If you guys have been following along with our little moneypit journey while we rehab our house, then you probably know last week we were up to our eyeballs in drywall and ceiling fragments. And we couldn’t be more thrilled about it. Now that this is down, seeing the surprises behind the walls and dust and just general ew-ness …we can’t imagine living like this in the house, while the demo of this extent, occurred.
And this week, we were all… hello, ceilings!
It’s really quite insane how different everything can look, within the course of a few days. If you look at the floors, you can see the old lines where the walls once were.
It’s mind blowing, what a difference all this has made to open it all up… I don’t think there’s anything more gratifying than seeing our vision begin to really take shape.
It’s also crazy to me, that when taking a house to its bones and back up again… how paralyzed you can be with decision making. If you’ve been reading for a while, then you know that’s not usually how we roll.
But we decided to rehab a house and this one has a lot of unknown variables that are all interrelated (like that brick wall that’s not actually attached to anything), and things like that can be a bit paralyzing.
I told Karianne the other day that I didn’t know what was wrong with me, because I’ve always wanted to choose all the things. All the choices. All of it. But she told me she did: This is the Subway of houses. You know. That sandwich shop where you can pick whatever you want?
Do I want Italian or Flat Bread? Turkey or Ham? or a Subway Melt? Do I want it toasted or slightly toasted? Colby or Cheddar? Ranch or Mustard? PICKLES? DO I WANT PICKLES? AM I SURE??? Because it’s not like I can just TAKE THE PICKLES BACK OFF! The Pickles are IN THERE NOW and it affects the entire taste of the sandwich… and maybe I wanted HONEY MUSTARD but now the PICKLES HAVE RUINED IT?!
I mean, that may or may not have happened when I was in line the other day and the lady asked me if I wanted turkey… I blacked out after that.
And everything is related. For instance, we really wanted a pocket door leading to the basement {the doorway to the right} for when we’re able to finish it. This would ultimately save a little much-needed wall space without a door that swings all the way back. And if we do a pocket door, then we need to bump the wall out on the right side of said pocket door, to allow room, which butts it right up to the fireplace. And if we do that, then see the wall on the left side of the stairs that lead to the next level? It also needs to be bumped out. Which affects the front door. (or maybe just step it back or angle it, but that’d be weird, who angles a wall?) Which needs to be centered a bit because it’s off now, and there’s trim to consider. So that means it needs to be moved over a notch. Which affects the outside. We’re not ready to touch the beautimous vinyl siding just yet… because of a few bumps we’ve hit the budget is a little touch and go right now.
I have a headache.
I told Neil our fabulous contractor the other day that from now on, when he asks me what I want… I’m asking if this will affect my beams. I just want beams on the ceiling and we need money left for that. That’s all.
I think.
This is certainly our trial by fire. We now officially know what it’s like to live through relocating and adjusting you family to a new city during a full blown rehab whilst running your own business.
We’ve hit a few bumps in the road with unforeseen septic tank costs, and schedules, and now the fireplace. As it turns out, when the drywall was removed, the fireplace wasn’t anchored at all. It was just sitting there… like some weird fake wall for a movie set. Waiting to crush our bones. And now that we can see what’s behind there, we realize we need to change it up a bit for safety’s sake {so it doesn’t fall on our children} and a good update’s sake. Visually, it wasn’t really working with the proportions for us, so it needs a bigger box. And after that, more brick. Aaaaaannnnnnd Jamin really had his heart set on a wood burning fireplace… as did I, since the power could very easily go out with the ice they have in Nashville and a neighborhood like ours with above ground power lines… so if it takes a while to get the power back up, it would be a definite bonus if we have a fireplace so we don’t all freeze to death. But we also need the TV to go above the fireplace because even though it’s my TOTAL pet peeve {I plan to hide it oh so cleverly- stay tuned} it’s literally the only place it can be located in the entire room. So it needs to be placed a safe distance above said wood burning fireplace. But if we want wood burning, this leads us to the chimney. Which could incur considerable labor costs because chimneys.
I had no idea when I read my kids If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, I was totally a walking metaphor. We’re stretching it as faaaaaaaaaaaar as we can.
Meanwhile, in full-on support mode, we had the LVL beams put in this week. This was measured and signed off on by an engineer, and now it’s ready to fully support the load of the house. So these poles you see running upward, are only temporary… There are three of these at 24″ widths x 2″ thick by 28′ and 8″ long.
I feel like we’re living in Noah’s Ark. That’s one of our contractors installing it…
I call him Muscles.
To his face.
Jamin wanted me to know he lifted the LVL beam, too.
::pats head::
And so the framing has officially begun.
And meanwhile, in my dream idiotically big world… what do you do when you go to the flea market to find one of a kind pieces to add to your house, but you can’t find anything you were expecting in the lighting arena… and then stumble upon these turn-of-the-century stained glass windows? You buy them all, of course.
After you smack down the other people circling like vultures… asking if you’re going to buy them. Seriously y’all. Like, back off… I need a moment to think through this. People don’t play at the flea market.
Me to Jamin as I hold a lady back with a stick who seems a bit rabid-I swear she was foaming at the mouth: Wouldn’t these be amazing in our house?
Jamin: ::pats head::
Touché.
I had no idea what I was doing with them at first, until inspiration smacked me in the back of the head the other day: They’re going in as transoms over our kitchen windows-the ones on each side of the oven. BOOM. Are people still saying that? SMACK. Is that better? No? Reeling it in.
And in a custom built front door for the house. And one other place I haven’t decided yet, because they came in a set of four and they’re amazing. The light shines perfectly through those kitchen windows in the late afternoon. Wait for it… they’re going to be glorious.
I feel like we have so much to cover, in so little time… I’m not even sure what to cover next.
Would you guys like to see some of the design elements going into each space? Should I cover these next or do you just want me to shut up now?
We’re to that point, and we’re ready to touch on all the possibilities. Let me know!
What are some solutions you’ve come up with for your TV over the fireplace conundrums?
Have an inspired day!
Penny says
Could you put a barn door going down to the basement? It would still save space, and you would not have to bump out any walls.
ashley @ the handmade home says
Awe great idea, Penny! Definitely something we have considered – there’s just not enough space. :/ We are adding barn doors in a lot of other areas though, to save on funds and space! ;}
Katie says
I would love to see your design elements!
KariAnne says
Love the new ceilings and the design is amazing. You are a true visionary. 🙂
PS I love pickles.
Casey says
Looks amazing! I love following along with your progress 🙂
Carrie says
I adored your last home. It inspired me to do my kitchen and elsewhere in my house. I love everything you are doing and would love to see all your design elements. Love your humor through it all. God bless your adventure.
liz piccione-volger says
Keep telling us more. Design elements would be good. Just curious – do you not have gas? We have our TV mounted over our gas fireplace. Wood is pretty messy. Granted you don’t get that crackle with gas but it’s still aesthetically pleasing.
Aubrey says
Wow!!! That is such a difference!!! And those stained glass panels are AMAZING.
I hear you on the pocket doors – our last house had all swing doors and in a tiny bathroom they were just awful. But no room to put a pocket door with all the electrical, etc. Boo.
Lisa says
Looks amazing!!
If you have to redo the whole fireplace anyway, why not drop the firebox down to the floor? That should give you ample clearance for a TV above. Or (already asked) do you have gas? They make gas fireplaces with battery starters in case you lose power. Wood burning is nice, but we’re switching over to gas just because it’s so much easier. We both grew up with wood burning and had it in our previous home. It has it’s appeal, but it seems like a lot of work for a few crackles and pops. If you do go wood burning, we used envi blocks to primarily heat our home in NE and loved how clean they were (no spiders, no wood to cure, etc.)
Can you open up the wall above the stairs to the ceiling? If so, bump out the wall to the right for the pocket door and leave the left alone. A slight variation in wall depth there shouldn’t be too noticeable.
ashley @ the handmade home says
HA! That’s what we’re doing, Lisa! {With the wall – still over-analyzing all the options for the fireplace} you’re so smart! ;} Thanks so much for all your awesome suggestions
Meg says
I would love to see the design elements going into your new spaces, that sounds fun. Also I need to see what you’re doing to hide that TV above the fire place… our new house is going to have that going on too…
New York Roofing says
Wooden ceilings are undoubtedly the best thing to do with home, but it is really difficult and tiring process to do it all. Loved your tutorial and your hardwork impressed me.