A Week Off? Time for a Home Makeover!

I am not exaggerating even a little bit when I say this: I ADORE home renovation projects. Especially when they are straightforward and present minimal mess when I am expecting complete disaster.

Seriously. If you haven't followed my home renovation saga over the last few months, here's the skinny. The people who lived here before us had no idea how to do simple home updates. They apparently were also incapable of doing basic research such as opening a book at the local library and looking at pictures. An example, you ask? Our upstairs bathroom was a vinyl floor. I know this because I can see the vinyl which is under a 3/4 inch sheet of plywood which is under white tiles which were not glued down. They were only grouted. In a bathroom. Where water will make the wood swell and shrink, allowing for pockets of air under tiles allowing to break and break they have.

Good thing I'm not afraid to tie my hair up and protect my airways.

We are going to have to rip out the tiles and plywood and lay down a new floor entirely. And the whole house is like this.

Among other sins are using but failing to clean the fireplace since 1992 resulting in MANY chimney fires and near condemnation. Phew! That was a close call. Then there was the carpet that blocked a door from opening. The same carpet which covered the bathroom floor (which was previously floored with faux brick vinyl). And yet more carpet which covered all of the beautiful, natural oak floors that run through this house.

To add insult to injury, they were cat people. The whole place smelled of cats and litter, almost as though they hadn't cleaned the vacuum since '92.

Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating. After all, we did buy the place. But I'm also not exaggerating. There are so many home renovations on our project list including getting rid of front door #2 so we can expand the kitchen. Yeah, I'm scratching my head over the multiple entries too.

So what did I do so far this week? Kid 1 got a gaming laptop for Christmas. That meant Kid 2 got the gaming PC moved to her room. Last night, I reorganized her freshly painted room to create a recording and editing "studio," reading nook, and update her bedsheets.

Hi, doggy!

Today, I ripped carpet out of Kid 3's room, got rid of two large pieces of furniture (they will go to a friend who is having a baby) and have the space set up so her easel and art supplies can be added. The child loves to paint. Her reading nook is in her closet. She elected to get rid of the closet doors and move her bookcase under her bed for added space. Now we just need to clean up her dollhouse and find that drop cloth.

This work happened with my partner @nat5an's help. My wrist is still in shambles, and about 1/3 of the way through pulling up staples and tack strips, he came and took over. This allowed me to sort, reorganize and shift furniture.

Can you believe they covered that gorgeous floor?

Tomorrow I hope to put together our new game room. It will double as a dining room, opening space in our kitchen and creating a family space for us to enjoy our many board games comfortably. This means a trip to Ikea.

We have been in this house for almost one year. We are chipping away at the projects. Carpet has been ripped out of many spaces. The upstairs bedrooms and our bathrooms have been painted, but the rest of the house still needs color updates. Each fresh change is like breathing new air, changing the energy of a home that has had a charged family history prior to our arrival. For us, this home has been a saving grace. I am deeply grateful.

What changes are you making in your life?

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A Week Off? Time for a Home Makeover!

What changes are you making in your life?

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