The Home Front

[cinderella]

Renovations/Restorations/Decorating Projects in the Home
Successful or not so successful, new or completed projects around the house? Come share your experiences, or projects you're intending to undertake for advice, help, support, or just plain 'bragging rights'. Big or small, from painting walls to complete additions, or all types of decorating efforts - tell us about it!

[princessbelle]

Great thread Cinde!!!!! Oh yes i am totally remodeling my house, after my ex from a year ago butchered it up really bad. She had good intentions but honestly didn't know what she was doing so now I gotta repair it.

She took out a wall between the kitchen and living room to open up the space, which was nice but problem is the ceiling is bowing. So, my brother is in the process of building a bar between the two with posts where the ceiling is sagging a little.

I need some ideas as far as covering the beams on the ceiling and the new posts beside the bar. I know I can just make a "cover" of sorts with wood and then paint them, but I want to use wrought iron as much as possible...any ideas?

[cinderella]

Tons of ideas, my sweet!! First, if the wall is 'bowing', that means it was a supportive wall, and never should've been taken down. You can span an 'I' beam, but that would be very expensive. You can builid some sort of 'pass-thru' between the posts, or shelves (thick glass ones would be nice) to put decorative items, or whatever. You can make it into a bar/breakfast bar, with stools on either side -depending where you had more room; make it into a room divider with etched glass, etc. There's lots of things you can do. Depends on what look your wanting.

Great thread Cinde!!!!! Oh yes i am totally remodeling my house, after my ex from a year ago butchered it up really bad. She had good intentions but honestly didn't know what she was doing so now I gotta repair it.

She took out a wall between the kitchen and living room to open up the space, which was nice but problem is the ceiling is bowing. So, my brother is in the process of building a bar between the two with posts where the ceiling is sagging a little.

I need some ideas as far as covering the beams on the ceiling and the new posts beside the bar. I know I can just make a "cover" of sorts with wood and then paint them, but I want to use wrought iron as much as possible...any ideas?

[cinderella]

My latest decorating endeavor is fairly modest...I just had a brand new bay window installed in my living room. It spans 8 feet, with four windows. The two windows in the center are fixed. The two end ones, are casement windows with a diamond grid between the double-glass panes (no dusting required, thank goodness!).

I purchased 4 white sheer panels (54" wide), and cut them down. I hemmed them so I could put slim expandable curtain rods on top and bottom of each curtain. The curtains are gathered and tied in the center with a sash I made of the excess white sheer trimmed when I cut the curtains down to fit. The sash gathers the sheers in the center (a little above the center) to form an hourglass shape. They look so pretty, and completes the 'cottegy' look I was trying to achieve. It makes me happy to look at my windows now.. :)

[Sam]

i could go on for hours, but this old house is being renovated from top to bottom

from new shingles, to fresh paint. fenced in yard.

going down to all 2x4's, replacing dry wall, carpet, tile floor.

tearing out kitchen, new cabinets, tile floor, paint appliances

i can go on and on.. lol



Side Note: Jet, this is where all my new found muscle is coming from :P

[cinderella]

"i can go on and on.."
Please do, Sam, I love this stuff!!! And I'd love to hear when you started, and which room you started out with!!

BTW, do you watch HGTV? Tons of ideas and projects on that channel. Where is your house located, and what year was it built what style house is it? This inquiring reporter wants to know!!!


i could go on for hours, but this old house is being renovated from top to bottom

from new shingles, to fresh paint. fenced in yard.

going down to all 2x4's, replacing dry wall, carpet, tile floor.

tearing out kitchen, new cabinets, tile floor, paint appliances

i can go on and on.. lol



Side Note: Jet, this is where all my new found muscle is coming from :P

[Sam]

I dont have time for TV, i wish i did.

We started on the outside. the house is made with cinder blocks, we put kilz on it to seal it and we are painting the outside. The roofers will be here in 2 weeks to put new shingles on and gutters.

we built 2 front porches and a fence about a quarter acre around property.

[princessbelle]

Tons of ideas, my sweet!! First, if the wall is 'bowing', that means it was a supportive wall, and never should've been taken down. You can span an 'I' beam, but that would be very expensive. You can builid some sort of 'pass-thru' between the posts, or shelves (thick glass ones would be nice) to put decorative items, or whatever. You can make it into a bar/breakfast bar, with stools on either side -depending where you had more room; make it into a room divider with etched glass, etc. There's lots of things you can do. Depends on what look your wanting.

Well, I want a bar on the side of the living room and on the side of the kitchen, counter space with cabinets down and up. My problem is this.....there will be a space on the kitchen side between where the posts are and where the cabinets are...oh say about 2 foot. I don't know what to put there. Just build it in and paint it? And what about covering the posts. Just box them in and paint? Is there another clever way to decorate posts?

[ravyngirl]

I too am doing some things as well.

I had a real estate agent out to assess the house and give me some numbers to work with....

You know that rule "never buy the best house on the block"?? Well apparently, I did not follow that!! I had no idea though!! My neighboring houses all are these big 3 story homes and mine is this sweet little 1950s cape. Sure the yard is a park-like setting. Sure the bedrooms are great sizes... No doubt that the master bedroom is jaw dropping BUT I would *never* had guessed that my little house was actually the biggest house in the neighborhood!

So, I'm limited... if I do too much, I out-price the area.

First on my plan: Redoing the kitchen... all new cabinets (at least new to me), updated lighting (actually have to re-run the wiring because the current set-up is absolutely ridiculous), new flooring, etc.

Once the kitchen is updated, I am going to refinance the house and install a deck and update the main bathroom and master bath.

The cost of all this is rather scary and the fact that I have learned bout this pretty tight budget as to not out-price the area doesn't help the nerves! I don't want to end up losing money on this! I mean, really..... it isn't the point!

So I see lots of sweat equity on my part to get this all done. OH and lots of scoping craiglook.com!

[Liam]

Well, I want a bar on the side of the living room and on the side of the kitchen, counter space with cabinets down and up. My problem is this.....there will be a space on the kitchen side between where the posts are and where the cabinets are...oh say about 2 foot. I don't know what to put there. Just build it in and paint it? And what about covering the posts. Just box them in and paint? Is there another clever way to decorate posts?

Storage! Seldom is there enough of it, sounds like a great place for cookbooks. Go visit your favourite lumber yard or check out Lowes or Home Depot, and look at the different kinds of molding—there are lots of ways to decorate posts.

[cinderella]

Liam, my exact thoughts! Belle, unless you have tons of storage, the shelves are a good idea. As Liam said, it's a great place for cookbooks, and some pretty glass, ceramic or metal decanters, or decorative plates. If it turns out to be a 'showy' spot, i.e., where everyone will see it, consider glass shelving with hidden rope LED lighting, or one spot light to light a particularly nice piece.

As for the posts, again, same suggestion. If your house is on the traditional looking side, moldings add real character to posts - by boxing them in, and putting molding on them, they will look more like pillars then posts. You can also cover them with 'cultured' stone. It's lightweight and easy to apply, but that look is more 'lodgey', more rutic looking.

Storage! Seldom is there enough of it, sounds like a great place for cookbooks. Go visit your favourite lumber yard or check out Lowes or Home Depot, and look at the different kinds of molding—there are lots of ways to decorate posts.

[cinderella]

Ravyngirl, first, congratulations on buying what sounds like a very nice house indeed.

Secondly, I so understand improving yourself to the point where you won't get any equity on your upgrades. It's a hard one, but it can be done. There are many products out there that are very nice, and not as pricey as the upscale counterparts. Flooring - laminate has come a long way. There's high-grade laminate that you have to look at very closely to discern whether it's wood or not.

Decking - is you go with treated lumber, it will cost in the long run to maintain it. You'll have to reseal it every couple of years. Between buying the supplies, and paying for the labor (unless you're doing it yourself), it can get expensive over the years. Look into no maintenance molded decking - there's several brands out there, and I'm sure you can find something within your budget.

Refinancing - this is a very good time to do that. Shop around for the best deals. With the economy so low, and so many folks losing their jobs, and so many foreclosures, banks and lending institutions are hungry for business, and more likely to give you a good deal with a very low percentage. You can use the money for those renos. As you know, it's kitchens and bathrooms that usually sell a house. And the backyard you've described sounds lovely - that's another big attraction for resale.

In the end, it's you as the homeowner who you have to please. If this is your 'forever house', then go for it and upgrade it as much as you want. However, if you plan on reselling at some point, use discretion with your remodelling, and try to keep things as neutral as possible. If you put your house on the market, potential buyers want to see themselves in the space, so decluttering and de-personalizing the space is essential. It's hard to envision oneself in a space with overly colorful spaces, and lots of family photos around.

I too am doing some things as well.

I had a real estate agent out to assess the house and give me some numbers to work with....

You know that rule "never buy the best house on the block"?? Well apparently, I did not follow that!! I had no idea though!! My neighboring houses all are these big 3 story homes and mine is this sweet little 1950s cape. Sure the yard is a park-like setting. Sure the bedrooms are great sizes... No doubt that the master bedroom is jaw dropping BUT I would *never* had guessed that my little house was actually the biggest house in the neighborhood!

So, I'm limited... if I do too much, I out-price the area.

First on my plan: Redoing the kitchen... all new cabinets (at least new to me), updated lighting (actually have to re-run the wiring because the current set-up is absolutely ridiculous), new flooring, etc.

Once the kitchen is updated, I am going to refinance the house and install a deck and update the main bathroom and master bath.

The cost of all this is rather scary and the fact that I have learned bout this pretty tight budget as to not out-price the area doesn't help the nerves! I don't want to end up losing money on this! I mean, really..... it isn't the point!

So I see lots of sweat equity on my part to get this all done. OH and lots of scoping craiglook.com!

[cinderella]

Wow, Sam!!! I am very impressed!! You do all this type of work yourself!! That's amazing. I am putting you at the top of 'What I want for Christmas List'!!! lol. I sure could use a guy like you around my house!! ;)

Well, now I *know* why you have no time for TV!!

i could go on for hours, but this old house is being renovated from top to bottom

from new shingles, to fresh paint. fenced in yard.

going down to all 2x4's, replacing dry wall, carpet, tile floor.

tearing out kitchen, new cabinets, tile floor, paint appliances

i can go on and on.. lol



Side Note: Jet, this is where all my new found muscle is coming from :P

[Gemme]

Kimbo should come in here. She's doing a wonderful job on her home renovations too.

[Random]

Well, I want a bar on the side of the living room and on the side of the kitchen, counter space with cabinets down and up. My problem is this.....there will be a space on the kitchen side between where the posts are and where the cabinets are...oh say about 2 foot. I don't know what to put there. Just build it in and paint it? And what about covering the posts. Just box them in and paint? Is there another clever way to decorate posts?

I say..

Cover it in sheet rock, then mount decorative wrod iron on the rock... Myself, I would do a winding *ivy* around the post.. possibly with insets for candles? I don't know your budget, but a local iron worker could make them fairly cheap.. (I don't know if you are in the city or the country.. In Missouri where my parents live, it seems like every other guy has a torch in his garage and does iron work)..

It you are going for a more industrial feel, you could wrap the entire post in metal after you rock it.. That's not hard at all.. It's just panels that you attach..

[Random]

Sigh..

I'm jones to work on a house and a yard..

Seriously, (excuse even worse spelling than usual.. brain is not wanting to work) I had to stop myself from calling my long term ex and ask if I could come work in her yard.. I know it needs weeded and seed trees pulled out..

If I lived in the same town as any of you, I would be knocking on your door, hammer and mud bucket in hand...

[princessbelle]

Great ideas Cinde, Liam and Random!!! Ya'll rock!!!

Thanks!!!!