the Entry

After returning from Arizona we quickly realized that with a little bean ball - our free time is consumed with wanting to spend every minute with her - especially since we both work full time! SO... we decided to finish the entry and enlisted help. The walls needed to be painted and the trim work needed to be touched up (it was gross & grimy and needed sanding smooth and restaining/ sealing). We did it a bit backwards as we thought we would refinish the trimwork at a later date - so we painted first, did the trim, and then had to touch up the paint... oops!

Our exterior house painter came and did the paint job for us and we found a restoration person to give the trimwork the TLC it needed (this again, was another wild goose chase)... All in all, I couldn't be happier or more thankful to have this work done, done well, and complete.

the Before - The trim is dark, so you can't see how bad it looks in person...
and the walls needed a lot of plaster repair (also not visible)

the Before - A better view of the trim.
You could scratch the black grime off with your fingernail (GROSS!!!)

the After - nice and crisp. All trim and walls are crisp and smooth. 

Details: The trim guys went above and beyond our expectations of sanding to bare wood all the trim work in this area, including the stair landing window. My biggest concern was dust from the sanding but their equipment kept it contained and each night we came home, we couldn't tell that they had been there (other than the progress, of course). We used Michael Light of ML Restoration. Great guy, lives in the neighborhood. We also stained the risers on the stairs, as it was evident that they had previously been stained. We used Miller Paint... and I'd have to look up the color.

shut the Front Door

Hello Friends! Right around Easter we had the front door and side lites removed to be restored. It was a wild goose chase to find someone to restore the door (vs. replace) - and so glad we did. Eric, of Willow Classic Woodworking, and his team did a great job and we couldn't be more pleased.

It's amazing to have a front door that shuts tight, is smooth and sealed, and has hardware in working order. No more loose glass, old cat claw marks from the previous owners or years of black grime! I don't have to worry about whoever comes to the door and knocks on the glass, for fear that before it would come loose and shatter on the floor!

Please pardon the iphone photos - that's the only way you'll see pictures these days!

front door before, with new hardware
(notice all the holes from over the years)

front door, before - mismatched trim

front door after - all touched up
all the holes are gone!

front door after - you can barely see the round patch from the old dead bolt

front door after - working lockset, sanded smooth, weather tight

Details - I took the front door handle to a machine shop to have it repaired as parts had broken off over the years and thus, it stopped working. The front door and side lites were sealed with many coats of a marine grade (boat) finish, so it's protected for years from the sun/ UV. All the glass was caulked into place with a clear silicone to prevent air leakage and weather stripping was installed around the door frame for a better seal.

Front Bedroom is "complete"

Or at least, as complete as it will be until we get the energy to move all our furniture off the 2nd floor and refinish the floors!

Some items on the wishlist?

1.) A better, more personalized overhead light

2.) A lamp or two for accent lighting

3.) A headboard/ beadframe to ditch our current simple frame

4.) A rug to soften up the flooring

5.) More artwork/ photos...

6.) Bedding and some fun pillows.

The budget for this room was basically a couple hundred dollars and we (Joe) did everything. It included new electrical wiring, outlets & plugs, painting and patching the plaster and new wood trim along the base as well as trim at the top of the window headers. We purchased paint, plaster, wood trim and curtains/ rods for the room. All other items we had...

Bathroom

it is heaven... take a peek!

my sewing skills put to work on a bathroom curtain

step into our shower, it has water pressure!

an overall view of the finished project

the marble legde perfectly notched for the shower glass

this plant may be replaced with an orchid

if i ever remember to pick one up!