The work on the entryway is done. I never want to paint or even think about that space again! The flooring was great, and we didn’t run into any problems.

Damage to the old floor:

There were two layers to remove. This one was paper thin, and I’m guessing it was from the early 80s:

The paint color I mentioned previously was a disaster. The person at the paint desk used the wrong base. She was training, and her boss claimed the formula had changed since the swatches were printed. I was skeptical, and continued to doubt that it was right. I finished the first coat, and Micah encouraged me to continue because it would look different when it was dry. It was one of the ugliest colors I’ve ever seen. It was some sort of yellow/golden brown that I can’t imagine anyone deliberately using, and it was very uneven. Two days later, I bought Behr’s Brown Teepee, and that was perfect. It is similar to Valspar’s Faint Maple, which we have in the kitchen, but a bit darker. It gives just enough contrast to the Wheat Bread color without being too dark for the downstairs flooring. Oh, who am I kidding? I don’t even care anymore. It is done!

We have enough to keep us busy. Christmas is 16 days away, and we just got through the biggest snowstorm we’ve ever seen. The Syracuse area got over 40 inches of snow. It started to snow on Saturday morning, and it continued almost nonstop until Wednesday night. We had a lot of fun digging tunnels and pathways around the backyard with the twins and Will.

The fence is almost completely buried!

Things need to slow down a bit. We still haven’t wrapped any presents!

The garage is organized! We still have extension cords running/hanging everywhere for the Christmas lights, and there is a cluster of things on the right side which will fit in the closet once all the boxes of Christmas presents move into the house. Otherwise, it’s done.

The entryway needs a bit of work. The flooring (Micah says it’s VCT) has been chipped in various places. It was installed by a PO, and years of kids throwing toys down the stairs have taken their toll. I started out looking at tile, but once again the commitment phobe in me wanted to go with something easy to replace later. It also seems like a better option because we have all of these crazy children (and their toys) flying up and down the stairs all the time. We chose TrafficMaster Allure flooring in Ashlar because the colors tie in with the chandelier, the hardwoods and the flooring in the downstairs hallway. We also chose Behr’s Cliff Rock to add a little contrast from all the upstairs rooms (Behr’s Wheat Bread) and the downstairs playroom (Behr’s Castle Path).

The “platform” as we call it (the small entry area between the front door and stairs) is just over 4 x 6, so this won’t be a very big project. I am hoping to get it done before Christmas.

This was one of our biggest projects. We had already started the framework when we built a wall to divide the playroom. We had no idea that, less than a year later, we’d have baby #4 on the way and would need to add a 4th bedroom! These rooms were getting pretty bad, actually. I had done my best to repair the walls when I removed all the paneling and wallpaper, but I had no idea what I was doing. Micah’s friend through work is a professional when it comes to drywall, so he helped us. I can’t believe the transformation. When that was done, and the walls were painted, the next step was to remove the nasty old carpeting and add laminate flooring. It seemed like the best choice for the lower level. We went with DuPont’s Montreal Gunstock (Real Touch Elite line) with premium underlayment.

I am embarrassed to show this, but here’s a glance at the walls and carpet that once dominated these rooms:

Ick!

A quick preview of the rooms after:

The rest of the photos are in the slideshows for Molly and Mia’s room and playroom.

The girls got a “new” dresser, mirror and nightstand (a craigslist find – $100 total!) and the baby will get their old dresser. We also found a full size bed for $100 on craigslist, which we set up in the baby’s room.

Up next: The baby’s room!

We’ve taken care of a lot of the major jobs in this house. The previous owners had already replaced all of the windows and exterior doors. We replaced the furnace and hot water heater, the roof, and made some key changes in the bathrooms and kitchen. There really isn’t much left. Cosmetics aside, we were already happy with the house the first time we saw it. There is one thing that has become an issue, though: The carpet downstairs.

It was fairly new when we moved in, but it was cheap quality. Factor in 3 years of kids running inside through the sliding doors and some scratching, hairball-laden cats, and it has become somewhat gross. My Mom helped shampoo it last year, and that has bought us more time. I am just glad it isn’t part of our main living space.

So, that is my one home goal of 2010. Sometime early in the year, we want to rip out the carpet and put down laminate. Since this is the lower level of a bi-level home, there is concrete underneath. Hardwood is not only costly, but I’ve read it would not work well on this level. I know carpet will just get destroyed again, so laminate seems to be the best option.

I like darker colors, but I think it makes more sense to match the hardwood floors upstairs as closely as one can with laminate. This is the best match I’ve seen so far:

It’s Pergo Presto Bridgeport Red Oak Laminate. I have only looked casually so far, but it’s a nice dream. Our house would be completely carpet-free.

I took some better photos of the kitchen and updated the “room-by-room” section of the site. I updated the photos of some other rooms as well. I also realized that I forgot to do one of those before-and-after views I love so much.

Before (move-in day, 2006):

After:

Here’s a better look at the floor:

Lastly, I wanted to give some background information on my grandfather and this painting:

My paternal grandfather, Anatole Grant, was born in 1893. He fought as a colonel in the White Russian Army during the Russian Revolution. When the war was over, he fled to Shanghai, where he became a language professor (he was fluent in 7 languages). He met my grandmother, who had fled there with her mother and sister on the Trans-Siberian railroad (her brothers and father were killed during the war). When communism took over China, the IRO helped my father and his family, along with many others, escape. They became refugees on a tiny island called Tubabao, which is located in the Philippine Islands, near Samar. My father, grandmother, and aunt were allowed to come to the US after about two years. My grandfather, however, could not. He went to Paraguay, which was the site of the painting that is now on our wall. My parents have several of his other paintings in their house. This one was folded up in storage for many years until I recently asked for it. I am so happy to have it here!

It’s done!

We had to make some changes to the original plans, but we’re happy with the results. I added a solar mesh shade to the kitchen window and a rod with amber colored glass finials. I ordered a grommet valance to cover the shade roller, and that is on its way. I was unable to find a replacement for the floor register, so I painted it with a pewter-like finish.

A review of products we used:

- Valspar Kitchen & Bath Paint, Greek Amber – Lowes
- WilsonArt Premium Laminate Countertops, Milano Amber – Lowes
- Domco Vinyl Flooring, Domco Elite Merletto Jackson Beige 56K31 – Lowes (Special Order)
- Almond cove base – Lowes
- Kohler Staccato Large/Medium Self-Rimming Kitchen Sink – Lowes
- Moen Double Handle Caldwell Kitchen Faucet – Lowes
- Made-to-Measure Solar Mesh Roller Shade, Ivory – JC Penney
- Addison Grommet-top Insert Valance, Chocolate Chip – JC Penney
- Better Homes and Gardens Drapery Rod Set – Wal-Mart

We also have made some other changes. I got a good deal on a 26-inch LCD TV for the family room when the existing tube TV broke. We framed one of my grandfather’s paintings (which is very special to me) in the living room above our “fireplace”, and my parents bought us a new coffee table for Christmas. I will update all of the photos from the other rooms soon!

We hope to make some updates to our kitchen: countertops, flooring, sink and faucet. I have been working out the details so we can have a budget and figure out if we can proceed. Here’s what I have so far:

Milano Amber Countertop

As Seen in store

The countertop is laminate and sold in-stock at Lowes. I was surprised at the quality and appearance.

Total cost for countertops, including tax: $338.86

FrankeUSA Single Basin Sink – $268.00

Peerless Faucet: Camille Stainless Double Handle – $128.00

Flooring choices (I need to match these against the countertop to determine which is best):

Cushion Step Stone: Amalfi Mocha

Monte Vista Terra Stone

Rock Climb Gold Slate

Flooring estimate: $350.00

1 gallon Behr Kitchen & Bath paint (color not chosen yet): $25.00

Supplies total, including tax: $1171.54

Labor: TBD. We are going to ask Paul for an estimate when he’s installing the railing on Tuesday.

Without really thinking about what I was doing, I pulled back on the carpet in Will’s room today… and then, I kept pulling until there was no turning back. For once, I was presented with a nice hardwood floor in need of little or no work. There are a couple of spots I will probably want to sand down later, but there’s no rush. It’s in great shape. It makes me wonder what the previous owner was thinking when he covered it up in the first place. I used my leftover Reviver on it, along with the floor in Molly and Mia’s room. The whole thing took only about an hour and a half.

I decided to pull the carpet back in Molly and Mia’s room. There, in the corner, were the hardwood floors I had been itching to see all along. They didn’t appear to be in bad condition, either. 20 Minutes later, there was no turning back. I had folded the carpet and carried it down to the garage. This horrified Micah, who could barely lift the thing. It’s about time I got some credit for my physical strength. That was when I noticed the floor was not in very good shape. There were a lot of scratches and water stains. There was no way I was going to wait a while before refinishing them. Micah went out to Home Depot and rented a really good sander. I don’t care how useless it would have been in the long run. I would have bought that thing in a second if I had the money.

Step one: Remove staple from carpet pad. Repeat this step about, oh, twenty thousand times.

Step two: Realize that despite its flimsy appearance, smoothedge is very hard to remove. Curse the fact that it’s nailed down every 6 inches. Keep pulling back with the end of your hammer, watch out for the nails and try not to hit the wall (I meant that literally).

Step three: Begin sanding.

Step four: Pause in sadness. The big stain will never really go away. Regret that you didn’t at least buy wood bleach.

Step four: Admire your sanded floors and bruised knees. Bring your spouse over to see it and listen to compliments.

Step five: Wake up early, apply polyurethane, and manage to keep three kids and three cats out of there all day.

I think it turned out well. It was definitely worth pulling the carpet. I haven’t taken a peek at Will’s room, but I will resist the temptation.
He will be moving to a toddler bed in about six months, so I’d like to keep the carpet there for a while to keep it padded and warm. Maybe it
makes me a little crazy (or, dare I say, scary), but I really enjoy doing these things myself. I can’t wait to tackle bigger projects.

I will make this a quick post, but I have to sing the praises of this product:

It’s called Hardwood Floor Reviver by Minwax. Our floors were starting to look a bit dull and scratched in places. I moved some furniture
after the kids went to bed and used it on all of our hardwoods. They look like they were just refinished.

I purchased this a while ago, but I believe it was only about $15.00. It takes 2 hours to dry for light traffic, and 24 hours before you can move furniture.