Archive of ‘Project: House’ category

Photo of the Week – Week 17

I know I’ve said this a lot lately, but I REALLY need to play catch up here. I am almost four weeks behind on the Photo of the Week series. Not to mention the numerous events that have happened in between. So here we go…

The week after I came back from Florida was a chance for me to regroup and get some things done around the house before the madness rolled through again. This was my only free weekend for the next month so it was now or never! Or until mid-June. There were a few little, inexpensive projects I wanted to complete outside. I pressure washed the house and cleaned the gazebo. Nick and I were able to find an amazing deal on a patio table and chairs that fits perfectly in the gazebo for outdoor entertaining (i.e. Girl’s Night). We also strung some really cute lights throughout.

To give the yard a little color, since we have yet to plant any flowers since we’ve moved in, I decided I wanted some potters for the gazebo area. We picked out three different plants to be split up between the two pots. A few weeks have gone by and they are really starting to fill in. It looks great! Now if only I had the time to actually use my newly made-over entertaining space.

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DIY Christmas Card Holder

IMG_5614Last Christmas we received quite a few cards from our friends and family. Seeing as I did not have an official “christmas card holder” I just taped them up to the basement door. It did not look too bad, quite festive actually. However, this year I wanted something a little more formal.

During one of my nightly Pinterest perusals, I came across this DIY Christmas craft that I thought could be turned into a card holder! The instructions seemed very simple, plus the materials were minimal and cheap. (more…)

Project House: The “Master” Bedroom

When we first looked at the house I thought the bedrooms looked a bit small and outdated, sort of like the rest of the house. Ha! However, I knew that with a fresh coat of paint, new carpeting, and some decor both rooms would be rejuvenated. The bedrooms were actually the easiest to remodel because of just that.

I decided to hold off on a whole new “master” bedroom for a little bit. The decor and bedding I had from my apartment bedroom were more than adequate for the time being. I wanted to direct the money to more important things. Nevertheless, there were a few things that needed to be completed before we moved in.

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Home Improvement

developing_home_improvement_prioritiesNovember has snuck up on us. With that, the holiday season is right around the corner. This is traditionally a time for people to revamp their homes and complete those home improvement projects that have been dragging on for months. We are no acceptation to this rule. There are a few projects I would like to have completed before the calendar gets packed full of out of town guests, parties, and Christmas shopping. (more…)

The Fundamental Things Apply

When we decided to start the renovations on the house, the bathroom was pushed to the back burner. We figured we would wait to save money at the present moment and complete it at a later date. However, as we started getting into the demolition we quickly realized it was something that had to be done now otherwise we would be living in a war zone. Boy am I glad we did. The bathroom is one of the fundamental rooms in the home. Being without it for any period of time would have proven to be very difficult and stressful. 

The original bathroom, which claimed to be updated, was a lovely shade of nicotine yellow. It held a very large jacuzzi tub leaving very little space to move around, let alone use the facilities. Just as we did in the kitchen, we stripped the walls completely to the studs. We tore out all of the furnishings and decided to start from scratch. 

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We’ve Got Magic to Do

(View from the backyard after burning some of the demo materials)


As I previously stated, Nick and I purchased our first home just over a year ago. We had been toying around with the idea, but had decided that we should wait to save up for a more significant down payment. However, we then found this house. Nick pretty much wanted the property for its garage. Being that he owns 3 (now 4!) cars himself, it was suitable for him to have a fairly new, 4 car garage that is pretty much the same square footage as the home. Seems reasonable right? Sure, why not. Anyways, the exterior of the home was in pretty good shape. New siding, new roof, etc. etc. Then you walk inside the house and this is where the fun begins! We were immediately welcomed by the sweet aroma of stale cigarette smoke. Then, behold a house that has not been updated since the 1970’s. I’m sure you can picture it…shag carpet, wood paneling, styrofoam beams painted to look like wood…it was a beaut! But, Nick just wanted that garage! So we accepted the challenge. We figured we could update the interior with our skills (or lack there of) and make this house our home. 

Demolition began almost immediately. We could not wait to tear up the carpets, the flooring…the walls. We demoed the entire kitchen and bathroom straight down to the studs. Low and behold, the wiring had also not been updated, probably since the house was built. Plumbing needed updating. Cha Ching! Cha Ching! Cha Ching! I felt like I was on the show on HGTV Love It or List It. Every single time they work with a family, Hilary always seems to come across some disaster that would take away from the families original budget. Anyways, this did not get our spirits down. Luckily, between Nick’s technical skills and the help of family and friends we were able to get things done.  (more…)