1912 Bungalow » Living Room

Living Room After

Heather — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 06:19:23 +0000

Looking into the living room from the den. The rug under the coffee table is only temporary until we can afford to get something nicer.

Looking towards the den from the living room.

Taken from the dining room, looking into the living room.

Taken from the den at a slightly different angle.

Living Room Update My plaster walls make me want to cry
Living Room Restoration Admitting we need help and hiring a contractor
Dining Room After Bungalow dining room completely restored

Living Room Plaster Walls Update

Heather — Sat, 10 Jan 2004 05:07:34 +0000

Juan worked a miracle on our walls. He replastered them and we’re very happy with how they turned out. These pictures were taken yesterday while the walls were drying. The areas that look a little yellow are areas that haven’t completely dried. They did a final skim coat of plaster on the walls today. They also started on the ceiling.

Living Room Update My plaster walls make me want to cry
Woodwork Update Staining our Douglas fir woodwork
Living Room Restoration Admitting we need help and hiring a contractor

Living Room Update

Heather — Tue, 06 Jan 2004 23:22:30 +0000

Progress is being made on our living room again. Juan and his team are back after taking 2 weeks off for the holidays. David and I had planned on doing some work in there, like removing wallpaper, while Juan was away. Ok, actually I planned and was going to tell David about it later but never got motivated. I just avoided that room and even started using the back door so I wouldn’t have to walk through the living room and feel guilty. Bad, homeowner. Bad!

It was probably for the best. Once the wallpaper came off we discovered the plaster walls are badly damaged. It would have made for a depressing New Year.

Our Living Room Now

Living Room Plaster Walls Update Proof that even badly damaged plaster walls can be saved
Living Room Restoration Admitting we need help and hiring a contractor
Living Room Discoveries Moving along with the restoration of our living room

Living Room Discoveries

Heather — Sat, 20 Dec 2003 23:25:49 +0000

In any restoration there are surprises, both good and bad. The good news? We discovered just how nice our built-in storage bench is. The storage bench, sometimes referred to as a gentleman caller’s bench, is a fairly unique feature in our neighborhood for a bungalow of this size. It was difficult to see the details of the hardware and woodwork because they were hidden under layers and layers of paint. Everything seemed to blend in with the white walls. We didn’t even notice the bench before we moved in because the previous owners had placed a huge projection screen television in front of it.

(click photos to see the images larger)

It never occurred to me that anyone would paint over a mirror! I felt the bench needed a tiny mirror hung on it’s back but decided to wait until we completed the restoration. Thank goodness I waited or else I would have shattered the original mirror when I hammered a nail into it.

We were amazed to find the amount of detail present on the hooks. Each hook has a tiny face on it.

The bad news? Someone drilled holes in the pocket doors and later filled them in with plaster. The only thing I can figure out is that someone put a chain through the holes and then added a padlock to keep that room secure. My neighbor told me that our house was broken into twice when the previous owner’s grandmother lived here. She added bars to the windows after the second break in.

I’m not sure of the best way to repair these holes? The plaster will need to be knocked out. Maybe the holes can be filled in with Bondo?

More pictures of our living room restoration, a work in progress.

Living Room Update My plaster walls make me want to cry
Living Room Restoration Admitting we need help and hiring a contractor
Living Room Plaster Walls Update Proof that even badly damaged plaster walls can be saved