Master Bedroom

I am finally ready to write about our master bedroom! Look at the date from the last time I posted. This lapse in time equals "it takes a while." My advice for anyone thinking of starting a renovation-
1. Figure up the amount of time you think it will be done and the amount of money you think you will spend.
2. Then multiply it by 5.

You'll be much more accurate if you use this little formula. However, after all the waiting, it is definitely worth it. You receive the character and well-structured support that comes with an old house and the "newness" and choice of design that comes with a new house. A win-win! As long as you're patient....

Take a tour with me and see the progress on our master bedroom. We did some changing of spaces (i.e. took out walls) which can sometimes make it hard to see in pictures.
Let's start at the beginning. On the day we moved in, the hallway to the master bedroom looked like this:

If you went to the left, you would enter the bedroom. Straight ahead is the only full bathroom in the house. And... on the right are some built in cabinets. Here is what we decided to do:
1. Take out the built in cabinets (which gave us a much bigger hallway).
2. Build a wall in-between. Now the only full bathroom will be accessed through the bedroom making it a master suite :-)
3.On the end closest to where we are standing would become a little coat closet (since it is close to the front door).

4. On the end closest to the bathroom would become a walk-in closet.

5. Build another full bathroom directly above this bathroom upstairs.

Yikes! Let's get started!

Okay, now that we've established how the space changed, let's go back to the bedroom. Here is what the bedroom looked like the day we moved in. It was complete with all my favorite things :-)
1. Gray paneling
2. Drop ceiling
3. Old teal carpet
4. Dark painted, awkward closet.

Here's a better picture of the closet.

So...we did what is starting to come natural to us: We ripped out everything.

This was about the time that we also ripped out the living room. We had a dumpster at the time so we thought we'd kill two birds with one stone.
You can almost see through the whole house! And...Jesse was doing some duct-work at the time. Can you spy him?

 

 

 

 

Here's me, complete with goggles and work boots, pulling out nails (I've very talented at this job, in case you didn't know).

Looking back at these pictures makes me wonder how I ever survived. A healthy dose of humor will get you through a lot!

Finally, around Christmas, we had drywall put in.

 

And here's the new opening to the bathroom!

Surprise! Guess what we discovered under the old carpet? A beautiful hardwood floor! Jesse and I just love little treasures like this and it continues to be one of my favorite parts in this house. We discovered that this bedroom used to be a living room. If only wood floors could talk! I bet they would have lots of stories to share about the conversations they heard over the last 100 years!

 

Once again, Jesse's mom comes to the rescue and sands down the hardwood.

 

 

And then we stained it a beautiful dark color. 

Isn't it lovely?! Wood is an amazing material. It can be 100+ years old and be made to look as good as new. Don't we all wish our skin could do the same?

Now, we are finally moved in and loving our space-we actually feel like we're in a hotel! I've never had a first floor bedroom but I've discovered it's very convenient, especially having our own little bathroom attached to it.

Thanks for coming along with me!