Serious said:

Oh, I think it's very pretty! I love the color.

Did you paint it yourself?

Our house is so traditional--in a way. It's very "lodge-like." Even if I could post the pics, I don't think you all would like it. I like it because.. well like I said the home just lended itself to this decor.

I watch all those home decorating shows. And I have these books. I have all these things marked! LOL

I would love to "paint" at least. Now this is something I could do. I don't think I could do some of the other stuff, but I could paint! In the guest bath.. we have this wall paper.. It's very subtle, and like I said, I put-up some tiles.. to sort of vary it. Oh.. I also have a stained glass in the window of the guest room. I bought it at this art shop--you know it's hangs in the window for privacy rather than something else. I also have this roman shade in there, just in case people want more privacy. In the master, we have a stained glass that was there in a small window when we bought the house.

So..have you all like taken down wall-paper before? I would really like to do this in the guest bathroom, then paint rather than wall-paper. Our lavoratory in our master also has wallpaper, I would like to take down and then paint the walls. So this is why.

Oh.. as far as windows.. we have wooden blinds.. and think, separating the sunroom from the living area, I have roman shades.. bamboo.. In the guestroom, we have what is it called .. roman shade--on the French Doors. I can't think of the name of it. It's sort of an olive, then I have miniblinds up on the windows to match.

But you know, like the fire place and stuff.. and painting..you all do this yourself?

lascantas said:

We painted the fireplace in purple and zebra and put in the stereo instead of using it as a fireplace anymore . And I created a CD shelf and built it myself. We took down the old wall papers, but we did not paint the walls of this room ourselves. But we did that ourselves with some other rooms of the apartment (that does not sound English at all ). And we painted the table and some other pieces of furniture for this room as well as for some others ourselves.

Serious said:

Well you did a wonderful job!

The wallpaper.. I have read that to take it down you have to score it, then put this solution on it? I have also read you can use vinegar? How difficult was that?

Then after, you have to put texuring on the walls, right?

lascantas said:

Thank you .
We scraped the wallpaper off. It was not as hard as I thought it would be. But there is a new wallpaper on the walls now which somebody painted for us in the colour we chose because the walls are very old and would "break" if you were to hang up a painting or whatever if you just would paint the walls without a wallpaper on it.

Serious said:

I see! You know I thought about just painting the wallpaper, but I read it was better in some situations to take it down.

I really want to work on the guest bathroom as a practice, you know? LOL

I think I could do it. The problem is the ceiling is very high--very. So I am a little worried doing it when I am home alone, you know? I am afraid I would fall or something. But maybe I can figure-out a way--using extensions that I would not have to be on a tall ladder.

lascantas said:

You can paint the old wallpaper if it is still really "fixed" to the wall as far as I know.

Using extensions for painting high ceilings is no that easy, I could not have done that. But I am not really good when it comes to renovating. My bf painted the ceilings, I would have been be terrified to do that standing on a ladder . As I am now home alone too I guess I will have to stick with all the things in my apartment that are not done yet as it sure is hard to do things all alone if you are not really good at such things. Maybe you have some friends who could help you?

What is they style of your home?
How do you put your own individual "stamp" on the place? Piles of dirty laundry DO NOT count!!!
Make a homo happy...POST PICS!
Before and Afters would be awesome too.

As some know, we moved into a new place earlier this month.
We love this house!
Things are still a mess but the transformation has begun...

Kitchen

I LOVE your kitchen! I will post after work. We just bought a house and my favorite room is the kitchen! I am holly housewife.

In fact, I need kitchen deco tips. Leave it to the org to find some. You guys are awesome!!!

[Edited 3/31/09 17:21pm]

johnart said:

I can't wait to see yours, Kat.
I'm oiling the shit out of our countertops today.
They are thirsty as hell.
I don't know if they ever did them before.
[Edited 4/1/09 7:01am]

Oooh, ooooh! I love to see everyone's CRIBS!!

O.K.---here's mine. Built in 1919, 3,800 sq. ft. Three floors, six bedrooms, three full and two half baths. I am the fourth generation to live here--my family's been in this home since 1953, only the third owners:

Winter View


Summer View


Front Hall (I posted some of these in the "Christmas Decorations" thread)


Front Stairway to Back Hall and Powder Room


Front of Living Room (where I teach)


Back of Living Room (we turned it into a family room)


Fireplace Detail


Pretty Standard Galley Kitchen

Breakfast Nook


Dining Room

Ceiling Detail in Dining Room


Palladian Window at top of stairs (door on right leads to back stairs to kitchen--the house was built with servants in mind)


Master Bedroom



Master Bathroom


Bedroom and Sunroom we turned into a home office


Third Floor Bathroom with Clawfoot Tub

johnart said:

Oh, I love the wood countertops! I think this is what I want. Right now, there is laminate.(??) It's not in bad shape, but I would like something prettier. I love our cabinets. The are oak.. very pretty. But I would like this wood like you have or this Vetrazzo glass countertops, made from recycled glass.

Oh... let me show you this Vetrazzo
http://www.vetrazzo.com

I love the Charisma-blue with patina.

Here is a pic:



This would go so well with the rest of the kitchen!

But we really have other renovations we need to spend money on first! Really, our master bath is what needs some work more than anything else. Plus, we need to some repair on the patio.
[Edited 4/1/09 7:16am]

NuPwr319 said:

I would love to get my hands on a house like this. I'm not really a new build kinda girl. I love older homes with real charm and real workmanship.

I'm envious of you. Houses around here like yours are very, very expensive.

JustErin said:

Cuddles said:

They key to working on these heritage homes is to do your upgrades without compromising the traditional bones and character.

I'm just dying to work on a house like this. Beautiful.

JustErin said:

What kills me is the NEW attempts at heritage houses.
You can go a few blocks from here (mostly 50's/60's houses) and find that folk have torn a whole house down and put a HUUUUUGE colonial in its place that barely fits on the lot. They got like 6 inches of yard.

People should also keep the character of the neighborhood in mind.
[Edited 4/1/09 9:16am]

johnart said:

For sure.

It also really bugs me to see people building big ass homes on no property at all. You could walk between the homes and stretch your arms out and touch both houses. And usually those are neighbourhoods where a developer built all the homes and they are all the same and all built horribly.

Or at least, that’s how it is around here.

I hate mass produced homes.
[Edited 4/1/09 9:36am]

JustErin said:

Some parts around here too.
There's one neighborhood we pass sometimes where the decks in the backyards, you could literally jump from one to the other. And these are tremendous homes. I don't know why anyone paying that amount of money for a home would want that.
We thought it was a Condo/Townhome development first time we passed by.

johnart said:

Maybe cuz every body doesn't want or need a lot yard. I don't do outside and could care less about yard space. So, once again, like anything else in life, one size does NOT fit all.

Maybe cuz every body doesn't want or need a lot yard. I don't do outside and could care less about yard space. So, once again, like anything else in life, one size does NOT fit all.

SCNDLS said:

No, I get that everyone is not "outside" backyard/garden folk. It need not be a big property. I think tight quarters works for city homes, like brownstones. But it's nice (aesthetically) when a single family home (especially a tremendous one) has a bit of "room to breathe".
[Edited 4/1/09 11:30am]

johnart said:

For sure.

It also really bugs me to see people building big ass homes on no property at all. You could walk between the homes and stretch your arms out and touch both houses. And usually those are neighbourhoods where a developer built all the homes and they are all the same and all built horribly.

Or at least, that’s how it is around here.

I hate mass produced homes.
[Edited 4/1/09 9:36am]

JustErin said:

big and cheap

ocean said:

Thanks, I likes yours too.

NuPwr319 said:

Very nice! I love those tubs

DAMN, y'all got some nice shit! I'm 'bout ta rob all you mfs!! Very nice!

I was wondering do you all do all the remodeling yourself, or do you hire a contractor--or.. painters.. you know.

I want to do some myself, but I'm a little afraid! LOL

I am even afraid of painting stuff because I have never done it before.

Oooh, ooooh! I love to see everyone's CRIBS!!

O.K.---here's mine. Built in 1919, 3,800 sq. ft. Three floors, six bedrooms, three full and two half baths. I am the fourth generation to live here--my family's been in this home since 1953, only the third owners:

Winter View


Summer View





I would love to get my hands on a house like this. I'm not really a new build kinda girl. I love older homes with real charm and real workmanship.

I'm envious of you. Houses around here like yours are very, very expensive.

JustErin said:

Cuddles said:

Yeah, I'm an older house type, too. Even if I had to buy a newer house, I'd want to put touches in it like moldings and stuff.