4 Year Housiversary

Here we go! Let's see what we accomplished this year!

[Year 1, Year 2, Year 3]

Four years in our home! I made GIFs this year to show the transition from year to year to year, but if they go too fast just click on the headers of each section that will link to permanent pages for each room.

This year was really about the basement. Hoping to do some kitchen updates over the next year.


OUTSIDE 

Completed this year:

• Paved the driveway from the street to just past the garage. Which hadn't even been on our to-do list, but we are SO HAPPY to have had this done.
• Added a couple more plants in the flower beds around the house. 
• John cut a path through the trees that separate our house from the street for Charley to drive her little pink car on. 

To do:

• Finish the girls' playground. We have a second slide and platform we want to add.
• Build a lower deck & update the upper deck.
• Build an arbor around the garage doors.
• Build a surround for the garbage and recycling cans so they aren't such eyesores.
• Add some more flower/shrubbery beds around the entire house. (We did add one little section this year, but need to finish it all the way around the house.)
• Furnish the rest of the deck.
• Stain the deck.
• Replace the rocking chairs on the front porch.
• Finally decide on a paint color for the front door.
• And maybe one day, replace the whole front door/sidelights with something more attractive. 

OFFICE

Completed this year: 

• We now have nothing on the wall above the computer. I just can't decide what to do on that wall.
• Many of the crafty things that were stored in here got moved down to the new craft area in the basement, so I reorganized the shelving in here. 

To do:

• Find nicer office chairs.
• Crown molding. 

DINING ROOM

Completed this year: 

• Nada.

To do:

• Crown molding.
• Find a rug for the room.
• Maybe recover the chair cushions.

KITCHEN

Completed this year: 

• Painted all the walls blue.
• Added recessed lighting and removed the spaceship looking light fixture.
• Redecorated somewhat.
• No more high chair!
• Had to toss that $5 rug finally. (not pictured - this has happened since the photo was taken)
• Changed the curtains.

To Do:

• New counter tops.
• Back splash of some sort.
• Possible cabinet refinishing.
• Get some bar stools already.
• Replace the builder's basic sink/faucet.
• Maybe build an enclosure for the fridge - it sticks out a bit since it's not a counter depth fridge.
• New rug for under the table - it looks so naked now!
• Wallpaper or paint the pantry walls.
• Crown molding

LIVING ROOM

Completed this year:

• Painted the walls.
• New furniture and moved the old stuff to the basement. 
• New MUCH bigger rug.
• Bought matching baskets for all the toys on the bottom shelf of the wall unit.

To Do:

• We have new curtains for this room, but haven't hemmed and hung them yet.
• Crown molding.

CHARLEY'S ROOM

Completed this year: 

• Rearranged a bit to give her more floor space for playing.
• Moved her play kitchen to the basement.
• Replaced the curtains.
• New bedding.
• Updated the fabric in the embroidery hoops to match the new bedding. We got rid of all of the red accents in her room.
• Added and painted a couple more IKEA spice rack shelves for Charley to keep her favorite books and knick knacks.
• Added a TV (only works for Wii) and some wooden crates for cord hidage/entertainment center-ish/storage purposes.
• Added a million command hooks to the side of her wardrobe for necklace storage.
• Got rid of the floor lamp and got a cute table lamp.

To Do: 

• Crown molding.

LANEY'S ROOM

Completed this year: 

• Moved the rocking horse to the basement.
• Removed the diaper storage baskets from the dresser. 

To Do: 

• I suppose a big girl bed is in order for this room before the next housiversary post. :(
• Crown molding.

GUEST BATHROOM

Completed this year:

• Nothing.

To Do:

• On the wall above the light switch, I've swapped out art several times already and I just can't find something I love in this spot. I'll keep looking.

MASTER BEDROOM

Completed this year:

• Replaced the ceiling fan with a new one and moved the old one to the basement.
• Added a large mirror to the wall by the entry door.

To Do:

• Crown molding.
• The large mirror leaning against the wall by the entry door that needs framed out and secured to the wall. 
• Maybe replace carpet with the hardwood floors we have elsewhere in the house. And then we'd need a rug, of course. 

MASTER BATHROOM

Completed this year:

• Still nothing.

To Do:

• Replace the linoleum with tile.
• Take out the shower stall and make a larger tiled shower instead.
• Paint.
• Decorate.
• Update the giant builder's basic mirror by framing it in or replacing it. 
• Replace faucets and light fixtures.
• Replace towel bars.
• Add some chunky shelving over the toilet and decorate the tiny room.

LAUNDRY ROOM

Completed this year:

• Nothing at all.

To Do:

• Get one of those fancy fold-up ironing boards or figure out some other solution for where to put our ironing board.
• Build or buy a counter top over washer and dryer.
• Paint. Something fun in here. Stripes or something. Maybe wainscoting or wallpaper.
• Replace linoleum floor with tile.

BASEMENT


So, I think we will now have to break out the different sections of the basement since there are legit separate rooms in the basement now.

REC ROOM

Completed this year:

• Finished flooring, shoe molding, etc.
• Purchased pool table, shuffle board table, dart board.
• Purchased bar height table.
• The whole drink fridge/bar area.
• Moved the couch and rug from upstairs down here.
• Bought, assembled and decorated the shelving.
• Hung curtains and added blinds to the windows.
• Bought TV.
• Decorated.
• Moved the girls' play kitchen and grocery store here.

To Do:

• There are a couple of places that still need decorated. 
• We will continue to add to the beer sign wall until it is full.

GUEST ROOM/CRAFT ROOM

Completed this year:

• Paint.
• Carpet and the flooring under craft area.
• Cabinetry and pegboard at craft area.
• Moved our master bedroom ceiling fan down here.
• Reassembled the bed that has been in the storage room so we finally have a place for guests to sleep.

To Do:

• Decorate!
• Paint the peg board and ADD ALL THE THINGS TO THE PEG BOARD! Pretty excited about that part.
• Need some more furniture for in here too. 
• Curtains.

STORAGE ROOM

Completed this year:

• Moved the bed out.

To Do:

• Use some of these decorations to finish the guest room.
• Straighten up. Several of those bins are now empty, so need to use them and donate some stuff too.

GYM

Completed this year:

• Bought a new smart TV for the room.

To Do:

• I actually do want to decorate the room a little. But it's probably last on my list so I wouldn't expect to see anything done in here anytime soon.

BASEMENT BATH

Completed this year:

• Nada.

To Do:

• Everything. 

Extra Tall Bar Stools

For FOUR WHOLE YEARS I've been on a search for extra tall bar stools for our kitchen area. We didn't realize it while we were building, but the bar in our kitchen is taller than an average bar, making the search for bar stools next to impossible.

Extra tall bar stools are not sold in stores. Not that I frequent brick and mortar stores much anyway, but that did make things more difficult when I couldn't find anything I liked online. The different stool heights they sell in stores are counter height at 23-28" (for bars that are the same height as the regular kitchen counters) and bar height at 29-32" (which is the height of most raised bar areas). But not ours. Oh no. The stools needed for our area needed to be 33-36". 

Since some bar height stools are actually 33", we thought we'd be able to get away with finding one that height. We borrowed one from my mom to test it out, but the height didn't feel right when sitting in it. So, we needed stools on the higher end of that extra tall range, to make things even more difficult. 

Occasionally I'd find an adjustable bar stool in the industrial style that I liked that said it adjusted up enough that it just barely cleared that extra tall range. I'd buy one, bring it home, and put it together with high hopes. Once adjusted, though, we felt like we were atop a plate balancing act. Plus, those stools don't look right adjusted all the way up, either. There's a reason they are always photographed adjusted all the way down. Back to the store those went.

A few websites have dedicated Extra Tall Bar Stool sections. Wayfair, Hayneedle, and even Wal-Mart and Target. But most don't. There's not a dedicated section on Amazon to break up the extra-tall from the regular heights. And since the keyword can vary (tall, extra tall, 34" stool, 36" stool, etc), it wasn't easy to shop for them on there either. On top of all that - did you click on any of those websites I linked? The selection for bar stools of this height SUCKS. I know I'm picky, but I should be able to find something I remotely liked. I want something with a back, I'd prefer industrial style (but I'd be willing to compromise on that) and something of the right height that wasn't ugly.

Apparently not being ugly was too much to ask. Bleh. Oh, and each of those pictured above were priced at $300 or more. That blue one being almost $800. Like, even if I started to think I could live with something a little bit ugly, I couldn't even make myself add it to my cart at those prices. It was hopeless.

One day however, I must have found something that I liked, was a good price, and was the right height. It was too good to be true!

Truly, it was too good to be true. It was out of stock with no estimate on when it would return to stock. I found an option on the site to notify me if it ever came back in stock. It must have taken quite some time, because when I got the email to tell me it was back in stock I had absolutely zero recollection of the bar stool at all. But! I clicked through the email and good news! I still liked it! It was still a good price! It was back in stock! SOLD! SOLD! SOLD!

It said it would take a few weeks for shipping. Not the worst news ever, but when you are used to 2-day or 1-day or same day shipping, 3 weeks is a long time. So I was even more surprised when they showed up in just 6 days! Yay! I couldn't wait to put them together that night! Don't you just love happy endings?!

Yeah, so, that's not the end. Womp womp. The dimensions on the site were wrong. Instead of listing SEAT height, it had the TOTAL height of the stool, including the back of it, in the field labeled seat height. Making it just a bar height stool after all. Wahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

I contacted Wayfair (I love sites with a chat option for those of us who hate the phone!) and they agreed that the information on the site was incorrect and refunded my full purchase price. (They also said, "I have gone ahead and issued a full refund for those stools. You will see that post to the original form of payment in 3 to 5 business days. You will also receive a confirmation email with further details shortly. Please hold onto the item(s) and the original packaging for two weeks in case we need to retrieve the merchandise. If not contacted within that time period, feel free to dispose of or donate the item." Crazy right!?) The customer service aspect was great, thankfully, but now I'm back to being bar stool-less.

I've googled and googled and scrolled and scrolled. I'm not seeing any changes in what is being offered so I'm hoping I'm just not looking in the right places. Have any other sites I should check? Or, even better, have an extra tall bar yourself and a specific stool recommendation? I'm ready to make a purchase and cannot find anyone to throw my money at. Help!

The Basement

As you may have noticed - especially if you are a Facebook or Instagram friend - we are getting a ton of use out of our now (mostly) finished basement. There are still two rooms that are basically untouched, but we have enough of the basement done that we are getting really good use out of it these days. As a reminder, this is what we started with in 2013.

In 2014 and 2015, we were really only using the space for storage or when a friend would come over and we'd play a game of ping pong or darts. But, we couldn't use it much during the winter because there wasn't a HVAC unit down there and with concrete floors it got pretty darn cold.

Last year (2016) we decided to start tackling some of the bigger items to get the basement on its way towards finished and usable. Framing, HVAC, electrical, dry wall, paint and floors. This was taken around July.

Lately, it has really started coming together. We now use it every single day and hope to be able to finish the last two remaining spaces down there soon also. It's such a nice addition - something we don't NEED, but is SUCH a nice-to-have area to use.

This is how it looks right this second.

Nevermind the crookedness of this picture. I honestly took it just a few minutes ago and I just uploaded it straight to Flickr. No time for edits.

It. Is. Awesome. I'm having a lot of fun decorating it and putting each area to use. This is how we got from the blank slate in July to where it is now.

From July until October, the flooring was finished and it sat empty for the most part.

Occasionally we would go downstairs to play some darts or Charley would use it to bounce.

In early November, we were finally ready to buy one of the bigger things on our wishlist: a pool table. I used to play pool every single night just prior to meeting John. Being a (very) non-athletic person, it was really fun to have finally found something I was good at. So, I have always known that I would eventually own a pool table and it was the reason we left such a large open space in the basement. November 5th we went shopping for a pool table and weren't really successful. But, being the impulsive people that we are, we DID find something else that day.

We impulsively bought a shuffleboard table and brought it home that day. They had to carry it around back to get it inside.

We had the perfect spot for it, and although we'd only played it a handful of times at bars here and there, we thought it'd be a fun addition to the basement. We had friends over that same night to play. And of course, I had to arrange and hang these signs immediately that same night, too. (We'd been collecting them for a couple years - from garage sales, Christmas presents, etc.)

The very next day, John found a great deal on a pool table on Craigslist and went to pick it up that same day.

A couple weeks later John and I took a day off of work to go shopping for more basement things. We were mainly looking for cabinetry for a dry bar, granite for the dry bar, a beer fridge, and a new couch for the upstairs living room so that we could move what we had to the basement.

Our first stop was the Habitat For Humanity ReStore. One of the local ReStores has a great selection of cabinetry so we were simply hoping to find a couple of lower cabinets that we could paint white. The plan was to have a couple lower cabinets surrounding a beer fridge and then open shelving above. I knew I wanted this wall to be somewhat of an accent wall, but I wasn't totally sure exactly what the accent would be yet. The ReStore was so good to us this day though. We found two lower BRAND NEW, WHITE cabinets (no painting - hooray!), with the protective plastic still on them, for $30 each. They were the perfect width, too. And then, while browsing around the store, I found a huge stack of different laminate wood flooring boxes. There was a darker wood that I really liked, and I decided that would be our accent. I thought the darker color would look nice with our light grey walls and the white cabinetry. We bought one box of flooring and our two cabinets - done!

We were also successful in furniture shopping and found a new couch we liked for upstairs, as well as a pub-height table with attached stools for the basement. The table wasn't on our shopping list because up until then we were planning on building a table. But, we really liked it, so, SOLD!

When we went shopping for the beer fridge, however, we weren't as successful. The ones we had been eyeing (and that were in our budget) weren't going to work in our space because they vented in the back, and ours would be placed up against a wall. The ones that vented out of the front were at least three times the price so we scrapped that for a couple days while we thought it over.

We also found a remnant piece of granite to use for our countertop and ordered that this day too. It was a mostly successful shopping day.

A couple days later, John found an appliance consignment shop that had a few of those beer fridges in stock. They were scratch and dent, but the one we liked was mainly scratched and dented on the top which wouldn't be visible and was priced in our budget. Sold!

In early December, the pieces for the dry bar started coming together.

I LOVE that flooring that we used as a backsplash/accent wall. John just glued it right onto the wall. Easy peasy.

Oh! And, when we chose our granite remnant, the remnant was wider than we needed for the countertop. I tried to think of another use for that little sliver that remained when it finally dawned on me. I asked them to also cut a 7" wide piece for us to mount as a drink ledge. After that was up, I decided to use the remaining laminate flooring from that one box we bought underneath the ledge to help tie that area all together.

We also took a trip to IKEA one weekend because they had the color curtains I wanted to use. While at IKEA, John took notice of this cabinetry unit that was exactly what we had in mind for eventual basement built-ins. Only, we were still going to have to buy the doors because I wanted glass doors. Once we started adding up the cost of just buying the doors, the price of buying the entire unit didn't seem so bad considering the time savings as well.

The only thing I didn't like about it was the lower middle section. But, we checked the website and found another taller piece that could be used instead. While in the store John googled the exact dimensions of our TV to make sure it would fit with the higher middle cabinetry. What do you know - it fit! Almost perfectly! We took all of that home that day. Go in for curtains, come home with an entire wall unit of cabinetry.

 

Once that was put together, I got to decorate it all. Decorating shelving is definitely one of my top 10 favorite hobbies.

I purchased some baskets today that will fill those cabinets in the middle. Those will be used to hide more toys we'll bring down from upstairs. All games and puzzles are now stored in the bottoms of the two end cabinets and that has freed up space in both Charley and Laney's closets.

That's where we're at right now. Here's how it looks right now again...

 

...and looking the other way.

 

That's the majority of the basement. The other areas of the basement are: a gym, a storage room, a guest room with a craft area, a bathroom, and there's one other area that we had considered unusable. It was sort of a wider hallway that we use to access the gym. Due to support walls, we didn't have a lot of say-so with the wall placement so the space really never had a plan. Until, of course, I came up with something to use it for a couple weeks before Christmas: a dress up room for Charley and Laney!

 

It ended up being pretty easy to pull off though, and Charley especially is thrilled with the area. I'll admit that the only thing I had to purchase were the hooks for the dress up clothing and that picture hung on the wall. Me = hoarder. That dollhouse was another Christmas present, and is on wheels so we just wheel it out to another room when they want to play with it.

The guest bedroom and the bathroom are the two rooms that have not really been touched yet.

The need for a bathroom downstairs is pretty great, though, so that's next on the priority list.

The gym and the storage room are essentially the same as last time I shared them with you, though the storage room is emptying out a little. 

I forgot to take a photo of this area tonight, so this one from the last Day in the Life post will have to do.

There are still several walls that are too bare for my liking so it is, as everything else is in this house, a continuing work-in-progress. But, I'm pretty happy with the progress that's been made. It's one of those things that you never knew you needed until you had it. Especially since basements are not the norm in the south and I've never lived in a house that had one before. We've had family gatherings utilizing it, and hosted a few friends for New Year's Eve in it too. John and I often make our way downstairs after the girls are in bed for the night for a couple games of pool.

Again, I love it. I love that it's not basement-y since it has plenty of windows and light, I love that it isn't (yet) overrun with toys, I love that John and I have a place to play, I love that it all just sort of fell together. I know what you love too - you love the fact that this post is finally over.