DIY Our 1970's House Makeover: The Real Story Behind a Renovation, Part One

If you lot accept ever lived inwards an outdated abode as well as wanted to renovate it DIY Our 1970's House Makeover: The Real Story Behind a Renovation, Part One

So, it's fourth dimension I allow you lot inwards on a niggling secret. Remember lastly week's bedroom post? Well, we'll live living inwards that room for the side past times side month, every bit the ease of our theater is a total disaster. Last week, nosotros began the demolition that volition ultimately number inwards us having hardwood floors throughout our house. And somehow, the flooring projection sent me at 1 time downwards the wormhole of renovations, as well as at nowadays at that spot are 45 projects simultaneously underway inwards my house.

And I'm barely fifty-fifty kidding.

We've been waiting to do all of this big materials until nosotros could afford to do it all at once. I thought that that would simply miraculously hap months afterwards nosotros moved into this house, but instead it took almost 4 years. Four real long years alongside wall-to-wall-catbarf-carpets. But, ultimately beingness broke was a huge approbation inwards disguise. It made me figure out how to do materials on my own. It made me acquire creative as well as figure out how to improve our theater using materials I could afford, similar paint.

And ultimately, it led to this blog.

So, at nowadays the 24-hour interval is finally hither when I acquire to do some of the materials to this theater that I've been planning all along.

It's thence exciting.

The cats accept been quarantined to our sleeping accommodation during this whole process, every bit they accept yet to larn how to safely navigate a structure zone.

Things were all fun as well as games when nosotros were moving all of the slice of furniture out of the living room as well as into the basement.

But things inevitably took a plough for the worse, every bit Tootie rapidly became very discontent over the changes inwards her daily scenery.

It's almost every bit if she knew what was coming, every bit she took to actively boycotting the rug removal.

She has rights, you lot know.

Meanwhile, Cheese has been inwards her commons life euphoria, totally oblivious to the devastation of her honey home.

You gotta love a daughter who volition simply acquire alongside the flow.

So, at nowadays that you lot know how the cats are doing, nosotros tin motility onto less of import issues similar the devastation of our house.

Basically, our theater has been gutted.
And no 1 saw it coming, including me.
In my head, it went something similar this:
POOF. New floors.
But, instead, total chaos.

So, at nowadays all that's left inwards the theater are the walls as well as windows. All of the existing flooring, trim, as well as doors accept been removed.

We went dorsum as well as forth alongside the conclusion nigh doing all of the run ourselves or hiring individual to help us. After analyzing the terms of labor vs. how rapidly Jesse as well as I would murder each other, nosotros opted to hire the guy who did my mom's hardwood floors a pair years ago. We decided to do some of the present ourselves, similar removing all of the trim down as well as doors, as well as thence left the flooring removal to our awesome flooring guy, Mike.

So, here's a niggling glimpse at how our theater currently looks.

Here's the living room afterwards the rug was removed.
Someone had apparently decided it was cool to spray pigment subfloors.

After the rug was removed, at that spot were several stains as well as some pigment balance on the subfloors, thence Jesse as well as I spent an eve epitome the floors alongside Kilz, prepping it for the floors to live installed.

We were supposed to simply pigment a few areas that needed it, but 1 time I got rolling, I couldn't stop.

So, at nowadays nosotros basically accept totally unnecessary white subfloors.

I mean, what do you lot expect?

Currently, our living room looks similar a disaster zone, every bit we're using it to shop all of the materials that's been removed from the other rooms. Eventually, the junk volition acquire hauled off as well as the flooring volition start to acquire in.

Although, I'm thence excited nigh the halt number that I've non fifty-fifty minded the fact that our theater is a nightmare.

Jesse is real surprised past times my newfound chaos-tolerance.

The present has reminded us that this theater is from the 1970's, every bit every fourth dimension nosotros tegument dorsum a layer of the onion, nosotros uncovering a minimum of iii unexpected issues to bargain with. For example, nosotros flora remnants of tile underneath the rug inwards the office.

Reaffirming my long held belief that it's totally fabulous to tile a random spare bedroom.

And it has to live chipped upwards slice past times piece.

We lovingly refer to this flooring every bit 'The Great Decision To Hire Someone 2014'.

And thence inwards the room that is behind those french doors inwards our original bedroom (you know, the mysterious 1 I've never blogged about, but that you lot ever enquire about), at that spot was a hardwood flooring that was installed throughout this room as well as thence it was carried downwards the hallway. And for some reason, the previous owners glued and nailed this flooring in. Our flooring guy has had to cutting it out chunk past times chunk.

This room was the original original sleeping accommodation inwards this house. They apparently built on the add-on that sits on the other side of those double doors inwards the piece of cake 1980's. That's our electrical flow original bedroom. I nonetheless accept no thought how to usage this room, but I'm hoping my heed volition miraculously solve the puzzle 1 time all of this is done.

There are no windows as well as it's kinda a dark hole of a wasted space. Any ideas?

Also, I realize this room looks similar a haunted theater correct now.

Hold me.

The entryway has also been interesting, every bit at that spot are several layers of flooring where the parquet sits on the entry landing. They simply layered flooring upon flooring to where it at nowadays cuts the bottom step inwards half.

So, obviously, that's going to live fun.

Sidenote: Having the rug off of the stairs is thence exciting, every bit I tin finally envision what they volition facial expression similar when they are done. Also, inwards regards to the aforementioned wormhole of renovations, that step track has to live removed to install the hardwood on the stairs. Since it isn't upwards to code anyways, we've decided to rebuild 1 that nosotros genuinely like.

I've been on Pinterest nonstop lately looking at pictures of staircases as well as formulating my eviiiil step plan. I'm super excited nigh this niggling side project, as well as volition weblog nigh it every bit it develops.

So, nosotros accept weeks of run ahead of us, my life is kinda messy correct now, as well as materials is everywhere. I've been doing my best to simply acquire alongside the menses as well as bask the process.

Jesse's genuinely practiced at knowing how to continue me sane, thence lastly weekend he arranged a niggling weekend trip to Gatlinburg. It's a genuinely touristy place, but it's entirely nigh twenty minutes away from our house, as well as I believe inwards beingness the type of gal who tin accept fun anywhere she goes.

So, to acquire away from our dustbowl of a house, nosotros enjoyed a nighttime at a hotel alongside a niggling balcony overlooking the mountains.

And thence nosotros spent the side past times side 24-hour interval doing fun tourist stuff, similar going to the aquarium.

There were babe penguins as well as turtles the size of cows, thence naturally, it was heaven.

And thence nosotros flora our agency to Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum, which I'm pretty certain is for kids, but who's to say.

I genuinely enjoyed the shadow making machine.

Jesse's worst thought of the 24-hour interval was convincing me to acquire to the 5D Movie Theater correct afterwards our trip through the Ole Smokey Mountain Moonshine sense of savor testing facility (which is awesome, btw). To amount it up, the 5D pic theater is basically a roller coaster. You sit down inwards a giant padded spot that gyrates uncontrollably, you lot vesture 3D spectacles as well as a seatbelt, as well as they blow snowfall inwards your face.

To interpret the uncomfortable smiling on my face: I'm in all likelihood going to barf on you.

So, that was nice.

And piece I planned to weblog nigh this when I got dorsum on Monday, I've ended upwards spending this calendar week alongside the worst head-cold known to mankind.

And I've lost my vocalisation for the start fourth dimension ever.

It's perfect timing if you lot enquire me.

Jesse says I audio similar Emma Stone, but I'm pretty certain he's simply beingness sweetness as well as secretly thinks I'm genuinely becoming Gollum. Like for existent this time.

To preclude a surefire meltdown, Jesse has totally made life meliorate past times bringing the living room jumbo-tron dorsum into the sleeping accommodation for me to spotter Dirty Dancing, etc. So, this volition probable live my persuasion for the side past times side few days every bit I recuperate from my mutual depression temperature as well as occasionally wander into the ease of the theater to snap pictures of what's going on.

Sidenote: I moved my entire purpose into the side room thence that I could accept a identify to weblog peacefully. Just facial expression at pitiful Vern, all smashed upwards inwards there. I continue telling him he's gotta simply human being upwards as well as bargain alongside the situation, but thence far all he's done is whine.

Sigh.

VERN.

Also, how many people desire to brand a joke nigh putting Baby inwards the corner?

Raise your hand.

Also, pardon my mismatched Duo Dry socks.

I'm sick as well as can't live held responsible for fashion.

Anyways, let's utter nigh what comes next.
We've decided to do the renovation inwards 2 phases. The 2nd stage volition live the basement degree (The basement degree has a living room, sleeping accommodation as well as bathroom. It's where the cats live. I've never blogged nigh it. Hopefully the renovation volition alter that.) For the start phase, we'll live doing the entire principal degree start (minus our original bedroom, since I clearly demand a identify to wallow). That includes the living room, dining room, kitchen, entryway, both sets of stairs, hallway, invitee bedroom, office, as well as original sleeping accommodation side room. We've also decided to supercede the trim down as well as doors, build a novel step rail, pigment the entire living/dining area, do something crazy to the stone wall (which I've been systematically karate chopping for the past times 4 years, hoping it would magically disappear), as well as thence do 1 to a greater extent than genuinely crazy matter that has me thence excited I tin barely stand upwards it.
This delightful video of Jesse should shed some lite on that, as well as fully explicate why he completes me.