January 13, 2009
A new living room
If anyone is so inclined, this would be a fine time to visit and check on the progress of the renovation of my house. The living room project is approaching completion, which means that the presentability of the house is higher than ever. This also means that we're approaching the start of even bigger and messier projects, so this condition will not last long (a local maximum).
The living room has been the primary area of focus since August. That sounds like a long time, but has only been Ali, my family and me working on weekends. And it has not been the only project accomplished (despite my promise to myself that I wouldn't start multiple projects at once.) Having this done has made the overall house project exciting again. It is hard to see progress over the weeks of work, especially when you're making one mess after another. When it starts coming together, though, it comes together quickly.
So what have we accomplished? The picures don't adequately capture all the work in my opinion, so I'll shamelessly tell you. In the living room, we've:
-pulled up the carpet and shoveled out what's left of the pad
-steamed off all three layers of wallpaper
-re-attach loose plaster
-patch crumbled plaster and repair cracks
-strip failed paint off woodwork
-disassemble windows, rehang weights and restore shash function
-remove all glass from windows and reglaze
-scrape off popcorn ceiling texture and sand off residue
-paint walls, ceiling and woodwork
-install new three-piece crown moulding
I think that it has turned out rather well. Suddenly, my furniture no longer seems up to the standard of the house. That is a major change. The great thing about this milestone is that I can now walk in the front door and see nothing but renovated house.
Let's not forget where we started:
