Thanks to Lowe’s for their support in this home improvement project!
Last week something exciting finally happened: we moved from dreaming about long-awaited home improvements to actually making them happen.
After three years in this house, everyday wear and tear, an old dog and a new puppy, a few mishaps and the demands of starting a church left many projects unfinished. Time, energy and budget have been limited, and like many of you, we accepted that some tasks would have to wait.
I’d been gathering ideas for a while but felt overwhelmed about where to begin. Goals felt daunting, so I preferred to dream quietly. To my surprise, every single small dream I wrote about in January is either recently fulfilled or about to be — just six months into the year.
One of the biggest items on my list was replacing much of the damaged carpet with new Hickory hardwood. At first, a seagrass rug hid stains from a paint spill, but pet wear turned the carpet ugly and smelly — and smelly is not acceptable here. Replacing the carpet became a necessity throughout the connected living and dining rooms, the kitchen, stairway, hall and master bedroom.
When a project suddenly becomes urgent and directionless, my instinct is to go shopping for solutions. I visited my local Lowe’s to look at flooring. Their project manager, Robert, listened to my concerns, answered questions and proposed solutions. He arranged for installers to come measure and plan, and that’s when the project officially began.
The best part: this won’t be a failed DIY. Robert and his team are professionals, so the work will be done right — quickly and with minimal stress. Knowing that lifted a huge weight off my shoulders.
Our old carpet will be removed soon and, within weeks, we’ll have new wood floors.
This is one of those projects where one improvement leads to another. I’ll share details as the project progresses — what flooring we chose, how installation happens and related updates such as paint and a kitchen project we’ll reveal soon. The photos in this post show many of the spaces we’ll be working on, and I’ll return to each with more specifics.
I’m especially excited to refresh our master bedroom. We haven’t done anything to that room since we moved in three years ago — we even used towels in the windows for privacy. The original walls and old carpet have made the room uninspiring and not very pleasant to be in, but that will change. This week the bedroom will be painted, the carpet removed, and new floors installed. A proper master makeover is finally happening.
When Robert and the installers visited to measure, our house was its usual chaotic self. I missed a notification about the visit, so I didn’t have time to tidy up or secure the dogs. My parents were visiting unexpectedly, and the house was full of people in pajamas and dogs lounging around. It was a little embarrassing, but also a good reminder: when you’re having extensive work done, you accept the mess and welcome the professionals in. They get a real look at family life.
Note the kitchen in this photo — changes there will follow as one part of the house improvement naturally leads to another.
That’s a typical day here: busy, slightly chaotic and full of life. I’m thrilled to share progress photos of the new floors and the room makeovers. Tomorrow I’ll post images of my home office, which is finished enough to show.
So, what do you think? Some big transformations ahead, huh?
And I’m sure Jack will keep us highly entertained through it all.
Huge thanks to Lowe’s for working with me on this flooring installation project — I’m so excited!
For updates on the kitchen remodel and to follow the full project, check the initial kitchen makeover post on my site.