John and I bought our first house! Right now, we are in the process of remodeling the inside. The house was built in the late-1970s, and very little was done since then, so as you can imagine, we are making big changes. The living room is a good example.
Here is what it looked like when we bought the house. As you can see, the space had multiple levels and materials: wood paneling on the walls, tile in the entry, a massive stone hearth with an inset bookcase, and beige carpet in a sunken living room. We wanted to change all of that. Our goal was an open, streamlined, well-lit space with a modern feel. These pictures will take you through the transformation.
After removing the wood paneling, we took out the shelving unit and the hearth.
You can see the light starting to creep in as the shelves come out.
And it looks better already! Removing the stone was a colossal undertaking. Thank goodness for our hard-working and capable contractors.
The tile in the entry came out next.
Then, we filled the sunken living room with a new concrete slab.
Once the concrete dried, we rebuilt the fireplace. After dealing with some structural issues, the mason—a true artiste!—covered the old cinderblocks and bricks with stucco.
Now, we have wall-to-wall clean and level concrete flooring, accented by a modern stucco fireplace with a floating limestone hearth and matching mantle. Light pours in from all angles, bouncing off the ceiling and walls.
Yes, I would say it is starting to feel like home.
Cool! You had great vision!
Thanks E! We are having fun!