Then and Now: Living Room

When we first viewed the house, it was hard to photograph the living room. It was very dark, and the electricity was off. The room was full of random furniture, so it was a bit difficult to navigate.  (And even more difficult to photograph.)  We could actually see more in the photos than in person!  (I think Niall used his flash?)

Now that the room has been renovated, let's be honest.  It's sometimes still difficult to navigate because of random toys and other goodies left on the ground by certain kiddies.  Oh, and messes I make.

Here's another shot, of the alcove next to the fireplace.  The chimney in this room is capped, and we did  not love the fireplace.  So, out it came.  

We deliberated putting in a liner and fireplace, but we have an art deco cabinet that takes pride of place.  And I really wanted to have built-in storage and bookshelves.  So we left the hearth (put in a new tile) for the cabinet to sit on and had the magical joiners build bookshelves. 

Down the road if we want to put in a fireplace, we still have the option.  (See the pictures stacked on the side of the chair?  We still need to hang a few things...)

We noticed (it was hard to miss, as the first time we viewed the inside of the house it was raining and the water was dripping from the ceiling) there was water ingress.  Worse yet, the survey found dry rot.  Luckily we were able to negotiate a lower purchase price to cover the cost of repairs.

Once we'd concluded missives (and were legally bound to buy the house) we were given permission to strip back the infected timber and let the house air.

Dry rot?  Fixed.  New window over the bay?  Check.  House is water tight!  (But no window treatments yet.  Ikea blinds are on backorder indefinitely, and I can't find anything similar for a reasonable price.)

The floorboards were in such great shape.  And once the room was cleared it was pretty good size. 

Here it is just before the floors got sanded.

And how it looks now.  (Well, not right this minute.  Right this minute there are blankets and toys and clothes randomly thrown around the room.)

Let's face it.  The electrical wiring in the house was, uh, outdated.  The plug on the side of the chimney caught our attention on the first day we viewed.  (Not sure why.)

Since we have so many electronics these days, we had a lot of plugs put in the alcove.  Don't be jealous of the size of our TV.  Niall's ego is a little bruised because no friends want to come watch football (that's soccer in the US) with him.

Another angle.

The door originally opened into the room.

And now it opens to the wall.  (Yup, those are my wellies in the hallway.  They are always kicking around somewhere.  I need to find a place for them.  They've been one of the best investments for the renovation.  So easy to take on and off and covered in dirt and paint!)

Niall finally got his Chesterfield sofa!  (After six years...)  More on that later.  For the moment, I am enjoying sitting on the new sofa.