Grand Finale

You know the feeling you had in college the day after you had finished [and passed!] a class final?  Your mind drifts back to the stress of the final and the anxiety of remembering an entire semester of studying, then, your conscious drags you back and reminds you that you will never, ever, need to remember Thermodynamics again [unless of course you are my dad, and thus have to remember it to re-teach it to your wonderful daughter when her college professor might have been Lucifer in a 1970's smoking jacket]. That moment of peace comes over you like a wave that makes you sigh out loud.  That is me right now about every 15 minutes.  I keep having mini-panics that I owe people money or someone is waiting on decisions from me. Nope, the last check has been written and our contracting team has moved out.  We.Are.Done. Well, done with the kitchen/dining/living room that is.  So with no further adieu, I present to you, the final "Before and Afters:"

The Kitchen and Living Room

Before

Please note the Colonial/Industrial Fusion Ceiling [leaking pipes] and beautiful 1970's paneling 

After

Be still my heart.

Before

I'm sure this was top of the line when it was all originally built in, complete with "order-up window."  Double ovens had already been replaced in this photo.  This entire wall was removed.

During

After about one week of demolition. Surprise water line running through the wall.

After

White Fusion Quartzite mined in Brazil.  Man-eating chihuahua watching guard.

Before

Orignial homemakers desk. Orignial 1 year-old Picasso 

After

Custom wine rack complete with original dental molding.

Before

Pantry closet.

  

After

Custom built in pantry with coffee counter.  18inches deeper than previous pantry.

  

Before

The painting is only leaning there to prevent my 1 year old from eating insulation.  

After

New floors, brick, paint, and switch plate.  Original stained plantation shutters and dental molding.

After

Shelves pre-decorating.  These bookshelves are T minus 3 months to becoming windows. Stay tuned.

Before

The Dark Knight window.

After

So much more light from our picture window.  Trim of the window was created using left over stained wood from the hardwood floors.

Before

I still can't believe Steve agreed to buy this house....he has since told me he saw zero of my vision before it was done. 

After

For all those that have asked, yes, the orchid is real, from Publix, and somehow is still alive and even more beautiful 4 weeks later.  Acrylic counter stools are from amazon. 

After

Starmark hood with a custom wood trim, also left over from the hardwood floors.

Before

If wood paneling makes a comeback, I made a huge mistake...

After

In the event of an emergency, I wanted to make sure a small plane could land on my counter.

Before

Steve's biggest input?  The chin-up bar in this before photo.

After

This is the wall that wasn't supposed to be white, but we dug it.

Before

This was probably the largest DIY project, a texture pattern on this wall!

After

I wish I could say that I planned for the textured wall it to match the rug, but that was just a happy surprise.  Color is Behind Blue Eyes by Sherwin Williams, or by the name we call it, Steve's Eyes.

The Dining Room

Before

Red wainscoting, yellow walls, beige trim, and originally had brown curtains. All uphill from here.

Before

This wall was moved 18in to allow for refrigerator recess and extension of the pantry. 

After

My hope is to put framed photos of the flowers on the property in silver/pewter frames above the buffet. This room is the only one that has silver as the accent metal.  Reason being, my china [oringially belonging to my great aunt who I am named after] is rimmed in silver.

After

White wainscoting, white dental trim, Naval by Sherwin Williams paint, winter white puddle curtains

After

After

Spread for the first Christmas open house!

Lead crystal flush chandelier. Hard to capture the light in a picture but it is all sparkle. 

The Stairs 

Before

Damaged stairs, damaged risers

After

Dark putty filled all the staple holes in the stairs and new risers were painted Evergreen to match the ceiling of the foyer. This picture was taken prior to them being nailed into place. 

The Front Room

Before

Front formal room, originally with carpet and being used for storage and toys

After

Carpet replaced with the same hardwood as the rest of the main floor, trim was all painted white, and the walls were painted Only Natural.  Currently this room only holds our Christmas tree.  Once I move my upright piano to Franklin in the next 3 months I will update photos!

After

Don't worry, #Guttingwiththegeurins has a long way to go. I'll be breaking down the details of the kitchen next week.  The kitchen and living spaces are remodeled, but I certainly haven't decorated it yet. We already have our next 4 medium-sized projects lined up [and Steve is oh, so excited]. Only two of them are sexy, but the rest will be informative, I promise. 2019, I'm ready for you.