Stay Home: Remodeling

Before things officially got crazy in March, I was actually planning on making a bit of a comeback to blogging and posting on social media. In fact, these photos were taken for a campaign that got canceled due to the coronavirus. Once the toilet paper rush turned into a true pandemic, I didn't really feel like coming back to blogging. I don't want to write a post about COVID-19, as I'm sure many others have already done so. But, at the same time, I have no desire to write about springs looks, either. The deciding factor: I could't let good photos go to waste, especially now that I'm working from home and dressed in pajamas and athleisure nonstop. Plus, you get to see my newest tattoos!

before pic

To be quite honest, my routine hasn't really changed. I bought a house back in January and have spent pretty much every weekend working on it. So, social distancing is nothing new for this introvert. The house was built in the 1980s, so even though it still has good bones, there's much to upgrade. The previous owners did some remodeling here and there, but I can't really say that I've been too impressed with their work. Here's what I've been up to regarding my new house, and most likely what I'll continue doing in the months to come. Note: I know these are hard times for many, and I don't want to come off as ungrateful for what I have. I know that I'm fortunate to have a job and a house, especially these days. If the idea of me talking about remodeling my house might rub you the wrong way, then please stop reading now. Otherwise, grab your midday glass of wine or evening coffee (because, why not) and continue...

Home Remodeling

Painting

Tyler has been painting everything! Of course, I helped sand some pieces as there's a lot of wood in this old house. But, painting is not my specialty. He's a pro at it, though. He's been sanding, priming, cutting, painting, getting on unstable ladders to reach the high ceilings, etc. So far, we've managed to change out most of the mustard yellow walls for light gray ones. I originally bought Lazy Gray to offset the Pure White trim from Sherwin Williams. Then I realized that it had more of a blue undertone, which didn't work. I happen to have a lot of great windows in my living and dining rooms, but I'm also surrounded by mature trees, which you can clearly see in these photos taken on my back deck. So, I opted for First Star, which is a much lighter gray to truly brighten up the rooms. Everything you see that's white used to be brown, and everything that's light gray used to be mustard.

Deer & Windows

Some of the best features in the house are the two bay windows on the main floor (two of the bedrooms also have bay windows). They make for the perfect book nooks. I also love the large picture window in the dining room. All these windows give me great views of the trees around my house and the family of deer that live there. Yes, a herd of about nine deer live in my backyard. Generally, I see them every other day as they graze for food or sunbathe by the creek in my front yard. Yes, there's also a creek. I'd be lying if I said the herd of deer wasn't a selling point.

Privacy

I happen to also live on a cul-de-sac. Oddly enough, both my sister and my brother live on cul-de-sacs outside of Atlanta as well. I also have a very long driveway. If you were to Google the street view of my house, all you would see is a cul-de-sac, a driveway and trees. I love how it feels like I live in a cabin in the woods, even though I'm just minutes away from one of the biggest metropolitan areas in the U.S.

Furniture

So far, we have a super comfy sectional over a gray and white area rug and two unique coffee tables in our living room. Along with a floor lamp, accent chair and a plant (bless the green thumb gods), the main room is coming together quite nicely. The floor to ceiling fireplace still needs to be painted, and the ceiling fan needs to be upgraded. But all that's really missing is a mounted TV and wall art. I'm thinking of adding a console table as well.

There's also a gorgeous solid wood dining table complete with a smaller rug and bench. I just need to decorate it with a nice runner and some "not-for-use" dishes to complete the tablescape. This house also has a loft that overlooks the living room. We're using that as an office. Basically, all my living room furniture from my apartment is now situated in the loft. It's a great place to get work done, read a book or listen to some records.

The To-Do List

Oh...so much! Baseboards need to be caulked. A couple old doors need to be switched out. I want to remove the old bathroom vanities and replace them with new ones that fit my "modern farmhouse" vibe. I only have three colors in my house: white, gray, black. My accents are wood and plants. If it's not wood or not a house plant, then I don't want it. And so much painting still needs to be done. After the main floor is finished, we're moving on to the master bedroom and then the loft. Did I mention we also have a finished basement? No? Well, it doesn't matter because that's at the very bottom of my list. I'm still working on getting the stairs painted white and possibly remodeling the entire kitchen!

Quick Q: Remember my swing chair? I want to put it in either the living room or dining area, but my ceilings are high. Should I get a stand for it? Or should I put it in that corner by the dining table? Or should I move it to a bedroom?

So, yeah...social distancing hasn't changed my life much. I'm hoping to get all this done by the end of the year, but here's to hoping that the coronavirus will be over and done with by summertime. Let's keep flattening that curve.

Stay safe, stay home, stay healthy.