70s Weekender Makeover - An Odd Thanksgiving Edition

The sight of our Little Men arriving for a holiday stay was my "5-4-3-2-1- put your tools down!" signal to stop my remodel project!  What is done is done... what isn't, will have to wait until after the holidays.

I will share some of the project with you today as I give THANKS that this little family arrived safely.

Sorry this is such a bad photo...

We bought our 70s-model weekender this past summer for a near song. It was stuck in the seventies and even though it had had some updates by the previous owner... they were not updates that brought it up to speed. 

The first thing that had to go was the header between these two built-ins.  It just held the whole thing down in  my opinion.  I wanted it opened up, brightened up and cleaned up!

I had crown moulding added to the top of the shelves and around the room.  My favorite elements in a room tend to be the crown moulding and the hardwoods.  The carpet had to go, too.  The floors were put in by people Lumbar Liquidators sent.  Would NOT use them again.  We chose an engineered hardwood in a Tobacco Road stain.  I wanted some variation and movement in the color.  Evan and I both immediately liked this wood.

I do love the stain and the look of the floor.  But, if I had it to do over, I would stick with the floor guy I use with my Old Girls.  I just had to want something a little more 'exotic' this time.

Now, this is not a post about decorating!!  LOL!  This stuff all was hurriedly thrown in place to get ready for the Little Men.  I was still doing a backspash earlier this week.

And, admittedly... I am not a good decorator like my friend, Kim at Savvy Southern Style or so many of my other blog friends... I am more of a 'bones of the place' kind of decorator (just like I was an orthopaedic nurse... not a plastic sugrery nurse... So, please don't judge me by my decorating!  LOL!)

This is during the process... you can immediately see the difference pulling out that header from one built-in to the other makes!   The 'popcorn' acoustic ceiling was removed.  I use very little texture (the Old Girls never have much... so, I've come to appreciate their smoother, simpler appearance).  Sheetrock replaced the old paneling and you can see the crown added to the built-ins.

Still need to find an area rug and do my small bit toward decorating, but all of that will come.  I have no idea why they placed the two ceiling fans where they did. My best solution was to add two more to balance it out and give lots of light. Plus, in the nicer weather the windows will be open and fans will be running! 

Painting the cabinets and using a light neutral color, Wool Skein (knitting attachment, you know) by Sherwin Williams, for the walls really helped lighten up the place, too. 

Yes, the drapes still need to be pressed -- again, not a decorator post.  LOL!

My favorite change was opening up this space above the fireplace.  I am used to seing the changes made by the paint, the hardwoods, the lighting... but, my Old Girls have never needed 'opening up.'  LOL!  So, this relatively Young Girl has had a freshening and I look forward to enjoying the new cleaner, brighter, lighter version.  I'll share more on the kitchen soon. 

I clung fiercely to the 'Norman Rockwell Family' dream for years...  Scrapped and fought and worked and tried to create it every year in every way I could.  Truth is, we don't have it (at least not in all ways... or in all the times).  But, what we do have is good.  Very good.

We shared an EARLY morning breakfast with our Little Men before they headed off to other family commitments for the day.  Then we headed home... where I did my Thanksgiving phone calls, turned on my electric blanket and piled into bed for a long four hour nap.  Rest was a real treat. 

Evan and I shared a frozen pizza; he is watching football and I am about to catch up on my blog reading.  My heart is full and I am so very thankful for all the many blessings we enjoy. 

Would I still like Norman Rockwell?  You know I would.  But today, I think I am finally okay not having that 'dream'.   Acceptance is a good thing (I know if I keep saying that to myself, one day it will really, really, really sink in).

;)

Today, I have offered and will continue to offer a special thanks to God for my blog friends.  You all enrich my life in ways I could never have imagined (a special thanks to Dotsie, for the flea reminder).  Thank you, too.

I am linking this to Kim's Wow Us Wednesdays (late).  She is such an amazing blog person and blog friend (always makes me feel like such a slacker by how much she gets done AND blogs!).  Thank you, Kim.

blessings to all ~

tanna