Hello, HELLO, friends! It’s hard to believe, but some of you were here twelve years ago today when I hit “publish” on my very first blog post. If you are one of those indefatigable friends, then all I can say is WOW— just wow—and thank you! That day so long ago I posted a fancy schmancy tablescape, and I had all sorts of mixed emotions when I threw my creation out into the world with no idea what sort of response it would get.
But the response was positive and affirming and opened doors for all sorts of new friendships here in Blogland, and I am forever grateful.
So today, as I throw out another creation, there are no mixed emotions; just relief that enough progress has finally been made on this old house renovation to share something (almost) finished with you. It may not be your style, but that’s the fun part. We all have our own personalities and preferences, but I know you can appreciate the hard work and old house love that goes into a whole-house renovation like ours.
So here goes . . .
This was our downstairs entry hall in November 2018 when we moved into our small-town Victorian farmhouse (built in 1908).
And wallpaper was my inspiration for this entry hall space (and the stairway wall).
But the to-do list for this single space was a mile long!
- Restore the floor
- Remove wallpaper
- Improve lighting
- Custom chandelier
- Move doorway into new kitchen
- Add wainscot
- Repair baseboard
- Temporary door hardware
- Remove paint from newel posts and handrail (on all 3 floors!)
- Paint stair balusters, stringers, and risers
- Paint wainscot
- Repair plaster walls
- Prep walls for wallpaper
- Hang wallpaper
- Stain stair treads
- Strip/stain/wax front door
- Replace door hardware
- Assess/add furniture for function
- Decorate (rugs, pictures, candle sconces, etc.)
The only way to tackle a project like this is to start, and so we did—and we worked, sweated, cried, took deep breaths and started over—until the day finally came when the “pretty” arrived and we saw the end in sight. Oh, happy day!
This is our view today.
For those of you who like to get the lay of the land, this should help.
So is this space 100% finished? Almost . . .
- Restore the floor ✓
- Remove wallpaper ✓
- Improve lighting ✓
- Custom chandelier ✓
- Move doorway into new kitchen ✓
- Add wainscot ✓
- Repair baseboard ✓
- Temporary door hardware ✓
- Remove paint from newel posts and handrail (on all 3 floors!) ✓
- Paint stair balusters, stringers, and risers ✓
- Paint wainscot ✓
- Repair plaster walls ✓
- Prep walls for wallpaper ✓
- Hang wallpaper ✓
- Stain stair treads
- Strip/stain/wax front door
- Replace door hardware
- Assess/add furniture for function ✓
- Decorate (rugs, pictures, candle sconces, etc.) Partially complete
I’ll show you the Living Room in a few days—and the Dining Room after that. I love when things start to come together!
Beautiful! Can’t imagine how many hours of labor this represents. Not to mention all the other rooms. You should be proud AND tired! Hope you will do a video tour when complete!
Look at you… Always wanting more! LOL A video tour would be fun, though, if I can figure out how. Will put it on the “to think about” list. Thanks for your tireless encouragement through the years as we’ve tackled this house. Don’t stop now! I hope your home projects are coming along well, too. Send pics!
Oh my gosh, Susan! Unbelievable progress for that list you’ve tackled! I hope you put this on many blog parties to share. It’s amazing. You & your husband have such determination. I am so wholly impressed. Wonderful job. Those massive pieces of furniture in the entry were meant to be! Just how tall are those ceilings?! I love your wallpaper. Can’t wait to see the rest, and I appreciate the lay of the land. I spent about 3 or 4 minutes studying the before and after pictures before I got to yours with the map of the rooms, lol.
LOL Rita that room layout was added with you in mind! The ceilings are only 9.5 feet, but the large hunt cabinet has only a 1/2″ to spare. It’s a beautiful beast, but definitely perfect for the space. I’ve been so out of the loop on blog parties, so if you have any specific suggestions, send them my way. Hopefully I can get back in the groove. Thanks for your kind words and encouragement along the way.
Wow! It looks lovely!