let there be light

Finally we installed some light fixtures!  It's amazing what you get done inside when the weather is crummy.  Ok so we didn't really accomplish that much- our workspace (aka the driveway) was rained out, but considering these light fixtures have been sitting around the house for 5 months, it felt like a lot more.  I'm just thankful we don't have to jump over the boxes anymore..

We had to swag the bathroom fixture to allow clearance for the medicine cabinet to open..

A few touchups are needed but I'll get around to that.. eventually.

And it's amazing what a difference the sconces make in the living room.  They're a huge improvement over the holes in the wall I've grown so used to.  Not to mention the extra light was needed.

Next up we'll be installing the real mantel- I wrapped the old one in burlap because I just couldn't bear to look at the mint green molding anymore.

update on ben's progress

Because Ben has been spending all of his weekends in the New York City area with me his hours spent on the house have been limited to after work. Though he doesn't seem to complain- if he didn't have sheetrock to install he says he'd be bored to tears. There's only so much TV a guy can watch (even with the Phillies in the playoffs).

Anyway, I gave you a little preview of the work he's been doing in last weeks post (you can read it here), but much more has been accomplished so I wanted to update you all.

Ben was determined to get the living room and office walls done before the end of the week.. and he did!

Living Room
Remember before?
This is what it looks like after hours of Ben's hard work..
I'm sure you've noticed that the small areas above the doors and windows were left uncovered. Ben is leaving those areas for "scraps." He didn't want to cut up a full sheet until he saw what what left over.

The Office
These walls weren't as bad as the living room but it's still a big improvement.
Before..
and now..
You can see it's actually still being used as the bedroom. Of course that would mean there's a bed in it and it's looking like Ben will now be sleeping on the floor for the next week- there's nothing like a slow leaking air mattress to help you wake up on a Monday morning!

The Finishing Process
Now the walls still aren't done. Of course Ben still needs to get the bedroom walls done..
but after he finishes installing all of the sheetrock a professional was supposed to come in and tape up the seams and then sand them down to make sure they're smooth enough to paint over. Originally when we decided to install the sheetrock we had discussed hiring a someone to tape them since it really has to be done perfectly. If it's not done well we'd be stuck with messy walls even after investing all of the time and money to laminate them. To tell you the truth, this wasn't even really a discussion- I think we ultimately just both said that would be the best thing to do and that was the end of it.

On Friday night Ben and I grabbed a quick dinner when he finally got into the city and like most of our conversations these days, we started in with the house again. I asked Ben if he had spoken to anyone about taping the walls and he then informed me that HE was taping the walls.

I argued that it would be a waste of money and time if he did it and did it badly, he counter argued by saying it's expensive to hire someone to do it and it makes a mess so he wants it done in the next week before everything is moved into the house.

So to be honest, I'm not sure who is taping the walls and when it will be done, but chances are it won't get done before moving day so we'll figure it out once I get up there.
But the walls look great now, don't they?

busy ben

Lucky me, Ben's been busy, busy while I've been in Manhattan. He's trying desperately to laminate all of the walls with sheetrock before Henry and I pack our bags and join him upstate for good. I've been getting nightly updates- I try not to bother him until the sun goes down so he can take full advantage of the light. As he updates me I try to imagine what a difference covering up all of the layers of wallpaper will make, but last night I was lucky enough to get pictures to go along with the detailed descriptions..

Remember this?

Well now it looks like this..
These are only pictures of the first nights work. He promised to send more along in the next few days, so look out for more major improvements!