House Renovation: Part Two

The next big project was the living room

It didn't have nearly as many serious problems as the kitchen, but it needed help!

First to go was the big gas burner. It had been used to heat the house, but didn't meet code, and didn't really work anyway.  We had a contractor put in the new heat pump, and it was supposed to be done before we moved in, but somehow didn't get completed until February.  It was a cold several months!


Next we needed some light! That dark wood paneling, on top of the dark wood trim and wood floors was much too much! Again, a little paint worked wonders. (Okay, a LOT of paint! It took 6 coats to cover the ceiling, which had been darkened from running that gas burner til it was nearer black than white in some places)



We also had to replace the uninsulated front door, which was letting in a very sharp draft!

Once all that was done, we splurged about $200 on some lumber to add a built-in book shelf in the awkward area to the left of the chimney, to house our growing collection of books.



Here's what we have now:

We had to paint over the paneling instead of replacing it (money!) but I didn't want it to just look like painted paneling, so I had to come up with a creative way to use the stripes. I painted the entire wall in a basic sandy grey color, then randomly painted some of the paneling stripes with a glossy eggshell color and others with a flat sage green. I really love the look that this combination of colors and textures gives to the walls!

The bookshelves/cabinets are perfect for showing off our old books and other display pieces, and hiding the stereo, cds, and other junk that is not so pretty!

The new front door was a big expense, but probably paid for itself in energy savings the first winter.  And it looks so much better!

I found a light fixture on craigslist for just a few dollars, that fits perfectly with the character of the room.  I made sheer roman shades for the windows, instead of the old broken mini-blinds. In the winter we hang drapes with an insulating backing to help block the cold drafts let in by those old windows. They make a huge difference in heating bills!

And I love the cool green light that comes in!

We added a beautiful Franklin (gas log) stove where the old gas burner used to sit. We love the flames on a cozy winter evening. And we love the reduction in our electric bill from not using the heat pump all the time.

And that's our living room!  This is where most of the family gathers just about anytime we're not in the kitchen.  Most of the time the floor is a bit scattered with toys, the coffee table loaded with children's books, and a there's a dog sleeping on "my" chair.

But that's the way we like it.