Metamorphosis Monday -- And 2 1/2 years of my Life

My husband decided he wanted to remodel the house. I did not want to do it.

We have done major remodels on every house we've ever lived in. I still did not want to do it.

But eventually, after much nagging, I agreed. I thought if you just flipped the existing dining room and kitchen it would work out well. We also needed to replace windows, interior and exterior doors, add interior trim and a few other odds and ends. Probably about a 6-month job, so very doable and the end result would be wonderful. Even knowing I would like the end result, I really did not want to do it.

Then my husband decided he wanted to put on an addition. Okay, a nice, large family room would be nice! And I could finally have a "square" family room instead of the rectangular waste of space rooms I usually have to work around. Then sweetie-pie that he is decided the addition should be a 2-story addition with an extra deep basement. It was now out of control. I was getting a knot in my stomach. I really did not want to do it.

Then he decided he wanted to rip the roof off and change the pitch. The shallow pitch of the existing roof screamed 60's colonial. Actually changing the roof line was my idea but we in so deep now it really did not make much difference. I knew who was going to be responsible to get the job done. I did not want to do it.

My husband also thought it would be a good idea if we lived in the house during the all the construction. And this would include my 3 Rottweilers and 3 cats. At this point I was numb and thinking "just shoot me now".

Over the next 2 1/2 years we did a total gut of our existing home inside and out. Not only a new roof but a new roof line. Added a 20' by 50' 2-story addition including an extra deep basement. All new windows, interior doors and exterior doors, siding, new chimney, new garage doors, new interior/exterior lighting, all new plumbing, all new ductwork, new appliances, 2 new fireplace, new kitchen cabinets, plumbing, 2 new furnaces, hot water heater, patio, wrap-around porch, 4 baths gutted plus added 2 addition full bathrooms, new hardwood floors, new carpeting and the list goes on and on and on.

We began breaking ground on Jun 26, 2006 and the last day for my finish carpenter was Nov 28, 2008.

And I did it all.

I not only designed the house which took me a good 6 months but GC'd the entire 2 1/2 year construction project from breaking ground for the addition to the last trim on our wrap-around covered porch. I lost over 30 lbs. And was down to High School Graduation weight, 102 lbs, when the construction concluded.




Here's our simple, ugly house before.











And so it began with the messy, gawd awful concrete foundation:









And then the carpenters got to work:





















And Finally!

Here's our house as it stands today. We still need to do some landscaping but that's all.

It's done....I'm done. ;)







Metamorphosis Monday is hosted by Susan of Between Naps on the Porch. Please visit Susan's site and find some new ideas, renovations and remodeling that are being freely shared by so many gracious and highly creative people.



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