Home Renovation: The Final Result

Done. it's finally done. Well except for capping a few electrical lines & tying out the doorbell so it ding-dongs...right now it just dings. Perhaps that's how all renovation projects go, where it's done...except for this last lagging detail that seems to take an extra week or two. If this is your first read of the reno project, catch up here and here first. Today, I've got all the snaps from the upstairs space. Tomorrow, I'll give you all of the downstairs. In the photo above I'm standing where there once was no floor, looking into what used to be the loft, but is now a bedroom.

Here it is from the other angle. You'll notice that slightly awkward pop in the corner -- I wish to bits we could have pushed that corner out, to follow the other walls & pick up that square footage upstairs, but had I done that, you wouldn't have been able to make it up the stairs...which are rising directly under that portion. I had all sorts of clever work arounds to make it appear like we had picked it up, by building a window seat so that is stair stepped on the backside, but was flush upstairs. While that would have worked, in the end I like this better & it doesn't bother me like I thought it would. For reference the stairs are behind the TV wall.

We still have a few things to do to the space -- like mount the TV and add hardware to the cabinetry, but for now, we are calling this our stopping point. Mostly so I can have a baby in peace! I got this cabinet piece at a local store called Potato Barn. I don't know that it's the least expensive place, but I do know its not the most expensive either. They have a fairly big range of items and if you caught my West Elm dilemma on Instagram, you'll understand why I'll probably buy more local down the road as opposed to ordering online. In the event you didn't catch the West Elm debacle...I ordered a sleeper sofa 3 months ago to use downstairs while I recover from a C-Section next week. I had heard great reviews and was excited to get it. Problem is, it has been 3 months & still no couch, despite dozens of emails, dozens of calls and what my son says, me going 'mom jeans' on the Customer Service rep. #truestory After all the angst and putting me right down to the wire without another great solution (I can't get up and down my stairs for a bit after surgery) it's soured my experience just a tad. Supposedly, it will be here tomorrow, but I've heard that 3 times before. I'll keep you posted! Buying local, I went down found 10 pieces I liked, measured them all, opened the doors, saw the colors, took photos, then came home & measured out a few into my space. Went back to the store with all that info, bought this one & had it delivered the next day. I think I'll go with that option down the road.

The couch we had in our previous loft. During the reno we stored it in our garage and just crossed our fingers it would work in the new space. While I would have reversed the chaise and the return portion of the couch, it fits like a dream, so I'm calling it a win. Phew. Love when things like that just work. We ordered this couch from a local spot as well -- and it was definitely afforadable. Cortate is where I go when I'm looking to keep it simple and affordable. With this being a kid space, I wasn't about to put my dream sofa up here. I don't remember the name of this particular sofa, but it's their most popular one & the only thing I would have done differently is made the cushions box-cut instead of knife-edged. It would have made it look a bit more tailored, which I prefer. At Cortate, you order from catalogs, not the easiest, but you can customize your piece exactly for you room -- so we were able to choose the exact layout & fabric, etc.

Phase two, will not only include mounting the TV, but also this big sparse wall above the couch. I have plans for it, but again, we had to have a stopping point. I'm thinking a long natural wood shelf with layers of photos & artwork. I have a few in my shopping carts, but again...stopping. The pillows and throws are nothing fancy -- again this is my kids' space & I refuse to buy $100 pillows. I actually refuse to buy them for my own space because I think it's ridiculous, so Home Goods to the rescue. They aren't show stoppers by any means, but they are great for pillow fights, forts and snuggling up for movie night, which is actually the purpose of the space.

Overall, this was the best idea we've ever had. The space has been used so much and allows us the room to grow a bit more & I'm so grateful for the opportunity to do it.