DIY How We Updated Our 1970's House on a Budget (and the living room REVEAL!)

s only saltation correct inwards in addition to alternative upwards where nosotros left off DIY How We Updated Our 1970's House on a Budget (and the living room REVEAL!)

Hey guys!!!

So, I haven't blogged inwards nearly iv months. It's crazy.

I barely fifty-fifty know where to begin! There's thus much to tell in addition to thus much to share, thus let's only saltation correct inwards in addition to alternative upwards where nosotros left off.

Our niggling Ava is straightaway v months one-time in addition to doing actually great. We survived iv months of colic/milk allergy/reflux in addition to betwixt that in addition to a pretty hard pregnancy, I felt similar the air current had been knocked out of my sails. But, niggling yesteryear little, things are getting thus much improve in addition to I'm piece of cake starting to experience similar my one-time self again. Thank you lot guys thus much for beingness patient amongst me in addition to agreement that I needed some fourth dimension off to focus on Ava. I'm thus grateful for this precious girl, and I'm certain ane hateful solar daytime I'll facial expression dorsum in addition to express joy virtually the yesteryear year.

But, like, non yet.

Ava on Halloween...finally giving us all sorts of sugariness smiles.

So, let's acquire downward to business.
In the in conclusion few months earlier I had Ava, I was able to percentage amongst you lot guys the finished basement renovation, our upstairs flooring redo, in addition to the nursery. But I kinda ran out of fourth dimension (duty called) earlier I could percentage the finished living room. So, a quick v months later I finished it, today I tin finally demo it to you.

Many of you lot guys receive got been next my spider web log for awhile straightaway in addition to receive got already seen the earlier pictures of the upstairs living area, but I'll percentage them again, equally it's e'er a prissy reminder of how outdated our line solid was when nosotros get-go moved in.

So, hither are the earlier pics.

This is the living room inwards May of 2010 when nosotros get-go moved in...wall to wall carpet, outdated calorie-free fixtures, nighttime forest trim, in addition to windows thus one-time that you lot could experience the air current inwards your pilus when you lot stood side yesteryear side to them.

This was what the entryway looked like. Outdated calorie-free fixture, parquet flooring in addition to carpeted stairs, rickety one-time step rail, in addition to nighttime forest trim back in addition to door.

This was what the dining room looked like. There was a wall betwixt the kitchen in addition to dining room that made the room almost besides tiny to use. There was an one-time drinking glass sliding door that barely opened, nighttime forest trim back in addition to wainscotting, outdated calorie-free fixtures, in addition to a tile/carpet combo.

This is what it looked standing inwards the dining room in addition to looking into the living room.

This line solid sat on the marketplace for a actually long fourth dimension earlier nosotros bought it, equally it was patently totally outdated. I was a niggling scared, equally it was our get-go line solid in addition to I had never renovated anything inwards my life. But, ultimately I decided to only acquire for it in addition to I'm thus glad I did. Renovating it took me almost v years to complete. Sometimes it was totally stressful, sometimes I wanted to quit, but ultimately it's ane of the most rewarding things I've ever done. And I learned a lot. Which is bully because nosotros won't alive hither forever, in addition to the side yesteryear side fourth dimension I renovate a house, I'll live much improve equipped.

So, that beingness said, hither are the pics of what this upstairs expanse looks similar today.

Let's start amongst a niggling recap of the dining room in addition to entryway in addition to and then we'll motion into the living room.

One of the things that made the biggest divergence was knocking downward the wall betwixt the dining room in addition to kitchen. We also built a novel step rail, painted all of the trim back in addition to wainscoting white, added novel calorie-free fixtures, in addition to installed white washed hardwood flooring.

I painted our kitchen cabinets and updated the hardware when nosotros get-go moved inwards the house, in addition to although inwards an ideal the world I would receive got been able to fully renovate the kitchen, I decided that I could actually stretch our budget yesteryear only epitome the cabinetry in addition to working amongst what nosotros already had.

In the dining room, I added a bold carpeting that I flora for $60 (I know it's non for everyone, in addition to that's okay.). I flora the dining room tabular array at a relieve shop, in addition to the white leather chairs amongst metallic element legs I flora on Overstock.

The master post virtually the dining room amongst sources tin live flora here.

Also, we've talked virtually my orchid sabotage many times, so...that's a faux orchid.

I've got a pocket-sized to raise.

Here's a quick sentiment from the landing at the transcend of the stairs. You tin come across where nosotros also knocked downward the wall in addition to widened the one-time doorway into the hallway.

Here's a facial expression only about the corner. You tin come across how nosotros painted the one-time outdated wainscoting white.

We also replaced the one-time sliding drinking glass door inwards the dining room amongst prissy french doors.

In the entryway, nosotros replaced the calorie-free fixture, in addition to installed double doors on the coat closet.

We replaced the carpet on the stairs amongst hardwood treads in addition to painted white risers, in addition to nosotros also built a novel stairrail.

I painted the existing front end door Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze (favorite!), in addition to added a niggling silvery coat claw from HomeGoods.

One of the deer heads broke off later I brought it home. And straightaway this niggling coat claw reminds me of Jesse tinkering inwards the garage for an hour, determined to create it for me. I retrieve in that location was some ametuer welding going on inwards the garage, but I was besides meaning to waddle out in that location in addition to watch.

And now, let's motion on to the finished living room. I don't hold off this room to blow anyone's mind. But, it's come upwards such a long way, in addition to it's where nosotros pass most of our time, thus it definitely deserves at to the lowest degree a niggling fourth dimension on the blog.

We replaced the calorie-free fixtures, added some cheap tufted couches in addition to a giant comfy ottoman, the rug is from awhile back, in addition to and then I thrifted the TV console.

Here's a pic of the TV console I flora at the thrift store. It's patently nil special, but it was the correct size in addition to $20, so...sold!

I painted it (using the exclusively slice of furniture paint I ever usage anymore) in addition to changed out the hardware.

It has a super glossy lacquer destination in addition to looks actually bully upwards close. I'll eventually mountain the TV on the wall, too.

Here's a closeup of the hardware. Some niggling polished nickel pulls from Home Depot.

I haven't decided on what kinda curtains I desire to hang yet, thus for straightaway the windows are only bare. It took us v years to finally supervene upon those one-time windows, thus I don't withdraw heed looking at the novel ones inwards the meantime.

I added some Etsy pillows to the sofas.

Here's a sentiment of the living room looking dorsum into the dining room, ane of my favorite views.

We built the mantel in addition to made the stacked log insert for the fireplace (both were done awhile ago) in addition to and then I freshened upwards the mantle amongst some things I had only about the house.

The niggling framed floral fine art is a impress I flora on Etsy.

And then, I made some fine art of my own...some dark in addition to white abstract fine art for to a higher identify the sofa.

I had Jesse build me a basic wooden frame.

And I spray painted it amongst this Krylon Foil Metallic silver spray pigment (affiliate link). It's good, ya'll. I retrieve I'll live using it equally my go-to silvery spray pigment from straightaway on.

It made my niggling frame facial expression similar actual metallic element or similar it was silvery leafed. Either way, practiced stuff.

For the epitome itself, I only used some Sherwin Williams Simply White pigment (the same color that's on the walls), mixed it amongst a niggling gray, in addition to and then sketched out a doodle in addition to filled it inwards amongst some Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze (the same dark pigment I used on the front end door). It's likely non gonna destination upwards at a museum, but it took me an hr in addition to exclusively toll me a few bucks, thus homemade fine art for the win.

And that, you lot guys, is the finished upstairs living area! I'm certain it volition maintain to evolve in addition to change, but it feels bully to at to the lowest degree receive got it furnished in addition to non nether construction. We lived inwards the basement throughout most of my pregnancy, thus it's prissy to no longer live a cave dweller.

And I'll acquire out you lot amongst this moving epitome of how the living room looks inwards existent life, filled amongst infant stuff. Because it would live ridiculous to pretend similar my line solid e'er looks similar the to a higher identify pictures....it took me at to the lowest degree 20 minutes to create clean out all the infant apparatus earlier I could receive got some spider web log pics. Let's live honest. :)

As for the blog, a lot of you lot receive got asked what my plans are. I invention to piece of cake acquire dorsum into the swing of things, equally fourth dimension allows, in addition to equally chop-chop equally my encephalon starts performance similar normal again. Thank you lot guys for all of your sugariness comments in addition to messages. I appreciate it thus much.
I know I'll eventually notice my groove again, but correct straightaway I'm nonetheless doing a lot of this. And I wouldn't receive got it whatsoever other way.