Out with the Old in with the New

Happy new year! I hope your 2015 has started off great! Are you setting any resolutions or goals this year? I don't like resolutions but I already wrote down some goals I want to accomplish in the next twelve months. 

It looks like the beginning of a new year is a great time to start new projects, not only around your home but on a personal level too. As the title of this post states...

Out with the old in with the new, and that's exactly what Bridget, a dear RLC reader, began last January when she and her husband bought their new to them house.

The picture below is the blank canvas they encountered. All the arches and weird nooks were something they thought of updating since day one.

However, the floors were the ones to get the first makeover with good-looking plank tiles. 

Soon after, they set to work at removing some of the arches on the wall niches, and giving the fireplace a new look.

This is the part where Bridget says: "Here is where I learn about floating out drywall". Oh my, all the things we learn when we DIY. :)

The only work they hired out was the planked tile floors and the stone face on the fireplace.

On each side of the fireplace, Bridget installed shelves, inspired by the floating shelves I installed in my bathroom here. I cannot tell you how extremely rewarding it is when you, my readers, share a picture of your work inspired by one of my projects. ;)

Paint, new lighting, crown, and baseboard moldings completed the job in their family room.

The before and after is just WOW, outstanding!

Having a beautiful room, only makes you want to go and update the contiguous rooms. That's how somehow the renovation continued into the kitchen/breakfast area. This is how it looked before.

They gutted down the kitchen and built the counter knee walls, moved the plumbing, painted the walls, installed the crown, and baseboards, and hired out the new kitchen cabinets installation.

The kitchenette area was Bridget's job, she went ahead and gave the walls a striking color and framed the triple window following a project done to my dining room windows here.

Trim and a cute valance was all needed to frame the beautiful view!

There in the kitchenette, she also created a wine area with a DIY shelf /rack. I love it!

Isn't it amazing how by framing the window, this small room looks way bigger, wider?!

Finally, the office space was the next to enjoy a good dose of their handy work. This room also sported a bookcase/nook on the wall as in the family room.

Kind of dated, don't you agree, but in this case, what bothered me the most was all the wasted space!
I'm so glad to see those nooks gone.

Bridget's husband was back at drywall 101. :)

Here again, plank tile was installed.

This is how the office nook looked this past Christmas. She is still waiting to buy a desk that fits in this space better, but on the decorative side, she also got the Mohawk Home Simpatico area rug as I did in my dining room here. Love it!

Way to go Bridget, way to go! 👏👏👏

Can't wait to see the projects you have in store for 2015!