Let me begin by saying a few things:
Hillary, don't look. Just trust me.
We bought the place for the property and the potential, not the house.
Yes, we must have x-ray vision, or ESP or something, because the "potential" isn't as visible in the pictures as it seemed to be when we first looked at the place. (There are other viable explanations, but let's not go into those, shall we?)
There are captions to each picture. We tried to set it up as a virtual tour.
As we post "after" photos, we'll try to get a finished shot from the matching angle as the corresponding "before" shot. (I always hate those weight loss pictures that go from scowling, slumping, pasty and badly lit befores to fully posed, highly manicured, deeply tanned, smiling professional shots after. Let the results speak for themselves, right? Yeah, or something like that.)
It was actually much darker inside the house, but even w/ the flash on you couldn't see the living/dining room pictures, so I lightened them up enough that you could see.
Remember: that carpet isn't actually taupe. It was platinum white! (I'll post the comparison shot later on in the week - we're down to the gnat's netherregions on projects today, though.)
Oh, and finally, it did not look anything like this by the time we moved in. It was skeletal, as many of you may remember, but it was better than this...
Forever Home Before Photos
Kiss those babies!
~Dy
19 comments:
Is the "formal dining room" still going to be a dining room? What about the two tiny bedrooms, not the pink/boy's or the master, but the other two. Whose are they?
Just curious,
Rebel
Oh my. I think I need to watch the slideshow about 50 more times to get more comfortable with the idea that you bought this and birthed a baby in this. I'm glad you did not show these photos months ago, I'd have been worried sick. And I don't even KNOW you folks. Oh my. Amazing. You have vision, that's for sure.
Oh my soul! I cannot wait to see the after pictures. I really admire your ability to see potential. It will require quite a bit of patience not to check back every hour for new pictures. I've been reading your blog since you were in the apartment so I feel a bit of vicarious satisfaction in all that you've accomplished. Wow!!!
Hi Rebel! The "formal dining room" is 10x10, and wouldn't hold our dining table (or our family, at this point). But doesn't it just scream "school room"? *grin* The dining room is now the front half of the living room and the back half of the living room is now connected to the kitchen. HUGE changes. The "school room" leads into the kitchen, the new dining area, and out onto the balcony. It's a neat nook, really.
The first bedroom will be Jacob and Emily's room in about a year (namely b/c it has two closets). Until then, it's our guest room. The tiny blue bedroom will be the guest room, but for the meantime it's storage.
Oh, Denise! Don't worry - the place was gutted before we moved in. We didn't even allow the boys inside for the first month after we closed on it. They probably thought we'd bought a park. ;-) By the time Miss Emily arrived, the kitchen and living room were completed. Two bedrooms were brand new, lacking only paint. The main bath had been completely redone. The dining room was awaiting texture and paint. The plumbing, wiring and insulation were all brand spankin' new. Yeah, it was Icky, but not for long. No need to worry. Really. :-)
Anniesue, I'm afraid there won't be after pictures for a few days. Sorry to leave you hanging.
Dy
Wow, just wow. You guys really have an amazing ability to see through the crud to what is underneath... or something *grin* I am so looking forward to the after pictures now!!
What really gets me is that people must have been *living* there, as it was. Yikes!!
Ah. Paneling.
Who can count the joys of ripping out paneling?
Your place has the look of so many places we looked at. Congratulations on finding your diamond and pulling it out of the rough!
Well done.
(We continue to work on our plaster walls. Mr. Safety found a method that uses fiberglass mesh and some compound --maybe for drywall? Anyway, it's cheaper than drywall and easier/faster than plaster from scratch.)
Amazing linoleum in the dining room.
Please remind us which day is Deep Sigh of Relief Day, so I can join your other readers in exhaling. You must keep this house.
Is the exterior brickwork sturdy?
Will you start a garden? (Like you have the time...)
The carpet's. not. taupe?
I can hardly even picture it.
You guys are amazing!
I can see why you bought it - that property is wonderful. So much space. So much space covered with so much paneling. I think I might have seen the possibilities too, but mine might have include a donation of the house to the local fire department for a controlled training burn.
I know the after pictures are going to be absolutely spectacular. What a wonderful heritage you are building.
Peace,
Amy
Okay, how could I *not* look, after such a build-up and warning. LOL!
All I can say is WOW! That, and EW! Oh, and MOLD!! How you saw the potential through the horror is beyond me.
The property is beautiful, though! It's going to be gorgeous once things really start blooming.
I showed Marc, and he and I are both eagerly awaiting the after photos.
There was just one photo missing: The scary "Pit of Despair" in your basement.
Congratulations!
Hillary
WoW!! I've been dying to see what your place looked like. What fun! I absolutely LOVE the property -- That is what I want. And the house? I didn't know any one ever used that 1970's panelling for the whole house -- it's awful enough in small doses, but you guys definitely had x-ray vision. I'm glad you mentioned that that was White carpeting, cause I didn't really get that from the pics. Actually the house looks very spacious, and I love brick. I will be looking forward to after (or during) pictures!
Cordially,
Melora
Alright, this is a bit of a quandary-- when people posts pics of their houses, I'm supposed to give appropriate compliments. And the best I can come up with is that is the most creative use for duct tape that I've ever seen. ;) You have far more courage than I do, and I'm glad it's really coming together for y'all.
But you have to admit, that is one ugly goat. ;)
You are a brave woman, Dy! I can't wait to see the after pics. You must feel so proud of all your hard work. Denise (the blogless Denise that sometimes comments here)
Little Shop of Horrors!! Gotta love that 70s carpet. I had that kitchen in a previous house!! Can't wait to see the improvements.
Lisa
at http://www.bloglines.com/blog/HopewellMomSchool
Great pics, Dy! I can't wait to see the changes. You are an amazing woman, Dy. I couldn't tackle a job like that with such little ones. Good Job!! :)
Those folks had a serious love for that faux wood panelling, didn't they?
Ew.
I can't wait to see the 'after' pictures.
Crissy
Coming from the standpoint of a fellow Person-Who-Moved-Into-a-Scary-House-That-Had-Potential ...I LOVE it!(or perhaps I should say--I LOVE the potential?!) Nice big living room, a cool wrap around deck-like thing, AWESOME meadows, and a stream, to boot! I really admire you guys for taking on the project and I can't WAIT to see the results of all your labor! :0)
My, oh my, Dy. Why?
(Ha, ha. Just kidding. It just had a nice little rhyming rhythm to it.)
This makes me want to go back and read some of your earlier posts about the work while it was in progress. Now I can have a "picture" of what you were doing in my mind!
It's truly unbelievable. I admire you guys so much for taking on something so... so... Daunting!!!!!!!
Karen (Mamabird)
Heh. As soon as I have a chance to get to the old computer, I have some before pictures that are remarkably similar to post! We have the same "before" hallway, even.
And the paneling...oh, the paneling. THE WHOLE HOUSE in paneling.
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