Demo & Rebuild

I'm back to the construction zone from a whilrwind trip to NYC and, like I've been mentioning for the past few weeks, we're now down to the studs at our place. (!!)  We're reworking the floorplan- closing doorways, adding new ones, moving walls, removing them... plumbing is being moved, windows are getting enlarged, we're adding a fireplace, redoing the bathrooms & kitchen... it's madness!! (but the good kind of madness ;)  We have the air off because there's so much dust flying around & we want to keep it out of our upstairs "apartment" as it's been dubbed... But as I type this morning, I'm hoping it stays warm a little longer because there is definitely a chill in the air & there's no heat for us until we get the bulk of the contruction completed. 

One of the biggest changes we're making is opening up the kitchen to the living room...  Here it is before:


And here it is now:
 
 
They've finished sanding down the beams.  The red-brown stain is now GONE and we've exposed the bare pine.  (How I wish that pine had been exposed over the past 40 years, aging gracefully but oh well... It's very raw now & we had it hand scraped & wire brushed.  )  We've also had insulation added between the beams because before there was only a layer of plywood before the roof & we're making it a bit more energy efficient. 
 
And of course as  you can see... the wall is DOWN!!!  The kitchen is now completely open to the living room.  We also expanded the kitchen two feet to the right (taking space from the dining room) so that it spans the whole width of the living room now. 
 
Floors are going down this week & next (more on that as soon as I have pics!) and I CANNOT WAIT.  Once we have floors, we can move our things inside from the garage & pod.  Dave went diving in the pod for clothes last week & climbed over all of the front stuff to get to the Fall stuff in the back.... He dug himself a little hole and climbed down into it....  And I  honestly thought he was buried by the stuff at one point.  (thanks to him of course.) 
 
 
{it's since been rearranged}
 
Me, after realizing I hadn't heard him talk in a while:  "Dav, are you okay in there??"
him, very quiet/ far away: "Hellllllllp"
At that point I was about to launch the jogger strollerfrom the pod to the woods behind me as I screamed "DAVE?!!!!!!"
Then I heard "No no no no no!!  I'm fine!!" in a completely normal volume. 
Then laughter.
Oh wow.
 
He's very lucky I couldn't reach him at that point.
 
We've had the discussion before of "fright or flight" in emergency situations.  I'm a "fight" kind of girl.  There's tyipcally no hesitation in my reactions and I find myself doing things before I've even thought about them.  Thanks to him, (yes am still bitter ;)  I almost launched our Christmas breakables into the woods. 
 
Anyway, things are happening around here & I'm in the midst of planning the kithen (and pretty much everything else around here) so I'll be back this week to share some plans!!  Off to some clients for the day & keep your fingers crossed we find our nanny soon!!  My head is busting with things I need to remember & people I need to speak to... send some brain space my way. 
I've never been so busy in my life. 
I'm not at the breaking point yet but feel like I should be. 
Maybe once you actually get here, you're too busy to break. ??? ;)
 
 
{at least I've got what matters most}
 


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32 comments:

bryn alexandra said...

AWESOME!!! You have no idea how excited I am to follow your progress!

Naomi@DesignManifest said...

Oh its going to be SO nice opened up. Even brighter and more fabulous I bet.

Fargerike Dagny said...

I cannot tell you how exciting it is to be following this process. Still crossing my fingers about my grandfather's house we're hoping to be able to buy, and we'll be right there with you ;)

xx
dagny

Dana Frieling said...

You're very own diamond in the rough! No doubt it'll be ridiculously amazing when all is said and done. Love the Dave story you shared. That'll provide laughs for years to come.

Kris Vogelsang said...

What a HUGE difference taking the wall down made! Looks fabulous! And yes, you do have what matters most...your family.
Enjoy!
Kris

Bethany [at] Powell Brower Home said...

oh my good lord Lauren - you have your hands FULL. I cannot BELIEVE all the work you are doing to your home! WOW. i cant wait to see

Jen @ RamblingRenovators said...

So much excitement going on in your house!! I hope it gets a little less exciting though and you find a nanny soon.

................. said...

Seriously, you'r super woman. Doing all of this amazingness to your home and having little ones around. Wow. Love seeing the progress. Thanks for sharing. Xo

Christen said...

I've got to say one thing: You have the cutest kids!!!!

Much luck in all that is left to do. Can't wait to see it!

Diane said...

You seem very strong and flexible (from previous testimony of what you have been able to accomplish!), so I don't think you will break :) and what doesn't kill you makes you stronger... That being said, I'm sure you will appreciate a big break when this is over, and see all your hard efforts paid off and your wonderful vision realized!

Kris @ Driven by Décor said...

Wow - already such an amazing change by knocking down the wall! Can't wait to see more!

Anonymous said...

Oh boy you can literally be buried in your own stuff!! hahaha glad to hear Dave is okay! I just got done with some big projects last week and taking some time to breeeaaathe!! It feels so good to not work at a breakneck pace for a little bit. Hang in there during this crazy time. Love what you are doing the the space!!

Loretta Fontaine (EcoHappy Blog) said...

Lauren- Oh, how awesome that after picture looks. What a difference in the layout of the house when the kitchen is opened up. Amazing!!

...and you'll have a good forty years living in this house to watch those beams age as they should! Enjoy.

Loretta

DecRenew Interiors said...

It's the FUN busy! Looking great, love seeing the process! It's gonna be amazing!!!

Barbara Matson said...

It is going to look amazing! What I love about your space is it reminds me of west coast architecture which is rare out east. Those high beamed vaulted ceilings, open floor plans, wooded siding....

You are going to knock it out of the park! I can see more magazine features!

traci zeller designs said...

YAY! It's going to be amazing, Lauren. And I am so chuckling about Dave's little prank ... although I would not be laughing if I were in your shoes. You can just send those sweet boys down to me -- the more, the merrier! They'd fit right in with my boys in their striped Hanna jammies ... xoxo!

EDYTA & CO. INTERIOR DESIGN said...

so excited about your move!!! It's crazy how much we can handle isn't it! I know things will smoothe out and I can't wait to see the progress!! Just take deep breaths and take small breaks to chill out in between :) xo Edyta

Elizabeth@ Pine Cones and Acorns said...

Fabulous! I cannot wait to see more. I love the wall down!

Good luck at the clients today!

And you are so right, you have all the matters in the world...your family.

Take care, Elizabeth

Holly Gruszka said...

You must be so happy with the progress and your head must be spinning too but in a good way. Those kiddos of yours are just too cute - they make everything worth don't they? PJs are the best.

Vel Criste said...

It' s looking great and your right, you've got everything that matters to you right where yo need them to be! Have a great week!

Laurie said...

This is so fantastic. I have been following the progress - love love love what you are doing.

Julie said...

Hi Lauren,
I saw these pictures on houzz.com Looks like it has all of the elements you are looking to incorporate into your kitchen design.
http://www.papyrushomedesign.com/portfolio/kitchens-and-baths/
There are three pictures in the second to last row of a kitchen with exposed beams, island, gray cabinets and some really cool chicken wire breakfast chairs!
Good luck! :)

Home Decor Experts - Iron Accents said...

Whew! I can't even imagine that kind of craziness! It will all be worth it once your home is finished and everything is back to normal. Sounds like you're handling the madness pretty well. I guess it's slightly easier with those adorable little ones to keep you smiling. Good luck with the rest of the renovation!

Anonymous said...

Haha, that story was hilarious! I guess not at the time though, huh? So everything looks so good! My favorite part is that you have great sight lines from the family room straight through to the backyard... It looks awesome!

Lauren said...

Julie- thanks so much fo rthe link.. GORGEOUS!!!!! love it!!
~lauren

pve design said...

I am impressed with how much you do and your kids seem totally great.
pve

Anonymous said...

Just as I am ending my remodel nightmare I am reminded of living in the bedroom for two months and the never ending amount of dust and dirt. but it really is worth it in the end when you have the kitchen of your dreams that your family will enjoy for years to come. I am almost there...

D said...

Can't wait to see the finished project and will be following along the way. Love the lighter beam color.

Anonymous said...

whatever brain space I have left, you can have! Hang in there sister!

xo
jennifer

Anonymous said...

Lol – I got a good giggle out of the ‘hellllllp’ – although I’m just like you… I would have started chunking stuff into the woods as well. It still gave me a good smile for my morning though. It’s always funnier when it doesn’t happen to you. Lol. Also – I’m not sure if you know or not but just in case you don’t you might want to check out this website called SitterCity. I use it to advertise my pet sitting services and I have several friends who are nannies that have used it to get their current gigs. Good luck!

eLIZabeth Floyd said...

I find your ability to juggle so much amazing! But that is nothing compared to the AMAZING changes you are going to accomplish with this house!

Good luck, Liz

Anonymous said...

It may look like a lot but it's going to be so worth it in the end! Especially the ceiling...it looks better already with the lighter color between the beams. Plus you got your babes so really nothing compares to those three little loves :)

Erin
peacelovedecor.com