Redecorated living/dining rooms and stairway

Starting just after Christmas I made the decision to get new windows.  If you purchase good quality windows for your home this, to me, is a big ticket item.  I decided to go with an Anderson window with low-E glass.  Then I began to look around at the rest of my house and all I saw was shabbiness.  

While the windows were still on order, in January a professional painter, Don Coudriet, repaired and painted my living room, dining room and stairway and upstairs hallway. All these years and so many rooms past, I had always done my own painting.  I thought I was a good painter.  Now I realize what a hack I was.

My six new windows went in on the second Saturday in February (the 12th).  What a difference a high quality window makes - both visually and economically.

The following Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb 15th and 16th, my hardwood floors were sanded and brought back to their original finish.  Even though I've was told that the current trend is to stain hardwood floors to a darker color, I have always preferred a natural finish.  As the floors already had a dark stain and I wanted a new look, a natural finish was the only desirable choice.

That weekend I painted the baseboards and then the following Monday morning, February 21st, snowstorm and all, my carpenter showed up to install new matching shoe molding.  No paint on the shoe molding!

To Detroit area homeowners looking to give your home a facelift, I give my highest recommendation to all of the above contractors.   

As always, I forgot to take before photos.  Oh well - here are the after photos.  Note the new area rug which was delivered on February 22nd.  Timing is everything. 

Living room

Living room looking into dining room

Dining room - out of focus, but you get the idea 

Living room from dining room

Living room 

Stairway - note the new molding at the top and the
bottom of the stair

From the corner of living room looking towards stairs

New front door installed last summer

Living room

To the casual viewer of this blog expecting a 3,000 square foot home redo project - forget it!  I proudly proclaim that my home is less than 900 square feet.