Our reno prgress in and out

[Charley711]

Hi All!

I've been lurking and finally wanted to post again. I'm still frustrated by the lack of sound proofing in my double wide, but have come to love our new to us home (bought in Nov 07). Spring is almost here and I can see the fruits of someone else's labor watching all the spring bulbs come to bloom.

Staying positive.

Inside: I have painted the master bath and faux finished it and it looks GREAT! The flower motif is gone! We are tiling in the bathroom and the tub that used to be an off color to everything else now blends in! We are putting in a floating laminate floor in the kitchen. We are moving the kitchen island a foot forward and putting on a larger counter top. Diningroom is getting a painting with faux finish. Lots of trim needs repair so we decided to change out all the trim to oak. A long process, but will be worth it. We don't have a fireplace so we are getting a vent free LP, building a hearth for it soon.

Outside: We got park promission to do quite a bit on the property. We are building a 3 section bi level deck 6 x 14, up to 16 x 16 down to another 6 x 14 and a 8' cedar gazebo. The decks are not attached to the house. We have trimmed up all the trees and bushes, fertilized everything on the property too! We will be hydroseeding for a nice lawn once it warms up (New England). The property was in bad shape.

The two neighbors that face our home have mentioned what a great job we are doing. Kathy right across the street loves the new shutters, we installed in 2 ' of ice and snow! I couldn't stand looking at the old ones anymore! One warm day and we were out there! The handicap ramp was donated to someone in the park who needed it and also the back stairs. I put flyers up at the mailboxes and off the two huge pieces went! Our new front porch is almost done. Neighbor said "showcase of the park" and I blushed!

I've got a lot of established bushes and I am thankful to the first owner for planting them and disappointed in the second that didn't take care of them. I'm their caretaker now. I will make a complete list of the landscaping for the new owners when we sell the home.

We are putting in pavers/concete for 3 walkways, again when it is warmer.

Thanks for reading this post! I'll post pictures when all done!

[Greg]

It's always a great feeling when others see an improvement, even more when you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Greg

[Trudi]

Hi Charley, it's a pleasure to meet a fellow faux finisher. (Say that 3 times fast) I love seeing and getting inspired by others' techniques, and I can't wait to see your pictures. Sounds like you have accomplished a lot! Like Greg said, that light at the end of the tunnel looks good, huh?

Tell me about your faux finish and the one you're planning for the dining room...when you get a chance, that is. I'm slowly working in my daughter's mh when I can get to Tn. Meanwhile, there's always something to do here at home. I don't live in a mh, (except for a vacation home) so I don't know if it's legal to post pics of my work in my house, or not, but I did put a couple of pics in my gallery, of my daughter's mh. I have trouble uploading them, so there are only 2 so far.

[Charley711]

Faux finish - I ragged on. Primed like crazy to cover the flowered wallboard! 2 coats of a light - dry - 3 parts glaze to 1 part paint a medium of the slightly different hue. I went over parts after they got a little sticky. I picked up a small can of a darker shade of the 2nd color to add a little more depth. I want a calm, relaxing, spa like feel to my bath The tile is gorgeous.. I can't wait to get it down! Deck is front and center at the moment. I promise pics soon, need to size them down.

Diningroom - It is white wallboard with a texture design that you can't really see. I want to use that to my advantage. I am going to give the walls a good washing and let it dry. I don't want to completely cover the white. I need it in the room because it is big and only two windows. I'm going to glaze on a dusty mauve,very slight, see how it reacts to the texture on the wallboard. Then 2 more colors or maybe just one.. not sure.... sorry.. thinking out loud.

Painting is the most effective and least expensive way to change a room. (HGTV). Light is the second. Doesn't matter what color you paint if you can't see it! Shapes and textures come next.

Enjoy!

[Trudi]

I so agree with paint being the first way to go. My motto is: "Tools and Paint, make it what it Ain't."
Thanks for replying; I'll be looking for your pics.