House Renovation Phase Two: Guest bedroom

We came back from our 2900 miles in six days with a moving van full of furniture and housewares. We quickly filled up the 'shop' downstairs, and in no way was the furniture all going to store down there, anyhow.  The thoughts of keeping an uncluttered work space, where we could work on our 'blank canvas' was quickly becoming unrealistic.  Amidst the clutter, building materials, and drywall dust, we had to get ourselves better organized.

Len's thought was that we needed at least ONE SPACE where everything was completely done.  We needed to be able to shut the door to the rest of the mess, and the bajillion work projects that are in various stages of progress, or lack thereof, lol. When I get stressed, my OCPDness kicks in to high gear, and I have to gain control of my environment.  The likely solution to our sanity was the need for restful sleep, as we had many LONG work days ahead of us.  It was his idea to begin in the larger of the two bedrooms, which will eventually become the guest bedroom. Time for a new plan!!!  Have I told you it brings me great joy and comfort to P-L-A-N?!?!  Phase Two: the guest bedroom.

Before we got too overly ambitious about putting things
back together and making it 'pretty' (i.e., MY job!) Len
needed to deal with the issue of some sagging,  It was going
to be difficult to square up walls, and install kitchen cabinets
if we were dealing with a crooked house! With a couple of
car jacks, some 2 x 12 beams, a fist full of clamps, and a lot
of pounding and muscle, he was able to git 'er done :)

If you remember from the previous post, this was
the 'before look' of the larger bedroom.  To the
right you see the doorway to the Jack & Jill
bathroom set up.  

This was looking in to the Jack & Jill bathroom...

...and this is the nice deep walk in closet that you
faced when laying in the bed in the photo above.
The space had 'good bones', and did not require
us moving entire walls, so it was a logical
and manageable place to begin.

While Len dealt with more serious mechanical matters, I got started
in the guest room by removing all the trim and baseboards.  He
took out the door to the bathroom, built a wall to fill the hole, and
hung the drywall.  My job was applying the tape and joint compound,
and sanding it down.  It took three trips around the room in three
days to make repairs to wall cracks, to cover nail holes, and to generally
 get all the walls and ceiling smoothed out.  Lesson learned: Use
a damp sponge first to knock down the heavy stuff, and only
sand with an extra fine grit sponge for the final finishing.
It equates to far less dust and mess to clean up!

In a 'former life' Len built cabinets and closet
organizers for a living.  Those skills came back into
practice as he laid out a beautiful walk in closet.
It is SO functional, and we gained a TON more storage!

While he worked on the closet, I did lots of painting. Everything
took two coats.  I painted the closet doors, the ceiling, the new
crown molding, baseboards, and shoe moldings in a bright
white semi gloss.  I also sanded and stained (three coats) the
interior casings to the large windows.  They came out a rich
antique walnut, that matches my antique furniture :)  

Len installed a beautiful new ceiling fan with a satin nickel finish
on the light kit, I gave a second going over on the paint in the
closet, together we painted the walls a satin butter cream color,
I stapled down the underlayment for the flooring, and he installed
bamboo shades in the windows.  He also made the corner blocks
with his router for the windows. Looking better already :)
I love the bright white window casings and crown molding,
I was going for a Southern Plantation look-
remember my job is to make it pretty :)  

The next major project was installing the bamboo
flooring.  We ordered 3 pallets, or 36 boxes, of bamboo
flooring that we hauled up to the house with the
trusty winch that Len created.  I have always loved
bamboo floors, and both Len and I LOVE all
the power tools- like our new flooring nailer!

And there you have it- our guest bedroom!
It's an eclectic mix of things that came together
beautifully. The pewter lamp and hand painted
shade was my mother's. The washstand I have
taken with me to every home I have lived in, as
well as the antique bed that has been mine for
thirty years.  Both pieces were in the guest bedroom
of the first home I ever owned with the girls' father.
Eventually the bed became my beloved Grandmother's
bed when we moved her from Texas to Indiana.  The
night stand is actually an antique sewing machine and
cabinet that belonged to Len's mother, and the new
palm tree bedding was ordered from Bed, Bath and Beyond.
In the corner is an antique walnut chair that belonged to Len.
And, of course, no room in any house of mine is complete 
unless there is sailboat picture somewhere, which is hanging
on the far wall above the antique washstand. I included my
'ship's wheel' clock, and my tray of miniature sea
shells and sea glass that I have gathered in my travels.
It is cozy, it is beautiful, it smells lovely, and it is perfect.
Beginning to end, this project took five days.

Now all I need is some guests!!!

G'nite, y'all!