The Living Room is Done!

I wrote about the snail's pace we work at when getting home renovation projects done and the difficulty I've had finding furniture I can live with for the next 15 years. Finally, finally the living room is done!

Most of our projects begin with demolition which I love to do. Give me a hammer, a screwdriver and a pry bar and I'm having fun.

Here I am taking the shelves on the side of the fireplace out. They were made out of the cheapest pine and plywood money could by. I think they may have actually been scraps. I've hated them since the day we moved in 25 years ago. I don't know how I lived with them. Finally the project begins.

In August we had the windows in the house replaced which meant the woodwork had to be painted. One thing led to another. The woodwork was done, then the walls, crown molding was installed. I also decided to have some cabinets installed where the old shelves had been. See how dark the trim is stained? Lots of work to paint that white.

But I did it! And it came out beautifully. Now the wall paint, easy compared to the trim.


See the maple cabinets by the side of the fireplace? Much better and more useful than those old, nasty shelves.
Here's the finished product. I am thrilled with how it came out. It's not a big room anyway, and now it's very cozy and comfortable.


The table in the back left came from a friend's grandparents' house. It was heading to the trash, and I took it intending to paint it. The top was in bad shape but when I took a good look, I realized it was curly maple and the veneer appeared to have come from one board and was pieced together beautifully. The top couldn't be saved but the drawer fronts were in nice condition and both brass escutcheons and pulls were intact. So I painted all but the drawers.

I found the black leather chair in the lower left corner in a client's house. They were moving to Mexico and selling most of their things. I bought some artwork and the black chair. The chair is all leather in perfect condition, and I got it for $75. Don't you just love a bargain?



With the exception of a new cocktail table yet to be located, it's done. It only took five months, a snail's pace.