Oh, I found a few pics of what the house used to look like

[valis2]

They're crap pics taken by the appraiser, but at least you get an idea. So here, a few before and after photos.

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This is the biggest change. We pulled out the carpet with the multiple stains and cigarette burns, and got rid of the Scary Couch. We had to give it away for free. And even then I was afraid no one would take it. Oh, and we got rid of the Scary Bird Tapestry. One day I'd like to get a flat screen TV put in above the fireplace and get rid of the giant TV eyesore. That will open things up even more.

The colors are a little messed up here. I wish you could see how dark and grimy and yellowed the walls were before it was painted. Oh well. You can kind of see it in the cabinet doors, but it's so weird how the rest looks so white, because in reality it all was much closer to the cabinet doors.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that I'm still waiting for my curtains. My mom's making them for me, and she's been a little busy. Hopefully those will be done by next spring, and then the house can look a little more cozy.

Before:


After:

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I hate tablecloths. It's an eccentricity, I know, but I just always end up accidentally pulling them off the table when I stand up. Always. Plus, I like the way the wood looks. It's a nice table, after all, and I think it looks fine without a tablecloth. Also, I hate ticking clocks. They make me mental. No clocks. That's what I wear a watch for. And the chili posters had to go, let me tell you.

Before:


After:

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Husband's Grandmother had all sorts of things going on here. She had a rotisserie oven that seemed like it had never been used--it's in between the kitchen and the stove, but you can't see it. It was huge and took up so much space. And on the right hand side, for some inexplicable reason she had the phone and the answering machine plugged into an extension cord which was plugged into the wall. So the extension cord was in a big pile on the counter. It was quite a simple thing to just plug both things into the wall and get rid of the extension cord.

Biggest change, though was the bird feeder in the window. Listen, that thing let in such a draft--you have NO idea. It's a half moon, extending into the kitchen. You basically open the window and stick this in, and there was no real way to insulate it well, or at least it wasn't done, if there was a way. It was crazy how much air you could feel. And it was so unhygenic--*shivers*. I kept referring to it as the Avian Flu Dispenser. lol. It was the first thing to go, let me tell you. The tiny sliver of novelty it offered by having birds so close was negated by absolutely everything else. I pared the counters down so much. I mean, she was using a large coffee maker, when she'd only drink a cup or two a day. And she had a little TV and a bunch of little cups and things all over the place. Anyway, we really managed to clear it out and make it much more workable, though we still have one cabinet left to go through. I know it doesn't look that different, but you can't see all the stuff on the left hand side. And the stuff we have is stuff like a paper towel dispenser, and canisters. And a knife rack. I tell you, one of the best things on earth was to clear that kitchen out. Srsly. There were four drawers of assorted kitchen utensils (not counting the main drawer, which had silverware). Four drawers. One of them was a very deep drawer. (They're the drawers next to the dishwasher on the right hand side.) It took two large boxes just to get all the extraneous kitchen utensils into the basement. They certainly were a hit at the garage sale...

Before:


After:

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This was her office, and we made it into our bedroom. The master bedroom got made into our office. This way we can look out over the pond and stuff, and as a bonus the room is big enough for my four desks. Anyway, here are boring pics of our bedroom again.

Before:


After:


You know, looking at it now makes me realize just how much stuff we had to stash and how we ended up with such a huge garage sale. Wow. I guess I kind of forgot.

I'm getting claustrophobic just looking at the before pics. lol!

Comments

[iamrighthere.livejournal.com]

Nothing pleases my soul more than seeing cluttered places tidied. These pictures are all the inspiration I need to get off the sofa and sweep up a bit. Also, ticking clocks should be banned. I don't how people lived before electric clocks were invented.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

It was so nice to get in and just get everything out, you know? It was a lot of work, and I was sick at the time, and Husband ended up doing way more than he should have, thank goodness, but the end result was just so happy.

And yes, no ticking clocks. grah! I hates them.

[idleleaves.livejournal.com]

Ooh, look at all the lovely changes. I see you decorate like I do--organised, but not to the point where things look sterile. I love clutter-free spaces.

[idleleaves.livejournal.com]

I hit enter before I meant to, heh.

Oddly, ticking clocks are a comfort to me. I love quiet, but I hate absolute silence. Silence reminds me too much of what my world may sound like in thirty years time if my hearing continues to degrade at its current rate.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Oh, I am so sorry, that's horrible! I have a small amount of hearing loss from an incident with firecrackers in my teenage years, and even that little bit of loss is unpleasant. *hugs*

[cordeliadelayne]

Wow, the change is really remarkble.

Heh, my parents can't stand ticking clocks either, but I never even notice them.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad for the change. And I'm glad I have these pictures, because I had forgotten what a big change it was!

And yeah, the clock thing? Drives me up a wall. grah. I'm glad you're immune to it!

[privatemaladict.livejournal.com]

I'm so with you on tablecloths. My mum, who has pretty good taste in just about everything else, is a great lover of tablecloths. In fact, she won't ever leave her table without a tablecloth, because the wood will get damaged. I've tried pointing out that if you use tablecloths, nobody will ever actually see the lovely undamaged wood, but does she listen?

House looks so much better now you've cleared out all the clutter!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Yes, I agree with you 2956238562% about the tablecloth thing! It's so frustrating. And the table isn't really an heirloom of amazing quality; it's your average run-of-the-mill wooden table, so it's not like it's super important to preserve it.

And thank you! I'm so happy with it, seriously.