Happy Birthday Hotel Chadsworth!

Three years ago this past weekend we moved into our home, which has affectionately become known as "Hotel Chadsworth" (I'll save that story for another post). Our home was a "fixer upper" as it was built in 1993 and nothing had been updated or maintained since it was built. I find myself constantly focusing on all of the things that still need attention, but this weekend I decided to take a look at our progress....here are a few pictures:

 

Our home just before we moved in....

 

 

 

Our home now...what is different?

 

 

 

A nice welcome to the neighborhood gift the month after we moved in!

It's hard to tell but we replaced all of the siding with Hardy Plank and got new shutters and doors. Not my favorite home improvement project, but the old siding had bubbled and had to be replaced.

 

 

Here is the entry hall area before (with other people's furniture)

 

 

 

And after....

 

 

 

 

Here is the living room before....

 

 

 

And after....

 

 

 

 

A few weeks after we moved in, I was at a VERY upscale furniture shop and came across the French blue settee and matching yellow and blue arm chairs. It was love at first sight but I knew they were WAY out of my price range. The wood has a beautiful finish that is a yellow distressed look over light blue. It turns out it was my lucky day....this furniture had been custom made for someone who unfortunately went bankrupt and couldn't buy it anymore, and the shop just wanted to get rid of it. I talked them down a little farther on the price and I got all three pieces for less than ONE chair originally cost! I love finding deals like that!

 

 



 

I am still looking for a small coffee table for this room...I want a small oval with a glass top and gold leaf bamboo looking legs. I am also waiting on throw pillows for the sofa in the same plaid fabric as my window treatments.



 

 

 

In addition to the pillows and coffee table, I am looking for some prints for the wall to the right of the blue settee and I am not sure what I want to do to the wall with the cream sofa but it seems too boring on that side of the room!

And finally the dining room before....

 

 



 

 

And after....

 

I am still looking for shades for the chandelier and then this room will be about done!

 

I am just finishing the powder room, I re-painted the family room/kitchen great room area, and I am waiting for the furniture for the sun room. I will post pictures of those rooms when they are closer to being done. Decorating is one of my hobbies, and while I have no formal training, I think between my mother and me, we do a pretty good job. Most of my decorating is done with bargain shopping...I have expensive taste and eight kids to put through college so I have to really hunt to find what I want in the price range I can afford. We have some fabulous home interior consignment shops, and I love HomeGoods, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and the fabric outlets!