living room to-do list!

last week i was a little short on time, so i chose the shortest list to work on.  plus this list has a couple things i can't do (due to pregnancy and lack of know-how), so it seemed perfect!

living room to-do:
1. clean out dish cabinet
2. paper back of cabinet
3. clean out tv stand
4. wash couch covers
5. buy screens for doors
6. stain fingerprints on ceiling from construction
*these were off limits -- didn't get doors, nor can i install, don't want to be climbing ladders to stain.  these have been added to pete's to-do list :)


i cleaned out the dish cabinet/hutch thing removing dust (eek!) and taking out a few pieces.  here is the cabinet, picture also for 'before' of papering the inside:

plain-jane
i also noticed that there is a TON of space above.
need to think of something to go there!!

after many emails with les, we decided to paper the back with removable adhesive so i can change the colors -- i regularly change the towels in my kitchen with the season (or mood!) so we thought this was the wisest idea for the hutch as well.  i'm pretty pleased with the after and even more pleased i didn't do anything permanent!  it was an easy project with the impact i was looking for, though really the ability to change the paper will be awesome for me.

before and after vary in size, but
i wanted to show the paper detail!

i cleaned out the tv stand cabinet, but didn't put anything inside to replace the dvds.  i'm planning on using it for blanket and toy storage when our little greenbean arrives.  currently (bad mom), i don't have toy storage/baskets/etc. in our living areas (except the little kitchen).  i'm kind-of a 'we'll play in your room or bring out bins of toys and put them away before nap or bed' kind of mom.  is that bad?  i have one or two baskets for 'nonbelonging' items in between cleaning or pick-ups.  then i take that basket when i go to the bathroom or bed and put everything away.  

washing the couches required no before or after :).

because i am going to show you the amazingness that was my living room before we took possession of the house, i've included another view here:

we spent the most money and time remodeling this area of the house.  this side was 'sinking' into the groud as the fireplace was too heavy (and probably all the tile and junk, too) for the foundation.  this made the house 'unloanable'.  the buyer needed to pay cash and sign all sorts of papers and bids describing the damage and repair costs from companies all over the bay area.  the estimates were around $100, 000.  obvisously this scared a lot of buyers, but, with the help of my dad and his years upon years of construction experience, we were confident in our ability to make this home livable and pretty.  we got a construction loan and (with the help of these super high bids) borrowed enough to raise the roof house by digging pillars, pouring cement, and building a very cute porch.  we were also able to compelte the rest of the projects mentioned in previous and future posts.

gorgeous.

we hired a mason to resurface the lower part of the fireplace with salvaged bricks from buildings that were torn down.  the brick hearth was cut to the width of the fireplace, and we tore out all the shelving.  the dark wood ceiling was kept since we added so many doors to the room.  we covered the top portion of the fireplace with sheet rock and paster to lighten the place up and cover the remainder of the fireplace.  see, the house was so 'crooked' that the bricks slanted big time.  in fact, the whole floor was ridiculously slanted - it made this vertigo-haver sick to stand in the place!

left of the fireplace
you can kind-of see the crookedness at the bottom
that little window turned into a door to our porch

view to the right of our current hutch
we took these cabinets out too - kitchen at a later date!
this is now a walkway

'cause i know you love to look at creepy dolls, you are very welcome.  are you getting it?  let me know if you want more 'after' pics to get the entire feel.  i mean, i know you're dying to know all the ins and outs of my house, right?!?!?