The Annual Report

It has been 2 1/2 years since we moved into our 1800s farmhouse updated with 1970s "charm". When Andy and I house hunt (this is the second home we have bought and remodeled), we look for overall features we like that are harder to change- number of bedrooms/bathrooms, floor plan, location and overlook cosmetic issues that can be fixed "easily" or over time.  Between Andy's construction experience and my creativity, we feel confident buying fixer-uppers.  This house was perfect for us because it provided the location, land and outbuildings that Andy wanted and gave us many things to improve without (hopefully) getting our heads too underwater.  When looking at fixer-uppers, it is really important to dig into the house a bit before jumping in to make sure you aren't getting into a bigger project than you can handle.  Surprises always come up (like the well deciding to stop working the day after we moved in!) but you can prevent a lot of stress and headaches by looking at the bones of a house before you buy.  With Andy's experience, he can confidently make a yes or no assessment but if you don't have this handy tool with you, find a trusted friend, contractor or home inspector to give you the low-down.

Though the home was originally built in the 1800s (we found newspaper insulation in the bathroom dated 1895), it was updated in the 1970s.  Though this update unfortunately removed most of the original farmhouse charm, it did update plumbing, electrical and insulation.  More recently, major systems like heating and septic were updated.  This made us confident that as we torn into walls and floors, we would need to do minimal fixing of these more expensive things.

So, 2 1/2 years later, here is some of the progress we have made and some things we would still love to do.

Exterior Before:

Exterior Progress:

What we have done:

• Removed the old siding on 2nd floor and put in board and batten
• Painted upper board and batten (Raindance by Benjamin Moore color-matched by Sherwin Williams) and lower siding (Rushing River by Benjamin Moore color-matched by Sherwin Williams)
• Removed chimney on left side of house
• Ripped out and rearrange garden beds
• Created a gravel walkway and widened the driveway
• Removed (by accidental fire) the garage and prepped area for seeding
• Painted deck with Behr Deck Over

Things we plan to do:

• Take out the entrance concrete stairs on south side and replace with a larger deck
• Add shutters to front windows
• New gutters

Porch Before:

Porch Progress:

Things we have done:

• Built-in storage
• Painted all walls and trim white
• Removed coat hooks
• Painted ceiling blue (Flint Smoke by Behr)

Things we plan to do:

• Repair all screens
• Replace light with fan/light
• New door from interior to exterior
• New exterior door

Kitchen Before:

Kitchen Progress:

Things we have done:

• Removed curtains
• Painted ceiling white
• Painted walls (Flint Smoke by Behr)
• Painted cabinets (Spanish Olive by Glidden)
• Painted handles black
• Removed paint from hinges (previous owners had painted all 30 of them faux wood!)
• Replaced light (can't see it here but we got a great one!)
• Replaced fridge (took this from our old house)
• Replaced stove (took this from our old house)
• Painted all trim and windows white
• Painted doors (Natural Linen by Glidden)
• Removed carpeting and painted stairs

Things we plan to do:

• Rip-up linoleum and refinish hardwood (we hope is still under)
• Tear down wall leading to dining room and move stove
• Build a peninsula or island
• New counter tops (thinking wood or concrete...)
• New blackspash (hard to see but the blacksplash now just continues from the counter tops)

Dining Room Before:

Dining Room Progress:

Things we have done:

• Painted ceiling white
• Painted walls blue (Flint Smoke by Behr)
• Took down blinds
• Painted trim and windows white
• Painted door (Natural Linen by Glidden)

Things we plan to do:

• Open up wall from kitchen
• Rip-up linoleum and replace with hardwood same type as under kitchen floor
• New light fixture
• Bigger Ideas:  Expand 4-6 feet to south side (big wish)

Living Room Before:

Living Room Progress:

Things we have done:

• Painted ceiling white
• Painted walls blue (Flint Smoke by Behr)
• Took down curtains
• Replaced ceiling fan (the new one is a flat black)
• Tore up carpeting and refinished hardwood floors
• Painted trim and windows white
• Replaced beige outlets with white

Things we plan to do:

• Widen doorway from kitchen
• Build built-ins for TV and DVD storage

Kids' Playroom Before:

Kids' Playroom Progress:

Things we have done:

• Painted ceiling white
• Painted walls taupe-ish color (Puddle by Behr)
• Took down curtains
• Replaced light
• Tore out carpet and replaced with hardwood
• Painted trim and windows white
• Removed door from living room to playroom
• Replaced beige outlets with white

Things we plan to do:

• Put in a double sliding door to deck

Master Bedroom Before:

Master Bedroom Progress:

Things we have done:

• Repainted walls (after originally painting them a different color) (Blue Grey Slate by Glidden)
• Painted ceiling white
• Tore out carpet and installed hardwood floors
• Built a cube-style bookcase
• Replaced beige outlets with white
• Painted trim, doors, windows white
• Built a new closet organizer and removed bifold doors

Things we plan to do:

• New ceiling fan

1st Floor Bathroom Before:

 1st Floor Bathroom Progress:

Things we have done:

• Painted walls purple/grey color (Milestone by Behr)
• New ceiling light
• New shower curtain
• Removed some of the handicap bars
• Painted all trim and doors white
• Painted vanity (Puddle by Behr)
• Built a wood farm around existing mirror
• Replaced hardware on vanity and doors
• Replaced beige outlets with white
• Built shelves into the closet (originally just a clothing bar)
• Replaced vanity countertop

Things we plan to do:

• Replace light above mirror
• Bigger Ideas:  tear out shower and do a larger tile enclosure with double shower heads, replace flooring

Laundry Room Before:

Laundry Room Progress:

Things we have done:

• Painted walls and ceiling white
• Replaced washer
• Tore out ceiling drywall to replace upstairs bathroom plumbing 
• Moved and painted coat hooks from porch

Things we plan to do:

• Replace dryer
• Move utility sink next to washer
• Build built-in cabinet above laundry
• Build bench, cubbies and coat hooks on opposite wall of washer/dryer
• Paint trim/doors/windows white (EEP!  Yes I claimed in a previous post that I was finished... this is truly the last remnants of unpainted trim in the house!)
• Tear up linoleum and refinish wood floor (**crossing fingers**) underneath
• Bigger Ideas:  Build on an attached garage off laundry room and convert laundry room into a mudroom/laundry with door to garage

Upstairs Office/Craft Nooks and Hall Before:

Upstairs Office/Craft Nooks and Hall Progress:

Things we have done:

• Painted walls and ceiling white and green (Spring Cactus by Glidden)
• Made the stair wall a half wall
• Tore out closet for office nook
• Widened doorway to craft area
• Tore-up linoleum and painted wood floors
• Painted trim and doors white
• Built a quilting table and bookcase
• Replaced all lighting
• Replaced beige outlets with white

Things we plan to do:

Nothing comes to mind!  Except perhaps replace the window in the quilt room eventually.

2nd Floor Bathroom Before:

2nd Floor Bathroom DONE:

Things we have done:

• Complete renovation from framing out including new electrical, plumbing, flooring, window, tub, vanity, lighting, paint.

Things we plan to do:

DONE!!

F's Bedroom Before:

F's Bedroom Progress:

Things we have done:

• Painted ceiling (Arctic Ocean by Behr)
• Painted walls (Ancient Pewter by Behr)
• Moved ceiling fan from living room and painted hardware silver and put on new globes
• Tore out carpet and laid square tiles (classroom tiles)
• Painted all off-white trim/doors/windows white
• Built a closet organizer, painted closet floors and walls

Things we plan to do:

• Window coverings/blinds
• Convert this to the baby room with guest room bed
• Replace electric heater

E's Bedroom Before:

This room is affectionately referred to as the "Hobbit" room because of the silly little door.  When we first looked at this house, E immediately took a dive on the old cot still in the room.  She got a good scrubbing in the tub that night...

E's Bedroom Progress:

Things we have done:

• Painted white 
• Painted walls (Phantom Mist by Behr and Memories by Behr on window wall)
• Put in new ceiling fan
• Tore out carpet and laid square tiles (classroom tiles)
• Painted all off-white trim/doors/windows white
• Put up removable, sticker-like flowers
• Replaced window
• Put up curtain

Things we plan to do:

• Tear out paneling and insulate and drywall
• Build bookcases in flat parts of walls
• Build built-in two twin beds on either side of window
• Build built-in wardrobe next to door
• Put in 2 dormer windows in slanted walls

So that is the house!  Perhaps I can get Andy to write up a post on what he has been working on in the outbuildings.  Unfortunately, we didn't take before pictures, but I'm sure he can enlighten you with his impressive imagery.  After completely the big bathroom remodel, we have been taking a break on house projects but hope to start tearing into E's room really soon!

525,600 Minutes of Trim Painting

Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty five thousand moments are gone
Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?

In cleaning, in taping
In painting, in Netflix movies
In touch-ups, in mess, in iced tea, in snacks
In five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, a year in the life?

How about trim?
How about trim?
How about trim?

Measure in trim

Seasons of trim
Seasons of trim 

A year has gone by since I posted my first post about beginning to tackle all of the wood trim in the house, hence my alternate lyrics to a song in one of my favorite musicals, Rent.  In reality, it has actually taken me more like two years because in the first month of moving into our house, two years ago I was on my knees painting the beige trim in F's room white (one of the more annoying realizations which we didn't notice until we started painting the walls). When we moved in, the upstairs generally had white trim (or beige as was the case with F's room) and the downstairs had wood trim work.  

Living Room on Move-in Day 

F's Room on Move in Day

I am not absolutely opposed to wood trim- I think it looks amazing in Craftsman houses and old Victorians but I have an OCD thing that gets especially twitchy when trim color changes throughout the house.  Not only did we already have white trim upstairs and wood downstairs but in the den, bedroom and bathroom downstairs the wood trim was a different color and style than the rest of the downstairs.  ::see eyelids twitching uncontrollably::  After we initially painted all the walls in the house, the wood trim seemed to fit better and look more updated but I just couldn't deal with the different trim on the first floor so I bit the bullet and fell down the rabbit hole of painting.

As I am finally nearing the end of endless walls of trim work and windows, I thought I would delight you with some numbers.  

13 Rooms

The whole downstairs had wood trim so everything needed 4 coats of primer and paint.  The attached porch did have white trim but it was badly worn so this also took 4 coats all around.  Both bedrooms upstairs as well as the hallway had white trim but again, it was badly worn so this all had to be redone.  Andy put in new trim when he opened the office nook and stairwell and renovated the bathroom so all this bare wood needed 4 coats as well.

21 Windows

Each window took about 1 hour per coat (so 4 hours total per window).  I trimmed only on the outside of the windows since it is very each to use a blade to later clean up any paint that got on the glass. I think the trickiest part of windows is making sure you don't paint them shut so you have have open/close them frequently as you go along which is not pleasant during the winter. (Yes, I have been known to paint wearing my fall gloves).

9 Interior Doors

6 of these were flat panel so I was able to use a roller (YAY) but the other 3 were paneled so I used a large brush.

3 Exterior Doors

Dining Room Door

Kitchen Door

Den Door

The exterior doors were all primed with 2 coats of Zinsser 1,2,3 and then painted with Glidden Natural Linen.  We had tons of paint samples, mostly ranging from yellows to beiges.  We taped the chips on all the doors looking at how the color looked with the exterior paint color as well as the interior color of each room and how the paint color changed in different lights during the day.  Nothing like a good coat of paint to update 70s doors.  I LOVE this color.

14 Doorways

I hate doing doorways... it always seems endless.

Miles and Miles of Baseboard Trim

9 Hinges Spray Painted Black

Who knew hinges were so expensive?  Instead of replacing to match the new knobs, Andy used a black spray paint on all the brass ones.

6 Replaced Doorknobs

We replaced all the 1970s brass doorknobs with Gatehouse Baron Aged Bronze Mushroom Knobs from Lowes.  This was generally and easy change over but on a few of the doors, Andy had to resize the holes for the latching mechanism.  I generally would have gotten silver knobs but I saw the aged bronze (which look black) on another blog and loved them.  I think they look so great on the white and tan doors.

2 Rolls of Painters Tape

I typically don't use painters tape when painting rooms.  I think it takes too much time to apply painters tape correctly and you still often have to touch up.  For me, it is faster to use a good angled brush for cutting in, working slowly than taking the time to tape.  I did tape for the trim work, though because I had to do so many coats it was worth the time to tape.  Also, the baseboard trim on the first floor has a weird lip at the top that was impossible to paint without getting paint on the walls.  Mostly the tape did a good job but I had to do some touch up in the playroom where we painted over paneling because the tape pulled the wall paint off a bit in places.

4 Coats of Paint (2 gallons of each primer and paint and 1 gallon of exterior door paint)

2 coats of Zinsser 1, 2, 3 and 2 coats of True White in semi-gloss for the trim and interior doors and 2 coats of Glidden Natural Linen in semi-gloss for the exterior doors.

88 Episodes of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"

Nothing passes the time like junk TV.

Did you know that you should apply hair product like pomades and clays from the back of your hair to the front?  Especially helpful for women pixie cuts!  Also, if your wool sweater shrinks a bit, soak it in cold water and conditioner, rinse and gently stretch back into shape! 

$100

Calculating paint costs and tape, doing the trim in the entire house was about $100.  Thank goodness my labor costs are Zero.99. 

200 Hours of My Life... Gone

Prepping the exterior door in the dining room by sanding it.  It was crackle finished and old so I wore a respirator just in case.  This is my typical painting outfit.

When did I get it all done?  Well, I generally tackled one room at a time doing all the taping, priming and painting of everything in the one room.  Each coat of every window took about 1 hour so I would often do one coat of a window during nap time time and throw my paintbrush in a bag in the fridge so I wouldn't have to clean it every time.  Everything else was in easy kid hand range so I typically did the baseboard trim and doors at night once the kids were asleep to keep wet paint handprints to a minimum (though they did happen).  Sometimes I could get a room done in a week if we had an impending date where company was coming and other times, weeks would go by in between coats (this happened a lot during the summer when we would get a sudden hot week and it would be unbearable to be painting).  On a few weekends, Andy would take responsibility for the kids outside so I would be able to get a good chunk of 5-7 hours painting a section during the day.

100% Worth It.

Totally and completely.