The Great Room-Before and After

After 2 grueling weeks of work(mostly by Jim) the great room is almost complete! It was by far the most complex painting project we ever did because it required major masking,two coats of primer on everything including the beams and the wall peaks which are 16 feet high, 3 kinds of paint: satin on the walls,semi-gloss on the trim, brick and block paint on the fireplace, and then the super meticulous removal of random paint specks on the wooden floor. Now the decorating can begin.Jim refinished the original radiator covers and ceiling sconces which look amazing.Next project is hiding the primitive electric cords with plugs in them which go around the room(because the last owner did not see the need to install proper outlets).Then shelves and decorating, and maybe even a houseplant.Domestic bliss. Next month we will attack the dining room! Until then Jim is continuing to build an amazing wood shop, and I am puttering about upstairs in my studio.Oh yeah,the autumn leaves which are starting to turn are all over our lawn and they are gorgeous.

Autumn update, and its good!

Things have taken a turn towards the positive this fall! Thank Goodness! We have recently completed some major projects which are an investment in our future and we feel good. First of all , as a result of what we thought was a small leak on the front outside wall we did some poking around and discovered our 18 year old roof was in need of replacement, so that's done. Actually we decided to divide that job into two parts so we did the main house this season and will do the roof on the extension next season. So no more leaks that we know of(fingers crossed). The upstairs bathroom is functioning quite well with the new grout and leaks in wall fixed, and the kitchen ceiling above it is fixed and better than new. We also removed the giant tired evergreen shrubs in the front of the house and we plan to create a beautiful new front garden in the spring incorporating Lilacs, forsythia, and peonies, and some other surprises. We decided to take the plunge and get rid of the oil heat system and upgrade to a gas heat and hot water system which we completed this weekend. There is a government incentive and tax break attached which is awesome, so we took advantage of it. Out with the giant stinky oil tank and into the 21st century! There were gas lines in the house already for cooking so it was a no brainer.The process included spray foam insulation sprayed all around the perimeter and into dormers so hopefully that will be reflected in our bills. This weekend I removed the last of the stinky carpet from the bedroom to discover yet another hidden beautiful wood floor. We will refinish it eventually but for now it's cool. Jim's shop is a thing of beauty and he has even been able to make progress in keeping it dry which at the angle of the garage to the driveway is a definite challenge. We are very close to being able to start making furniture and other stuff we need. Next we are going to work on the two coolest projects on the list….the living room and dining room. Jim has scheduled some extra time off so he can concentrate on getting these two rooms painted and some shelving made. From the initial list of 100 essential projects we have completed 47(just updated Sunday Oct 2) in 6 months. We are now creating a tier two list of secondary projects such as radiator covers, additional under shelf lighting,outdoor projects( dare I say water feature?) and stuff like that. There is so much potential here, I love this place, but sometimes we get overwhelmed. It's been rainy for days and the yard is thick and green and smells like a forest. I feel like the giant oak and maple trees are such a gift.I love to lie on the deck and watch them sway in the wind. I just hope a giant branch doesn't break off and hit me in the head.