January 24, 2009


Welcome to the Living Room Project, which will focus on renovations to the living room and foyer.
First a few "before" pictures. The room started off as a mix of styles...a little bit country, and a
little bit rock-'n'...Victorian.

Some of the elements of the room will remain: the window treatment, the chair, the couches, and
a few of the accessories.

Looking towards the foyer, you can see a couple of other features we plan to keep: the cabinet and
the mirror in the foyer. On the bottom left you can see the back half of my dog (also in the mirror).
We're going to keep him as well, but he seems to be in EVERY room.

The main feature of this remodel will be a large built-in bookcase that will grace the wall to the right.
The Queen Anne style tables will head into storage in favor of a more contemporary look.

The foyer, looking toward the main entry. On the right is a massive wood and plaster mirror that has
been in my family for generations. The rug, which has not, will be available in an upcoming tag sale.

Looking towards the dining room.

I will be tackling my first floor refinishing on this project. As you can see, the floor has some damage.

But overall, the floor is in good shape, so it should look good when refinished.

With the furniture out, work begins.

All the moulding is coming down, except for the window casings.

"I just need to get this one little nail out, and....OH MY GOD!"
Actually, I took the wallboard off the end wall to make way for the built-in bookcase.

Another relic of my younger days. While stripping the wallpaper, I discovered some creative
painting I did as a teen, just before the wallpaper went up.

This is why I hate wallpaper. Even with two people stripping it, it's still taking forever.

The walls are going to need some repair when this wallpaper is all gone.

With the wallboard removed, you can see that the wall was originally framed for a fireplace.
Instead, it became a home for mice. The mice were gone, but let's just say I found some "evidence."

On the right, you can see the surface damage that will need repair before the walls are painted.

At the end of the first day, the wallboard is removed and about half the wallpaper is gone.

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