Steph got me thinking it would be fun to post pics and ideas for redecorating/remodeling our homes. Here are some things that we've done to our house:

First thing we started on the day we closed was painting the downstairs. Everything was white. Its all hardwood floors except for the office (technically the master bedroom). Then we had the hardwood floors refinished.

Kit Before:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s221/buttrfli777/DSC02231-1.jpg

Kit After:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s221/buttrfli777/DSC02489-1.jpg

LR Before:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s221/buttrfli777/DSC02351-1.jpg

LR After:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s221/buttrfli777/DSC02490-1.jpg

Office Before:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s221/buttrfli777/DSC02238-1.jpg

Office After:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s221/buttrfli777/DSC02485-1.jpg

Some distasteful person decided brown grout was the way to go with the white tiles on the kit backsplash and the LR fireplace wall. Instead of re-grouting I just painted the grout white...what a difference:

LR Before:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s221/buttrfli777/DSC02351-1.jpg

LR After:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s221/buttrfli777/DSC04368-1.jpg

Kit Before:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s221/buttrfli777/DSC02235-1.jpg

Kit After:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s221/buttrfli777/DSC04373-1.jpg

I'll post more when I have time. Just taking the time to see all we've done I really can't believe how much has changed!

WOW Liz, it looks great.
I am ready to get my whole house done. I lilke what you did with the kitchen cabinets. I would like mine darker too. Did you just stain them or did you have to sand them down?

Nope neither, I just washed them!!! And I think the blue brings them out nicely.

love the blue in the kitchen!

i'll have to search for my before and after's. i have LOTS!

Looks nice. What a difference painting the grout white made. We are in a new house now, but the last house we were in was built in the 70s. All the baseboards and trim were walnut stain. I primed and painted every piece of trim and all the doors white. It totally changed the look of the house. We also changed out all the brass doorknobs and light fixtures to brushed nickle. Huge difference. I'm glad you decided to show your before and afters. I love to see other people's ideas.

Thanks everyone for the compliments. I hope to have more to post soon. We will be starting our bathroom this weekend hopefully :pray:

I know if we don't get it done soon it will be another 2 years before we even think about it!

Just wanted to share my wonderful "find" this weekend at Lowe's. I have been wanting to put up new border in my son's room and in my dd's room. To do both of their rooms it would've cost me approximately $70-80 so I kept putting it off. We were at Lowes's this weekend and they had all their borders clearanced for $1!! :clapping: So I bought what I needed and only had to pay $9 and I may have extra when I'm done. I love finding these kinds of bargains!! I guess it pays to be patient and wait on some things. :)

:thumbs: great find Leah!!

Yeah Leah - that is a good buy. Some times it pays to wait!

So we are almost done with the bathroom. I just have to repaint the trim and DH has to hang the mirror...the one we got had a scratch on it so we have to exchange it. But you will get the idea...
Before:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s221/buttrfli777/DSC02255-1.jpg

After:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s221/buttrfli777/IMG_7938-1.jpg

After:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s221/buttrfli777/IMG_7939-1.jpg

Before:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s221/buttrfli777/DSC02257-1.jpg

After:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s221/buttrfli777/IMG_7944-1.jpg

After:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s221/buttrfli777/IMG_7946-1.jpg


And this is another one I wanted to share. We put up shiplap (hardwood boards) in the alcoves around the fireplace.

Before:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s221/buttrfli777/DSC02351-1.jpg

After:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s221/buttrfli777/IMG_7948-1.jpg

WOW Liz
You have done an amazing job.
I am planning my next attack :laugh:

Thanks Steph!

I hear ya...looking at all the old pics makes me want to finish the final room - our bedroom...but I hesitate because it might become a kids room if we ever do an addition...ugh...we'll see.

Keep us posted on your progress!

I will, I am thinking kitchen just so the downstairs is complete
but the stair way really needs a good paint job and a new hand rail
Decisions decisions...

nice job on the bathroom Liz!

Your bathroom looks great, Liz! I want to do some of this stuff so badly, but my dh is not into remodeling and decorating yet. There are too many "functional" things we have to take care of first. We did do our kitchen last spring out of neccesity. When we bought our house it had a 30 yr old stove that had a mind of it's own. One burner would turn on all by itself! :eek:
I don't think I have any before pictures (I wish we would've taken some), but I will take a picture and post it sometime of what it looks like now. We also did the countertops, backsplash and floor. Future plans are to make new cabinet doors (my dh is into woodworking so he will do it himself) and restain the cabinet bases. Right now we are trying to match stain because when they put in the new countertops we had to raise them by about an inch because of the way they were put in originally. So many things to do, so little money to do it with!! :)

That sounds nice Leah, def post some pics for us. Its great that your DH can do the woodworking. I am so grateful that DH is so handy. I cant imagine having to pay someone to do all this kinda stuff. I really try to not take for granted the fact that we never need a plumber, electrician, contractor, or handyman. God has really blessed me with Andy! I am just trying to keep up ;)

That sounds nice Leah, def post some pics for us. Its great that your DH can do the woodworking. I am so grateful that DH is so handy. I cant imagine having to pay someone to do all this kinda stuff. I really try to not take for granted the fact that we never need a plumber, electrician, contractor, or handyman. God has really blessed me with Andy! I am just trying to keep up ;)

My dh is like your dh too. He has done so much work around our house and I know it would've cost us a small fortune to pay someone to do it all. I also feel blessed with all that he is capable of doing.

ok guys and dolls...here is the built-in! finally painted. but now needs the cabinet doors installed. hopefully DH will do that on his next day off!
I included a pic of my FIL...because it just makes me laugh that he could sit there and read his paper while DH and I worked around him!!

Beautiful!!! That is going to be great storage! Love the colors!!!
I know you are glad its almost over.... (waiting for the doors) :thumbs:

It looks great, CK!

I love those built-ins!! They look GREAT!! I would love to have some storage like that! :)

thanks for the comments! now...i need your opinion!

for the fireplace surround...what would you suggest? we have hard wood floors, and the colors are ivory and olive green (i will be getting new curtains), the moldings are dark brown.

i don't like the mantel that is there right now. it gets lost in the wall. i would like something that stands out.

JMO.. maybe a wood tone mantel like the floors. and a gold fire place screen? I like gold with the green.

What color curtains are you thinking??? Something light? Cream maybe? to let light in????

This is so exciting for you CK! What a blessing! :thumbs:

JMO.. maybe a wood tone mantel like the floors. and a gold fire place screen? I like gold with the green.

What color curtains are you thinking??? Something light? Cream maybe? to let light in????

This is so exciting for you CK! What a blessing! :thumbs:

I like the idea of the wood tone mantel. i'm not into gold too much. i like the pewter/brushed nickel tones better for the fire screen...or perhaps black. because we have black bases to our lamps.
as far as curtains go...yikes! i have been looking for months! i cannot find anything i like in the local stores. i may have to search online.
i'm looking for something that has olive & cream colors, but not a huge pattern. maybe stripes or blocks. NOT flowers!
thanks for your suggestions!

Oh I am loving all the pictures! You guys are doing some really awesome updates! Love em! Unfortunately, I don't think I have before pics, although the most we have done is painting (and I've made some curtains), but right now DH is finishing the basement. Right now he is building a studio apartment for his dad...

CK...it looks great. I agree with everyone...I am jealous for the storage!

Very Nice CK!!!!!:thumbs:

I love it CK! It looks awesome. We have a huge built in upstairs in the gameroom. I never thought about painting the wall behind the shelves like you did. I will keep that in mind when i get to that room.

I think a wood tone would look great on the mantel.

thanks for all the "thumbs up" ladies!

i just figured out that i will need a LADDER to get to the top book shelf!! :yikes:

SOOOOOO....new brain storm....we are going to install pot lights on the ceiling in the top shelf, then install sliding glass doors. this will help keep dust out of there, and i can display my collection of snow babies. :thumbs:

Sweet!!!!!:thumbs: I can't wait to own my own place and make it my own :D