# DIY’ing my home.



## Ronni (Sep 27, 2018)

Ron's house is 50's style ranch house he bought a few years back that he's slowly been remodeling.  Since we've been together he has gratefully turned over the cosmetic aspects of the house to me.  He LOVES doing the construction, creating new bones from old bones so to speak, but feels somewhat out of his depth at putting the finishing touches on the projects, picking paint colors, decorating and adding the touches that move it from a bare room to a warm and welcoming space.  

That's the part of having a house I love the most!!  I get such a kick out of bringing a bare space to life, decorating it in a way that adds personality and personalization to the room.  Even though I'm not living there yet (and currently the loose plan is that I'll move in sometime late next year after he's done the needed renovations to the bedroom and master bath to accommodate my belongings) he's so happy to be able to turn the decorating part of his renovations over to me, and I am so happy to accept that!!  

I'm hoping to make this thread a sort of diary of changes to the house.  I wish I'd taken a whole bunch of before photos so that I have some record of the changes already made, but I didn't, so I'll just start now and capture what I can.  

Several months ago, he replaced the old full sized glass panels in the den with french doors.  I'll take an actual picture of the finished product when I'm over there this w/e.




Our current project is creating a wall unit/bookcase/cabinets on the far wall of the den.  Again, no before pictures, but imagine that wall as just bare wall around the window before he added the beginnings of the bookshelves and cabinets.  




He's finished the cedar shelving for the RH side, we'll put that up this w/e.  We can't add shelves to the LH side because of the fuse box.  (This room used to be the garage.) So I'm getting creative about how to cover the fuse box but still make it easily accessible when needed.  Currently looking for some long, skinny art, with an accompanying accent piece.


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## StarSong (Sep 27, 2018)

Wow!  Very impressive, Ronni.  I have two questions: 

Was he employed in the construction trade?
Do you loan him out?


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## Ronni (Sep 27, 2018)

StarSong said:


> Wow!  Very impressive, Ronni.  I have two questions:
> 
> Was he employed in the construction trade?
> Do you loan him out?



:lol:  

He has his own construction/renovation business, which he and his two daughters own together.  Yes, his daughters are his carpenters!!  They're amazing!  Almost as amazing as he is lol!  

He's really very generous with his time with friends and family.  He was over here just this w/e helping my daughter and son in law fix a plumbing problem they had in their master bath. He's not a plumber, but knows a bunch about plumbing and electrical because of his work.   Saved them a few hundred dollars especially because it would have been an emergency call with a $120 emergency fee on top of the service call and other charges.


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## hollydolly (Sep 27, 2018)

That looks like it's going to be a BEAUTY when it's done  Ronni.  I do envy your eye for interior decoration, I'm hopeless.. and how lucky you are to have a carpenter at home. My father was a carpenter. 

My husband is very handy thank goodness, and does all of our electrics and plumbing and repairs everything in the house , and he does the  decorating as well as the car repairs  . Last month we built a new barn just between the 2 of us.. but really nothing more ambitious than that!!

I wish I had an eye for Interior design tho'... just never have...dya fancy a trip to the UK per chance?


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## RadishRose (Sep 27, 2018)

Ronni, I just love hearing about home renovation/decor. My ex was also a carpenter/builder. Funny, we had the same 2 bookshelves on either side of a window at the end of our L/R.

I've been in my condo 11 years now; decorated and furnished as well as I could afford; re-painted and re-carpeted. I'm done.  So now, I'll enjoy yours vicariously.

I too, have a gray metal fuse box in my short hallway. I was going to get a long, fabric wall hanging to cover it, but in my case when I had the interior repainted, the door to the box was painted too, so it "disappears".

Were you thinking fabric, along these lines?


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## ClassicRockr (Sep 27, 2018)

It's great he can still do this sort of work. Is he a "computer" guy as well, as in, using one? Years ago, I tried construction, as in dry walling and it didn't work out. After a few hours, that was it for me. Then I tried working for a fence making company. Didn't work either. I had no problem doing some (note...."some") work on my vehicles, but left brake jobs and some other stuff to pro-mechanics. Ended up finding out that being a Clerk and using a computer was really my job passion. 

Basically, the only real "manual labor" I've done, that didn't bother me, was painting. Some walls in our last house and my wife's bathroom walls. I put together our computer desks and chairs and that REALLY tired me out. Like I said, I'm much better using a computer keyboard than an electric saw and such.

Nice looking job you both are doing.


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## Ruth n Jersey (Sep 27, 2018)

Great photos Ronni such a labor of love. This is what makes a house a home. I like nothing better than to do renovations around the house as well as rearranging furniture and anything else I can rip apart. My Dad once said that the dust never settles in my home. lol


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## RadishRose (Sep 27, 2018)

It's fun to play with your house, Ruth.


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## Ronni (Sep 28, 2018)

RadishRose said:


> Ronni, I just love hearing about home renovation/decor. My ex was also a carpenter/builder. Funny, we had the same 2 bookshelves on either side of a window at the end of our L/R.
> 
> I've been in my condo 11 years now; decorated and furnished as well as I could afford; re-painted and re-carpeted. I'm done.  So now, I'll enjoy yours vicariously.
> 
> ...



Yes!  I've been looking at canvases mainly.  I hadn't even thought of these type of hangings! Thanks RadishRose...I'll expand my search!


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## Ronni (Sep 28, 2018)

Hoping this w/e to get wooden slatted blinds up on the window, and the cedar shelving up on the one side of that wall unit, (the side that doesn't have the fuse box) and start figuring out how to decorate it. It's a bit problematic because the light source is at the top of the unit, and once the 2 shelves go up, it will block the light to the lower area. Ron installed an outlet (you can see it in the pic) so we can use a small lamp on one of the shelves. I was thinking maybe one of those salt lamps? They have some lovely designs and the glow is soft and diffused.  





That will take care of one shelf. Maybe just put very light colored items on the other shelf so that they show up against the wood more?  Won't know for sure how it will all work till the shelves are up and I know more what I'm working with.


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## SeaBreeze (Sep 28, 2018)

Ronni, your house looks so nice, I love the den!   It's nice that Ron is able to do all those things himself and I know you'll have a lot of fun putting on the finishing touches.  Way to team up and work on something that will be enjoyed by both of you.  I bought my nephew a nice Himalayan salt lamp years back, it was shaped like an elephant and he loved it.


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## Ronni (Sep 30, 2018)

Found this canvas that I loved!!!  Ron did too when I showed it to him.  It wasn't quite big enough to cover the fuse box, so I suggested he make a frame for it.

He found some scrap cedar out in the workshop, and voila!!!  I found the metal floral hanging separately, but I like the way they look together.  The old glass bottle with the spray of japanese cherry blossom was something Ron had.  I love it, just not sure it’s going to stay there. 

The window isn't centered on the wall, so we struggled with making the shelving asymmetrical, or making it even and having the window offset, which is what ultimately won out.  So I went looking for something to put to the left of the window to balance things some.  Found this amazing planter wall hanging with most of the little pots broken, so I added some new jazzy candle holders 




And finally, we got the shelves up.  He made beautiful cedar shelves.  Only the top one is sort of decorated, the area is very much a work in progress. But at least now I have something to play with.


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## RadishRose (Sep 30, 2018)

How pretty, Ronni- it all came together nicely!


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## SeaBreeze (Sep 30, 2018)

I love it Ronni, the canvas looks excellent and so does everything else! :cool2:


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## Ruth n Jersey (Sep 30, 2018)

What a great job. I love it.


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## hearlady (Oct 3, 2018)

Really nice work! And I love how you framed that picture over the fuse box.
It all looks great!


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## AprilT (Oct 3, 2018)

Great work, nicely decorated.


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## Ronni (Oct 3, 2018)

Thanks all.  We're heading out of town this w/e so we won't be doing any work on the house.  But next w/e we're going flat out!  I'm determined to finish the decorating of the shelves, and Ron is going to get started (and hopefully finished) making the doors to the cabinets underneath. 

Well, we also have to finish the laundry room...before we met he'd completely gutted it and put in new cabinets, new washer and dryer, new door..it's the laundry room of my dreams lol!  But it needs finishing..some patching of the drywall, and then painting.  

We need to finish both those projects so he can get started on the Master Bedroom, so that there's a place to put me, so I can move in lol!!!


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## SeaBreeze (Oct 3, 2018)

Enjoy your trip out of town Ronni, hope you both have fun!


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## Ronni (Oct 22, 2018)

Ron has been completely wrapped up in his daughter's house project because his friend Vince came into town to help, and understandably Ron felt he needed to focus on that and give Vince all his time till he had to leave again. He left Saturday, and so finally I think we can switch focus back to the house. Well, sort of...the next several weeks are also crazy. I have a dear friend coming in from France and I'm hosting a gathering of a bunch of our mutual friends next weekend. The weekend after that we're traveling to Lookout Mountain for a weekend with another couple in their cabin. There are two weekends after that and then it's Thanksgiving!!! And Christmas is staring us in the face after that!! 

I have managed to accomplish a few more cosmetic touches in the den and kitchen while also, just by the way, trying to figure out what on earth to do with Ron's little "surprises!" He called me and asked “Would you like a fern?” I said ”Sure!” thinking how nice it a little one would look on the small side table under the kitchen window, along with the pothos that's also sitting there.  

Fern, my a$$!!!!! Folks, he brought home a damn tree!



I think it's called a Majestic/Majesty Palm? It's gorgeous, but it sure ain't a fern, and there was all kinds of rearranging that had to happen to fit it...AND its sister by the way!!!!..... into the house.



I still don't know if these are their final destinations, but for right now at least they're not still in the middle of the floor and we're having to walk around them to get to the kitchen!!! Once we get the back porch done, at least one of them will go out there while it's warm.


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## SeaBreeze (Oct 22, 2018)

The decorating is coming along so nicely Ronni, and the ferns are very pretty too!  I know what you mean about having room for large plants inside the house, my rooms are so small there's not much available floor space for anything but needed furniture.  Good idea to put one of them on the porch when you can.  It does really sound like you'll be busy for the rest of the year at least....enjoy!


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## MeAgain (Nov 30, 2018)

Nice job.


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## RadishRose (Nov 30, 2018)

I've had several royal palms. A bit smaller. They're beautiful but need to have old stalks removed and need to be re-potted. They can last inside about 4 years before looking too shabby. It all looks great!


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## Ronni (Jan 8, 2019)

OK, so now that the Thanksgiving and Christmas Craziness is over and things have dropped back down to a dull roar, we're starting back in on the work on the house. Ron wants to finish up the den and the laundry room, both of which are almost-but-not-quite finished, so that we can begin work in earnest on the Master Bedroom and Bathroom, getting it renovated so that I can actually move in!  

The den needs to be painted and he needs to make the cabinet doors to the wall unit he built. We finally had a full day to get the ceiling done which, if you've ever painted, is the most cumbersome part of a painting job. The walls you can do a wall at a time, moving just a bit of furniture out from the wall and covering it and still being able to use the rest of the room. But a ceiling? EVERYTHING has to get moved out of the way so that you can paint, so of course the room is completely unusable till you can move everything back. In our case, we carried the smaller pieces out and moved to big pieces to one end of the room, painted half of the ceiling, and then moved everything to the other end and painted the rest. Painstaking and tedious, but we got it done!! Even got some of the trim done as well. This coming weekend we hope to finish the wall painting in the den, then Ron is going to start on prepping the laundry room for painting while I finish up the trim in the den.


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## RadishRose (Jan 8, 2019)

It's gonna be great Ronni. I just love seeing remodeling going on. You must be so excited! I'm looking forward to more of the progress.


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## Ronni (Feb 23, 2019)

So the den is still incomplete ( no doors on the cabinets amongst other things ) but for a variety of logistical and practical reasons we’ve moved on to the laundry room while we’re (well Ron!) is making the doors for the den cupboards and we shop for a new couch and like that. 

Here are the before pics. Hopeully we’ll have the after pics pretty soon.


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## Ronni (Feb 23, 2019)

Lol. Why the heck are they upside down??? Lemme see if I can fix that!!


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## Ronni (Feb 25, 2019)

The laundry room is getting there!  On the spur of the moment, we decided to throw some contrast onto the very white walls.  The cabinet doors will also be white, once we get them back on. That's a lot of white.  Ron built out this one section of the laundry room to create a coat closet.  We used some leftover gray we had to paint that little area, and this is the result.  I really like the way it looks.  We still need to paint that door.  It's one he salvaged from some job he did, and it's a bit scuffed and dinged.  



Note that we also added  gray to the thin strip on the top of the cabinets.  We did the same on the cabinets on the other side of the room.  For a fun contrast, we'll paint just the utility room door on the opposite end of the room the same gray that's on the wall.   It's slowly coming together.


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## Ronni (Mar 4, 2019)

Here it is essentially finished!! There's still some tweaking to do (he has to put up the blinds, replace one of the tiles on the floor which is cracked, do some touchup painting, and add some shelving to one of the closets, stuff like that) but it's functional and useable. 

I get to start decorating now woohoo!!!!


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## Ruth n Jersey (Mar 4, 2019)

Just beautiful. The colors you have chosen make everything so crisp and clean looking. You can add a splash of most any color and it would go well. Trim is always time consuming but I think it makes the room. You have both done a great job.


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## Ronni (Mar 5, 2019)

Ruth n Jersey said:


> Just beautiful. The colors you have chosen make everything so crisp and clean looking. You can add a splash of most any color and it would go well. Trim is always time consuming but I think it makes the room. You have both done a great job.



Thanks Ruth!!  I'm just tickled...it's the biggest and nicest laundry room I've ever had!!!  We have some plants that I need to move in there...the light is really good!  Plus I want to get some wall hangings and other stuff to so it doesn't look so sterile.  I don't want it to be cluttered so there won't be much...I need the counter space!  But just, as you suggested, some splashes of color.


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## SeaBreeze (Mar 6, 2019)

Ronni, I love all you two have done!  Everything looks so modern, bright and beautiful, likin' that laundry room!


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## oldman (Mar 7, 2019)

I always thought that people who can do this type of work has a real talent. My dad was very good at carpentry, but I never acquired his ability for construction. I did put in hardwood floors last October-November, but even that was a struggle.

Working on cars, OTOH, come much easier for me. I was a gear head from the time I turned 14. 

Tell your our husband he does good work.


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## Pinky (Mar 22, 2019)

I rarely peek into this area of the forum .. so nice to see what you and Ron have done to the house. It's so satisfying to be able to DIY. Beautiful work, and I know you will both enjoy it once it's all done.


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## RadishRose (Mar 22, 2019)

Ronni said:


> Thanks Ruth!!  I'm just tickled...it's the biggest and nicest laundry room I've ever had!!!  We have some plants that I need to move in there...the light is really good!  Plus I want to get some wall hangings and other stuff to so it doesn't look so sterile.  I don't want it to be cluttered so there won't be much...I need the counter space!  But just, as you suggested, some splashes of color.



Oh my, I missed the finished laundry room! Ronni it is great- so much  room and storage. You can use some cabinet space for pantry items, I  bet.

I love black and white .  I like green accents with black and white, myself but yes- anything will look great.


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## Ronni (Mar 30, 2019)

We're going embark on the Master Bedroom renovation in two weeks!  Well, Ron's already done some work.  He had the floor reinforced, he's moved some furniture out of there and is living out of plastic bins right now, so that the only heavy stuff we have to move around the room as he renovates is the bed.  This w/e is insanely busy, and we're going out of town on another weekend adventure next weekend, so we'll get rolling on the renovation after that.  He's going to build the closet and the bathroom first (that's one whole side of the room) and then demolish the existing bathroom (it's on the other side of the room currently) and finish that out, including laying hardwood to match the rest of the floor.  

Meanwhile, he's also designing our new kitchen!!! I'm REALLY excited about that...it's going to be a dream kitchen with everything I've ever wanted in there!  He roughed out some plans for the cooking island.  He want to move the stove that is currently against one wall to the center of the room, surrounded by cutting board surface and custom slide out drawers and other shelving for pots and pans, utensils etc.  Here are the plans he started with..they've since been tweaked some, but you get the general idea. 

The cutout is where the stove will be.  The countertop surrounding it is all cutting board surface, though the larger surface is on the right which is the size of a very large cutting board and where pretty much all the work will be done.  The pull out drawers on the right hand side will be for the iron skillets and most used pots. The skinny drawers on the left are originally where we were going to put the spices.  But I'd prefer to have them at eye level, and it just so happens that right behind where that island is going to be he's building floor to ceiling cupboards, one shelf of which he can design to display all the spices and other cooking oils and flavorings. Yes please!  So those narrow drawers will likely become storage for cooking basics like salt and pepper and olive oil, and then utensils, pot holders etc.  Perhaps two drawers instead of three?  We're still tweaking the design.  




That back section of the island will be more narrow shelving but with a lip so that pot lids can be stored upright and overlapping.  That part of the design is still in progress, he's trying to determine the best way to add doors.  


Right now behind the island is the sink, kitchen cabinets etc.  To the left of it is the eat-in part of the kitchen.  In front of it, where the narrow shelves are, is just a long section of wall behind which is the living room.  Eventually we're going to knock out that wall, creating a large family communal type area.  Once the wall goes and it opens up the space, we'll remodel the island, to create a sort of backsplash to the stove and then a ledge jutting out that will become a breakfast bar, two or three barstools in front.  That's a ways down the line yet, but it's the eventual, final plan when there's room.


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## Ronni (Apr 16, 2019)

OK, we're starting on the master bedroom/bathroom remodel!  

Here's the room after we moved some of the furniture out, but left the bed and nightstands before we moved it to the other side of the room.  That door on the right in the first photo is the existing closet.  You can see it again in the second photo, then the entrance to the room, and then the bathroom door.  All that's being demolished.  But first..........




We had to move the last of the furniture out of the room except the bed, and then we slid the bed and nightstands to the other side of the room.  With lots of floor space to work with, we then spent a couple of hours measuring and figuring out the proposed plan, and drawing it out on the floor, erasing several times as Ron worked through various problems with this or that design.  We're working hard to maximize every inch of space so we get to have everything we want in the closet and bathroom.  He chose to put pocket/sliding doors in rather than regular ones so that we don't have to accommodate room for the doors to open. Of course that means he had to solve the problem of having enough room inside the walls for the doors to not slide *into *each other lol!  

I posted this pic because it seemed like every time I walked into the room, he was standing like this, in different parts of the room, staring at the floor! :lol: I started referring to it as his thinking position! 


That hole in the wall you can see just above the level is where there used to be a wall air conditioner.  He long ago finished it out, and it was a cute shelf where he'd put a pothos with the vines trailing down.  Now though he'll just wallboard it in  He's going to build the new closet and completely finish it first, because we need to move all of his clothes out of the existing closet so that he can demolish it and put the master bath there.  We ordered or bought all the material last weekend, and this weekend he starts the build!


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## RadishRose (Apr 16, 2019)

Ronni, that's a lot of work ahead but having things he way you both want is so worth it! 

Will your new bathroom be a "wet room" style with a drain in the floor, or a traditional step into tub & shower?


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## Ronni (Apr 16, 2019)

RadishRose said:


> Ronni, that's a lot of work ahead but having things he way you both want is so worth it!
> 
> Will your new bathroom be a "wet room" style with a drain in the floor, or a traditional step into tub & shower?



We REALLY wanted the wet room style.  And that's originally what we were going to do. But as that involves knocking out a wall so that we have the several extra feet we need for the design, we reluctantly decided against it.  It will take considerably more time, expense and cosmetic work on the exterior (matching the brick, cement work, possible foundation involvement) and we just decided it wasn't worth it.  It will increase the value of the house only marginally, which is a consideration with all the renovations we're doing, should we at some point decide to sell.  And will increase the renovation time which is also an immediate consideration.  The longer the renos take, the longer before I can move in.  

This remodel is being done so that there's enough closet space and bathroom space for all my "girly girl" stuff.  :lol:  

Then we were going to do a separate tub, and circular shower stall.  Again, more room needed.  So we've finally opted for the step in tub/shower for all the practical/logistical/financial reasons that made sense.  Sometimes being pragmatic sucks!


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## Ronni (Apr 22, 2019)

Framing is DONE for the closet!!!  
 
Over the course of the week, Ron will work on the sheetrock.  He says that the framing is the most complex and cumbersome part and was very appreciate of my help, and the sheetrock is easy by comparison so by next weekend when I get back over there it should be all done!  

Hard to see but if you look close near the bottom left hand of the picture he also started the project of running some additional electrical. That's that hole in the wall you can just see.  We need more outlets in the room since a couple ended up in the closet where they won't do much good.  He also needs to run lights to the closet (a couple of can lights I think) and do the prep for running more lights to the bathroom when he gets to that point.   One cool thing he did is to install these outlets with onboard usb chargers...the kind into which you can plug cell phone chargers directly so you don't need the additional wall plug.  


And finally, he found the perfect sink for our bathroom once he starts building it. I love his taste!! We wanted something different, just for fun!  It's a vessel style sink, meaning that it stands above the counter (don't mean to insult anyone's intelligence..I didn't know what it was called when Ron first told me about it!)  


I just love the color/pattern, and it's given me a framework now for the accessories I need to start shopping for, both cosmetic and practical.  I want to look for complimentary hardware for the drawer/cupboard pulls etc.  plus things like shower curtain, soap dispenser etc.  

Ron's also designing the cupboards and shelving etc. for the bathroom to maximize storage the small space.  He even thought of little drawers under the wall cabinet/medicine chest to house my makeup.  What a guy!!!


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## SeaBreeze (Apr 22, 2019)

Everything is so beautiful Ronni, lots of hard work but well worth it and looks like lots of fun too!  I love the sink pattern!


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## Ronni (May 6, 2019)

Lookit!  All that bare framing is now an actual room!  There are two built-ins...one for each of us....then a small section with just one high rod on which to hang my dresses and gowns etc., double closet rods with a total 17 feet of hanging space, and extra deep shelves over the top rod.  It's a small space, but we've designed it and he's built it to take advantage of every single inch!"  As it stands right now, it gives me several feet more hanging space than I currently have and WAY more shelf space between the built ins and the shelves over the top rod!   He also installed two can lights so that it's brightly lit in there but they're on a dimmer just in case.  He put a vent in there too, because one wall of the closet sits on an outside wall so it will get a bit chilly in there in the winter time.  Sliding door so that the door swing doesn't take up any needed space.  




This is inside the closet looking out.  Middle of the pic is the beginning of one of the built ins.  That one will have both shelves and several drawers.  That upright to the right is the wall of the second one, which will just be shelves, at my request.  Floor to ceiling both of them, to allow for maximum storage....out of season things on the high shelves, daily use stuff at a more comfortable height. We bought a very lightweight two step step stool to keep in the closet for ease of access to the high shelving.


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## RadishRose (May 6, 2019)

I love seeing all the renovations in the works!
The stove area is great. I wouldn't put my dried herbs and spices next to a hot stove, but that's just me.

The bedroom and en suite will be fabulous.


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## Ronni (May 31, 2019)

I realized I never posted pictures of the finished den built ins!  I'm really happy with how it ended up.  Those low cupboards have been a godsend as I've been moving stuff over.  Until the master bath is finished, they hold the overflow of bathroom things that I currently have no place for.  Still need some kind of valance over the window, or window treatment of some kind because I feel like it looks unfinished right now.  Suggestions welcome.  And the shelf decorations are still somewhat a work in progress, but nonetheless I love the way it's come together.  My man sure is handy!!!


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## applecruncher (May 31, 2019)

Really like the bathroom sink! Love the swirly pattern.
Very different,  never seen anything quite like that in a bathroom. Would take a little getting used to but I wouldn't mind having a bathroom like that.


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## RadishRose (May 31, 2019)

The den looks great, Ronni. I don't know how I'd treat the window since there's a tv in front of it aside from a simple valance as you've thought of.

I'd put my books on the shelves to the right, plus a few photos. I'm attracted to those glass items on the top shelf. Maybe with the light is on they stand out more.

You guys are doing a great job and I'm really enjoying watching it come together!


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## Ronni (Jun 10, 2019)

We’ve been busting our butts most of the weekend in between various other commitments (granddaughters dance/ballet recital for one!! So cute, I’ll post later about that) but finally finished the demolition of the old closet and got the mess cleaned up enough to get the shower stall put in place. A lot of work before we can actually install it, but it’s finally in the room. And lemme tell you that was a feat!! 






I thought it was impossible to get a 34” shower through a 32” door opening, but my sweet man proved me wrong. That was the shower stall he wanted, and by God that was the shower stall he was going to have!!  So he just ripped out part of the door!  He is definitely solution oriented...not a defeatist at all!  :lol:


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## Ronni (Jun 10, 2019)

And here, finally, is the shower, in place.  That was the goal for the w/e and we accomplished it! 



We spent the rest of the time in the garden, I did some pots and he roto-tilled a section of garden by the garage in preparation to plant a couple of bushes.  It was a very productive weekend!


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## hollydolly (Jun 10, 2019)

I haven't looked at this thread since the early days... wow!! What a brilliant achievement , incredible actually!!..

I think you're going to have a wonderful life together there...


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## Ronni (Jun 22, 2019)

Master bath is slowly coming along.  We were stalled for about 10 days waiting for the plumber to come in and run some lines.    Finally got that taken care of yesterday.  Today Ron will be putting up sheet rock to start creating actual walls instead of just the framing,  running some electrical, and creating a drop ceiling for over the shower.  

Shower entrance.  It will be a sliding door like in the closet, to save space.  


Closet on left, bathroom on right.  The wall where the jewelry is hanging is the existing bathroom which will be demolished once the new bathroom is done.  


Impossible to get a pic of the shower stall because I can't get far enough away lol.  But you get the idea.


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## SeaBreeze (Jun 22, 2019)

The den looks great Ronni, you two have come a long way and put in a lot of hard work, it shows and you both must feel very proud of all you've accomplished. :coolthumb:


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## Keesha (Jul 3, 2019)

Everything looks great Ronni. 
You have great taste. 
I had to laugh when I read the part about the dimensions of the shower and your door but your man handled it no problem. That’s what my guy would have done also. It’s nice having a handy man.


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## mike4lorie (Jul 4, 2019)

Great job Ronni...


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## Ronni (Jul 20, 2019)

Getting started laying the master bath floor. Tedious and labor intensive ugh.  But I think it’s going to look good once everything else is in there!


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## Ronni (Aug 21, 2019)

The bathroom is done!!! There are more cosmetic tweaks needed (my job) but the hard work is complete and we’ve been using it for a few days now. I’m really happy with the way it turned out. Good thing too, because we agonized over every decision from whether to add wainscoting, to the subtle differences in paint color between the wall and the cabinet, to should we herringbone the tile. Guess all our decisions were right because the result is just what we were envisioning!

The granite is a leather finish rather than smooth, so it looks matte rather than shiny which I love. 


We returned medicine chest once way early in the build because we didn’t think it would work. So glad it was still available after most of the work in the bathroom was done and we realized it was going to be just right!


The herringbone pattern of the tile was so labor intensive! Ron has to cut almost every tile to get it to fit!! But it was so worth it. 


That long slender area to the left of the shower is rolled up towel storage...they’re all in the wash right now  And below it is a slanted TP holder..you take out a roll and another rolls into place.


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## StarSong (Aug 21, 2019)

Your home sure is coming along beautifully, Ronni.  Both of you have tremendous talent.


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## Ronni (Sep 7, 2019)

Demoing the old bathroom now that the new one is done

From this.....



To this......


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## Keesha (Sep 7, 2019)

That looks like it was a lot of fun Ronni. 
You must be so exited.


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## RadishRose (Sep 7, 2019)

@Ronni , how did I miss this?

I love the bathroom, love the vanity, love the color, the herringbone tile and that towel/ tissue roll set up!
Does the water splash above the vessel? Just curious.


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## Ronni (Sep 8, 2019)

RadishRose said:


> @Ronni , how did I miss this?
> 
> I love the bathroom, love the vanity, love the color, the herringbone tile and that towel/ tissue roll set up!
> Does the water splash above the vessel? Just curious.


Thanks @RadishRose!  We’re really pleased with the result. 

The first time Ron turned on the faucet was so funny!  He jumped back and yelled some select words that rhyme with Moly Duck  and immediately went under the sink and adjusted the pressure. It’s been fine ever since.


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## Ronni (Sep 12, 2019)

The old bathroom after we tore out the walls. As Ron investigated the old work (this part of the house was an addition from the 60’s) he was dismayed to find a bunch of stuff that he knew he’d have to repair. The shower pan had been leaking for years so the floor wood was rotted. Surprised we didn’t just fall through the floor it was that bad!  And the plumbing OMG! Below floor level, the water lines and the sewer lines were just sort of swinging freely, about a foot off the ground in the crawl space, no support whatever! Can you imagine the wretchedness of the sewer line finally just giving way under the house???  

So we had to pull up the entire floor so he could get the plumbing lines supported and then replace the nasty wood with new. Easier at that point to just rip out the whole floor and start fresh rather than trying to do a patch job.


And we have this dude to thank for all that.  Found on one of the studs when we were demoing. We swore at him quite a lot while we were working, made many snide references to “that Roger!!” 


It was actually pretty cool to find it though. We decided to re-use that particular stud, with a bit of reinforcement, and then I insisted Ron add his moniker too!


Now on to laying the sub floor, and then insulation, outlets and drywall!


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## RadishRose (Sep 12, 2019)

Ronni said:


> The old bathroom after we tore out the walls. As Ron investigated the old work (this part of the house was an addition from the 60’s) he was dismayed to find a bunch of stuff that he knew he’d have to repair. The shower pan had been leaking for years so the floor wood was rotted. Surprised we didn’t just fall through the floor it was that bad!  And the plumbing OMG! Below floor level, the water lines and the sewer lines were just sort of swinging freely, about a foot off the ground in the crawl space, no support whatever! Can you imagine the wretchedness of the sewer line finally just giving way under the house???  View attachment 76335
> 
> So we had to pull up the entire floor so he could get the plumbing lines supported and then replace the nasty wood with new. Easier at that point to just rip out the whole floor and start fresh rather than trying to do a patch job.
> View attachment 76336
> ...


What a mess to fix! That dang Roger. It was cool tho', how you saved that part.


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## Ruth n Jersey (Sep 12, 2019)

I like nothing better than to look at renovations. Yours are fantastic. I'm wondering about the wainscot though. I know you have tile in the shower area but do you think dampness from the shower will buckle it in time? I love the look though.


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## Ronni (Oct 20, 2019)

Ruth n Jersey said:


> I like nothing better than to look at renovations. Yours are fantastic. I'm wondering about the wainscot though. I know you have tile in the shower area but do you think dampness from the shower will buckle it in time? I love the look though.


 
@Ruth n Jersey Ron says it won’t. He put a very powerful exhaust fan in the shower to help deal with moisture/mildew issues. Seems to be working fine....the mirror barely fogs and it’s gone by the time we towel dry and are ready to use it.


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## Ronni (Oct 20, 2019)

From this.....


To this!


Our weekend project. White oak flooring, Casual Khaki walls, Hampton Bay fan. Also much swearing, screw ups and aching muscles. We’re too old for this crap! Still, I think the result is worth it!


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## Keesha (Oct 21, 2019)

I’m not really a fan of oak flooring but that white oak looks amazing. Job well done.


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## Ronni (Oct 21, 2019)

Keesha said:


> I’m not really a fan of oak flooring but that white oak looks amazing. Job well done.



Thanks Keesh! 

I don’t expect everyone to like our various decorating choices.....what a boring world it would be if we all thought alike.   I‘m sure not looking for approval from everyone, but I do appreciate the acknowledgement for the hard work.


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## StarSong (Oct 21, 2019)

Thank you for an early morning laugh, Ronni.  "_Also much swearing, screw ups and aching muscles. We’re too old for this crap_!" When the hubs and I do projects our intermediary results are similar. When we see a fix or project that is expected to take a certain amount of time, we double it because of the "Smith" factor (last name). When our daughter and son-in-law get involved, we add more time- because we're now working with the Smith factor plus we've got to "Jones" it up.

BTW, I sincerely covet your beautiful wood floor. Perhaps that's because I don't have any gen-u-wine wood floors in my home. Now that I think about it, in my entire life I've never lived with wood floors. How crazy is that? Anyway, I'm completely unfamiliar with any negatives associated with them.


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## Keesha (Oct 21, 2019)

Ronni said:


> Thanks Keesh!
> 
> I don’t expect everyone to like our various decorating choices.....what a boring world it would be if we all thought alike.   I‘m sure not looking for approval from everyone, but I do appreciate the acknowledgement for the hard work.


Oh I most certainly acknowledge the hard work it takes to lay a 3/4 inch hardwood floor. We did our entire upstairs floor with 3/4 inch maple and love it. 

It was hard work but we certainly don’t regret doing it. It’s definitely a highlight in our home which we wouldn’t trade for anything.

We wore knee pads which helped some. 
Of course that was 20 years ago as well. Doing it now?    Ouch!


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## Ronni (Nov 7, 2019)

I know I already posted pics of my master now that it's finished, but for continuity I wanted to also post here, because as we continue to work on the house, it's fun for me to have a running record of the rooms as they evolve.  

Master bedroom before construction began.  


During construction:


Done.


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