Foyer- Before & After

We're not completely done... but with the holidays quickly approaching, I'm calling it "done for now" and will update when we get the finishing touches in place!

So here's the side-by-side...
Not all that dramatic a change, but remember, we weren't really unhappy with the foyer, nor wanting to re-do this space, until the ceiling fell down.
Then it became necessary :)

The renovation included the following:
-After fixing the plumbing, we sheetrocked the walls, and the ceiling.
-The walls have been painted gray ("Frappe" by Valspar)
-All of the moldings, doors & the radiator cover were repainted a crisp white.
-We switched out the light fixture.
-We replaced the light switch plates.
-The floor took a beating, so we bought a new, larger rug- to cover them up until we get them refinished!  (Plus it feels more cozy in the winter!)

More pics:

With the front door open

This is the view when you enter the front door:

2011- Before we moved in

After

View from the back door:

After

2011- Before we moved in

The detail shots:

Some Christmas decor

New light switch plates

Bells on the door for Christmas

The new rug!

To finish it up, we plan to hang some artwork... some ideas are being tossed around on that, though it'll likely be in the spring when we get it settled & up there!


In Progress shots:

Sheetrocking & spackeling

Painting radiator cover

New Light Fixture

Painting back door & molding

Painting front door & molding

Update: foyer wall decor

Tick Tock- Family Room Clock

When we lost electricity for 8 days during Hurricane Sandy, I realized that we don't have any non-electric clocks in the house!  

So, when I was shopping for something to put in the blank walls space that's above the corner cabinet in the family room, I thought this would be a good, and useful, addition.

After eyeing a few online, I was in TJ Maxx, and found this one (at a great price!), so I snapped it up.

It looks a little weird in the photos, because the side panels are mirrors so reflect the ceiling and beams from the angle I took the pictures at!  

I can't believe how perfectly it fit... I was a little nervous that it would be too small, or a touch too tall... but it's just right :)

Hidden Wires

When we did the plumbing fixes that necessitated taking down a portion of the family room ceiling, we discovered a clever fix that the previous owners made to hide electrical wires.

See the wires that come through the beam, edge into the family room and then snake upstairs...

For reference of where it is in the room, that's the new corner cabinet on the left.

Close up

Here's the sneaky solution they came up with to cover it up...
A triangular wooden cover, worn to match the original beams that are in the room!

You can see one of the REAL triangular support pieces
in the photo above.

Our fake one fits right in!  

New Foyer Light

The foyer is starting to come together... we're waiting for a few more pieces to get into place before posting the Before/After comparison.

Last weekend, we bought a new light fixture.

Although we liked the old light, it just didn't go with the new paint colors.  We debated painting it black, but decided against it since we were thinking of using it by the back entrance once the extension is built.

AFTER

BEFORE

New switches & plates!

We also got new switch plates... they're a pewter finish, to match the base of the light fixture.  SO much better than the mismatched brass & plastic tan ones that were there!

Light switches BEFORE

We're waiting on a new rug to arrive, and we're in the process of making some decisions on artwork/decorating.

Inching closer to the finish line for this room!

Family Room Curtains

The freshly painted white corner cabinet made the rest of the cream-colored molding in the room look really bad. Painting it all white is going to take a while, especially with all of the built-ins on the opposite wall!  

I'm dreading painting the built-ins that flank the fireplace!

But I'm not going to stress out about it, we're just going to do it a little at a time.

I started with the window that was right next to the corner cabinet.

After the window molding was painted, I wasn't sure what to do with the curtains.  

I really hadn't been thrilled with anything I've done with them so far.
These windows face the road, so we're trying to balance wanting to let in the natural light, and the need for privacy- especially when lights are on in the evening.

In the past, I've tried just letting them hang...

I've tried pulling them to one side...

I have drape-y valences for them, but they seemed too formal in here.

Then I tried these little clips, that I have had for years... 

For the longest time, I was planning to use them for hanging the kids' artwork.

I'm not really sure what they were originally intended for, but the "claws" are really sharp, so it seems like they were made to grip material.

This allows light in, but doesn't feel TOO wide open.

I'm liking it... at least for now!

Inside the Corner Cabinet

With the corner cabinet completed, 

I was excited to start figuring out what to put inside... 

Here's what I ended up with (at least for now!) 

On the bottom shelf...

Old, pretty books;
Mike's grandfather was a glass blower,
& made the paperweight;
Some wax & sealers.

This oil paint set was my great-grandfather's.

Also in there are some ink wells & glass ink pen.
I love how the reflections show the curve of the door's glass.

On the middle shelf...

The oldest of my Bible collection;
A tiny jewelry box that Mike gave me when we were dating;
An hour glass.

On the top shelf...

Framed picture of Westies;
Brass camels from Saudi Arabia;
A brass cordial set;
A brass alligator nutcracker;
Some pretty books- not old, but just the right size. 

Funny story on the brass alligator... 

My 4 year old picked that out at a yard sale over the summer.  We paid $1.

About two weeks ago, I saw it on One Kings Lane for $89!  

The kid has a good eye!

Corner Cabinet Complete!

The corner cabinet is completely installed & painted!

A quick recap...

After removing the plumbing stack, we had to come up with a solution to cover the pipes that did not completely fit into the ceiling & wall.

We bought the corner cabinet...

Raised it up 1 foot, and installed drywall above it...

In that space underneath, I hid the weekly local newspaper.  

I figure that will be a fun find for anyone that eventually removes the cabinet!

Mike made the bottom molding, and then I painted it all white...

We also spackled, sanded, and painted the ceiling... 

We're glad that's done, and we can now get decorating for the holidays.  

 The foyer is almost done too... 

Painting is just about finished, so now I have to get the furniture back in there.  

I hope to have pictures ready later in the week!

Throw Pillow

While unpacking winter clothes last weekend, I came across this little wool tank...

I love the bead work

Inspired by some pillows that Lynn at UpCountry Olio made (here),

I thought this could be turned into a throw pillow for the bedroom.

So, I grabbed this plain spare pillow, to use as my base/stuffing.

It fit perfectly inside the tank.

After trimming off the excess material at the top & bottom,

I quickly stitched it up by hand, with some dark gray thread... 

(read: still intimidated by the sewing machine!)   

Since the material was "fuzzy", the stitches are really hidden well, so I didn't even have to fret too much about making them exactly even.

It took a total of about 20 minutes!