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House Renovations: Week 7

June 6, 2012 By Rhoda 77 Comments

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It was quite another productive week at the old casa.  My painting angels came out again last Friday and we got the 2nd coat of paint on all the trimwork.  Yay for progress!  Getting all of that done in one day was such a good thing.

Dad and I have more board and batten to add, I’m adding some in the foyer and up the stairs too. I figure the more architectural interest I add, the better in this plain house.

Now that the trim is painted, we will get on the wall painting next.  That is going to be so exciting!  I cannot wait to get rid of the dark blue in the living room and paint my light and airy white in there.

Last week, we got all those old hardwoods torn out, they were just not worth saving and I’ve got better plans with new engineered flooring from Shaw Floors.  Those floors are going to make such a difference in this house too.

Here’s a reminder of what the windows looked like when we got it.  Rough cedar, not pretty.  Big chunk out of one of the boards.

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Dad and I worked on trimming out the foyer windows and at least put up new pine boards that look better already.  We mitered the corners and fit the front boards on.  You can see the small boards that are inside the windows. We decided to leave them and add to it to trim it out and they look so much better now.

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Here’s the bottom of the window.  Sad and ugly!

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New front boards in place.

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Now, to trim out the inside, my dad cut the inside trim pieces with the miter saw with the skinny side up.  To cut at an angle for this sort of trim out, it’s like crown molding, you have to cut it standing on it’s side and not flat.  It’s hard to see the angle in this pic, but there is an angle on it.

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It then get’s nailed in like this and each piece is cut the same way and put together like a jigsaw puzzle.

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And now it looks like this!  So much better, don’t you think?

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I caulked every seam and gap in between the old and the new and it is all painted out now. These windows look so much better. I’m really pleased with them now. So worth the effort to get them this way and for not a lot of money with buying a few pieces of lumber and trim.  Remember, caulk is your best friend in a renovation.  I  think I’ve already gone through at least 4 tubes of caulk in my caulk gun.  Messy, but necessary!

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Caulked and ready to paint.

I’ve got a little more caulking to do, but here it is after one coat of paint.  Much better, don’t you think?

Adding that trim to the inside and caulking it all makes a huge difference in the final look.

They look much more presentable now for my entryway.

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We also tackled getting those old wood floors up in the dining room and kitchen and it is officially GONE!  My dad got out his circular saw and cut it to help get it out of there.

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And we hired a couple of young men to help us with that hard work.  Dad cut and they pulled up the boards and hauled them out.  My friend, Debbie’s son Andrew and his friend, Bryan came over for a few hours to help us out.  They did a great job with the heavy lifting.

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Working smart with Dad cutting and them pulling up the boards, they got it out piece by piece.

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There were a million staples left in the plywood after it all came out, so that has to be taken care of too.  We think they can be driven down in the wood and our felt and new floors should go right in over it.

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Once all of our old materials are torn out, we will get a dumpster in for a few days to get rid of everything.

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This is one of my interior doors that I’ll paint black.  One of them has some repair work that needs to be done, so I’m trying to patch this one.  I’ve already added wood putty and sanded it down and it will be ready to paint.

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On Friday, we had our trim painting party and 4 friends came to help.  New friend, Cindy, who with her husband, owns Great Harvest Bread Co. in West Cobb dropped by and painted one bedroom and she also supplied sandwiches for lunch from her wonderful shop.  If you haven’t been by Great Harvest, it is a fabulous bread company with delicious treats and they serve breakfast and lunch too.  It is not far from my new house and I know it will be a new stop for me when I get over there.   Thanks again, Cindy for those delish sandwiches!

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Sheila, Missi, and Susan also came by for the painting party and I’m happy to say, we got it all done.  Yippee! Thanks again, girls, y’all really helped this job go easier.

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Susan’s shirt was appropriate.

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Here’s the dining room all painted on top.  Wall color above is Benjamin Moore Rockport Gray.  I had it mixed at Lowes in Valspar Paint and Primer in one and it covered in one coat.  Once I finish my house, I’ll add all my paint colors in one spot.

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I added one more coat of paint below after I took this pic, but it is officially done now.

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SO pretty!

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All that new white paint is blinding me.  I love it!

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Looking good.

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Fresh white on the railing and up the stairs.

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Can’t wait to cover up this blue.

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Newly painted windows in one bedroom.

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And the other one, which will be my office.  That red is gonna be fun to cover up.

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Last, the master bedroom trim is all white now too.  It is feeling lighter already.

We haven’t tackled the den yet, but we will get to that soon.  Next, will be adding more board and batten up the stairs, getting all the walls painted, and then it’s on to hardwood floors!

I’m still figuring out my kitchen cabinet plans, but right now it looks like I’m going for Ikea Shaker style cabinets.  They really look great and you know what?  The Southern Living Idea House had those exact cabinets installed and they look fantastic.  I’ll show Part 1 of that house on Friday!  You are going to LOVE it!

That’s it for the week!

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Filed Under: House Renovation 77 Comments

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jan says

    June 6, 2012 at 11:09 am

    I have been enjoying seeing the progress on your new home. I especially love the pictures of your adorable father working so hard. My father helped me with 2 homes and I really treasure the memories of us working together. He passed away and I really missed him last time I moved.

    Reply
  2. Valerie Elder says

    June 6, 2012 at 11:51 am

    Hey Rhoda
    I have followed your blog for years. Your is the first blog I ever came across and I was hooked into the blog world.
    You are still the one I follow consistently
    So excited for you and your new home.
    I just wondered if you have seen this article on Ikea cabinetry
    http://carolreeddesign.blogspot.ca/2009/10/why-i-love-ikea-kitchens.html
    Blessings in your new home!
    Valerie

    Reply
    • Rhoda says

      June 6, 2012 at 3:02 pm

      Thanks, Valerie! That was a great blog post on Ikea cabinets. Loved what she had to say. I have not heard anything bad about them.

  3. Rhonda ~ Ramblings of a Southern Girl says

    June 6, 2012 at 11:54 am

    Wow! The renovations are coming along well! The transformation is astounding! And I think it is so sweet that your mom and dad are with you every step! Ya’ll make a great team! 🙂

    Reply
  4. Paula Lusk says

    June 6, 2012 at 12:42 pm

    Rhoda-So excited for you. And love when you post update pictures….I get really excited! The Lord certainly has a plan for you, and we see it through your blogs. Thanks Paula

    Reply
    • Rhoda says

      June 6, 2012 at 3:01 pm

      Thanks, Paula for following along! You are so sweet.

  5. Delores LeBoeuf says

    June 6, 2012 at 12:43 pm

    Looking FANTASTIC! Love, Love, Love the trim/molding inside the windows and the inner cut is so, so SMART. I also love white walls, trim, doors, etc. I can already see the big picture and plans you have for your home, I am so excited for you. I have learned so much by reading your blogs, keep ’em coming. We too have a Great Harvest Bread Co. here in Fresno, CA – delicious. The decorating is going to be icing on the cake(s). Your heart is going to be doing somersaults. Love & Blessings, Lady Delores.

    Reply
  6. Theresa says

    June 6, 2012 at 12:56 pm

    Rhoda, Everything is look great, like the window trimming. When we helped our Dau. & SIL remodel their house, my husband & I removed all old carpet and he used long nose pliers to get up staples – your Dad may have some of these pliers. I looked on Amazon, there are several type that look like they will work for removing staples. (Did I tell you I LOVE anything about remodeling, decorating or gardening?) I still remember the remodel – husband & I usually worked 5 days week all day while Dau. & SIL were at work, they would come home and work at night and on weekends so I understand what you and family are experiencing – lots of sore muscles and so glad to get to bed at night! The results are so rewarding and saves a ton of money! Looking forward to more pictures and instructions for projects. From a middle Ga fan

    Reply
  7. Peggy says

    June 6, 2012 at 1:23 pm

    It’s fun watching your progress. I wish I had your energy. I just painted my college-age son’s red room a pale gray and I must say I was shocked at how easy it was. I gave the walls a once over with Kilz oil-based environmentally friendly primer (bought oil based by mistake – next time take the time to put my glasses on rather than squinting) and then all it took was one coat of a Dunn & Edwards paint I had on hand. Crazy! I thought I was going to have to do at least two or three coats.

    Reply
  8. ann says

    June 6, 2012 at 1:35 pm

    Wow, Rhonda It’s all looking so fabulous, Your dad is amazing, I didn’t see your mom how is she doing.?

    Reply
    • Rhoda says

      June 6, 2012 at 2:57 pm

      Ann, Mom is doing well. She has had a little bit of back/sciatic nerve problems lately, so we are not letting her do much. She was over there with us today, sweeping and vacuuming, we can’t keep her totally still. 🙂

  9. Rachael says

    June 6, 2012 at 2:11 pm

    This is looking great, Rhoda! Can’t wait to see those new floors!

    Reply
  10. Teresa says

    June 6, 2012 at 2:41 pm

    Just wondering why you mitred the window trim in the foyer instead of using the arts & crafts traditional method you used for the rest of the house. Are you going to use a chunkier molding around the doors and sliders? It’s looking amazing. In my gray room and those with a slightly darker color , similar to your DR (especially where there is no ceiling molding ) I’ve used the same or 1/2 cut paint color. It really helped raise the visual height of the ceiling by creating more of an envelope as opposed to the stark contrast of the white ceiling. I wouldn’t have thought the same colour would do that, but Ellen Kennon (http://www.ellenkennon.com/fspmain.htm) suggested it during a recent repaint, and the result was so seamless. Normally I used a halt-tone.
    Can’ wait to see next week’s progress.
    CTD

    Reply
    • Rhoda says

      June 6, 2012 at 2:54 pm

      HI, Teresa, the mitred trim was what was already in the foyer, so I thought that looked best since those windows are so skinny. The other Craftsman style I thought might overpower those little windows so I chose to leave them the same as they were, just freshened up with new boards and trimmed out inside.

      I’m not trying to match all the trim in the house at all. I’m just simply adding what needs to be added and doing it the best we can. It will not all match, but it will all be the same color, so it should flow together nicely. I would love to add crown molding in the dining room eventually (when I can get to it). Right now, we are just trying to get the main things finished and move on to painting, floors & kitchen, so that I can get moved in this year. Many of those other things can wait until later. I’m not planning to add more trim to the sliders or doors right now. Maybe one of these days, but I’ve got too much else to think about. I’ll be happy with it all painted now.

  11. Pam Schultz says

    June 6, 2012 at 3:09 pm

    Hi Rhoda!!
    I just love opening emails from you!! It’s exciting to see the transformations taking place!! It shows you how doing the reno yourself that you see everything. I love rooms that are bright and airy. You have some really fun hard working friends and your dad is a sweetheart!!
    Pam

    Reply
  12. Jeanie says

    June 6, 2012 at 5:42 pm

    I’m so excited for you. And how wonderful to have friends willing to help out. Your house is going to be beautiful!

    Reply
  13. Sherry says

    June 6, 2012 at 7:10 pm

    Rhoda, Everything is looking great! I know it will be beautiful when finished.

    Reply
  14. Tina says

    June 6, 2012 at 7:55 pm

    Rhoda,
    Haven’t been reading blogs too much lately, just caught up on yours. I was so excited to see you have a new house! My heart broke for you last year, although I did not know many details. I know it was a dark time for you. Happy to see the Son shining in your life now!
    I read your post on your friends porch, it is very nice, but have you thought about using your dining room colors to carry out onto your screen porch? I’m a designer in the Dallas, Texas area and I usually try to carry some of the colors from one room to the next. I think the color in your dining room would look beautiful on the floor, and your wicker would be awesome in a charcoal grey. Some fabric that had some yellow in it would look awesome!
    Tina Ramer

    Reply
  15. Screendoorgirl 3 says

    June 6, 2012 at 9:19 pm

    Wow, Rhoda, what progress ! You must be so excited. You’re lucky to have all that help. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help worrying about your Dad and the guys hitting their head on the chandelier. That drives me crazy , you know it’s there but still walk into it. I’m looking forward to the showhouse . Thanks!

    Reply
  16. Melissa @ HOUSEography says

    June 6, 2012 at 9:56 pm

    Looking great Rhoda! Congrats on your new house!!!

    Reply
  17. Phillis says

    June 6, 2012 at 11:03 pm

    Rhoda, your new house is looking so good! I have been following you since Great Impressions days. At that time I lived in GA and now I live in VA (military husband). But anyway, I have to say you have great strength girl and I love your style!
    Phillis

    Reply
  18. Cindy says

    June 6, 2012 at 11:12 pm

    Everything is looking BEAUTIFUL!!! I’m so happy for you and it’s good to see that you have lots of help. Too bad I don’t live close, I have lots of extra time and I would love to help here and there.
    Hugs, Cindy

    Reply
  19. Lee says

    June 7, 2012 at 5:52 am

    It’s definitely moving along, really enjoying these posts.

    Lee ☺

    Reply
  20. Louise says

    June 7, 2012 at 1:06 pm

    This is so exciting! I am so happy for you. I think this will be your best home EVER.

    Reply
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Thanks for stopping by! I'm Rhoda, from Atlanta, GA and I love decorating and DIY projects. Decorating a home doesn't have to cost a fortune and I've spent years thrifting at antiques markets and yard sales, finding those treasures that make a home unique. I'm here to inspire and encourage other women to find their own inner creativity. Won't you join me?

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