Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Hardwood Part 2 getting there

Hope everyone had a nice, family-filled and relaxing holiday.

I certainly did, although the relaxing bit was a bit out of sight. It was still very much enjoyable.

Hubs and I spent a lot of time prepping the main floor living room and kitchen and started on the flooring in there. My FIL is in town today to help hubs with some more of the hardwood, but mostly just to spend some QT together and see the new place.

Started with the front hallway section since there's a staircase and bullnosing required there:

Looks good non? Now we just need banisters!
And here's hubs getting to work on the living room (and yes, the room IS that vibrant blue-it's not just my camera this time):
God! I can't wait until it's done and I can paint those blasted walls!
And although the kitchen got off to a rocky start with floating laminate, plywood screwed down about a zillion times, vinyl and MORE particle board that is a PITA to rip up not to mention a leaking dishwasher (this house is haunted with water ghosts), we ended up getting it all up by puck drop last night so it's 98% prepped for installation today.

See all the screws-I told you! I'm a mad woman with a drill now though after so much practice:
And if past evidence was not proof enough of the poor taste this home has a history of, please note the vinyl flooring that used to be in the kitchen:
Yes-REALLY! And the cabinets used to be dark. Can you imagine!!!!! I'm so glad I wasn't around in the 70's! And I'm so glad that we're replacing it!
I am SO excited for what I'll be coming home to tonight! ANd tomorrow we're (ahem-hubs) is installing a new patio door and getting to work on the dining room hardwood, and then...and then the flooring's done!

The Family Room

Since I didn't get around to taking it once the hardwood was actually complete and furniture moved in, here's a quick shot I snapped this morning of the completed family room.

We (I) quickly added some Christmas decorations so that it'd feel a bit like home on Christmas morning. It somehoe manages to be half-assed AND over the top at the same time.

Oh well, it's Christmas and we only decorated 1 room amid lots of construction and moving, so naturally it's going to be a bit off.
Here's the view from the upstairs perch:

From the acutal stairs coming into the room:

And of the other side of the room:

I actually really love it. It's SUCH a different room from when we viewed and bought the house, it's ridiculous. And yes, it's a bit messy in the pics, but it's a bit messy most of the time, so there you go.

And also yes, that's a pot at the foot of the red chair-we came back from visiting family to a lovely little leak on the floor. Merry Christmas new homeowner's! It hasn't leaked since and we had someone by to look at it yesterday and it's most likely all fixed now that he's caulked the poop out of it. But we're advised to keep the decorative floor pot there until there's a nice sunny day to melt the snow just to make sure. Nice, huh?

Monday, December 21, 2009

Hardwood Part 1 complete

Wow--a HUGE transformation took place at our new home over the weekend. And I LOVE it!

Hubs worked him little buns off to get the family room flooring done this weekend to give himself a head start for Christmas holiday project-and he did great!

First, a reminder of what we purchased with the home:


And the already dramatic difference that ripping up and replacing the upstairs & stairs carpeting did:

And then after that nasty blue carpet was ripped up (and watching our new favourite show The Sing Off):



Hubs started on Friday, so here are some mid-way pics taken Saturday am:



And the beautiful, SO much better final product (at dusk on Saturday, so lighting's wonky):



And yesterday we had some helpers with us to move our family room furniture in and I got my butt in gear getting some Christmas decorations up so that we'll at least have 1 room that's festive to wake up to on Friday. I haven't had a chance to snap pics of that yet, but I just had to post the progress.

Now we're only missing a bit of moulding, some banisters and then this room's flooring is done.

Next stop-the main level! *shutter*

Great work J!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Let the renovations begin!

Hubs and I have never really been the patient kind. I mean, we are in life, but not really when it comes to stuff we want or want done.



Enter fixer-upper home. Project for the renovation eager!


We closed on Friday.


First thing Saturday morning, we had new laundry appliances delivered and replaced those because really...these are what were there: (and yes, we picked up a new laundry tub too):We also had carpet installers in to measure where we're replacing all the carpet (to be clear--it's ALL getting ripped up, but only the stairs and top floor are getting carpet again. The rest will be hardwood or ceramic).

Hubs also went to town with his saws-all cutting out the existing banisters. They were going to get replaced anyways, and this is just easier for carpet installation and they weren't up to code in regards to the distance between them, so with a bambino on the way-better to get 'em safe.

We also picked up a truckload of hardwood that'll be installed in the next 2 weeks.

Then-on Sunday hubs, my brother and his GF went to town ripping up the top floor carpet in anticipation of Monday's install.

Yep-on Monday we had the carpet guys in to install the new delicious carpeting!

A reminder of what was there Friday:

(In our squatter bedroom-no point in moving the furniture in just to move it back out the next day)And the post-demo (which could NOT have happened without the help of my bro, his GF and my dad):

Cozy bedrooms, non?And the demo carnage:
















And finally after 1 guy worked non-stop from 8-1:30 to create (seriously, he worked so damn hard):

And yes-you'll notice the squatter's moved down to the family room for Sunday night to account for the plywood floors and not wanting to move anything else again first thing Monday am. Fortunately, by mid-afternoon, our room looked like this and was just calling for us to squat there again:


Which we did not do. Instead, we actually moved real furniture in! What a novel idea...and it was SOOO nice to sleep in a real bed again last night:

And here's the best I could do for a close-up of the berber we chose. It goes so well with the hardwood we're installing (which happens to be the exact same wood we installed in our last place)Which Max really seems to enjoy.

It's so nice to have part 1 done. Now at least in the upstairs we can actually move in. And with the hardwood being installed in the next couple weeks while hubs is off for Christmas vacation (heh-some vacation), soon enough we'll be able to be actually moved in.

Can't wait!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

First Days

Phew! It really feels so good to be in.
Welcome to our new home the night of move-in (please keep in mind that most of what you are seeing will be changed fairly drastically):
Front Entrance and door to powder room:

The Kitchen, of which my absolute favourite part has got to be the wicked doiley lace curtains:

The Dining Room with the kitchen on the left and patio door to the right:

The living room which connects to the kitchen, entrance and dining room:

The Garage:

The Basement (and hubs' fanny):

The Laundry Room off the basement:

And the workshop off the laundry room:

The mid-level Family Room:

The upstairs hallway looking into the family room:

Spare Bedroom (which served as cat-central until they got used to the move):

The Nursery:

The main bathroom (and arguably the nicest room in the house before Friday):

Our Master Bedroom:

And the piece de resistance, our ensuite bathroom:

Oh yes, it's blue. It's ALL blue. A lovely matte peacock blue as well with several chips, dings and water stains. She's a beaut.

I can't wait to see what it all becomes.