Our Novel Hardwood Flooring In Addition To A Living Room Reveal!

Hey y'all! Thank you thus much for all of your thoughtful, wonderful comments on the finally post most the kitchen makeover. I can't adequately limited how much it agency that you accept the fourth dimension to read my blog. I was thus nervous to portion the kitchen, because I had lay thus much unloose energy into it, in addition to I tend to endure from lack-of-confidence syndrome. So, give thank you you for such sweetness feedback. If you missed the kitchen reveal, you tin give the sack acquire here. 

Also, I know that inwards that finally post I made it audio similar I would move sharing the flooring divulge soon, in addition to thus it took me 3 weeks to eek out some other post. You guys, this is my life now. I brand grand plans to exercise things, in addition to thus I am slapped dorsum to downwards to Blue Planet amongst the reality that I receive got most an lx minutes of productive fourth dimension each day. And it's unremarkably later 8pm, when I don't experience similar existence productive. The proficient intelligence is that you guys seem to totally acquire it. I mightiness non move lone inwards this struggle. Plus, for those of you next me on Instagram, you've been watching me pass nearly all of my complimentary fourth dimension making art, in addition to it's actually becoming a novel matter I am loving to do, in addition to I'm non actually certain what I am doing or where it is going, but I recollect I volition weblog most it inwards my side past times side post. Just wanted to speedily update you on that. 

Anyway, today is the day: flooring, living room, in addition to dining room reveal....let's exercise it!

Here are a few earlier pics from when nosotros bought the house. It wasn't awful, it but felt thus dated. 
So Tuscan-inspired. So soul crushing. 

I kid. It's non that bad. But it is. You understand.

The flooring was a mixture of skinny brilliant orangish hardwood in addition to some awful brownish tile inwards the kitchen in addition to bathrooms.

I persuasion most keeping the existing hardwoods in addition to but running them through the residuum of the house. Everyone told me to continue them in addition to but refinish them. Everyone.

Jesse was proficient most reminding me to hear to myself. I am actually proficient at letting others drown me out sometimes.





For most a calendar month (while nosotros were waiting on our contractor), I got a gamble to alive inwards the house, amongst some of our stuff, in addition to but encounter how I felt. I went ahead in addition to painted all of the walls white, in addition to painted some of the woodwork, in addition to the to a greater extent than I worked on stuff, the to a greater extent than my vision came together inwards my head.

I started bringing inwards flooring samples. And that ultimately helped me brand a decision.
I recollect it could receive got been beautiful either way, but I'm glad I went amongst what I actually wanted, which was broad plank flooring.





Here are a few to a greater extent than earlier pics. These are from earlier I painted the walls.





Remember that annoying coat cupboard correct past times the forepart door?





It form of cutting the dining room off from the residuum of the room, in addition to although it provided storage, it but felt off to me.





See how much it but eats into the room?





I made the determination to take the closet, in addition to I am thus glad nosotros did. It resulted inwards some additional drywall in addition to cut work, but it was worth it. 

The original hardwoods weren't run nether the closet, thus that would receive got been an number that nosotros would receive got had to patch if nosotros had chosen to continue them, thus modest headache avoided. 
Right some this time, I also painted the forepart door dark (Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze) in addition to updated the chandelier inwards the dining room. It was from Lowe's. I used them inwards my finally house, too. Nothing fancy, non expensive, but a prissy create clean update.

The previous wainscotting was but painted on for the most part, thus that got removed. I recollect I mentioned this before, but I didn't recollect to tear it downwards but yet. I was going to but alive amongst it until Jesse had fourth dimension to rebuild it, in addition to thus Jesse told the contractor to but acquire ahead in addition to tear it off, in addition to I came dwelling trouble solid 1 twenty-four lx minutes menstruum in addition to was like, crap. Time to drib everything you're doing in addition to construct some wainscotting, Jesse! 

Of course, the actual timeline was something like: Move inwards amongst my mom for six weeks piece entire trouble solid gets torn apart. Pop inwards in addition to out of trouble solid biweekly to accept photographs in addition to brand certain things are going equally planned. Move dorsum into trouble solid when flooring in addition to kitchen is done. Nag Jesse to start edifice wainscotting 48 hours later moving dorsum in. 

So, dorsum to the flooring. Before the contractors starting demo-ing everything in addition to nosotros had to motion out for six weeks, Ava in addition to I would acquire to flooring stores during the twenty-four lx minutes menstruum in addition to haul a bunch of giant samples home. Not an slowly feat to exercise amongst a toddler. Luckily, people are prissy in addition to volition unremarkably assist you elevator materials into your auto when they encounter you trying to also wrangle a tiny toddler beast.

I brought dwelling trouble solid all sorts of dissimilar samples, in all probability 20+, in addition to in that location were all sorts of widths in addition to colors in addition to finishes. Ultimately, nosotros narrowed it downwards to 3 choices that nosotros loved the most, all of which were a real lite wash, broad plank hardwood.

Ava was a real proficient assistant during this time.

For weeks, I but lugged the samples some the house, squinting at them. And of course, the 1 I ultimately chose was the 1 I picked out in addition to brought dwelling trouble solid first. I never trust my gut correct off the bat. It's annoying.

The ultimate winner was Provence Manor European White Oak inwards River Rock inwards the 7.5 inch plank. We got them from Heartland Flooring inwards Knoxville. I've gotten flooring from them twice now, in addition to I highly recommend them. And no, that is non an ad. 

They receive got no persuasion I fifty-fifty exist.

Once the quondam flooring was gutted, nosotros discovered that all of the subfloors needed to move replaced. The quondam ones were inwards actually pitiful shape in addition to in that location was fifty-fifty some rot (likely from H2O impairment inwards the past). It was 1 of those annoying things you don't know is incorrect until you start ripping materials out. So, that bought us an extra calendar week at my mom's trouble solid in addition to terms us to a greater extent than money. That's how it goes amongst renovations, I receive got discovered.

All of the cut was off everywhere in addition to everything was a bit of a disaster, but I was thus excited past times the progress. The lighting is terrible inwards all of these photos, but but curlicue amongst it.

I've loved these floors from the infinitesimal they went in. The master copy degree of the trouble solid is kinda small, in addition to I but wanted everything to move lite in addition to airy thus that it would experience to a greater extent than open. I beloved dark, warm floors, too, but I know myself, in addition to I knew that these floors were the way to go.

It's fun to expect dorsum through all of these photos, because fifty-fifty though it seems similar yesterday to me, it was actually almost one-half a twelvemonth agone now, which is a lot of fourth dimension when you receive got a toddler. She already seems thus picayune inwards that photo.

So, in 1 trial the flooring was done, nosotros moved dorsum inwards in addition to Jesse began working on the wainscotting. We didn't construct the wainscotting inwards the quondam trouble solid (I but painted it), but I wanted a similar look, in addition to Jesse assured me he could construct it. He's handy in addition to never afraid to tackle a project, fifty-fifty if he's never done anything similar it before. It's a approbation in addition to a curse. 

Mostly a blessing.

I recollect he regretted his determination most vii hours into this project. Also, nosotros were using this inexpensive woods to construct the wainscotting thus it looked awful going up. I knew nosotros were going to pigment it, thus it actually but made me laugh. Like, are nosotros edifice a trailer? Jesse, I experience similar it's trailer paneling. 

And of course, nosotros had to exercise it during the twenty-four lx minutes menstruum thus that nosotros had daylight, in addition to Ava was the MOST helpful.

Nope.

Jesse ultimately ended upwards modifying my pattern for simplicity's sake, which I was inwards total back upwards of at this point. 

And fifty-fifty though it wasn't painted yet, I was proud of his handiwork. Not likewise shabby for mortal who was but like, sure, I'll figure it out. 

Once Jesse was done amongst his part, I agreed to caulk in addition to pigment it, in addition to thus it sat similar this, driving me nuts for a few days. Because mama tired.

We learned a lot most how to exercise this in addition to nosotros could certainly exercise it amend in addition to easier if nosotros did it again, but this volition alive hither on this wall until terminate times.

Eventually, I primed in addition to painted it, in addition to it took thus many coats of paint. It is what it is.

But in that location are few things to a greater extent than fulfilling that when you acquire to that betoken inwards a projection where you tin give the sack finally encounter your vision come upwards to life in addition to you desire to hollo in addition to express joy in addition to never exercise whatsoever of the things e'er again.

It happens amongst every projection I do. The exhaustion, the joy.

And, that's the wainscotting segment of this post.

We eventually moved our tabular array dorsum inwards some Christmas, but inwards fourth dimension for Ava to assist me decorate.

My brother, Mathias, came dwelling trouble solid from the Navy some New Year's in addition to helped me hang curtains. He's quite handy in addition to also restless, in addition to every fourth dimension he comes home, he's similar 'What tin give the sack I build?.'

Curtains, son. Build me curtains.

I hung them all the way upwards to the ceiling in addition to I swear it makes the biggest departure of anything I did. Isn't that annoying.

I painted that quondam thrift shop TV stand amongst some chalk pigment (I used Rustoleum chalk pigment  in Country Gray, in addition to I beloved the color. That's an affiliate link). 

I similar the novel color thus much amend than the white. Looks to a greater extent than adult-ey.

Here are a few to a greater extent than photos of the room.

Real talk, I moved Ava's rocker inwards hither because, comfort. And in that location are toddler toys everywhere. And I wouldn't receive got it whatsoever other way. If you expect closely, you tin give the sack encounter Ava sitting inwards the window, reading a book, behind the curtains. My living room has never been a happier identify inwards all my life.

I bought this picayune wooden toddler table (affiliate link) in addition to painted it to fit our actual dining room set, in addition to she literally spends one-half of her twenty-four lx minutes menstruum at that table. I painted the top of the tabular array amongst dark chalkboard paint, in addition to it's been a existent hit.

I also made some to a greater extent than gilt leafage fine art for the living room. 

I shared a lot most it on Instagram, in addition to a lot of you guys were bespeak for a tutorial.

I don't recollect I'm going to exercise some other tutorial correct now, but I did a pretty thorough gilt leafage fine art tutorial inwards this post from finally twelvemonth if you are curious. I shared a picayune chip most how nosotros brand the frame, too.

Anyway, kinda loving how that 1 turned out. I eventually desire to exercise a large gallery wall correct there, but for now, I demand something elementary that I tin give the sack but lay in that location in addition to non fuss with. 

Here's the dining room. I'm thus happy that nosotros took out that cupboard in addition to went amongst the broad plank floors. I nevertheless receive got some move to exercise on this space, but I experience actually proficient most it thus far.

That's an quondam thrift shop mirror I painted. I eventually innovation to hang some fine art inwards here, but infant steps.

So far my color palette is pretty neutral, per usual. I acquire the occasional comment from people telling me to purpose color. I acquire it. I actually do. 

But, I alive here, in addition to I receive got to exercise what makes me happy, which is neutral. I receive got plenty hot pinkish in addition to primary colors floating some my trouble solid correct at in 1 trial inwards the shape of toddler toys, thus an otherwise neutral infinite feels thus calming to me correct at in 1 trial inwards this stage of life.

And the honest truth is that my passion for decorating but isn't what it used to be. Lately, I am actually into this whole mom matter in addition to also making art. And also nevertheless renovating in addition to DIY-ing, but like, that's a lot dissimilar from decorating. Decorating has never been my specialty, in addition to these days I notice myself devoting way less unloose energy to it. I endeavour non to resist these changes, in addition to but follow my interests, because I believe that equally long equally I'm doing that, life volition atomic number 82 me inwards the correct direction.

So, earlier nosotros go, let's compare a few earlier in addition to later angles of this infinite thus far.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

And that's where nosotros are today. It genuinely feels similar a breath of fresh air. And sometimes smells similar toddler sweat.

You exercise what you can.

Thanks for existence here, ya'll.