6 Years of Ugliness...Gone in a Single Day!

We purchased this house in 2001. Since that time, we have: replaced all light fixtures (there used to be fluorescent lighting in our entry and kitchen table area! Gads!), added exterior lighting, painted every room, remodeled 2 bathrooms, replaced all windows, insulated the attic, added huge garden areas (including more than 1000 plants, hardscape, and pathways), painted the exterior, put in new ductwork for ventilation, installed a new forced-air heating system (adding a HEPA filter), replaced appliances, put in a new water softener, installed a new water heater, had the well repiped, installed a new pump on the well, pulled out old wallpaper layers (which included fabric and foil!),built a huge fenced area for dogs (which they are no longer in, due to complaining neighbors), placed cedar shingles in the peaks of the roof, and have painted every single room a multitude of colors. We've resealed poorly placed windows, torn down fencing, cut down 5 trees, and built arbors. There is much, much more, but...none of those jobs even COMPARE to the simple project we did yesterday.

This house was built in 1969, which gives it a special flair...it was a typical ranch home. We've made it our goal to create a more Arts and Crafts style.

There are these 2 UGLY walls in our dining room. Years and years ago, someone put cedar tongue-and-groove on them to create this funky design. I looked at those walls the day we moved in and said, "Oh, gawd, that HAS to go." Well, as all homeowners know, things come up and it's easy to look at something everyday for years and say, "Oh, gawd, that HAS to go," yet never really do it. Usually, this is because one knows that just starting the project will spiral into days/weeks/months of work. Once you pull off just a single board, who knows what's underneath? Then, you have to...blah,blah,blah...



On a whim, I said to my Handsome Husband yesterday, "Hey, let's pull off a board and see what's underneath!" He didn't share my same enthusiasm, but, after I harassed him enough, said, "OK."



We first had to pull off the moulding. Then that first board was pulled. About 300 boards later...tah-dah!

Now, you should see the list for summer work! We're going to work on the house ALL of July! We'll: replace ALL interior doors, put in all new baseboard moulding, replace ALL window and door mouldings, put in 2 skylights, put those cool "Solar Tube" skylights in the bathrooms, add another window to our living room to brighten things up a bit more, put beaded board paneling on those newly-uncovered dining room walls, paint, and...Hubby HATES that I'm doing this...SCRAPING OFF POPCORN CEILINGS!

So, if any of you have a day to spare, come on over and join us!