THINKIN' ABOUT HOME

GATHERINGS

For 27 years we have called our La Chaumière de Briarwood house, home.

REAL ESTATE PHOTO - 1992

She was a little over 20 years old back in July of 1992 when miraculously we scrapped together $3,500 for the down payment and our little family moved in. 

That seemed like a million dollars to us at the time.  Especially for a young couple with two little children.  We were just beginning to figure out if we spent more money than we earned we were destined for big trouble...

Over the years our home has changed a lot.  Back in 1992 the siding was still the original builder's grade color, a shade of dingy off white and it was desperately in need of a paint job.  Her shutters were brown.  Everything was faded, dusty and dirty and the exterior was in pretty bad shape.

Within a year we had changed the shutters and garage doors (ugh!) to a dark hunter green...a color popular in the early 90's.  We lived with that really bad choice until about 1999 (I have some close-up shots of the house at this time SOMEWHERE...would love it if they were lost forevahhhh!)...

SEPTEMBER 2007

In 1999 we finally resided the house and repainted her a light beige.  Her shutters were changed to a pale sage green and we purchased new front doors.  I love how our home looked at this time.  She still needed new garage doors, but with some strategic repairs they were kept fairly decent looking.

JULY 2019

Cheap paint is never a good option and we learned the hard way that if you don't buy quality paint you will pay a price for it.

The beige-siding-paint of ten to twenty years ago (we repainted once the same color!) had faded to a pale pinky-beige that reminded me of canned Rosarita Re-fried Beans.

Seriously.  Same color!

It was not pretty.  Trust me when I tell you it looks better in the photos than it was in person.

I hated it.

We also lost ALL of our euonymus plants that were in front of the left window to mites AND the large shrub/tree by the driveway as well.  After a complete infestation we removed them all...how the plants in the flowerbed where the bench is survived we don't know.  Probably just a different species...not sure.  We plan on replacing the pretty shrub by the driveway with something similiar...but I will never buy another euonymous plant again.  I'm tired of the struggle.

Anyway...

  SEPTEMBER 2019

Last summer we looked tirelessly for a new paint color for our home.  We drove around looking at so many houses in lots of different neighborhoods to just get an idea of what MIGHT look good with our brick color.  We did NOT want to go with another beige color!  But I did originally want to paint the house a soft, very light shade of maze (almost a cream-colored yellow).  Problem was...our neighbor's home next door is yellow.  Even though our shade would have been a lot different...it was just too much!  Two houses right next door to each other, both two-story, close in color, just seemed weird.

STILL LOVING OUR HOME

So...after much debate and a gathering of several test samples in an array of colors, we settled on this shade of paint from Sherwin Williams...

SVELTE SAGE  SW6164

The change has been overwhelming.

A HUGE DIFFERENCE!  The color isn't tooooo green-green...  Just a great shade that isn't too loud or harsh.  We both love it, but it is taking some time getting used to. I will like everything more when our shrubs and ornamental tree have been replaced.  Still looks kind of bare to me!

My Mr.AGPMan has done an amazing job doing the work himself.  Saved us about $10K-$12K.  Two-story houses are very expensive to paint and the quotes were staggering!!!  It's been very hot here in Oklahoma so he's had to wait for cooler temps to finish some of the trim work.  Totally understand why painters charge what they do!   

We love the new garage doors.  Hauling the old ones away brought us great JOY!  Fifty year old garage doors are heavy and are nothing like the new insulated doors you can buy today.

Fall will officially be here before long!  I celebrated my love for all things Autumn by reworking my wreath from last year and adding a bow of vintage black check gingham to the side.

In spite of the Oklahoma heat, a change of seasons is in the air and I love it...

Love to you~

Rebecca

OUR FRENCH FARMHOUSE KITCHEN REVEAL

OUR KITCHEN - JUNE 2016

(View from Entry)

Today is the day!  I'm finally going to share with you the AFTER photos of our complete KITCHEN NIGHTMARE RENOVATION!  Now..before I begin I first want to tell you that the MAJORITY of the makeover was finished last summer.  It's taken my Mr. AGP Man and I nearly twelve months to get our heads back together and recoup from this enormous, do-it-your-selfer project.

THE BEGINNING

(January 2012)

As I go along I'm going to TRY and show the old pictures taken during the process and correlate them with where we are today!

KITCHEN ENTRY 2012

When my Mr. AGP Man opened up this wall and saw all the manifold of pipes I thought he was going to faint (they were in concrete!).  They had to be moved and barely fit in with our plans.  A pocket door was going to be installed to the right of the pipes and once the pipes were in place it ended up being a really tight fit!

KITCHEN ENTRY 2016

KITCHEN ENTRY RIGHT 2016

KITCHEN ENTRY RIGHT 2012

KITCHEN LEFT SIDE 2016

KITCHEN LEFT 2012

ENTRY TO DOWNSTAIRS BATH AND LAUNDRY ROOMS

(This is a painted Pocket Door)

LOVE THIS SINK

LOVE OUR ISLAND

One major change in our plans was NOT using the vintage counter for our island!  After we brought it home from Tennessee we realized that it just wasn't what we were looking for and opted for a change.  Found this amazing one at TJ MAXX for a few hundred dollars.  It's on wheels and can lock in place.  I may paint it one day...and then again...I may not.

I love the contrast! 

 GRANITE COUNTER TOPS and

FARMHOUSE PULLS 

 Choosing our counter tops was challenging.  We had a budget...wanted granite...maybe quartz.  Ended up choosing a granite I didn't feel I would grow tired of...I have to live with it for a long time.  

Found the pulls at Hobby Lobby!  Bought them one-half off and they ended up costing us about one-third of the pulls I first found online.  We bought several extra just in case one breaks...  They are an easy change out if I ever decide on a different look or decor.  

OUR STAINLESS FRIDGE

(Glad the White Monster in the Room is GONE!)

 THIS AREA WAS ONCE MY LAUNDRY ROOM CUBBY)

 POCKET DOORS LEAD TO OFFICE (L) AND PANTRY (R)

CUTTING OUT THE FIRST POCKET DOOR OF THREE (3) (The WORK was HUGE!)

The area my hubby is standing in was once our downstairs bathroom.  It was only a half-bath.  We opted to add a full size bath and a full laundry room once the kitchen was almost done!

STILL A LONG WAY TO GO - 2nd DOOR INSTALLED!

LOTS OF WIRING and RIP-OUTS!

 FACTORY CABINETS MY HUBBY CUSTOMIZED

 EARLY SHOT OF CABINETRY INSTALLED

(Still LOTS to Do!  Headers & Crown Molding Still to Go!)

   

RIP OUT!

When I see this early shot of my Mr. AGP Man working to the bone, it leaves me amazed and so proud of what he was able to do.  Had I truly understood the amount of back-breaking labor that was required, I don't think I would have ever entertained the idea of him doing all the work alone.

MY BELOVED...KILLING HIMSELF! :(

This may sound corny...but, I hope I'm a better wife today after seeing ALL the sacrifices he made to make our dreams of a beautiful new kitchen come true!

CHANGES ALWAYS ONGOING!

An early shot taken before the French pocket door was installed.  It was a HUGE job!

Yes...we lived like this for a long, long time!

MY MISS K and I in 2014

We really did live and work in the kitchen during the construction.  We just made do!

It was hard...but, we did it!

 HYDRANGEAS & A VINTAGE BUTTER MOLD, GRINDER & SCALE!

 THESE VINTAGE FINDS FROM MY MR. AGP MAN'S GRANDMOTHER!

 MY FAVORITE IN THIS BUNCH?

 THE NOODLE CUTTER!

 CANISTERS

I've had this canister set for a few years.  You can actually see them in other photos as the remodel was being done!

 OLD TRAY FROM A TEA CART

I still love white...lacy stuff, French, farmhouse and all things tattered and romantic.  I love the added black touches, even though sometimes I miss the pink rose decor I used (and loved) for years.

 

 OF COURSE I HAVE A TV IN MY KITCHEN!

I thought long and hard about adding a television to my kitchen.  In the end my guy wired for it ahead of time...just in case!  So glad he did.  I listen to music and sometimes watch cooking or taped shows when time permits!

A CRAIGSLIST FIND

Found this antique cabinet on Craigslist for $40 about 18 months ago.  It fits right in between the pantry door and kitchen entry opening.  I store tea-towels in the drawers and all sorts of other kitchen stuff!

 Just so you don't have to scroll up, here are the main pics again!

 I'm linking this post to all of the previous kitchen posts about our remodel if you want to check out the process...

 And so my friends...there you have it!  A beautiful renovation that took more blood, sweat and tears than it did money.  It took my Mr. AGP Man a long time to finish the renovation as he only worked on it all part-time.  When we started the demolition in 2012 he was just getting ready to go back to school to finish up a long-awaited degree in Computer Science...that meant only working on the kitchen on weekends.  In December of that same year he graduated with honors...and we were back on schedule with our big project!

Then...in July of 2013 he was laid-off after 17 years at his IT job at Xerox.

  

Things ground to a halt at that time.  Even with severance, we measured our money carefully.  As a result we lived with (and in!) a mess for quite a while.

That December my Father-in-Love passed away.

In January of 2014 my guy started a wonderful new job and we were so grateful to finally be back on track (again) with our makeover plans.

Then, in February 2014 my own dearly loved Father passed away.

By the time January 2015 was over, we were well on our way to having our dream kitchen completed.

I haven't shared much about the cost...but if our records are even close to being accurate, we believe the final price-tag came in around $10K.  That amount doesn't include the new fridge, microwave or the new dishwasher...but, it does include everything else.  

Customized Cabinets

Wiring and Plumbing

Flooring (Hand Scraped Wood)

Sheet Rock

Paint

Window

Trim (Baseboards, Crown, Molding)

Hardware

Lighting

Sink

Faucet

Granite Counter Tops

and

Incidentals

Would we do it over?  Well, probably.  Monday-morning quarterbacking is easy to do when you're on the other side of victory (or loss!).  

What I know today is that we increased our property value by at least $75K - $85K and that was before adding in the new bathroom and laundry room.  Monetarily is was wonderful.  Physically it was grueling.  

We are glad it's over.

Some things, no, many things didn't go as planned.

I opted to NOT get the expensive stove I dreamed about having.  In the end it wasn't important to me as we just wanted everything done and CLEAN again.  I may still get it later as the stove/oven I have isn't all that great.

I was disappointed about not being able to use the vintage counter as our island.  But, even that little disruption wasn't really upsetting.

  That said...I LOVE LOVE LOVE my new Kitchen and I'm so thankful, grateful and over-the-moon-HAPPY that it's completed.  This summer my hubby and I are going to California for a much deserved vacation.  We haven't really had one since the renovation began. 

On a side note...it's good to be back...taking ownership once again of the life God has blessed me with!

Just so you know...I've missed you all.

Love to you~

Rebecca   

  

 

~KEEPING IT REAL~

~PILED UP and OVERFLOWING~

This is a picture of my breakfast room on Wednesday morning.  Honestly trying to keep it real here!  After moving tons of stuff outside (thank you, God, for glorious 70+ degree weather) a crew of three men began our wood floor installation!  After living in our La Chaumière de Briarwood for nearly twenty years my Mr. AGPMan and I can't believe the changes we once only dreamed of are finally taking place.

 ~PIPES MOVED~

So much prep-work was needed to get to today!

~CONCRETE POURED~

Pipes have been moved and new concrete poured...

~WHERE O' WHERE HAS MY CARPET GONE?~

Our little yorkie dog, Mollie the Molinator, has been totally confused during the process.  She hasn't known just where to lay her little head...  I found her sitting on the fireplace hearth just staring at me...messy hair and all!

  ~THE SWINGING OF THE HAMMER~

With the morning sun streaming through the windows the work finally began...  The workers started in our formal dining room, made their way through the newly opened up wall and into our family room...

 ~LET THE FUN BEGIN~

They worked for long hours when the lead-guy, Ben, decided the entry floor needed to be smoothed out with leveling compound...  Ben is the owner of the business and a master at his craft!

~ENTRYWAY THIN-SET~

As the Thin-Set cured they continued to work finishing up the den area...

~VIEW FROM THE BREAKFAST ROOM~

I asked about the blue tape and was told this keeps the wood from separating while the glue-adhesive dries.  Despite the footprints and noticeable traffic dust...we are LOVING WHAT WE SEE!

Before leaving for the day Ben The Installer applied felt pads to all the furniture for us, being especially mindful of the legs of the chairs and tables.  He will be back in the morning with his workers to finish the breakfast room, entryway and my hubby's office...

~VIEW OF THE FORMAL DINING~

I snapped this picture while going upstairs for the evening!  Because the weather has been so beautiful we left more than half our furniture outside covered up with tarps.  I'm so thankful the skies are clear and no rain is in the forecast.

I'm quite sure after Thursday I'll be spending my time getting things back to normal around here.  Not a thing was left in place and even the china cabinets were emptied out (just in case!)...  Once the flooring is done we'll be able to fully concentrate on the kitchen remodel.  No doubt it will be done...someday!

Hard work, sacrifice and commitment has brought my husband and I to this day and we both feel totally blessed and over-the-moon excited!  (This change has been a long-time-comin'!)

More pictures tomorrow...

Love to you