Some Serious Nesting: Living Room

The progress on the house is quite exciting. It's amazing how much you can get done in the face of arriving Double Babies! I thought I'd post before and after pics of the gorgeous mantel in our awesome 'new' living room. It's like the room got a facelift, and people look at it and go "you look different, but I can't tell what changed". Everything!

I didn't think I had a Before picture because Dan literally started demolishing the room while I was cuddled up with Nate in the family room (sick with first trimester nausea) and didn't give me a chance to take a picture -- let alone weigh in on the whole project... but I'm glad he didn't ask me because I might have said let's wait, and now I'm super psyched about the whole thing. Long story short though: I found a great Before pic of the mantel in my vast photo archives! I also found other fun shots of Nate in what used to be our living room.

Before. Notice the built in speakers (for which they destroyed the floor), and the burlap wallpaper. Yes, I do realize Restoration Hardware is trying to bring burlap wallpaper back in style.

Train table on blue and pink carpet. Classic.

You can really see the wood paneling in this one, as well as the musty old curtains. (Pa and Nate playing HORSE)

Look at my little surfer dude. This carpet just *had* to go.

Upon the banging commotion one night over the holidays, Nate and I emerged from the Family Room to find.... this. Dan's quote "I KNEW there was brick under there."

The next day, "that" became "this" as Dan took down the whole wall. Nice stress reliever I'm sure! Needless to say there was no insulation in the existing walls.

And then the whole room... down to the studs.

So he added insulation...

...more insulation...

And then came the drywall.

New drywall throughout the room, and not missing the burlap or wood paneling at all. Even without a "real" mantel, this room looks better than it started.

Dan's next project: tiling the fireplace himself!

The man in action. Looking good Bob Vila!

We hired a carpenter to build us a gorgeous mantel. Dan said he could have done it, he just didn't have the time ;)  right...  The carpenter also put in baseboard, crown molding, and framing for the windows and doors.

Then we hired a painter to bring it all together.

The finished project! Ignore the blue tape and hamper of adorable baby girl clothes. My biggest excitement in this whole project is how light the room is now.

Now the big question is: what color and type should the drapes be? Window dressings intimidate me.