Stairs: Part 1

With 4 months until our baby boy arrives, we decided it was time to have an interior stairway to our basement again.  I'm so ready to not have to lug my laundry basket outside, down the dark cement stair path, and into the basement.

When we remodeled our main floor last year (2010), we removed the old staircase because it wasn't in a good spot (it ended up being right in the middle of our bedroom!). We now know where it's going to be and have figured out all of the measurements, etc., so let's get this party started!

We always need before pictures...so here is the corner of the guest bedroom and closet that is going to become the stairwell.  On the other side of the closet wall is the dining room, which is where you will enter the stairs from.  Yes, this is going to make an already small bedroom a bit smaller, but it's going to be worth it.

Here is the view of the closet from the doorway of the guest bedroom.

Let the demo begin! (And don't be worried, I did not partake in the demolition.  That was all Mark. We had the door closed, the bedroom windows open, and a towel under the door so no dust would enter the rest of the house.) I did sneak in to take these pictures after the dust settled, though. :o)

Once the demo was done, Mark threw up the new studs which made our new wall.

Look at those pretty new studs! (That's what she said.)  We extended the new wall about 2.5 more feet so that we wouldn't have to hunch over as we walked down the stairs. The new stairs are going to be a bit steep (think stairs of the 1940s!), but they will be nice, new, inside, and have a nice sturdy handrail.

You may be wondering what the brick thing is...that is the back of the chimney.  On the other side of it is our living room fireplace.  It's still nice and solid!

This is 100% the hubby's project. I've just been snapping pictures. While he does this, I get to start on something really fun...a nursery!

I'm still here - surprisingly!

We've been here but we've been taking a much needed break from home remodeling projects. Instead we decided to start a family remodeling project - and our baby boy will be joining us sometime in mid-May! So, we now have a major countdown going on and a list of "to do's" a mile long which means that our home remodeling break is officially over.  We've got some big projects, some fun projects, and some projects in between.

This is what we're looking at accomplishing in the next 4 months:

• New interior stairs
• Deep cleaning and organizing the basement
• Paint all interior doors
• Remove boiler heat from guest bedroom
• Build master bedroom bed
• Buy and install island exhaust fan over cooktop
• Fill holes (from removed boiler heat) in wood floors
• Buy and install wood transition pieces for floor
• Buy carbon monoxide detector
• Install light in coat closet
• Recaulk and paint window trim where needed
• Buy new dining room light fixture
• Stain kitchen table
• Stain buffet table
• Stain bathroom cube
• Reupholster living room sitting chairs
• Reupholster...and paint? kitchen chairs
• NURSERY

If we even get HALF of this list done, I will be happy. Very happy. So, get ready for big project numero uno: THE STAIRS.

Estate Sale Sunday

Oh, we love us a good estate sale!!

Mark was looking for a chipper to help move our backyard cleanup along and lo an behold what did he find?

He got himself a nice chipper for only $60!! It was the last day of the estate sale and everything was 50% off so it was $125!  It was a great deal and works really good.

If you can believe it Mark was the big spender (that NEVER happens!).  I spent $2 and got two things: a mirror for my youth group's room and this:

A pretty, pretty chair that needs a little love.  I have been looking for a chair or stool of some kind to eventually sit at my old vanity that is in my bedroom, and I think for a whole buck, this one is going to do the trick.

I think it will be just lovely when its done.