Kitchen
One of the first projects we tackled was the kitchen. The existing kitchen was outdated and the floor uneven as a result of a previous owner's expansion of the space. So out it all came, right down to the floorboards.
Before -----> After
Curtain Drain (a.k.a. French Drain)
One of the largest projects we took on, though surprisingly, not the most expensive, was the problem with moisture in the crawl space and general drainage on the property. A french drain was installed across the entire front of the property, plus a trench drain in front of the garage. The drains empty into a tank with a pump, and when the water level nears the top of the tank, it gets pumped out safely away from the house.
Before -----> After
Driveway
Since the driveway was torn up anyway to install the drain, we replaced it with something nicer.
Before -----> After
Pantry
Our kitchen has a fab walk-in pantry. Unfortunately the previous owners installed that white plastic-coated wire shelving, which was dirty, flimsy, and not properly anchored to the wall. We ripped out the shelves; cleaned, textured, and painted the walls; painted the built-in cabinet; and then installed an Elfa shelving system from The Container Store.
Before -----> After
Photos coming soon...
More pantry photos...
Closet
We liked the Elfa shelving we got for the pantry so much we decided while we were at it, and while the 30% off sale was going on, we might as well do the bedroom closet as well. That closet had the same nasty coated shelving so once again we stripped the space to the bare bones and started over. It's a narrow space so in the pictures it looks more crowded than it really is. The space is much more useable now...we might even have some room left for more clothes! And shoes!
Before -----> After
Coat Closet
The house had no coat closet--no place to accommodate our coat obsession. But there was a little nook next to the front door, so we turned it into a coat-hanging area. I got a heavy-duty closet pole and brackets from Amazon, and a bit of board from Home Depot, and now we almost have enough space for our coats.
Before -----> After
Bookcase
The built-in bookcase was old and musty smelling with multiple coats of paint and uneven, patched side and back walls. This was a lower-priority project that I wasn't looking forward to, but until I got it done there was no place to unpack the boxes of books that were taking up space in the garage. Re-plastered and painted walls, installed new shelves, plywood base, and moulding, and re-finished the exterior. A bit of elbow grease and less than $50 worth of materials makes a big difference.
Before -----> After
Roof
When we bought the house, we thought we could patch up the roof and eke out a few more years. When a new leak developed the next year, after investigating the source we decided to bite the bullet and replace the whole thing. Good job we did -- some very serious problems were discovered. While we were at it, we decided to have a solar tube installed. So, so happy we did; it makes a huge difference in the living room. Well worth the extra expense.
Before -----> After
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