Boring Ceilings Are No Fun!

So I've heard it said that two out of three ain't bad.  At least one of Greg's favorite musicians thinks so. We weren't willing to settle with the fact that two out of three of our bedrooms had decent ceilings. We were too concerned with the ceiling in what will be our bedroom. It was a textured ceiling that was coated with spiked plaster. It also had a large crack across it that we needed to remedy. So here's what we did... 

Texture, texture

See the crack? America should be running on Marylou's.

We decided to install a beadboard ceiling.

Tongue and groove panels can be tricky, so we decided to enlist these great pals to help. McCulls and The Bradillac.

The slats weren't quite long enough to cover the entire ceiling length, so they cut shorter pieces to cover the rest which left us with...

 this seam, which obviously needed covering. 

Some framing did the trick, and the trim finished off the look. While we were at it...

we included the other two bedrooms.

Hard work certainly pays off. Great job, fellas.

The black and white had to be done. You're not ready for our color choices just yet. Stay tuned.

 

Do you see what I see?

   
Be a hard worker...


“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." ~Thomas Edison

  An opportunity is exactly what we were given. When Greg and I were looking for a house, we were never going to settle for something we didn't love, simply because it was turnkey. Where's the fun and originality in that? We wanted a house that needed work, so that we could completely make it our own. Some people hate the idea of having to redo things in their home because of the stress it causes, the fact that they "don't know what their style is", or because they fear that they'll never finish. My advice to anyone wanting to put their own "stamp" on a house, is don't be afraid to put some real effort into what you're given. Don't be intimidated by big projects either. Hard work really pays off. Also, don't be afraid to take risks with style. No one besides you should decide what you love to live with.



Can you hear the music? If not, view this on your laptop/desktop. You'll love my playlist. (or you have poor taste in music)

Ever taken a bath in a cast iron tub? If you have not, I strongly suggest that you do. It's heat-holding power is unmatched.

I found this gem on Craigslist from a sweet man in East Bridgewater. It was outside for I don't know how long, so it was covered with leaves, dirt, and rust. Luckily the inside was in great shape. If the inside of the tub needs help, you'll have a lot more work to do. That requires sandblasting. A job I'd leave to the pros.  




Looks like a ton of work, but with a little ELBOW GREASE,

a copper Saturn checking in from afar,

some power tools (Drill, sanding discs)and

A demolition mission

 Like I said last time- "See you in a few days". A week later, and here we are.


 For the few months leading up to actually owning the house, Greg and I were literally dreaming about ripping wallpaper down, and getting rid of the lovely carpet that adorned the entire house. So as soon as we closed, that's just what we did (among a ton of other things). Here are the first of our countless projects...
 


Front hallway BEFORE

  

Front hallway DURING (it's certainly not AFTER)

 Notice how the door frame is now dark? I took it upon myself to strip the paint off of the woodwork in the hallway. Turns out, stripping woodwork is absolute misery. Also turns out, my husband was correct. They'll be white again soon. 

These next photos show the first coat of primer. Most of our walls are horse hair plaster (excellent). There were tons of bumps and holes. The first coat of primer acted as a highlighter to the areas that needed extra attention when filling with plaster. The job was made much easier this way.

Notice the cracks? Well, of course you can! We primed the walls first!


Kitchen BEFORE

Kitchen DURING

Cool heat vent that was covered by the tiled ceiling.Is that a birdcage on the wallpaper? How fitting!

 Trim down, new walls up in the kitchen.

Living Room and Dining Room BEFORE

Living Room and Dining Room DURING

Hey, there. 

Bradford and his flippies.
 
Bedrooms BEFORE

Bedrooms DURING

Scared?

Porch BEFORE

Porch DURING

I went and saved the best for last
Bathroom BEFORE

Yikes!

Bathroom DURING

These plastic tiles came down quite easily.

The Green Monster is actually our former tub.

Our original plan with the one and only bathroom, was to extend the wall a few feet behind the tub (which we would replace) and move the tub to the back wall. That would have at least made it easier to move around. 

What ended up happening was a great suggestion from a friend of ours...

We eliminated the hallway to the back door, and made what would be the entrance into our large bathroom.

 We also added much needed insulation before putting up the drywall.
Of course we had to leave the original beams exposed. 

 Why the door in the bathroom? That won't be there much longer...


Not only were these projects started, but the electrical and plumbing in the entire house was redone. We didn't have any overhead lighting in our upstairs bedrooms or closets. We also lacked a ton of overhead lighting and switches downstairs. Our very skilled electrician and plumber are to thank. 


Next up....my first few before and afters. Stay tuned!