Our new house can only be called dark. It is solid brick, and the interior is mostly paneling. It's a good paneling, but I have to change that. I have always been intrigued by horizontal planks on the wall, making the interior look like an old clapboard house or something. So I plan on trying this style out in the main living area along with the kitchen.
We have taken a wall and a half out, and are installing new maple wood flooring where it all used to be some sort of tile. This will help lighten the space tremendously. The next step will be to clad the walls with planks about 8 inches thick. This can easily be done by cutting plywood or hardboard into strips and nailing into studs. I plan on painting the walls a vintage white semi-gloss. I will be covering up the brick as well, I know it is NOT a good idea to paint brick, especially if we want to resell one day. So I'll run some strips of 1x2 up and down the walls, and then attach the planks to these. Very easily removable if necessary.
I keep looking at the kitchen photos and realize how much how I dislike that wood. So I will have to paint them...probably white, maybe robin's egg blue, just maybe black? Not sure yet. We will be replacing the appliances with stainless I guess. What other choice is there? I wish they had oil rubbed bronze appliances.
I will also be keeping my eyes out for a way to replace the countertops and backsplash. I don't like those much either. Doug found some tin tiles at Lowe's and I think they would make a neat backsplash...and we would not need much as there is hardly any of that left.
Another area is lighting...the fluorescent lights are awful and will be removed asap. I will have to be slightly creative as there is no Ikea around to help me. Darn it!
The windows in the house are also very small, and I'm used to lots of light, so I'll have to come up with a great way to transform them. I plan on purchasing at least four sets of French doors this coming year. Three interior, one exterior.
Oh, and I'm turning the dining room into a playroom for the girls for the winter. I bought a swing to hang from a beam and a cute slide at Ikea. I also have my eye on a tent/canopy on sale from Pottery Barn Kids for under $90. I want to build them a window seat too. And book shelves. So there are lots of projects to keep me busy this winter. Hopefully I will succeed.
Did I tell you I have 10 people coming for Thanksgiving? Wonder if I can unpack some stuff by then....
We have taken a wall and a half out, and are installing new maple wood flooring where it all used to be some sort of tile. This will help lighten the space tremendously. The next step will be to clad the walls with planks about 8 inches thick. This can easily be done by cutting plywood or hardboard into strips and nailing into studs. I plan on painting the walls a vintage white semi-gloss. I will be covering up the brick as well, I know it is NOT a good idea to paint brick, especially if we want to resell one day. So I'll run some strips of 1x2 up and down the walls, and then attach the planks to these. Very easily removable if necessary.
I keep looking at the kitchen photos and realize how much how I dislike that wood. So I will have to paint them...probably white, maybe robin's egg blue, just maybe black? Not sure yet. We will be replacing the appliances with stainless I guess. What other choice is there? I wish they had oil rubbed bronze appliances.
I will also be keeping my eyes out for a way to replace the countertops and backsplash. I don't like those much either. Doug found some tin tiles at Lowe's and I think they would make a neat backsplash...and we would not need much as there is hardly any of that left.
Another area is lighting...the fluorescent lights are awful and will be removed asap. I will have to be slightly creative as there is no Ikea around to help me. Darn it!
The windows in the house are also very small, and I'm used to lots of light, so I'll have to come up with a great way to transform them. I plan on purchasing at least four sets of French doors this coming year. Three interior, one exterior.
Oh, and I'm turning the dining room into a playroom for the girls for the winter. I bought a swing to hang from a beam and a cute slide at Ikea. I also have my eye on a tent/canopy on sale from Pottery Barn Kids for under $90. I want to build them a window seat too. And book shelves. So there are lots of projects to keep me busy this winter. Hopefully I will succeed.
Did I tell you I have 10 people coming for Thanksgiving? Wonder if I can unpack some stuff by then....
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