Remodeling Update #1

It's been a busy 2 weeks!  We have a long list of projects to tackle in this house, but I should let you know that we already took one thing off the list.  We've decided not to add a wall and connect the guest bedroom to the guest bathroom.  We were originally going to do this and then make it the master bedroom/bath, but it's not any bigger than the one we're in right now and this one's already connected to a bathroom.  Essentially, we're looking to add value.  That might not add any true value, so we're going to let it go.

Here's what we've been up to…

One of the deal breakers in this house were the wooden toilet seats.  Yes, brown wooden toilet seats.
On our first joint trip to Lowe's last week, we picked up a white toilet seat and bronze towel rack.  $34 and 20 minutes to make the bathroom look much better.

The bathroom already has nice tiling on the sink and shower and dark copper fixtures.  Eventually we'll replace the linoleum (it's in good shape for now) with slate and I plan to paint over that sea foamy color as soon as I can. How about yellow?

We added a doggy gate.

We have an "open" basement with no door and certain little animals like to run down there and get into things.  Right now there's lot of stuff to get into.   

I painted and decorated the entryway into the kitchen. I can't say why exactly, but I was extremely passionate about this.  I HAD to have it done.  There was no waiting or thinking.  3 coats of paint and 2 days.  

Before pictures:

Eventually, this entryway will have a slate floor and I plan on doing something to get rid of that ugly electrical panel cover (suggestions welcome).  

After pictures:

We painted that bench blue a few years ago.  I *think* Scott's dad built it.

The wall color is Valspar Gray Silt.

I saw this sign on Pinterest, loved it, and then found it in a store in Rolla, Missouri.  Wearing shoes in houses is one of my pet peeves.  But King George does what he wants.  Much like Chuck Bass or Tim Riggins (In fact, I would like a sign that says "Unless you are God, George Strait, Chuck Bass, OR Tim Riggins…take off your boots".)

The rug is from Target.

I'm aware that this coat hook doesn't necessarily fit the theme, because my theme is not rustic-log-cabin. But we bought it at the start of the Iditarod in 2010, so it has meaning.  Also, we hung it in the house we lived in then, but have just kind of carried it around since.  I'm glad it has a place now.

I bought the chalkboard in Missouri too, and then carried it to Colorado in my suitcase.  #dedication

And the hardwood floor…

It's coming along.  We can't finish it until we have our kitchen done and the kitchen probably won't be finished for awhile because we're ripping it all out, improving it (painting cupboards, new appliances, changing the island), and putting it all back together. Should be…fun.

I do want to keep these updates positive, because what we're doing is rewarding (albeit expensive). However, it's exhausting.  The physical labor of it isn't (though Scott might disagree), but the waking-up-and-going-to-sleep-in-a-construction-zone is draining to the spirit.  I just want to unpack!  But all of our stuff is mostly still in boxes.  Someday…