Well, we're coming up on a year in our new home, and I can say with a certain amount of confidence that it now looks very different than it did 12 months ago. Here is a before and after journey of all that's been happening...
We'll start with the outside. This is what our house looked like just before we moved in. (I took these off of Zillow so they aren't very good quality.)
12 months later...not too much has happened in the front, but we did rip out all of the amazing juniper bushes (note the sarcasm) that were EVERYWHERE, and we added a fence and gate to the side of the house. The outside landscaping is the next thing on the To Do List.
We added a fence across the backyard. It definitely feels more private!
We also did a little work to the patio area. Wes re-wired some electrical so we could add an outdoor light/ceiling fan and some party lights.
And his FAVORITE outdoor project was the stamped concrete patio we just added a few weeks ago! This area originally contained a huge bush, some ugly pink rock, and some death-trap rusty metal edging. So the concrete men came and covered it all up with stamped concrete. My dad had the genius idea of laying out the shape we wanted with a garden hose, so they knew exactly what we wanted.
I don't think it rained/snowed the entire month of March. EXCEPT for the morning they were scheduled to pour our patio. Needless to say, in the contest between heavy concrete-filled wheelbarrows and our wet grass, the wheelbarrows won. Oh well, we're working on re-seeding it.
Here's the finished product. (You can also see the last section of fence that is being replaced as we speak) We're extremely happy with it, and even more happy to add Oma Bosch's picnic table to the area. We gave it a two-tone spray paint face lift and it fits perfectly!
On to the inside...we started by scraping the popcorn ceilings. Next we took down the old light fixtures (you know, light fixtures like the ones you see below) and installed new lights and ceiling fans in almost every room.
Here's the dining room now...
Then we took down the old window coverings (you know, curtains like the ones you see below) and hung eighteen sets of new blinds. This room is now Landon's nursery. It still needs a new paint job, so no pictures yet!
The next major project was the family room. Anyways, this is what the family room looked like before. Isn't the wood paneling just lovely?!
Down went the wood paneling. Up went about a million nail hole patches, a fresh coat of two-tone paint, some new curtains, new baseboards and chair rail, and an entirely new bar area. Here's what the family room looks like today...
This picture also shows the new doors Wes installed on the main floor. They are a slight improvement from the hollow brown doors that hung there before!
And our largest and most recent project is the kitchen. Here's the kitchen when we moved in. Other than the size and general layout, we didn't really like any of it...parque flooring, yellow laminate counter tops, a super low ceiling with flourescent lighting, the ancient appliances, and I could go on and on and on...
Way back in January, we started scheduling appointments at Home Depot. We spent HOURS there choosing cabinet types/colors/stains, designing the layout, and deciding exactly which kind of cabinet or drawer we wanted in each spot. Towards the end of March, we finally decided to go for it! So, as our official step one, Wes started tearing out cabinets. Landon thought that was awesome!
That also meant moving EVERYTHING into the family room! Again, Landon (and PR and Brady) thought that was awesome...
The next step was raising the ceiling. We hired a 6'7 tall man who came and cut it all out. Wes (and Nate...thanks!!!!) spent the next five days re-wiring almost the entire house. They had to move all of the wire that used to hang in the low ceiling up into the joists AND install all the new electrical and lighting for the new kitchen.
The 6'7 tall man came back and hung drywall on the new higher ceiling and added texture.
Then it was time for some paint! We added some secret messages behind the new cabinets :)
Next up? The floors! We removed the rest of the base cabinets and started tearing out the parque. We actually had Wes's gym floor guys from work do the floor for us. But, Brady really enjoyed using the hammer and pry bar. I'm not kidding, he worked at this for a good hour or two. He was sweating by the time he finished!
And for whatever reason, I didn't capture too many pictures of the next few steps. I think it's because I became Wes's official assistant as we completed the rest of the tasks below:
1) Hanging a bazillion cabinets.
2) Installing crown molding on said cabinets.
3) Getting granite counter tops, and installing a new sink, a new disposal, etc.
4) Wiring and installing under counter lights.
5) Installing a new vent hood.
6) Installing a tile backsplash.
7) I'm probably forgetting a few other things here and there, but you get the idea.
Anyways, we are FINALLY getting closed to finished. All that is left is some baseboard and trim in the other rooms on the main floor, so drum roll please.....here is the finished kitchen!
The fridge used to be where the "landing area" is, and there was a desk where the fridge is now. We switched them around for a better flow. We are really happy with it. There was a dry-walled pantry where our cabinet pantry is now.
This project has definitely been an adventure. For over a month, we used our main floor bathroom as our kitchen and ate at almost every fast food restaurant there is. We got home from work and started working on the kitchen until about midnight for a few weeks straight. It was exhausting and slightly stressful, but also kind of fun. I am so impressed and amazed by my husband. He is extremely talented when it comes to projects. He knows how to do almost everything, and if he doesn't, he has the problem solving abilities to be able to figure it out. It was pretty amazing to watch it all come together. Especially doing the majority of it ourselves, we took great pride in each and every step. Our kids were also pretty awesome. They considered the construction mess an adventure, and took their extra independence in stride. We are so happy to be in this house. The size and location could not be better, and with a few more projects (a LONG ways down the road :)), it is quickly becoming the perfect house for us!
