Sprucing Things Up

It has been almost 4 years since we moved into our current home. We purchased it from our next-door neighbors - - a couple in their 80's who had lived here for 35 years. I think my friend Terri described our house best, the first time she came to visit, when she said, "It kind of has a Grampa feel to it". In a nutshell, I think the last time this house got any kind of update was probably about 25 years ago -- it has a very distinctive Brady Bunch vibe going on. Anyway, I'm finally getting around to making some changes.

The one room that has bugged me the most has been the living room/dining room. It is one big space, all walls painted a flat off-white. In my opinion, off white is b-o-r-i-n-g, and flat paint just does not mix well with grubby little boys. Besides that, there were just many things in the room that simply detracted from it reaching its full potential.

So, before getting started, I had to stop and think about what needed changing the most. The walls definitely needed color. The drapes had to go. Dated wood stove needed to be removed. Ginormous 1970's mirror over the mantle...bye-bye! The ceiling fan? Well, it needed to be dragged to a remote location and burned. See for yourself:

Behold, the World's Most Hideous Ceiling Fan

I'm happy to report that the ceiling fan has been removed. We found exactly what we were looking for in a replacement at Home Depot, for less than $20.00. The problem? When Steve removed the old fan from the ceiling, it revealed some sketchy/scary wiring that he wasn't about to mess with. So, here is what the living room ceiling looks like right now:

The good news is, the electrician will be stopping by this afternoon, so we should be back in business pretty soon.

Then, there are the things that I'd like to change, but that will just have to wait for now: New carpeting. New furniture. Refinished hardwood. New chandelier. These things will come in time, but in the meantime, I'm making all kinds of changes, without breaking the bank. It can be done!

Come back tomorrow and we'll talk drapes, paint, and random decor.