I realize four months isn’t an eternity, but it was about 3.9 months longer than we wanted to spend with the last vestiges of the old carpet upstairs. Especially since it was in our bathroom. Ah, carpeted bathrooms.
We didn’t remove it – or the portion that extended into our closet – back when we removed the rest of the upstairs carpet because we knew we didn’t want hardwood floors in the bathroom. So, in the absence of a new flooring decision, we just left the old stuff. The old, wrinkly, creamy stuff that blended right in with the creamy walls and creamy trim.
But yesterday morning (yup, about 24 hours ago!) we decided to oust the carpet for good. So we cleared out the floor of our messy closet for full flooring access.
We covered the steps for removing our carpet in this video, but here’s a quick recap of how it went down came up. First we yanked the carpet loose from the tack strips that held it in place along each wall, then rolled it up and removed it. Next went the blue foam padding, which easily tore up from the staples that kept it down. These were the fast and easy parts.
Next was the get-sweaty phase: prying up all of the tack strips with a crowbar and then using a floor scraper to pop all of the staples out. This, plus sweeping and shopvac-ing the whole space clean took me a solid hour.
Meanwhile Sherry was in the garage getting something else done (weekend naptime = a mad dash at as many projects as we can squeeze in) but we’ll get to that in a second.
Now’s the part where you probably expect us to tell you about our plan for new flooring… buuuuut we don’t really have one yet. Well, I mean, long term we want to tile the bathroom area, but that first involves lots of demo so that we can combine the sink area with the shower/toilet area for a nice big open space (we don’t need two single sinks separated by a wall, and much prefer one larger bathroom instead of two smaller choppy rooms). We may eventually end up putting hardwood in the closet, or maybe a wall-to-wall low-pile jute rug or something. We have enough leftover wood flooring to make that call later, but big bathroom & closet reconfigurations are things we like to do after we live in a house for a nice long time before rushing into stuff, so they’re not now plans, they’re later plans.
We’re pretty sure our “for now” plan is to paint the particle board with a floor paint so it at least looks a bit more finished and doesn’t feel as, I dunno, dusty? Then we can toss down a few sheepskins or area rugs/runners to cozy things up in the meantime before making any much-harder-to-redo decisions like knocking down walls and tiling floors.
We also debated peel and stick floor tiles or buying a large seagrass rug and cutting it to lay it wall-to-wall in both spaces, but we both thinking paint + area rugs will serve us well in the short term without being a whole lot of money/effort that we’ll later end up undoing. Since our future tiling plans would require us to rip this stuff up and put backer board in place anyway (you can’t tile over particle board since it’s not a secure base – even if you screw backer board on top of it) there’s no harm in slapping some paint on it in the interim.
But this post isn’t just to tell you about our somewhat short-sighted “must get this carpet out of here!” adventure yesterday. It’s also to tell you about this mirror that we spotted at HomeGoods last week. As soon as we saw it, it gave us flashbacks of the quatrefoil mirror that we hung above the sink in our last bathroom. I should clarify: these are the good kind of flashbacks.
So since we were in desperate need of a bigger mirror over the vanity (see the first photo in this post for proof) and we knew it would bounce a whole lot of light around our closed off little sink nook (while sort of mimicking the look of a nice big window) we were sold. It was huge (over 40 inches wide!) so we thought $89 (down from $299) for such a large mirror with an interesting shape was a good deal, too.
We also liked the little beaded detail around the border, but the rustic paint job wasn’t doing it for us.
That’s actually what Sherry was doing in the garage while I yanked up the old carpet. She laid out our new mirror on a dropcloth and primed and painted it. It ended up needing one coat of primer + two coats of white paint (she used eggshell Simply White paint leftover from Clara’s bedroom walls because we thought a less glossy finish would be nice with the textured detailing). We debated going with a color instead (and even considered the dark blue tone from our nearby bedroom walls) but decided we’d rather do something on the walls or the vanity before going bold with the mirror. That way it would still look window-ish with a big ol’ pane of glass + a white almost-rectangular frame around it.
Removing the frameless half mirror upstairs was nice and easy, thanks to no adhesive behind it (thank goodness). We just had to loosen the clips that were screwed in on the top and bottom and out it came. No shattering. No seven years of bad luck.
Then we hung the new mirror… and it looked ridiculously cramped. Harumph. Our measurements told us it’d be tight, but we didn’t expect it to look this “cozy.”
After throwing a brief and solemn pity party, we figured out a pretty simple solution. Nix the light fixture – just for now. There are two lights in this little nook (a ceiling light and the one that was mysteriously not-at-all-centered over the old mirror, so we decided we could safely cap the wires and install a fixture box cover – that way we could hang the mirror higher. Then once we find a fixture that we love for above the mirror it’ll be easy to move the fixture box about a foot higher to sit nicely above the new mirror without cramping it and install a new light fixture (since the wires to the fixture box come down from the attic, moving it up should be a really simple process). We just want to wait to see what light fixture we find before moving the fixture box prematurely, since the measurements of the light will inform where we place the new fixture box.
With the fixture box safely sealed off, we could raise the mirror to exactly where we wanted it – about 6″ above the top of the counter (rather than nearly resting on it like it was doing before). It actually completely conceals the covered fixture (we also temporarily capped and covered an outlet, which is also on our to-be-moved list). But future electrical-to-do-lists aside, we’re very pleased with the progress that our bathroom made yesterday. The floors may not be prettier yet, but the mirror makes the space feel much bigger already, and even though the vanity is a lot heavier on one side, the nook is already feeling more balanced.
And because impatience (to get rid of the carpet) and serendipity (finding that mirror) kind of got the mental wheels spinning about this room, we’re starting to formulate a vision for some other quick and easy updates to tide us over until we work up enough steam and funds for a full gut job down the line. Sherry even Photoshopped a bit of what’s swirling around in our brains right now. Warning: we’re still in the “changing our minds every second” phase of this project since we just started it 24 hours ago, so who knows where we’ll really end up.
Obviously there’ll be wall and trim painting (so don’t mind the unchanged wall color above – we just have no idea where we’ll end up yet, so we’ll have to get swatches and see what we think). We’re also planning some sort of paint or stain on the vanity (maybe a muted grayed out navy?) plus some new knobs for contrast. The floor will likely get the aforementioned paint treatment, and I thought we could make use of the dead space on the right side by building some open shelves for towel storage (although we have also debated just closing that in and trying to locate matching doors for a completely-concealed front. And of course we want to move up the capped fixture box and add a vanity light after we find one that we like.
But for now, we’re just excited to be rid of the old carpet and to be diving into a new corner of the house. What did you guys do this weekend?
Kristin says
Love that you painted the subfloor! I’m so desparate to get rid of the carpet in our bedrooms that I suggested this idea to my husband. He thinks it’s crazy. What kind of paint did you use? Can’t wait to hear if they hold up well. If so, I see a fun project in my future!
YoungHouseLove says
We didn’t quite paint it yet – that was just photoshop. But we had luck using Behr porch and floor paint in our first house (both on wood and concrete that was outside getting beat on by Mother Nature) so I think that would work well.
xo
s
Emily says
I like the blue vanity! We’ve also been working on bathroom projects, but unfortunately ours did involve breaking a mirror… oops.
YoungHouseLove says
Eeks! Hope everyone’s ok!
xo
s
Emily says
It broke in the parking lot on the way out of the store, and still wrapped in cardboard so no injuries. But the bad luck, oh it did come. http://mumlikesmebest.wordpress.com/2013/09/28/the-bad-luck-project/
YoungHouseLove says
OH NO!
xo
s
katalina says
I am hoping for a hanging pendant light– I mini dandelion or small geometric mirror light from west elm that reflects in the big mirror would be wonderful!
Nicole says
On painting the floors…can you tile over a painted surface? Or am I thinking of something else? I was thinking the thinset doesn’t like paint??? I agree, though, just getting the carpet out is amazing!
YoungHouseLove says
Particle board can’t be used below tile (even to screw backer board into it) so no matter what we have to rip it out before tiling. So whether we rip it out painted or unpainted thankfully won’t make any difference.
xo
s
Ruth says
I knew how you feel about just wanting to get it out of the house – despite not having the solution just yet. We bought our second home & and as it was a sale on behalf of executors all the stuff was left in. So glad to be getting it out! http://eightsandsevens.wordpress.com/2013/09/30/second-guest-bedroom-progress-update/
Sharon says
Love how everything is coming along! Also like the pretty blue-green color in the bathroom of your previous home. Can you tell me the color name, please? Thank you!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Sharon, that was Carolina Inn Club Aqua by Valspar.
xo
s
Steph Nelson says
Love that navy look on the vanity! I’m really loving blue tones lately. I’ve learned that TJ Maxx/Home Goods is a store where if you fall for something you better buy it. (and you can always return if it ends up not quite right at home) One of my only not buying it purchasing regrets came courtesy of Home Goods. I still think about the “one that got away”.
Sarah says
Hi Sherry!
I absolutely love your blog. What is the font used for the title, sidebar titles,etc? I can’t find it anywhere!
Thanks,
Sarah
YoungHouseLove says
That’s Ostrich Sans. Hope it helps!
xo
s
Tricia | 724 South House says
Love a fully loaded post. Can’t wait to see what you’ll do with the floor!
Emily @ Life on Food says
The mirror looks so much better white. And the final sketch looks great. We have nasty bathroom vanities we are contemplating painting a gray color. Cannot decide to paint gray walls and make the vanity a better white or do a darker gray on the cabinets. Oh the decisions.
sarah @makingitmyhome.blogspot.com says
such a great transformation in such a short amount of time. looking forward to seeing the final product!
SJ says
I’d love to get an updated post from you two as far as your thoughts on sustainability/living green & being ecofriendly. I read through all of your posts last year when I discovered YHL & one of my favorite parts was your attempts to live within the boundaries of your “eco conscience”. I still like reading your posts but from my perspective you’ve lessened that aspect of your writing & I’m seeing more temporary or frivolous purchases (I could also be completely wrong & frivolous purchases can be awesome, so I’m in no way trying to downplay if you’ve just shifted your beliefs). I find it harder to connect with your blog when one of my beliefs is, as Americans, many of us have a view that bigger is better & I see that now more on your own blog. Anyway, excuse my ramble, just interested to know your thoughts now, versus a few years ago.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks SJ! We definitely still love being eco, and are still a one car family doing our best to balance using what we have and making upgrades to our house that make us feel more at home. This mirror will always have a place here (if not in the bathroom after the reno, then perhaps over our bed/the guest bed/the dining room buffet). Ever since our first house we’ve done things in stages (a mini kitchen update for a few years and then a full reno down the road) so it just seems to be how we save our money and make things more cheerful in the meantime while still being thrifty. In our recent half-bathroom makeover we got a secondhand light from the Habitat For Humanity ReStore (we still love buying secondhand whenever we can thanks to yard sales, thrift shops, craigslist, etc) and we still compost and will install a rain barrel at this house just like we did in our first two. We also use no-VOC paint and eco sealer/caulk for all the projects we can, and we even chatted about how we’d love to eventually have all LED bulbs in this house, although they’re expensive so we’ll have to update them slowly over time. One eco thing I don’t do anymore (and that I actually miss sometimes) is cloth diapering Clara, but we sure are glad she’s potty trained! Haha!
xo
s
Diana says
All the bathroom at my childhood home were carpeted so I never thought it was weird. The kitchen/dining room too, actually the whole house until my parents put in laminate a few years ago.
carrie says
i’ll take subfloor over old carpeting any day!
Alina says
Have you guys thought about a pull-out laundry hamper under that sink nook? We have a similar set-up in our master, and love the convenient location (right between the closet and bathroom, so you never miss it). It could be super cute!
YoungHouseLove says
Someone else recommended a pretty basket in there for towels or as a hamper – I love that idea too!
xo
s
Niki @ Village Cape Cod says
They have this exact mirror at Hobby Lobby for $150. Plus they always have their mirrors 50% off or you can always use your 40% off coupon. I snapped a picture, b/c I thought it would be perfect for my daughter’s bathroom. We decided to go with a different one though.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s awesome! Such a great deal with the 50% off! We saw one there for $160 but it was the smaller version (maybe 30″ instead of 40″?) – so funny there’s such similar stock though!
xo
s
liz says
Nice to know you guys get impatient with some house fixes too!
Brooke says
We did look at your instructions to add wood and molding to your last house half wall. We decided that if you could do it, so could we! We have a long half wall that the builder left painted with no wood on top. I think it will finish it nicely. So we have painting and nailing to do!
Love the bath already! I have always wanted to paint and poly subfloor, why not??!! There are some pretty cool painted floors for inspiration. You may never tile it… xo
Melissa says
Our 1980s Colonial also has the closet opening from the bathroom – I have to say it’s growing on me, and I kind of like it that there are no clothes in our actual bedroom ;)
But like you our master bath/closet needs a gut job, so we pulled the carpet there but didn’t put down hardwoods like we did in the rest of the upstairs. After living with subfloor for 6 weeks we finally put down vinyl planks and are really happy with the result – it’s definitely something we can live with longer should other home improvements jump ahead of the bathroom redo in the queue (fairly likely), but it also wasn’t so much money that we’ll regret it if we do get around to that remodel next year. Other bonus was that it was EASY to install!
We put this in: http://t.homedepot.com/p/TrafficMaster-Allure-6-in-x-36-in-Sacramento-Pine-Resilient-Vinyl-Plank-Flooring-24-sq-ft-case-705110-0/202885483
YoungHouseLove says
That looks so nice Melissa! Thanks for sharing the link.
xo
s
Chelsea says
We will be ripping out carpet in two bedrooms of my in laws rental tomorrow. This weekend we shopped for new laminate flooring (Scored some great stuff at Home Depot for 68 cents a SF!) and paint. Tomorrow, ripping out carpets, Wednesday painting and then my husband and his friend who is moving in will tackle new floors in the bedrooms and new counter tops in the kitchen. Its lots of work.. this place hasn’t been touched in 11 years!
Rachael Sedory says
I love it. There’s something so fun to me about re-finishing a mirror. It inspires me to build around it. You guys always come up with the best ideas. Hey, check out my new blog and my post on the nursery I created: chocolateandhydrangeas.blogspot.com
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Rachael! You’re so sweet! And that nursery is adorable. Best of luck with the baby!
xo
s
Lynn says
Hey,
The after picture looks awesome! Can’t wait to see what you do with it…have you considered a cork floor? Durable, great for bathrooms and the closet…and comfy on the feet! :)
YoungHouseLove says
We installed cork in our last kitchen and loved it! Always a possibility!
xo
s
Mary says
Hi
Great start to the transformation. Can I ask how you hung the mirror? I’m terrified to hang heavy (anything over 10lbs) art or mirrors after one bad experience.
YoungHouseLove says
We just use heavy duty anchors and screws. Grab a box of them at Home Depot and just follow the directions to put them up! Very simple and very secure!
xo
s
Patricia says
You guys should look into “floating” tile floors. They can be install over any level surface, even sub flooring. My favorite is “Cliks by Daltile” and I am using it to cover 850 square feet in our house. You don’t have to worry about cement board, thin set or grout. It is real porcelain tile in a plastic tray that you just click together – like tongue and groove laminate flooring. I’m 60 years old and if I can do this, so can you.
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds awesome! Thanks so much for the tip Patricia! Never even thought about that!
xo
s
Alyssa :) says
Hi guys! So this could be a ‘duh’ type question, but are you guys afraid of getting splinters from the particle board floors?? I have particle board under carpets in my house as well and have been living with the old cream carpet because I didn’t think particle board would be ok to walk on like regular plywood subfloor. You have given me new hope that I can rip the carpet up now while still saving for hardwoods, but I also want to be able to still walk barefoot around the house…. PS – I absolutely love you guys and would have probably driven myself mad as a new homeowner without having your blog to read for encouragement (and humor)!! <3
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so funny! Maybe we have different types of particleboard? Ours is really smooth (much smoother than plywood, which I would worry about getting splinters from) – almost dusty and soft like felt. So thankfully there’s not any sharp parts like a more rough composite wood floor might have.
xo
s
Alyssa :) says
So on closer inspection this weekend I do have nice, smooth particle board!! The small area I was looking at was partly disintegrating tack board which made the material look more “flake board-ish” rather than like true particle board. I’m hoping in a couple years to use the method you guys used to stick/glue hardwood flooring on top of the particle board. Do you think a painted surface would mess up that process at all?
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, I don’t think it would since you’re essentially creating a new base with the Elastilon (which creates a floating wood floor, so it doesn’t have to stick to the particleboard, it just lays over it). Maybe call Lumber Liquidators to ask an expert just to be sure?
xo
s
Sevi says
stripey waaalllsss…. (I’m trying to reach your subconscious)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha!
xo
s
Jennifer says
I noticed you didn’t tape your mirror prior to painting and you got paint on the mirror…how did you get it off?
YoungHouseLove says
Just a straight razor can scrape it right off (or an exacto knife in a pinch).
xo
s
Eilene says
Must feel so good to get rid of that carpet!
This weekend me and my friend had a kid free day. We found the most adorable little store in Ballston Spa, NY. (It’s called Victoria’s Corner) and we spent well over an hour in the store with the owner. We walked out with several bags of home decor. My friend bought some pretty fabric… So we stopped for some wine, and spent the night covering the seats of her dining room chairs. It was fabulous!!! Wow, have times changed from when I was in my 20’s!
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds like the best day ever!
xo
s
Sandra T says
Hey, just wondering…can something like a faucet be spray painted? Maybe a stupid thought due to the whole water thing, but my inquiring mind wants to know?
YoungHouseLove says
I’ve seen some bloggers do that, although you have to be really careful that the water doesn’t touch the spray paint. It’s toxic/not food safe, so I’d be worried if my spray paint got around the nozzle that I’d be brushing my teeth with bad stuff in the water every day.
xo
s
Sandra T says
Ew yuck! Didn’t think of that! Thanks for the info, though!
Jaclyn says
Hey guys! We just finished painting a mirror and we stuck a regular piece of paper between the frame and the mirror for painting. No need for tape, or scraping.
YoungHouseLove says
Smart!!
xo
s
Jackie says
I like the mirror white especially for its long term placement throughout your house – but I think to make the cream sink blend better, the base should be dark and mirror should match it. Something about the white next to the cream sink with the blue base makes the cream sink look more dated than it should. How fun to play around with colors and ideas on what to do here!(Especially since it’s not for the long term). I also vote for painting the beading detail on the mirror, 1. so that I have a tutorial on how to do this and 2. it sounds like a fun craft project :)
Kudos for getting that carpet off your list.
Best,
Jackie
Anthea says
Speaking of unfinished floors, I think my parents’ hallway looked like your bathroom floors for about a year as my mom tried to decide on the perfect carpet. She’s so happy with what she ended up with that I can’t hold it against her…too much. ;)
Rebecca @ Rebeccas Delightful Home says
Love the mirror! Home Goods is my favorite place! They have such unique stuff & amazing prices. Can’t wait to see what you end up doing with the bathroom. Isn’t the planning part fun?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! The whole “possibility” of the beginning of a project is always my favorite part!
xo
s
Nina says
Do you guys still use the no-VOC paint?
Also, I don’t have kids so I’m a bit curious, couldn’t Clara play by herself nearby you guys while you work on projects, instead of only being able to work on things while she naps? Obviously I don’t mean circumstances where she could get hurt (like removing sunroom ceiling), but it seems like something like this she could have just played in your bedroom while you two were in the nook?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we still use no-VOC paint just because it’s nice for the world as well as Clara and Burger and our lungs too. As for the whole DIY near Clara thing, we have just learned that we’re less frustrated and more focused when we tackle projects when Clara’s napping or sleeping. Sure she can theoretically play nearby while we work on things but we often feel torn in two directions when we try to balancing supervising her and working on something. Sometimes in the case of yard work she can hang outside with us, but when a paint can is cracked or there are loud noises and staples flying (which was the case in the nook) it just feels too much like juggling to have a three year old nearby. So we try to do less involved things while she’s awake (editing photos, answering comments – things that are easier to dip in and out of than DIY). But I’m sure it’s different for every parent (and every kid).
xo
s
Karen says
Very lovely…and the process looked fun. Now, as to the staples left behind after ripping up padding. You were lucky to get them out so easily. I spent…hum…countless hours crouched over pulling staples out of a 1200 sq ft floor after ripping out mine. But one staple at a time and they are gone. Like you, I know what to do with most of the floor, but not sure about the bathroom. The old linoleum stays until then. I’m loving this blog as I undertake a major cosmetic renovation of my new and first, old home.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, they can be a doozie! We learned earlier when removing the carpeting in all of the upstairs room that the long-handled staple scraper was a lifesaver! It takes some sweat, but it pops them right out. Of course some of them are recessed into the subfloor and those have to be dug out by hand (boo!) but it takes care of the rest.
xo
s
Rishia says
Perfect, dead on PERFECT as usual, solutions to immediate ‘issues’. Time for the fun part…. can’t wait to see what ends up swirling out of the two yours creativity and practicality. You two never disappoint!
Stephanie @ East To West says
Oh! I love semi-impulsive design make overs! I am loving the direction that the bath is going. Good enough until major remodel is the stage I am at right now too!
chris says
where we live in Canada tile is installed over particle board all the time , they lay down a steel mesh and a skim coat of cement then the tile, it is more than stable for tile.
YoungHouseLove says
Wow, never heard of that! Is it over plywood or particle board? Most sub floor is plywood which works a lot better for everything… apparently particle board breaks down into dust when you use it as a foundation. At least that’s what the pros here say (can’t even install wood floors over it if they’re nail-in – only floating). Boo!
xo
s
Cassie says
Just a few weeks ago we did the same thing. We had was a gross lumpy blue carpet covering our downstairs that set off everyone’s allergies who walked in the front door. And the lumps turned out to be….. piles of dirt [gross!]. Lots of that dirt was caked on thanks to any spills that happened in the last 20 years. A couple hours vacuuming sounds wonderful compared to the days of vinegar and scraping we endured :(
Anyway, the point is, I understand your moment of crazy! I’m still unsure what flooring we want, and it’s too early to decide anyway, so we’re painting the floors and living with it as well. I’m just soooo glad that carpet is out of here.
Darlene says
This is going to sound so pathetic but we took up our grey shag carpet in the living room/dining area and stairs over two years ago. With a dog and a husband, I was tired of taking care of it and the color was all wrong. So we’ve been living with subfloor ever since. There’s even an outline on the floor of where a door was spray painted some 30 years ago! We thought about painting the floor in the meantime ’cause there are other projects that need to be completed before the flooring but the thought of moving the furniture has kept us still “thinking”.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man! I think painting it in the meantime makes sense for sure! As long as it doesn’t counteract a down the line choice (ex: if you’re adding hardwood or carpeting, whether the subfloor is painted or not, it shouldn’t affect things, I don’t think). Good luck Darlene!
xo
s
Erika says
LOVE the mirror and buh-bye yucky old carpet!
The new placement and new mirror in that shape of a room make me think it would be GREAT if you could center the sink. Is there a way to do that sort of thing without re-routing the pipes entirely?
YoungHouseLove says
Down the line when we knock down that wall between the sink and the bath/toilet part of the bathroom we’re planning to get (or make) a double sink, so this first phase of cheap and easy changes are just to tide ourselves over while we save our pennies for the bigger renovation that we’re planning in a year or two.
xo
s
Erika says
Ah, makes sense! :-)
And I bet you are SO happy to have the carpet gone!
M says
May be a silly question…but when painting the mirror…what’s the best way to avoid the paint from getting on the glass…or how to remove the paint if it does? I’m wanting to change the color of a mirror that has an irregular border and using painters tape on the glass seems impossible. Help!
YoungHouseLove says
I just use a straight razor to scrape it (an exacto knife works in a pinch too).
xo
s
Alison says
I love the mirror!!! We are starting a huge project of sanding down all the walls and ceilings in our house, which were textured into sharp little spikes all over, and repainting everything. We started in our kids bathroom and I was thinking how nice it would look if we took down the frameless mirrors (which are glued to the wall) and put some nice framed ones on there. The problem is talking my husband into the idea. Thats probably more difficult than painting the bathroom.
Lindsay says
Just wanted to give a word of warning that if you do paint the floors, you may not want to do a dark color because it shows every speck of dirt and dust. My apartment came with painted black floors in the bedroom that NEVER look clean and as a result, I bought a giant area rug to put over it.
Daniel over at Manhattan Nest also recently ran into this problem: http://manhattan-nest.com/2013/08/16/the-kitchen-floor/
Jessica Irwin says
LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog. It has helped me do so many home improvements, you wouldn’t believe. You are my go-to home improvement site for advice. One question, how do you get projects done during naptime and not wake up the Clara? We have a one year old and when we try projects we wake her up! How do you avoid it?
YoungHouseLove says
We have been doing them since she was little, so I think she’s just used to it! Burger is a loud barky dog too, and she can sleep right through it! We use a sound machine too, so maybe that helps?
xo
s
Orlanda says
Just checking out your lovely blog after I saw you on Super Soul Sunday! Couldn’t help but think of that kind of porcelain tile that comes in the shape of short, wide planks and is made to look like wood… An updated way to get the look of wood with the function of tile and to create a unified look through both your bath and closet. Have you used it before?
YoungHouseLove says
We love the look of that! We’ve seen some in person and it’s beautiful! Always a down-the-line possibilty!
xo
s
Audra says
Love to see where you go with this…I’m looking to put in a new, budget friendly floor in the bedrooms to replace the 20 year old carpet.
Two years ago I did rip the carpet out of my daughters room and used wood filler and sanded the subfloor. I used floor paint and sealed it with 8 coats of polycrylic. Then we bought a huge thick rug from a carpet clearance store and she loved it so much that we haven’t replaced it with “real” flooring.
The new mirror is very pretty…looks great with the paint job!
And congrats on the newest bean! Clara will be an amazing big sister!
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds so nice Audra!
xo
s
Marnie says
So I have to ask…does Clara seriously sleep through a shop vac?? If so, that’s phenomenal and I’m pretty darn jealous. Our house has a crazy layout, and our kids bedrooms are downstairs – literally in the middle of the house – so we always tiptoe around during naps…I’m gonna venture to say we get slightly less accomplished than you guys during naptime :) Oh, and congrats on your 2nd bean in the oven!!! So excited for you guys!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! I have a tip about that in tomorrow’s post actually! Hope it helps!
xo
s
Karen says
But, S & J, you’re putting time and (so much) energy in doing this “temporary” job, (not to mention some money), why not just go ahead and do the full gut job? I know you guys watch money really well, but isn’t this not the most cost-effective in the long-run? :)
YoungHouseLove says
We’re actually trying not to put more than $100 into the for-now job (the mirror can be used anywhere else in the house if we can’t reuse it after the gut-job, and things like paint/stain for the meantime will make things nice without draining our wallets). We learned all the way back in our first house that doing a full gut job when you only live somewhere a few months means you haven’t had time to think everything through. For example, it took us 2 years of living with our first kitchen to realize that if we closed off a door we’d gain 70% more counter space. If we had rushed into it we would never have come up with that plan, and we would have had such a small cramped layout. So we did a Phase 1 makeover in there while we lived with it (just paint on the cabinets and peel and stick tile) which was worth enjoying an updated kitchen for those two years, and then when we had the money and had fully thought it through we renovated fully and loved the outcome! So worth the wait.
xo
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Karen says
You’re right, as usual! Note to self: Do not question the geniuses at YHL!!! (and duh, now that you’re preggers, a gut job is not such a good idea)… :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Karen! In DIY I don’t think there’s a lot of right and wrong, but there’s definitely a learning curve as we go to see what works best for us! We’re not so good at making decisions right away, so percolating seems to be necessary for big jobs!
xo
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Beth says
I was so happy to read about your flooring plan. I’ve been checking pinterest and reading up on that same idea but have been too afraid to try it. We just moved and have lovely turquoise carpeting in the formal living and dining rooms. I thought about ripping it up and painting the subfloor, covering it with nice area rugs – at least for a temporary fix while I save my pennies for the hardwood floors that I really want. I may have to rip out some carpeting this weekend! Thank you!!