Homework

I've been a little MIA.  First of all, I wasn't sure how to follow up the post about Duck.  I got a lot of feedback on it and I just don't know how to follow such a special post.  Second, we've been a little busy around here.  As usual, John and I like to bite off a little more than we should chew.  Notice I don't say we bite off more than we CAN chew, just more than we should.

The updating on the house continues.  Work on our main living spaces is the most recent project.  The issues with our living space are numerous.
1.  We have no dining area.  There is a space in the kitchen, but no formal dining space.
2.  The "Family Room" in this house is covered in crappy 60's paneling which we do not want to remove until it is time (and we have the cash) to overhaul the kitchen.  The kitchen is serviceable, but just not our taste really.  When the kitchen comes out (and its lovely paneling as well) we plan to drywall the entire space.
3.  I've stated this before, but this house has (had) enough chair rail in it to completely trim out a brand new 2000 square foot home.
4.  Our floors are kind of hideous.  Another thing we would like to change, but what's the point with small children, a possible animal in our future, and the "down the road" plan to overhaul a kitchen and drywall a living area??

In the meantime though, we wanted to get our floor plan idea in the works, which meant taking out a wall and finishing the space as best we could until the large possible reno 10 or so years from now (a girl can only hope we might have an Ikea by then for me to get my nifty kitchen...).  The plan is to turn the once very large family room into both a dining and hearth area.  Then the front living space, currently housing the tv, will become a slightly more formal area with the computer desk, some shelving and nicer furniture.

Before

After

Before I get started on the wall removal though, we had another little side project going.  Really, it wasn't so little.  In addition to the obscene amount of chair rail in this house, we also have a lot of doors.  Doors that all needed painting and replacement of the different shades of brass doorknobs and hardware.  Our hallway gives you a tiny idea. 
In an effort to make the narrow space seem a bit wider and brighter, we chose a light color and painted the entire wall, including the molding.  I think it worked. 




Now onto the lovely wall.  

Before, from the kitchen.

Before, from the hearth/dining area.

We hired a long time friend of mine to help us with the job.  Thanks to him and his incredible wife and family for putting up with this project for 4 long nights and one Saturday morning.

During first night of removal.

Before

You may notice in the back of this photo, the black fireplace.  This is how the fireplace looked before.  Since we were going to lighten the walls, I wanted a focal point in the space.  (The fireplace does not function, hence the previous owners painted the inside of it.)

Now, with exersaucers and clutter galore.

Now it stands out from the space.  With a cool mirror and some sort of candle assortment or something inside the space, I can lighten it simply with reflection, metal and flame.  The color is great too. Some people think it is brown, but it is actually charcoal, so it will blend with whatever color furniture we land on.  We keep thinking white.  But really, who buys white furniture when they are about to have 2 toddlers and a preschooler? 

Now, the view from the hearth.

 The next move is to paint the space in the kitchen that is currently chocolate brown.  Then... lots and lots of buying!  Furniture for the hearth, window panels for both this area and the kitchen, barstools, wall hangings and accessories.  Obviously, this is my favorite part.

And the view from the kitchen with our new kitchen island.

To start though, I have one other side project that I need to get started on.  The tv is going to move to the far lefthand wall, which currently holds my piano.  We purchased our very first Craigslist find a couple of weeks ago, specifically for this space.  Its an old mid-century hand made 6 drawer dresser.  Sanded and ready for staining or painting.  Since all our furniture is a dark wood tone, I am painting the piece.  This project will be in a later post once I finish it.  I will also update once these two rooms are completed.  Obviously we are very busy around here and have lots of baby stuff, but we really don't want to live with the clutter you see here.  We want this to be a comfortable family home, but a place where everything also has its 'place'.