From the Floor

So this finally happened...

Before and After

Ever since we moved into this house five years ago, replacing the nasty carpet has been on our to-do list. The carpet was gross. So bad, in fact, that when the house was for sale, the owners were offering to replace the carpet as an incentive. That offer came off the table when they decided to drop the price by 15k, which suited us better anyway, but it meant we were left with the old, stained mess.

About six months ago we finally decided to pull the trigger on new floors. Our neighbors had just had theirs done beautifully, we had a great recommendation for a contractor, it was finally time. "The Year of the House," we declared it. And we really stopped caring about the stains being made on our carpets. Annie threw up all over the floor... meh. Spilled your coffee everywhere,.. no biggie. What was bad quickly became salvageable. But who cares? We were getting new floors. Oh, and doors put on our office/Matt's guitar room.

Looking from the stairs towards the front office.

New doors! Now Matt can practice guitar in peace.

Well, after the initial consultation to pick our floors, we waffled. Big time. Months passed with no further movement. There was uncertainty about the color. There was obvious dread about the price. There were commitment issues in general.

Finally Pat, our floor guy as I call him, called and suggested we visit some neighboring houses where he had recently done some work. Perhaps we could get inspired. So we visited two delightful homes, fell in love with the floors, and promptly decided that "Toasted Malt" was the color for us. This was finally going to happen! Goodbye gross carpet! Hello beautiful, improved home! We called Pat and gave him the good news...

...and promptly waffled for another two months.

I had no idea that kitchen island even moved.

Violet's birthday party is what finally lit the flame. I told Matt, there was no way I could host 10 little girls for a movie night party with our disgusting carpet. And within a week, we had a date scheduled, the downstairs was packed up and moved to the garage, the materials were ordered, and it was show time. Two days, people. Two days was all it took to transform this house. Amazing.

Slowly putting things back where they belong.

It's so pretty now! It is like moving into a new house - we got to decide where to put furniture, what to bring back in. The playroom is still empty of toys because I'm just enjoying how neat and uncluttered it all is. Multiple boxes have been packed up for Goodwill, I want to make do with less stuff.

So there you have it. After five years of leaving our house the way we bought it, we've finally put our stamp on it with new wall paint and beautiful new floors. Of course, we have the immediate itch to keep doing more. But I'm quite content with what we've accomplished with our "Year of the House" budget. As soon as we get a few new rugs we'll be done. Oh, and perhaps an upgraded entertainment center. And some new shelving for our pantry...