Let the Demolition Begin!

By tonight all of this will be gone! 
I have been looking forward to this day since we purchased the house in May! I will be posting lots of progress pics over the next couple of months - so stay tuned!! 
And feel free to giggle at the small hammer hole in the furdown -- Hubby's curiosity got the best of him so he busted that hole last night to see if we would be paying for lots of re-routed plumbing...thankfully it was empty! Wahoo! 

laundry room progress ... and tips for selecting a great painter

To say the last 10 days have been crazy would be a huge understatement! Renovating in the middle of football season, I mean those two things are hectic in and of themselves... Add them together with all the other things that happen in life, and you have a very hectic reno! While technically, I was supposed to have 31 posts in the month of October for the "31 days challenge" - life happened. So, I will definitely complete the series, but more like by the middle of November! ha 

Anyway... The final details have been added and priming in the laundry room began yesterday! 

I absolutely love the contrast of the black window against the white walls and cabinetry. The countertop in here will be black as well, so the window and countertops will complement each other nicely. I am contemplating an awesome wall covering in here, too... more on that after my visit to the Design Center soon! 

future gift wrap station (right side of LR) 

hidden hot water heater and cabinets (left side of LR)

For the first phase of this renovation, we used "Painter A" - we needed the whole house, all walls, ceilings, doors, and trim painted - he came recommended and had the best price. For just painting, he did a good job and we saved a ton of money compared to the other bids we received... we didn't have any belongings in the house yet, so overspray wasn't really an issue.  Then...we had him come back to float and paint walls in a new bathroom and paint the screened porch. That was where we saw him trying to take short cuts and his quality of work was not what we saw the first time. Overspray was on the porch, porch floors, door, etc. We were glad when he left, never to return to our house again!

So for this phase, we are using "Painter B" - and we are so impressed with him and his crew! They have taken every precaution to prevent overspray on the walls and ceilings and other items in the laundry room, such as the hot water heater, which "Painter A" would have probably just ignored.  This crew takes their time and does the job right. Are they more expensive? Yes, but in the end it's worth it! Remember our motto "Do it right the first time!" I won't spend the next days and weeks cleaning up the mess that "Painter A" would have left behind.

The moral of the story, if you take a recommendation for a painter from a friend, make sure they painted the same items for your friend that they will be painting for you. A great wall and ceiling painter might not be a good cabinet painter - and vice versa. Also, did they paint before your friend moved in? Or after? Another great idea is for you to ask the painter what they will do as far as prep work before they begin painting - then you can point out any holes in their plan before they get started. 

Just a few little tidbits of helpful info after we learned the hard way!  

now, let's not be too farmy.

By now, you all know that I don't want a farmhouse with small plaid drapes, calico pillows, & red roosters in every room. However, I think it's important to embrace the style and surroundings of your home in your decor. So, here are some things that would fit my ::Farmhouse Chic:: style for our home, without being too farmy...

sliding barn door into the mudroom or pantry 

a good ol' southern welcome in the entry hall

 cowhide ottoman with sleek lines and nailhead trim. love it.

bringing some of the outside in with designer wallpaper

layer a cowhide rug over a sisal or jute rug

 a nice set of antlers to hold the watering hose

so maybe you gotta have something a little farmy, so it doesn't look like you forgot where you live

add a few southern quotes to a gallery wall 

image sources

Now you see how a few ways that "farmy" can be "classy." 

my love for shutters.

I have a rather serious crush on real working shutters. Their detail adds so much charm to the front of the house! If you don't believe me, allow me try and change your mind...

In my humble opinion, the shutters that are operational and proportional are worth the investment! Now, if they are out of your budget, you can always add the decorative hinges to your existing shutters to give you the same look, for a much smaller price tag. Here are some great options if that's what you would like!

Source for Images

See, the existing shutters on our farmhouse aren't proportional to the windows, have no endearing details, and are chipping. They must go. I can't wait to replace them with something new! 

It would be funny to try and close those... not much of the window would actually be covered. Not to mention, they aren't even tall enough! Well, I suppose the previous owners just weren't as opinionated as I am, and loved them. As for me, I am ready for a change! 

::AFTER:: Wet Bar

 Items changed and/or updated::

Old wine rack ripped out
Wooden wall planks installed
Custom cabinets built and installed
Built-in refrigerator 
Marble countertop installed 
Walls, trim, and planking painted Benjamin Moore White Dove
Cabinets painted Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black
Hardware added to cabinetry
Open shelving mounted in previous wine rack's spot 

In case you missed it, this is the :BEFORE: Wet Bar post. 

And just for fun, below is a ::BEFORE:: pic