What an improvement! Great job.

*Stunning*!! How long did this take you? It looks really amazing, I bet you are thrilled with the out-come (as I am sure your neighbors are). We have been plugging away on the exterior of our house for 2 years now and getting to about the same point as you; a few trim details and the land scaping which we will do next year. Congratulations, it really looks like a whole new place!

We closed mid August of 2009 and that picture was taken last night, so exactly one year.

We moved in March 18, once the bulk of the inside work was done (not all mind you, but enough to move in without living in a total construction zone).

My husband was laid off most of that time so we were able to devote ourselves full time, literally, to the project.

I would love to show some inside photos but I only have befores, no afters. There is no quarter round down anywhere in the house, the downstairs bath is only 25% done and there are 3 or 4 rooms that don't have doors and baseboard yet so I haven't taken any inside after photos.

What a beautiful home, and the green/maroon color scheme is one of my favorites. The house looks much happier with its new coat of paint!

WOW!!! You have made amazing progress in just a year. Love the color combination too. Where are you located? I have plants you could have :)

Superb!!! I am sorry about the layoff, but what a great use of time, skill, and imagination.

I am seeing blue-gray with purple trim on my screen, and I think your elegant old lady absolutely rocks! Congratulations.

What a difference - WOW!!!!

LOL, the historic Independence, MO square, Harry S. Truman's home town. I'd love some plants .... but it's the tilling, the mulch and the labor that I'm short on as well. Does that come with the plants?

Honorbiltkit, It's two tones of green and a purplish red trim. The horizontal siding is a slightly darker green while the fishscales are a lighter, slightly more silverish green.

Your pictures made me smile and really made my heart sing! I love what you've done! I've always thought that color combo was nice and even thought about using it on my home. She's a grand old girl and you should be right proud!

The fishscales pretty much all had to be replaced. We saved a few just above the porch because they were intact and by the time we got to that point we were ready to be done. But all the rest are brand new. We started by removing the vinyl siding, then replacing rotten wood (window sills), then about 100 tubes of caulk later, we painted! Oh, we did end up removing a couple of windows as well which I know most people would consider a major sin. If you could see the inside (the kitchen) you were understand why we did it.



Here are some during photos. Keep in mind we'd never done anything like this before. HGTV and some library books, plus the support of some good friends are what got us through.

Sheesh, and I thought we had it rough just working on the *outside*! Your hard work has certainly paid off ~ maybe you have a new future in house restoration ;) Love your mailbox, too!

I think your home is beautiful. What a labor of love. Congratulations.

You did such a good job. Congrats.

Amazing job! Seeing the after picture almost brought tears to my eyes. I bet your neighbors love you.

Sally

Nice job!

green/maroon

I'm seeing green and lavender. And loving it.

Woops! That should be aquamarine and lavender.

Beautiful, just beautiful. It just makes my heart sing to see what you have done for that wonderful old house. You are my heros.
Diane

Wow, thank you all. Most of our friends thought we were nuts, and some still do. We lived in a large, expensive custom home (not MY idea of custom, but someone's!!) in a snooty lake community and we traded it all for this. No one understood the beauty and the history here - knowing that a young man who later became the mayor of this town built this house, who knows how many babies were born here, lives lived.

Many of the homes on our street are very decent - some are not. You take the good with the bad in an older neighborhood.

I can't wait to show you interior photos. All I have are "before" ones though as we are still just a few honey do's shy of finished in most rooms. In fact, there is not even one room I would call complete. Most are close but none camera worthy yet.

My blog is below. At the bottom of the page is a link that says "older posts" or something to that effect. I tried to group photos by room/area rather than in chronological order to make it easier to view. Again, there are NO afters, only before and during.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Blog

Nice job! I love it when someone sees the beauty in a old home and finds it worth the time and effort to save.

If you want to save some cash on plantings for next year look for plant sales from your local Master Gardeners. Many use plant sales to help educate the community about what is available locally. It sure beats the local box stores for quality and cost.

Thanks everyone. Check out my blog. I will try to post some after pics soon. We have lots of little trim work left to do which is why I haven't but hopefully that's something we can start working on soon.

Great job!. Good for you!

Fantastic job! But it is a whole lot of work, isn't it?

Hi, Beth!
Your home is beautiful - more so now that you've put your heart (and soul & sweat & $$, lol) into it! She wasn't "sad", so much as "waiting for you"!
Regarding the refinished floor, with the area in the center that was unfinished wood... In mine, upstairs, there are 2 "linoleum rugs" that didn't extend to the walls. The area under is unfinished, although the peremiter is. Is it possible the PO's removed them? I have pics of one of mine, I'll post them tonight - I'll even take a pic w/an edge pulled up, so you can compare. It's not held down well anymore. The other rug is still covered with w2w carpet. I caught a glimpse when I lifted a carpet corner WAY up. Hubby nipped that in the bud... Another day, lol!
I don't have a link for you right now - and kids are calling - but google "linoleum rug", maybe with "old house" thrown on, and you'll see what I'm talking about.
A side "weird" note.. I'd painted this room (& much of the rest of house) in the light sage green for 2nd sons nursery. Removed carpet a year later - and could not have picked better color to match if I'd taken a flooring sample to the paint store!
You have a beautiful home - the love she's getting shows!

Beth your home is beautiful. That was a lot of work. The house is smiling.

I got the same reaction of friends and family thinking I had lost my mind. LOL

You and your DH are brave people to tackle such a job, and to flourish at the end. Bravo, and what a testimony to determination.

May you enjoy the fruits of your labors for many years, in happiness and prosperity.

Beth, it is gorgeous. The house is showing pale aqua and dark purple on my screen, and I love it. You and DH did a lot of work, and it shows. May you have a long, happy life in that house.

Really Nice, Beth.
My DH has family in Independence. Maybe next time we are up, we will hollar at ya and see the ole place.
You mentioned in another post about re-doing the wood floors, do's & don't.
We have an 1893 farm house that has wood floors that are painted grey (by PO prior to 1981) I would love to strip and refinish.