The Living Room Fireplace

The Living Room Fireplace:

Before…

Our living room was really dark.  Although I love chocolate, I didn't like it on our walls.  The fireplace mantle was so skinny I thought I might break it if I put anything on it.  I also didn't like the brass fireplace doors.  The fireplace itself hadn't been used in years.  After a quick cleaning and inspection we found out the fireplace was in great condition.  I wanted to bring this fireplace and living room back to life.

I painted the walls a light, warm color called Oakwood Manor.  The living room really seemed twice as big and more inviting with this color on the walls.  We added new black glass doors, trim and a stained reclaimed wood mantel.  It is a wood burning fireplace and it took us some time to figure out how to properly open the damper and start a good fire, but now we really enjoy one of the best features of our living room.

Our Home - 1910 American Foursquare

Our Home - 1910 American Foursquare:

I am one of those crazy people who falls in love with old homes.  I love the character, the sounds of hardwood floors, the echo from the tall ceilings, the ripple effect in the old glass windows, the prisms created from beveled leaded glass, and the overall character that you just can't find in new homes.

When we first stumbled across our 1910 American Foursquare we knew we were in for a lifetime of work, but despite that we went ahead.  For the most part we just lived in the house as it was.  I feel it is important to live in a house and get used to how the house works before beginning work.  Old houses have many discoveries and there are things that should never be changed and things (usually incorrect updates over the years) that need correcting.

This was our home when we first moved in.

I hope to share some before and after photos in future posts as we make progress on our home.  Thank you for reading my blog and please feel free to leave comments and suggestions.

Take care,

Sadie