Saturday, February 25, 2017

Settling In....


Wow!  It has already been almost a year since Maid Elizabeth purchased her first home so I thought it was high time I took you along on an updated house tour.

Maid Elizabeth purchased a home in our small town because, really, it was too good a deal to pass up. The house was owned by the bank and for one reason or another, no one else seemed to see the potential in it's Edwardian era charm.  It was a definitely a "fixer", with the bathroom needing to be completely gutted, however it's bones were good and it's structure sound.  Elizabeth made an offer, the bank accepted and then the real work began!

Sir Knight and Miss Serenity gutting the bathroom

Ugh!




New flooring!  And plumbing!  The wall needs to be painted, but progress!!

Elizabeth completely reconfigured the bathroom
Working on a limited budget, Elizabeth took care of the big things first, specifically the bathroom.  The subfloor was pulled up and the walls were pulled down and all of the plumbing was replaced.  There is still work to be done but Elizabeth will do that as she has the time and the money.  And for now, she has a fully functional bathroom!  She also painted - EVERYTHING!  She painted the kitchen, after tearing down the panelling to reveal shiplap and she painted her living room RED!  I have to admit, I was a little concerned when she told me that she wanted to paint the living room red - I mean, who does that?  Red, of all colors!  But, once the color was on the walls, I saw her vision.  It is perfect - warm and welcoming and rich - just right in her large, wood accented living room.

Shiplap under the paneling in the kitchen

The chimney in the kitchen

The Pioneer Maid

Antique apartment sized gas range - Perfect!!

Elizabeth's antique drafting table in the kitchen/diner

New light fixtures installed by Sir Knight

A rocking chair in front of the cook stove!



The children pulling up flooring in the laundry room

Laundry room/white goods
After living in her house for about six months, Elizabeth noticed that her kitchen was dark.  In reality, her ceilings are ten feet tall and she had two single lights bulbs at the ceiling.  During the summer, she hadn't noticed the lack of light, but during the dark days of winter, she was suffering.  She bought two light fixtures at Costco and Sir Knight installed them and now her kitchen resembles the surface of the sun!  I'm pretty sure the entire neighborhood knows when she's home!!

The living room - before

And with RED walls!


A daybed under one window and a child's table under another



Cozy with a gas fired burner
Elizabeth still has many, many things on her to-do list.  She would like to turn her front porch into a snug, refinish her stairway and hall, finish her bathroom and install flooring in her utility room. She has painting to do in the bathroom and painting and flooring to tackle in the upstairs bedrooms.  She is saving money to put on a new roof, as well as an exterior paint job.

The front porch that will be a snug

Elizabeth's winter transportation - a kick sled with basket!
Maid Elizabeth truly has settled in and is enjoying every moment.  And the page turns on the next chapter.....


21 comments:

  1. She has done a beautiful job! The house looks so cozy and inviting. You (and she) must be so proud.

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  2. Unbelievable. The difference between the before and after pictures are amazing. Congrats on your new home. It's a stunner.

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  3. What a beautiful, cozy home! Not surprising considering where she came from!

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  4. What a tranformation! Looks wonderful!

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  5. Lovely! So warm and cozy! I love all the antiques AND those red walls!

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  6. Beautiful place! Her vision of the living room was outstanding, it looks great with the red paint! Keep up the good work Elizabeth, it's going to look amazing when you're finished with it!

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  7. There is not one thing you've shown that I don't love.
    The red is stunning.
    I am truly in awe. I have NO decorating skills whatsoever. Thankfully my husband has some, or we'd be living in a hovel.
    Wonderful job! Props to the family!

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  8. I'm posting under anonymous but it's because I don't know how to do it otherwise :)
    I've followed your blog for a while and I've truly enjoyed what you write. Thank you for sharing your family and your own experiences. God bless. James D

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  9. Congratulations Maid Elizabeth!
    A.jones

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  10. So homey and cozy. And her home has character. We love it! Thank you for sharing.
    Montana Guy

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  11. It's beautiful! But what is a snug?

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    1. Oh, to have a snug!!! A snug is a small, quiet room, usually equipped with a fireplace (Maid Elizabeth's will be gas) and cozy chairs, a bookcase and a view. A snug has doors (no open plan here) that can be closed on the hustle and bustle of a busy household - really, every mother needs her own snug!! Maid Elizabeth doesn't yet have a busy household, and isn't a mother, but a girl needs to plan ahead!!

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    2. She has done an amazing job with the place! I'm so very impressed with your Life Style

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  12. So refreshing to see a living room without a TV. Enola, you've done well as has Elizabeth!

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  13. Wow! I am so impressed.

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  14. I love it! She an amazing woman! I love her squashy chair in the kitchen. I remember a long time ago you told me that you love having your husband come and sit in your kitchen before and after work. To accomplish this you always made sure to have a large squashy chairs in the kitchen for him to be comfy and welcomed being near you while you worked. That time to connect with him was irreplaceable. I have thought about that a lot. Even though I do not have a husband I always have squashy chairs in my kitchen because you :)

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  15. I had been wondering how much progress had been made on the house. She has done wonders! I'll look forward to other improvements as she makes them.

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