Completed and Yet to be Completed

Here are more pics of completed projects:

Espresso bamboo flooring at bottom of stairway in basement.

New vent covers are in the master and LR/kitchen. All vent covers were replaced, but these are the ornate ones. The others are the same color, but standard looking.

Craig's side of the closet. New storage/drawers.

My side of the closet. New storage/drawers.

New sink, mirror, light, and towel hanger in half bath.

Better view of sink in half bath.

Better view of mirror in half bath.

Here are pics of future projects that are still on the docket:

This shower will be taken and out and then tiled and bronze fixtures added. This shower is atrocious. If we cannot afford to tile the shower, then we will replace just the fixtures and change the sliding-doors to bronze with prettier glass.

Full view of yucky shower. Tub will get tile on the wall up to the bottom of the window that matches the shower tile. I want tumbled stone. If we can afford to tile the shower then I want a bronze door, not a sliding one.

Needs bronze filler and handles. It is very hard to find bronze shower/bath fixtures.

Stairs still need staining or painting. Am thinking about painting them the color of sun-bleached driftwood, as well as the oak railings, unless we get wrought-iron balusters and new railings.

Kitchen is oak, doesn't match color scheme of house and needs to be updated and reconfigured. If that is too much money, then I want to paint them. The bottom cabinets black/distressed/glazed and top cabinets bisque/distressed/glazed. Will also upgrade cabinets to have pull-out shelves. Needs new counters as well.

Fridge is in silly location next to a wall. You can not open the right door all the way to get the drawers open and they can not be removed to clean them properly. The doors are always hitting the wall and window mouldings.

Basement stairs will be painted the same colors as the upstairs. Walls to be painted green

I don't know what the renters were thinking when they painted the stairway to the basement. They just painted around everything instead of removing them first. I want these walls to be the same green as I have  in the L.R./ kitchen and the railing re-done in either white or black.

More lazy-man painting around the light in basement stairway.

What's up with their not painting the corners?????

Fingernail polish on stairway wall and hole they tried to cover up with wall putty.

This was much more visible when we moved back in , but it says BEWARE and there is a drawing of a smiley face. It is wearing away as we walk on it, but is is hideous and bugs me nonetheless.

There is still a lot or work to do. Hey, it only takes money. Now where can I find some more? We're tapped out with what we've already done. There is a ton more work to be done in the basement. The renters did some work down there, but we have no idea whether they got the proper permits to do so. Also, from the looks of the entire basement, it is obvious that they did not hire professionals. Enough said. We have no idea who did the work or what we will have to face financially to get everything done properly, correctly, and up-to-code. Those pics will come soon.

Other projects include:
1. Front porch railings, balusters, and posts must be re-painted white. They are moldy and green.
2. Front and back yards have been sorely neglected while were gone. Need to be completely dug up and re-sodded. They are more weeds and dirt than lawn at this time.
3. Entire house needs to be pressure washed as well as driveway, front porch and retaining wall. There is graffiti on it.
4. Stone stairway added from driveway up to the backyard. There is severe erosion problem that I hope the stairs will remedy.
5. All new window coverings for every window in the house.
6. Gutter by garage re-routed so that it does not flow across and down driveway.

Things I want done, but may not get done include:
1. Covered/screened in back porch.
2. Current real deck wood replaced with no-maintenance wood. I don't know the name or term for it, but my neighbors have it and I love it. No splinters, no fuss.
3. New garage doors.
4. Garage floor painted and sealed.
5. Rain gutters covered.
6. Driveway in back yard.
7. Detached boat/truck garage with office.

More Pretty Things

I have some more pictures to add to the growing list of house remodel goals that are being accomplished:

Design on master bathroom mirror frame.

Master bath mirror. View of 'T' picture in mirror.

2 towel hangers in master bath. We've never had any in this house before.

My pretty never-used bath towels.

Door stops.

New kitchen sink faucet and soap dispenser.

The same tile is in all 3 bathrooms and the laundry room.



Beach sign and view of  'T' shower curtain in kids' bathroom.

Kids' toilet area with new t.p. holder.

2 new towel hooks that will get hung up soon.

Towel hook already on wall in kids' bathroom.

New lower bar tht Peyton can reach in his closet.

New lower bar that Chase can reach in his closet.

Each bedroom upstairs got 2 black/beadboard bookshelves.

Master bath vanity.



Master vanity with mirror, towels, light, and fixtures.



Bottom of dining room chandelier.



Chandelier in front of new french doors.

Fireplace mantel.

Leather couch we bought last year which helped sell the AL house.

Kids' bathroom vanity.

Espresso bamboo flooring. (Is lighter here than true color.) Installed in LR/kitchen and  hallway.

Shag carpet put into all 3 bedrooms and upstairs landing.

Soon I will post some projects that still need to be done as well as the before pics of the house on the day we took back possession. (after the renters vacated)

Little Happinesses.

We have been doing a lot of work to get this house on par with where it should be had we lived here the entire 7 years we have owned the house. However, while we lived in Alabama the house was rented out, and soon you will see just why we have had to do so much remodeling. It is frustrating to even think about it, but I am faced with problems the renters created on a daily basis, however that frustration is lessening to a degree, even though we are spending a ton of money which is frustrating in itself, but I am getting more and more pleased with each improvement that we do. We have been back in the house since around Peyton's birthday the end of July and now it is March, so it is definitely a work in progress. Here are some photos to keep you abreast of the good things that are happening here:

Kids bathroom light fixture.

Master bath light fixture.

Towel hooks in the master.



New table, chairs, bamboo flooring, and old french doors.



Half-bath light fixture.

All toilets got new seats, lids, and flushers.

Kids shower head. Matching elbow joint is on order.

Kids towel ring.

Master faucets. New mirror is behind, not up yet.

Half-bath faucet.

Foyer table.

New closet pull-knobs.

New french doors. No longer rednecky.

Mirror in living room.

Hinges replaced on every door.

Top half of dining hutch.

Ginger jar night light in kitchen.

Sideboard in living room.

Toilet paper ring.

When we bought the house, everything in it was builders grade. The faucets were all nickel, the hinges and knobs were all gold, and the light fixtures were all bronze. We are replacing all fixtures to oil-rubbed bronze. I had the walls painted a softened green in the living room, laundry room, and hallways, and light blue in the bathrooms and bedrooms.They were originally a strange yellow color. Every door and all the moulding was re-painted white. The oak floors were pulled up and replaced with espresso bamboo, and the cheap carpet was replaced with shag. There are multiple projects that are still waiting to be done, and soon you will see the befores and the afters.

Please keep in mind that this house was ABSOLUTELY UNLIVABLE when we took it back over. So much so, that Craig was considering burning it down and building a new house. What we are doing is a labor of love, but borne of necessity and money constraints. Fixing this house up is a double edged sword. The better it looks, the happier I get, but that means we spend more money, which in turn stresses me out.