Laundry Room Before and After

The Laundry Room Before:

The laundry room in our farmhouse is a room you go through to get to a bedroom, a bathroom, and the kitchen. Therefore, we wanted it to look good and be functional. The before left a lot to be desired.

Unfortunately I did not take very many before pictures of the laundry room.  There was actually a very large hot water heater and a closet taking up much of the space.  We installed a tankless hot water heater and removed the closet to make the space feel bigger.

The original controls for the washer and dryer were exposed and the floors were a lovely shade of green in a linoleum finish.  There was actually a second layer of vinyl flooring below it.

The After:

We wanted to make the most of our space.  By installing a front load washer and dryer, we were able to add a countertop.  The countertop is the same metal used on roofing.  We actually had a roofing company cover the top in metal.  It is a great look and very functional for the space!

The flooring is a porcelain tile called concrete.  We really love the look!

By adding a rolling cart, we can easily slide it out of the way when not in use.  It is also stylish enough to leave in the room even when guests are over.

The doors on this piece are functional and add great storage for any extra supplies needed.  This piece was in an old gas station garage. I refinished it in a distress white finished and added the label holders.  I can easily label each door to access items quickly.

A magnetic board and 3 baskets allow for additional storage and display.  I love to add the picture magnets the kids make at school.

The finger holes make opening the doors very easy

The final touches help with additional storage.  Three buckets allow for clothes pins or other easy access items.  The nine drawer tabletop piece keeps makers, pencils, glue.....neatly tucked away.

An extra large mason jar is a great place to place loner socks that may or may not find a match.

The bulletin board makes it easy to post schedules, art work, awards, and reminders.

Having a mudroom area does not always have to be a large area.  A few hooks for backpacks works well for us.

Before and After Fireplace

Before Fireplace

Living area fireplace before.  I loved the original grills on the fireplace and the concept of keeping the fireplace.  However, the fireplace was rusted out through the flue.  Therefore, we covered the original fireplace and added an electric insert.

 After Fireplace

Our new electric fireplace.  We removed one of the original grills.  I cleaned it with oven cleaner and incorporated it into the new design.  The marble herringbone pattern and light and bright mantel gives the fireplace a much needed update.  We kept the original rustic hearth for character.

Original grill.  We cleaned it and incorporated it into the new design. Marble herringbone tile.

With a push of a button, we have a fire for ambience or the look of a fire with electric heat.

Before and After Kitchen

Before

 Almost There

After

Pendant lighting, original pine wood floors, custom cabinets

Black honed granite, gas range

Large farmhouse sink in the soft aqua island, marble countertop

Beadboard ceiling adds an old fashion feel, recessed lighting

Chris Godsey with Godsey Custom Homes was amazing to work with and completely understood our vision of how we wanted to the house to be transformed while maintaining the original charm.

Remodel Continues

The porch had to be removed.  It was not supported correctly, and it was very low.

We stripped everything down to the studs and the original wood floors.  It was time for walls to come down and ceilings to be raised.  New plumbing, electrical, insulation, and roofing were added.

We added 600-700 square feet of Master bedroom, bath, and closet.

After the walls came down and ceilings were raised, the space looks and feels much larger.

The Demo Begins

Once we were settled into our RV humble abode, it was time to get started with the demolition. This process took about 4 weeks.  This was one area that we could save money by doing most of the demo ourselves.  Our 1940's house had layers of history.  Behind the dark paneling in the living area we quickly found another layer of wood lined walls.  The really neat thing about that was that the walls were lined with broken down WWII ammunition boxes.  Almost all of the floors were several layers thick, and the bathroom walls had 5 layers on them.  It felt like the layers would never end.

dark wood paneling living area

Kitchen with a 70's look

A great space to create our new kitchen

The bathtub was actually falling through the floor

One of the existing bedrooms.  Not sure why there was a
ceiling fan and a wagon wheel light.

Another bedroom with thin faux paneling

The first few boards are removed!

Underneath the paneling were WWII ammunition boxes.
They are all dated.  It was a really neat find!

Our Little Farmhouse

Our 1200 square feet farmhouse

Finding the right house to call home can be difficult.  My husband likes outdoor space and wildlife. I like to be close to town and a house with charm.  Finding this combination and staying on budget is challenging!

How did we made this work?  We purchased a small house that needed tons of work on 30 acres.

Our adventure has been worth it!




The house was not livable when we purchased it. Therefore, we had to figure out where to live while we remodeled.  Short term rentals (6 months or less) are not readily available in our area.  We thought we found a place only to find out several other people wanted it as well, and two other people had already submitted their applications.  We didn't have a chance.

We went to plan "B".  Plan "B" was purchasing a RV and living in it.  That is exactly what we did. My husband, our two pre-teen children, an indoor cat, and I all lived in a 29' RV for 4 months while we completed this project.

The adventure started at that moment.

Our home for 4 months

I am going to share before, during, and after pictures of this process over the next few posts.