Before
There are some moments in life when you realise - this is it. There's no turning back now.
Like when we bought our house and signed all the paperwork. We were home owners. We had a mortgage. That was scary.
Most recently, I've had a 'this is it' moment with our house renovations.
We bought this house nine and a half years ago and, after first driving past it and dismissing it as 'too brown' (the lovely cedar boards were painted mission brown), we decided to look more closely. When we did, we noticed a few things: the colour of the outside was terrible, the colours on the inside were also terrible (each room was a different colour), the carpet was shocking, the kitchen was brown and pink, the curtains were a definite peach tone (that also matched the peach architraves!) and the archways (and the yellow glass doors!) were straight from the 1970s.
We also had a realisation. Everything we didn't like about the house was superficial. Paint and curtains could be changed, cupboards could be replaced and archways could be squared. Carpet could be ripped up, especially considering it was hiding a houseful of beautiful hardwood floors.
In short - we've done a lot of work to make it look like we imagined. All of that, though, made us see even more potential in the loveliness of this place, so that's what we're working on now.
This is not a fancy house. It's a little cedar place on a quiet street surrounded by gum trees. This is not a house that is architecturally designed or will ever be found on the cover of a home decorating magazine.
It's our home. We fell in love with it from the moment we stepped inside.
So, it's a big deal to be completely changing it. As I've mentioned before, we're not only adding more rooms, we are also changing almost all of the existing part of the house.
At the end of day one, here it is:
This is it. There's no turning back now.
Megan
Wsihing you luck with the Reno's & hope you will be blogging about your Reno's through out the Reno's. Wish I had our own house but alas we Rent.
ReplyDeleteLook a lovely home - ie. one that would feel like a home...not the inside of design magazine! Love your yard that's surrounded with gorgeous trees. Wish we had more trees...
ReplyDeleteWe bought our house mainly on 'good bones' and the feel of it, and it still feels comfy and like a home, despite all its imperfections and things that need repairing. I blogged about our home here recently http://melbournemumma.com/2010/08/02/my-favourite-bit-of-home/
Hope the renovation goes smoothly!!
Alison
Yipppeeee! Home, but better.
ReplyDeleteFan-tastic! It feels so GOOD (but scary) to start, doesn't it? We have just completed, on the same day you've started, our year-long reno/extension, which has seen our little 1940's cottage go from a drab 10sq to around 24sq of living plus a garage/office. Three living zones and plans for a massive vegie patch and I am still very pleased - despite the heartache, loss of all our savings and grey hairs - with our decision.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with this weather.... that was our biggest setback. Still, we broke the drought for Melbourne, we did ;)
Gracious me Megan you're doing a lot and I wish you every bit of positive energy in the universe. I can sense the love you feel for the house in the post. We've been working on our place for over 5 years now and I am scared witless of the next stage which I know is inevitable. I am looking forward to hearing about your journey. xoxo
ReplyDeleteOh, it's exciting! Just as exciting as scary. All the pain will be worth it. Pinky swear. ;)
ReplyDeleteGood luck! That first day is so exciting but so scary. Hope the waether cooperated- but I hear it didn't! ;)
ReplyDelete