Living room reno begins

Well the paint is barely dry in the kitchen and someone has already begun tackling the next reno.

 It's been a long time coming but we are finally going to do it!

Last weekend Todd started removing the all the trim in this room which is what I believe to be the formal dining room. We have used it as that as you can see here but it is the larger of the two rooms and so will be our living room.

So we will have the dining room in this room with the fireplace and built-ins that Todd added instead.

Now here is what we moved in to. Yikes! 

Because that colour of green makes my stomach turn (sorry if you love hunter green)  I covered the wallpaper with leftover paint because removing it would have opened up a can of crumbling horse hair plaster.

and although I despised it, it got us by until I was feeling well enough to start this project.

So on Friday night, after a day of work and a potentially cracked rib from a fall my unbelievably tough honey  got to work with our friend Dave pulling up the 3/8's oak strip flooring.

 

to reveal a pretty darn nice wide plank pine floor that we new was beneath but weren't sure what it would look like. Dave who lives two doors done was excited because he now feels that this is what he has in his home if he removes it's top floor.

Two beautiful double hung windows complete with old wavy glass, east facing windows let in much needed light into this room.

Our lovely pocket doors that were originally faux grained to look like quartersawn oak will not see a drop of white paint but all the trim will.

So the reason Todd wanted to remove the thin strip flooring was to put down a maple floor to match the kitchen and also to take care of this height difference. But after seeing the floors potential we admit we are torn. If we keep them we will no doubt save lots of money but will have completely different floors in the kitchen than in the living room and dining room and potentially the hallway which we have left until now for this very reason.

We would also have to contend with the fact that even thought they are beautiful in 90% of the space, there is this spot where there used to be a staircase, that was later removed and had wood pieces patched in to the opening. Todd would fix it to improve it no doubt and furniture over it will help but it won't be perfect and yet it reflects the history of the house. So what wins, history or the perfection one strives for in this renovate to perfection driven real estate world of ours? 

If we sold our home down the road, would a potential buyer love them or be put off by  the lack of visual flow on the main level as well as a step down into the dining room and hallway?

Or all the boards could be pulled up and the floor raised and then laid back down but that is a gynormous amount of work that I do not like the prospect of as both rooms would have to be done at the same time not to mention that a later added load bearing wall has been built on top of the old floors in 1915.

Smaller width maple would lead to wide 6 1/2" wide plank pine with a trasition piece.

If we kept them then this would definitely need to be improved.

 

and old register grate openings filled in with matching boards that our friend has a stash of and has sweetly offered to us if we need some. You can see the burn mark from what would have once been an little pot bellied stove.

If we keep it then the front hallway will also be the pine so that our main level will be only two different floors not including the front and back porch but we have some serious gaps to contend in the hall if we do.

and then I think, hey if it is good enough for Sarah Richardson's farmhouse that is worth 5x's what ours is worth then it could very well be good enough for us! Sarah kept the old floor in the kitchen and patched it as well and then added new different floors to the addition.

Although I do not spend a lot of time loading pictures of inspiring spaces on to my blog, I simply must share what is one of the most inspiring and my favourite homes by the uber talented architect  Richard Bubnowski

We will be incorporating beadboard in between the coffers like this gorgeous ceiling.

An all white hallway to let the views take center stage. 

Love the pop of oil rubbed bronze against soft colours. Give me everything in this space, I adore it all.

Not just any old hallway.

It is our thanksgiving weekend, the weather is picture perfect and we are heading out later on to Mom and Dad's to get stuffed on turkey.
Hope you have a wonderful weekend and get to spend it with family and friends to remember all we should be thankful for. I know I will.