Renovation joy

A couple of years ago we seriously considered the idea of moving (we have done so since as well). Our dear friends and neighbors were moving to some property and I was sorely tempted to follow them, in large part because I have loved the idea of living on a farm since I was a girl. However, we just didn’t feel good about it, and the idea of maintaining more property when I can’t even maintain our little half-acre neighborhood plot as well as I’d like convinced us to stay. So, if we’re staying for another decade or more, we decided we’d like to fix the things that have bugged us since we built twelve years ago.

Here are some befores, in-betweens, and afters: 

The master bedroom.

Before:

In-between: 

After:

It's all pretty much the same minus the flooring, which we really like. And the bookcase is bigger--needed more space ;-).

The study.

Before: 

In-between:

After:

Kid art isn't back up yet, but the color is better and we used a rug from the basement we already had.

The living room.

Before: 

In-between:

After:

We switched the colors up behind the bookshelves and the piano, which I really like.

Not quite done yet (still needs drapes, mantle/hearth decor, etc) but almost. Old couch went to the lake, and now we actually have enough seats for everyone in our family, if we use the ottoman or the piano bench.

The kitchen.

Before:

In-between:

After:

The side bar addition has been awesome.

It doesn't look that different overall, but we moved the island out a bit which has helped enormously, added a few inches, and changed some of the shelving/cabinetry around. Plus the hood is now centered and looks much better.

The powder room.

Before (The powder room was an after-thought so I didn't get any good before pics, but here are a couple I found):

In-between:

And after:

This wallpaper I found makes me very happy.

Here is where we've been eating and spending lots of time:

We encroached on the seminary area, making the gray table in the forefront our dining table.

The workers kindly moved the fridge to the basement, and we had a small sink installed on the left (not visible), so we've been surviving with the slow cooker, instant pot, electric skillet, etc. along with meals from Costco and eating out a lot. Not great, but really we can't complain, especially considering we brought this on ourselves!

There are still little things to do left, like purchase drapes, a little more finishing in the living room, etc., but overall we absolutely love the space. My favorite part, though, may be this:

Individualized drawers for cooking spices and supplies.

And the labels! Oh how I love them. I wasted so much time hunting through all my spices to find the right one.

I'm glad we did it, and we're not doing it again while we live in this house, haha.