Museum Wax to the Rescue

Hello dear friends!  How's your day going so far?

I was hard at work yesterday and I'm one tired puppy this evening as I write this.  The leaves are just beginning to fall off the trees in the backyard and every afternoon for an hour or so, the sun has been streaming in so brightly, I can't really view the monitor or work at my computer. During the spring and summer months, it's not a problem.

 So, I decided to fold the shutters back across the windows. That involved popping them off their hinges which took way longer than you would think.  They are heavy and are bi-folded back behind the desk so the process was slow and difficult.

I also decided to remove ALL the glass from the tops of all surfaces and clean underneath where little particles had become trapped where the glass sections meet.  What a job! It took a few hours to move the monitors, router, modem, lamps etc...clean the glass on both sides, all the surfaces and get the pins out of the shutters and reattach them in the closed position.  It was a great workout.

I totally forgot to take a pic during daylight hours, but here's how the office looks in the evening by lamplight with the shutters in place and the lower louvers closed for privacy.  I'll take a pic tomorrow during daylight hours and add it to this post.  I know I'll miss the wide-open view, but this will be a lot cozier and more practical/insulating for winter.

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Renovating on a Miniature Scale... Welcome to the 59th Metamorphosis Monday!

Metamorphosis Monday:
I know you're going to be shocked, but I've been thinking about moving. Yes, you read that right...your eyes have not deceived you. You see, I found this old house...you know how I love old homes. It's a great house...just a bit smaller than my current home. Problem is, it's a real fixer-upper...we're talking fodder for Met Monday posts from here to Christmas.

I've taken some "Before" pics of the house to share--don't have any "Afters," just yet, since it will be a work in progress for quite a while. Come on in and I'll show you all the work that needs to be done.

Starting here at the front door...take a look here at this hole. Not sure what used to be there...maybe a doorbell? A welcome sign?



Here's the living room...I will definitely need to do a little caulking in some areas.



The hardwoods floors will need work...they are popping up in places.




There's a piece of window trim missing off a window--now, how does that happen?  Ummm...




Not sure what this wall surface is.  I might leave it since it reminds me a little of grass cloth. But that baseboard trim has got to be fixed.




You can see it was around Christmas when I took pics in the house. This is the kitchen.  I like the window seat in the bay window.




The parquet flooring in the kitchen is definitely outdated, but it gives the house a bit of a vintage feel. I think I may leave it.




Kitchen wallpaper definitely has to go.  You can see it's damaged.




I think the whole kitchen will need to be renovated.  I'm picturing a sunny kitchen with white cabinetry.




Let's head upstairs and I'll show you around the bedrooms. Looks like the crown molding is coming down in the Master Bedroom.  You know how these older homes can be. They left the curtains behind in this room. I'll probably leave them for now.  I can always change them out later.




I like the wainscotting.  That will definitely be staying.




Wallpaper is kind of cute--yellow irises and butterflies. I've sort of missed having a bedroom with wallpaper in my current home, so I'd probably leave it if it were in better condition. Unfortunately, it's stained, so it will need to go.




They left the curtain rods. Not sure I'll keep them, though.




Let's take a look in another bedroom. The pink gingham curtains make me think this room may have been a nursery. More hardwood floor issues to fix.



It has an attic.



And, the attic has two really cute dormer windows with plantation shutters. Well, as you can see it's definitely a fixer-upper. Oh,  I forgot to show you the exterior of the home.




Here it is! As you can see, it's the only house around for miles, so, it's a really quiet neighborhood.  I'll keep you posted on the renovations. ;-)




Looking forward to your "Before and Afters!"



Metamorphosis Monday is an opportunity to show a "Before and After" project in your home. It can be as elaborate as a whole new room addition or as simple as re-doing your decor with the changing of the seasons. Maybe you have a "trash to treasure" project to share...we'd love to see it! If you don't have a "Before" pic to share, describe as best you can what the room or item looked like prior to the renovation.

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Fabulous "Before and Afters" await your visit: