She's Encouraging Them On

Lenny and Kelly are in the middle of a mess but in the end it will be so very nice. After mom passed Len and Dad swapped houses and Lenny is in mom and dad's old house. The house was built in 1976 or so and had never been updated. Let's see if I can take you down memory lane (many can remember this as my friends and I spent a lot of time at this house cuz everyone loved my momma). The carpet in the main section was brown and gold and an industrial type nap. In the dinning room was gold shag carpet with absolutely beautiful (not) wall paper on the walls. The bathroom had pink shag carpet with pink sink toilet and counter top and to top it all off the walls were done in pink textured wall paper. The living room had gold shag carpet and some sort of textured wall paper. And then there is the kitchen. It had black and white square linoleum, very dark oak cabinets, green (yes I said green) counter tops and walls-walls were covered with some product or another much like paneling. What wasn't wall papered was covered in very dark colored paneling and throughout were dark rough wood covered beams.

There was a sunken 'fire pit' (Karen you remember that....I have a picture somewhere of you passed out on the couch in the fire pit!) that had brown shag carpet and a built in seating area covered in white and brown striped upholstery. Behind that was a wet bar that was covered in brown shag carpet as well. (oh man lots of time was spent with friends and family at that bar!)

Upstairs are two bedrooms and a nice large bathroom. Before the remodeling they were covered in shag carpet and textured wall paper walls (green and brown). The kids replaced the carpet in the bedrooms and put down tile in the bathroom, they also put in a new tub and toilet and stripped off the wallpaper and painted.

The basement had never been finished, it was Lenny's first project. He (and some friends) put up sheet rock and painted. It is now a livable space.

And then the outside. In the front were brick pillars and overgrown shrubs. David and I helped them yank out the shrubs, knock down and dispose of the pillars and replace the shrubs with much smaller ones.

First of all I just know that mom would have been so pleased to know that Lenny is living in her house. She loved that house and being in that area. And even though she was resistant to changing color schemes etc she would be pleased to see how nice it has become.

So Len when you feel overwhelmed by the project and stressed a bit, think of your granny silently encouraging you on and being ever so happy that you are in the house.

A picture of the demolished kitchen. They are having cabinets custom made by my cousin Curt Krohn.

A view from the front entry of the house through the kitchen and into the dinning room. There was a wall between the kitchen and dinning room with a doorway only. Len and Kel have opened the two rooms up which I think looks very nice.

Looking from the front entry towards the family room. To the far left was the bar, the near left is the fire place area that was sunken (they raised the floor to make it more open). You get a sample of the old carpet here...that will be replaced. In the future they are going to replace the bar as well but re-design it. The steal pole was once covered with that rough dark stained wood. They are going to box them in with a more up to date something or other.

From the family room looking up at the second floor. They tore out the old staircase and railing and are replacing it. You can see, in all of the pictures, that they have removed all of the paneling. They are going to have it all taped and then paint.

Here is what was once the pink bathroom. The picture does not do this justice as it looks beautiful with the updates.

When the entire project is completed I will post pictures. But for now I just wanted to do this to encourage Len and Kel as it is absolutely no fun to live in a remodeling project....you guys are doing a great job and it will be wonderful when done.