Hello!!!
I want to start blogging as a way to communicate with all of our friends and family. We want to keep everyone updated on the latest Scullen News!!!
We are moving from Birmingham to Opelika, AL on June 1st!!!!! WE are soooo excited. The kids, Emma Grace, Christopher, and Kate all live in Opelika and we cannot wait to be near them. I know Brett has dreamed of this day for years. He has always longed to be in the same city as them, but has felt stuck in Birmingham, burdened by his career and being able to provide for them financially. Birmingham and Opelika are about 100 miles apart and Brett knows the road well. He is always driving down and back for baseball games, talent shows, and to help with homework. He is such a devoted dad!! This is all in addition to seeing the kids every other weekend. The moment I became a part of Brett's life, I told him we were going to figure out a way to make this happen...some way...some how. For several years, Brett has owned his Grandmother's home in Opelika. She passed away early this year, and we decided to update the home. His Grandmother lived in the home since it was built (1957), so we had our work cut out for us!! The house is so well built and we really wanted to honor this "family home" by keeping it in the family! In the meantime, I started exploring job options for me in the area and found a great job in Columbus, GA (abt 25 min away). After researching the job, I offered up to Brett the option of me accepting this job, and us moving to Opelika full-time! Tears just welled up in his eyes at even the thought of making this possible. Fast foward several months...and well our "basic renovations" have turned into "major renovations" and us just basically gutting the home. We really wanted this home to be "renovated right"!!! I am going to post some pictures...
Here are the "before's"
Lovely mint green shower that is so small you can hardly turn around....now gone!
Pine paneling for days with only one window....all of the kitchen and breakfast area. All gone!!! Now we have torn down some walls - totally reconfiguring the layout of the front rooms! Let there be light!
Family Room (brick on all sides)....now no more brick...drywall with better insulation. Opens up onto a HUGE screened-in porch which is really nice. The screen porch also happens to serve as a furniture warehouse until the tornado of dust from our drywall guys subsides.
Lovely red dumpster that has been emptied TWICE since beginning all of this....Yup...it is still there! I am sure our neighbors love us.
Last but not least.... the groovy ALL pink tiled 2nd bathroom...Of course GONE. We combined this bathroom and the "mint green" bathroom to make one large master bathroom and just added on another bathroom for this floor.
Here are some "mid- remodel" pictures. Brett and I did all of the demolition ourselves...which was an experience...I have now jack hammered, pulled up nasty carpet, and installed insulation....from all which my sweet husband kept me motivated with plenty of mani/pedi's in the process. It does feel good to know we have some "sweat equity" in the house, but I told Brett the other night...I could now cross offDIY home remodeling from my bucket list. I think he agreed.
Mint green bathroom destruction....I think this picture says it all. My poor husband learned quickly that houses built back then are not meant to be torn down.
This is me trying to act tough! haha This is pulling up carpet tact strips after hauling off the most beautiful peach carpet you have ever seen! One blessing has been these hardwood floors underneath all of the carpet. We are going to stain them dark!!
"All brick" den insulated and about to be drywalled.
Ahhhh....much better. We are not sure what we are going to do with the brick surrounding the fireplace. Some kind of stone.....suggestions?
Kitchen will all pine paneling gone and all cabinets ripped out!!! Our new cabinets should be here in 3 weeks or so...better get moving! We plan on putting travertine down for the kitchen floors.
This was late monday night (actually 10:30 at night after going to Christopher's baseball game and then driving 2 hours back to Bham...whew! Last minute insulation that never got placed. Putting up insulation in Bernardo sandals, Hudson jeans, JCrew jacket.....priceless! As Brett would say ... "Only you could pull that off!"
New wall.....That room is going to be the pantry/home office (basically MY room). I think I am most excited about designing this room. I am obsessed with beautiful office design!!!
And of course...there is Sadie...completely in the middle of it all and loving it!! She has taught herself how to have fun the middle of a construction zone!
Sorry for the long post, but I needed to get up to speed on what is going on!!! More posts soon....as now all the fun design aspects will start! I can't wait. Picking out paint colors this week....and the marble for the bathroom is en route!
We are moving from Birmingham to Opelika, AL on June 1st!!!!! WE are soooo excited. The kids, Emma Grace, Christopher, and Kate all live in Opelika and we cannot wait to be near them. I know Brett has dreamed of this day for years. He has always longed to be in the same city as them, but has felt stuck in Birmingham, burdened by his career and being able to provide for them financially. Birmingham and Opelika are about 100 miles apart and Brett knows the road well. He is always driving down and back for baseball games, talent shows, and to help with homework. He is such a devoted dad!! This is all in addition to seeing the kids every other weekend. The moment I became a part of Brett's life, I told him we were going to figure out a way to make this happen...some way...some how. For several years, Brett has owned his Grandmother's home in Opelika. She passed away early this year, and we decided to update the home. His Grandmother lived in the home since it was built (1957), so we had our work cut out for us!! The house is so well built and we really wanted to honor this "family home" by keeping it in the family! In the meantime, I started exploring job options for me in the area and found a great job in Columbus, GA (abt 25 min away). After researching the job, I offered up to Brett the option of me accepting this job, and us moving to Opelika full-time! Tears just welled up in his eyes at even the thought of making this possible. Fast foward several months...and well our "basic renovations" have turned into "major renovations" and us just basically gutting the home. We really wanted this home to be "renovated right"!!! I am going to post some pictures...
Here are the "before's"
Lovely mint green shower that is so small you can hardly turn around....now gone!
Pine paneling for days with only one window....all of the kitchen and breakfast area. All gone!!! Now we have torn down some walls - totally reconfiguring the layout of the front rooms! Let there be light!
Family Room (brick on all sides)....now no more brick...drywall with better insulation. Opens up onto a HUGE screened-in porch which is really nice. The screen porch also happens to serve as a furniture warehouse until the tornado of dust from our drywall guys subsides.
Here are some "mid- remodel" pictures. Brett and I did all of the demolition ourselves...which was an experience...I have now jack hammered, pulled up nasty carpet, and installed insulation....from all which my sweet husband kept me motivated with plenty of mani/pedi's in the process. It does feel good to know we have some "sweat equity" in the house, but I told Brett the other night...I could now cross off
Sorry for the long post, but I needed to get up to speed on what is going on!!! More posts soon....as now all the fun design aspects will start! I can't wait. Picking out paint colors this week....and the marble for the bathroom is en route!
What about the pretty shiny glass tiles for the fireplace surround? Something neutral that you won't tire of easily! Look up Divine design on HGTV to see if she has any fireplace surround ideas...I hope we can chat soon!
ReplyDelete