Okay, so this was a first. I actually reduced the number of bedrooms in this house!! Why you ask? Well, it's all about space and functionality. You see, the upstairs had 1 nice bedroom, but the other two rooms were connected (aka, you had to walk through the first room to get to the second) and quite small. And for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why I should leave the rooms connected, so one kid will always be picking an argument with the other as they walk through to their room.
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| Walk through here and the door to the left |
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| To get to this room |
So we took down the wall between them and patched the fir floor with flooring from the closet, so it would match.
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| Can you believe the difference? |
And suddenly this became a nice, big room!!! Not only that, but it had 3 closets (which seriously, you never get in an old house!). And with some pretty nifty wallpaper too!
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| Note the kitten wallpaper!! |
But most importantly are all the things you don't really see at first glance. New windows, updated electrical, new lighting, upgraded insulation, new heating system, refinished floors and new wall surfaces (farewell textured ceiling!!!).
The new room is such a huge change. There is room for a bed, dresser and sitting/play area.
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| Bedroom before wall removal |
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| After wall removal - look at all the sunlight!! |
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| Bed wall - Before |
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| Bed wall - After |
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| Front wall Before |
And after spending countless hours removing wallpaper throughout the house, I was loathe to put up new wallpaper. But these wall decals were a great option - they add color and style and they're super easy to put up!
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| Front wall - After |
And did you see the inside the closets? We kept the original kitty and ballerina wallpaper!
The other bedroom got an upgrade as well. And thanks to a Viking duvet cover, I could decorate with lots of cute nautical accents!
When we tore out the old, wobbly chimney, we gained a lot more space for storage. We recessed two big IKEA wardrobes into the opening to create lots and lots of storage space.
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| The closet and old chimney flue (behind open door) were replaced with new wardrobes |
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| Wardrobes with lots of storage! |
So does it make sense??? Are 2 rooms better than 3? It feels like a whole new second floor and is perfect for the new owners!
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YES and thank you for keeping that wallpaper, when that kind of stuff is destroyed,I just want to cry! Love it, just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't take that paper out - it was too cute!!!
DeleteAs a child I had to go through my brother's bedroom to get to mine so I am more than thrilled to see you make 2 beautiful rooms instead of keeping that "pass through" problem. AND I LOVE the stuffed whale and the kitty wallpaper is so cute! Your houses are all so beautiful - so glad you left Corporate for creativity.
ReplyDeleteOh thanks so much!!! I'm not sure my sister and I would have made it to adulthood if we had to pass through each other's rooms :-) .
DeleteI often think that three tiny rooms should be turned into two. Although the common wisdom is that you need to have three to sell easily, in reality when potential buyers see how small the bedrooms might be they are turned off. If you can make it more functional, do it.
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