.
p.s.
In the future, I'll probably
just post monthly on our progress
as I need all the time I can get
for moving us over and ummm, life.
This was the lowdown for WEEK 8:
KITCHEN CABINETS!
Kitchen cabinets arrived and remain in boxes
until the flooring is installed.
I chose a simple painted shaker style door,
and when I learned that one of my design heroes,
Sarah Richardson
used this exact custom cabinet made by Schuler,
in her own home, it sealed the deal.
CEILINGS!
We decided even though the ceilings were an okay
shade of off-white, we wanted to bring as much
bright airy-ness as possible so in came the
scaffolding and paint sprayer.
This did the trick, and fortunately, my husband's
athleticism allowed him to survive the daunting task.
SMOOTHER CEILINGS!
Remember this blogger's decision to try
plastering in order to smooth textured ceilings?
these girls are the greatest! missing from the photo is
artist/photographer Melissa, who took the photo of me
in my kitchen above and does incredible work.
I did it!
Yep.
This girl smoothed the kitchen ceiling
and intends to smooth more.
The job is not yet done, and as much as I'd love
to snap selfies up on the ladder with
my trowel...gurl, pleez...use
your dang imagination.
STAIRS!
Mr. Lovely turned to the open stringer stairs
that I was soooo not a fan of and made
me a very happy girl indeed by
closing those motherlovers.
the stair makeover, but if I think
too much about the craptasticness
right now, my head might blow up.
WOOD FLOORS!
Very very exciting!!!!
We hired a master craftsman for our white oak
wood floors which are going in the first floor
and the master bedroom upstairs.
They are gorgeous, and even though
this is a huge expense and tons of
hard work to get just the right
look, we know the value
will be there in the end.
The above is the master bedroom floor after
we ripped carpet and 3 million staples out.
And here it is in progress.
MASTER BATH DEMO!
It has begun.
It is an ongoing nightmare.
I'll tell you why.
The window in this photo looks absolutely fine.
It's not.
So it has to go.
That is a lot of dough.
The toilet had been leaking like forever.
The floor under the toilet was shot and water damaged
so it had to go, and we'll need a new one.
Again, a lot of work (and hence, a lot of dough).
KITCHEN PREP FOR CABINETS!
Our kitchen still looks like this, but the gas line
was moved to accommodate a new location for
a gas cooktop, and recessed lights were moved.
There is still much to be done this weekend
so it will be ready for cabinet installation next week.
Lessons Learned in Week 8:
*I love working with plaster, and it feels good
to leave my comfort zone and push myself.
It's the only way to grow.
*My husband and I make a great team because
we honor the strengths and limitations of each other.
I stand in awe of the fearless warrior spirit he
brings to all aspects of his life, and I am so grateful.
*Always hire the very best to do the work for
which you are not skilled...be willing to pay and wait
for as long as it takes for things like flooring
which will be in place for decades.
*Uprooting twice within a few months is more
stressful than I can say, and I am paying a
steep price as far as my emotional health.
THE 3 F'S:
faith, friends who care,
and a fierce sense of humor.
Thank you for following, friends.
Please come join me
in this DIY adventure by
clicking here for all my fixer upper update posts!
(And thanks for subscribing here so you don't miss an episode.)
Coming soon:
KITCHEN CABINET INSTALLATION
MASTER BATH FIXES
FINISHED FLOORS
Peace to you right where you are.
17 comments
Hang in there!
ReplyDeletexox, karen.
DeleteMichele I am absolutely amazed at this project; however I can see how gorgeous it is going to be in the end!! You do have great friends, a great husband and of course your loving blog pals!!
ReplyDeletexoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
Featuring Sharon Santoni
we know at least the floors will be gorgeous. thx, karena!
DeleteMichele, You all are coming right along and you have made amazing progress, I am totally impressed. Once you get all settled you will sit back and know you touched every inch of your home with your loving, talented hands. Love the updates!!
ReplyDeleteOur cabinetry is getting installed and it is an exciting thing to see!! Loving the all white walls in your home and in my new home. I have been busy playing with possible light fixtures on my blog for the new house, It is a fun journey,
Kathysue
thx, kathysue. cabinets! exciting! i love watching your nantucket sanctuary come together. xox
DeleteGetting very exciting! I love that you seem to be having fun through it all.....that can make or break the experience..attitude is everything you and you have the right one! Love the kitchen inspiration and on a side note don't you LOVE the smell of newly installed wood floors:) Enjoy!
ReplyDeletei'm a good faker then, tina! it's not very much fun at all right now. the BLOGGING? yes. living with chaos and disorder. no, m'am. you are right. the house smells wonderful and clean! xox
DeleteIve wanted to try my hand at plastering...was it hard?
ReplyDeletehard but not impossible, and since i'm not after a 'perfect' look, i think i'll be okay. using drywall joint compound diluted with some water. i'll keep you all posted. xox
DeleteWonderful Progress!
ReplyDeleteOh Michele you are going to havé so much fun decorating it, and I can not wait!
Xoxo
Dore
come do it for me, dore!
DeleteWow, it's looking lovely! Once it's all done, all you and hubby's hard work will have been worth it:) Love the high ceiling! I got dizzy just looking at your husband up on that platform...I don't do heights!
ReplyDeletenever again, victoria!!!
DeleteDon't you love getting all those BOXES!! YOU ALL are working so hard and I cannot believe those photos of your husband working on the ceiling .. and you doing a little climbing yourself!!! That is impressive (be careful!). The hardwood is gorgeous and I LOVE the kitchen inspiration photo. Your kitchen is going to be so pretty Michele and I can't wait to see all the progress.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your weekend ahead! xxL
i hope the kitchen comes together. it is not ideal as far as ceiling height and room shape, but we'll tweak it til we figure it out. thx, leslie--you too!
DeleteAhhhh! The floors are beautiful!!! ... and the stairs were open? i wouldn't like that either. Now what did you do to the ceiling? Was it popcorn and you hand did what on it? I have ceilings that aren't popcorn but kind of textured in a popcorn kinda way... i'm so curious about your fix. Ummmm... standing on that huge scaffolding and looking up at the ceiling would totally freak me out...
ReplyDeleteCindy
Your comments add to the beauty...thanks in advance for your kindness.