Done vs. To Do

So here we are, the night before move in. There's still much to be done in the house but the progress we've made is awesome. Our original intent when we first chose the house was that we would move in mid-March. Life took some unexpected turns though, and things got kicked into full gear. I had a lot things that I hoped would get done before we actually move in, but thought most were wishful thinking. To my delight though all of those things have gotten done and more. Some of this will be repetitive, but I wanted to do a run down of all that's been done, and all that is yet to do. This is really just more of a check list for me because I need to get organized. So, here's the run down starting with the entry way. . .

      

Entry Way Done:
* Cleaned Flooring
* Replaced Light Fixture
* Painted Molding
To Do:
* Paint Walls
* Buy Rug
* Decorate Walls

Living Room Done:
* Cleaned Flooring
* Sanded and Painted Mantel
* Sanded and Painted Front Window
* Painted Walls
* Painted Molding and Trim
* Painted and Installed Quarter Round Molding
To Do:
* Install molding around the fireplace brick on the floor
* Decorate Walls

Kitchen Done:

* Replaced Flooring

* Replaced Counter tops

* Installed New Faucet

* Installed New Dishwasher

* Installed New Hood above Stove

* Sanded and Painted Cabinets

* Installed New Handles on Doors & Drawers

* Spray Painted Old Door Hinges

* Painted Pantry Shelving

* Painted Pantry Door

* Painted Basement Door

* Painted Walls
* Painted Pocket Door to Dining Room

* Painted Window & Trim

* Installed 2 New Recess Lights

To Do: 

* Put Up Tile Back-Splash 

* Hang Shelving on Wall

* Install Under Cabinet Lighting

* Decorate

Dining Room Done: 

* Cleaned Flooring

* Painted Trim, Molding & Windows

* Painted Walls

* Painted Pocket Door

* Spray Painted Chandelier 

To Do: 

* Decorate 

Hallway Done:

* Cleaned Flooring

* Painted and Installed Quarter Round Molding

* Started Painting Trim

To Do:

* Finish Painting Trim

* Install New Light Fixture

* Paint Walls 

* Paint Doors & Replace Door Handles on Closets

Master Bedroom Done:

* Cleaned Flooring

* Painted Doors

* Painted Trim

* Painted Windows

* Installed Ceiling Fan

* Installed Plantation Blinds

To Do: 

* Paint Walls 

* Decorate

* Remodel Master Bath (which will effect the lay out of the bedroom, master closet, etc.)

Full Bathroom Done:

* Replaced 2 Light Fixtures

* Tore out Wall Cabinet

* CLEANED, CLEANED, and CLEANED

To Do:

* GUT IT. . .AKA EVERYTHING!!!! 

Guest Bedroom Done:

* Painted Doors

* Painted Walls

* Painted Trim & Window

* Installed Plantation Blinds

* Installed New Light Fixture

* Cleaned Flooring

To Do:
* Decorate 

Still left to tackle. . . 

THE ENTIRE BASEMENT LEVEL!!! 

and

LANDSCAPING 

So, as you can see. . .there's lots that's been accomplished and still lots to do. Hands down my favorite part is decorating, so I can't wait for that to begin this week. Lots more pics to come! 

1 more room complete . . .

Today I was able to finish mopping the dining room floors and able to move in the table and chairs. One more room complete! I also started playing around with various art pieces for the space and am excited about starting the decorating process next week! The two shades of blue are found throughout many of the pieces of art we already have which is perfect!

Dining Room BEFORE

Dining Room AFTER 

And speaking of decorating, while I was in Good Will today dropping off clothes I found some super cute glass containers for $0.50 a piece. I snatched them up and then made a stop at Home Depot for some succulents ($2-$4 each) and some potting soil. This afternoon I put together a few terrariums and I love them! There is so much natural light in the house, I plan on using a TON of plants throughout.

6 more days til move in . . . 

Paint Colors

Several people have inquired about my paint color choices, so here's the rundown. . .

The kitchen cabinets were primed with Zinsser oil based primer, and painted with
 Benjamin Moore Regal Select Semi-GlossWhite. Regal Select is also what I have used on all the windows, and trim work throughout the house. It goes on very easily and looks great!

The kitchen wall color is Benjamin Moore Jamestown Blue.

In the dining room I used Jamestown Blue on the bottom of the walls. Benjamin Moore is a little pricey, so I took the can to Lowes and had them color match it. The dining rooms is SLIGHTLY darker, but it's very close! The top color is Olympic 1: Beach House Blue. 

The living room is painted in Olympic 1: Quacking Grass.
 Mantel, trim and window in Benjamin Moore Regal Select White.
The art work is from World Market.

Guest Room is painted in Olympic 1: Hopsack

That's all the colors we have used for now. As I mentioned, Zinsser is a great brand to use for primers. . .it dries very quickly and did great covering the dark wood. For knotted pine cabinets I would use Zinsser BIN Primer, ultimate stain blocker.

 And a little extra painters tip. . .if you're using your brushes for several days in a row just wrap them very tightly with aluminum foil and store them in the fridge. That way you don't have to worry about cleaning them after every single use ;) 

So close. . .

My favorite room got completed today, and I have to admit. . .I am proud. I absolutely adore this room, with it's natural light and gorgeous floors. The green is calming, yet is just the right burst of color. The white trim, window, and mantle really make the room look so much larger and polished. The painting that is propped against the mantle (will eventually be hung) really brings it all together. This painting was in the bedroom of our old condo, and I don't think I could have come up with a better piece for the new place. The greens throughout matches the wall color perfectly, and really ties together the blue from the kitchen and dining room. I also love how the red in the painting just makes the brick in the fireplace pop. Our friends Nick and Cindy stopped by today and Nick helped us move the couch and recliner in. I can't wait to share pictures once the room is decorated and really complete.

Before & After. Oh what a little paint can do. . .

Bill also finished up the kitchen flooring today, and it's looking great! 

3 Rooms Down. . .

We're 1 week away from move-in and I'm more than happy with the progress. I had 2 days off of work this week and was able to knock out a ton of painting. I also had my Dad's help today finishing up trim and hanging blinds, which made a huge difference. This week I was able to finish up all the master bedroom and guest bedroom painting. It's amazing how much larger and brighter the rooms are with all the dark wood work gone! Here are a few before and after shots of some of the painting that got done this week. . .

Guest Bedroom closets 

Guest Bedroom/Office

Master Bedroom with the ceiling fan, finished trim work, and blinds. 

Master Bedroom doors and trim work complete. 

Dining Room chandelier got a make over with a little spray paint. 

Ryan also started working on replacing our bathroom light fixture this week. The old fixture was hung with 4 inch nails, nailed into the beams. They could have held HIM to the wall!!! Needless to say, it was a beast to get down and required quite a bit of patching. Hopefully tomorrow the new fixture will be up.

Today Bill (the current owner) also started installing our kitchen flooring. I can't wait to show the kitchen completed. The new flooring really ties together everything perfectly! 

With a 3-day weekend coming up, we anticipate getting all the painting and prep work done for move-in so next week can be dedicated to seriously scrubbing the place down before all the furniture goes in. I can't believe how fast time is flying!!!

A bit weary on week 4

We're on week 4 of the reno and every muscle I have hurts, and I'm beyond exhausted. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel though so that's keeping me going. It really is crazy to think of all that we have accomplished in just a month's time. When we walked in that house last month I had a vision of what I wanted it to be. . .and that vision is coming to life. So cool. I'm happy that some major projects are already complete, and others are nearing completion. This week. . .

The sub-floors got put in the kitchen. It's amazing how different it looks with just those! Today we also finished up painting all the walls. The kitchen looks sooooo much larger with the white cabinets and light flooring. I was concerned about choosing a darker color (Benjamin Moore Jamestown Blue) for the walls, but it's all balanced out very well. On the wall seen in this picture I plan on hanging 3 long, white, shelves to be used for decor as well as random items like our toaster, etc. to save counter space. I also got the shelving painted in the pantry today. I can not tell you how excited I am to have a pantry! 

Blue walls complete and sub-floor in. 

I have a pantry :) Ignore the funky wire shelving. 

The thing I am MOST EXCITED about this weekend, is the completion of the living room painting. I'm also pleased the blog is actually portraying a half-way realistic view of our green :) I am beyond pleased with our decision to paint the mantel and large window, and it's shocking how different this room looks! I was also anxious to get the drop cloths up tonight, as we had never seen the hardwood in the living room yet. They have been covered since we first saw the house, so I was curious to see what we're working with. Thankfully though they're gorgeous! They actually have the least ware of any of the rooms, which is awesome! I can't wait to get a good before/after shot of this room!

In other, less exciting, painting news. . .the basement and pantry doors got painted today. And our bedroom trim is pretty much done. We just need to touch up a couple of the bedroom doors and that room will be ready for move in, since it got a major scrub down a couple weeks ago. 

The bedroom is gonna stay white for now because I need to leave some design projects for later.
Don't want all the fun to end too soon :) 

Final coats of paint went up the dining room today too, and it looks awesome. Again, the colors really make the rooms seem so much larger!

Ignore the fact this is our holding room for EVERYTHING. 

A couple special treats for the husband this week. . .his super fancy, energy-efficient hot water heater got installed, as well as a shower head that he can actually fit under. 

Two more weeks til the big move . . .

Looking like a completely different house. . .

The place is really starting to look like a whole new house, and I'm getting really excited. Due to some recent unexpected changes in our lives, our move in date has now been moved up to January 25th so we're really kicking things into high gear. This previous week . . .

We got the dining room trim and walls primed and painted with the first coat. I actually like the chandelier that was in there, so it's come down and is getting spray painted. I was torn as to what colors to do in this room, but once I saw the blue in the kitchen I fell in love and knew it needed to get extended to another room. My first thought then was to do blue and tan, but once I actually saw the paint samples I envisioned the tan making the house look a little more formal than I wanted. So, "beach house blue" it is!

1st coat up, and I've got a good feeling about these color choices!

A little 'before' and 'after' action on the progress so far.

It's amazing what a little spray paint will do. 

Next up was more progress on the living room. Again, I debated what to do with the fireplace mantel and window, but knew it had to change color whether that be staining or painting. After doing some serious sanding I realized it really would take FOREVER to get it to the proper state to strain, so paint it is! And I have to say I'm really happy with the decision. In person the room looks HUGE now. I have to say though, painting these two beasts really tried my patience. Our plan is to eventually replace that bay window with three windows because it's not very energy efficient. After all the TLC it's gotten though this past week, the window and I have formed a special bond. After I get 2 more rounds of paint on this thing it just might have to stay forever! 

I DON'T KNOW WHY THIS BLOG WEBSITE MAKES OUR GREEN LOOK LIME GREEN IN SOME PICS ONCE THEY UPLOAD!!? PLEASE IGNORE THAT. . .IT IS NOT LIME!

Painting this thing seemed like a brilliant idea until I got to these bazillion little blocks. Had a lesson in patience that day. 

I'm so happy with the end result on the mantle. I think it makes the brick look gorgeous
and really draws your eye to the crown molding! 

Our kitchen counter tops and sink also got installed thanks to Bill, the current owner. Have I mentioned we love Bill?? 

Guest room (aka, Kyran's room) trim got primed really making the wall color pop. 

And last, but not least, Ryan replaced the not-so-lovely chandelier in our bedroom with a new fan. The chandelier actually had grapes etched in the glass. . .IN THE BEDROOM???

I think by the end of the coming weekend we may actually have a couple rooms that are completely DONE (painted, cleaned, and ready for move in) and that makes me one super excited girl!!! It's feeling less and less overwhelming all the time.