Gray is the new beige

Well a lot has happened over the past month but I'll just talk about my love for our new inside paint color! Gray is definitely the new beige. If you follow any of the home TV channels you may have noticed as well. While beige used to be the neutral everyone ran to, it has now been replaced with gray! Sounds like an easy enough color to pick but if you aren't careful you will end up with purple-gray or maybe even too dark of a gray. We chose "place of dust", a rather fitting name, from a company based out of the area called Richard's Paint (again, I'm not advertising or have any affiliation). 

If you are a Pinterest fan search for gray rooms or decor and you will see how versatile gray can be. My favorite is to keep the whole room very neutral. Lots of grays, maybe some beige, blue, or white. Adding details instead of color creates such a neat look! Gray patterned pillows will accent the gray wall in my future living room. In the master bedroom the bedding is also gray with pillows in shades of gray. Have fun with different patterns and textures! Love it!

Vinyl Plank Floors!

Well our beautiful new floors are going in upstairs! I love them! We wanted something incredibly durable and waterproof (hello dogs and child). After doing research on all different types of flooring we fell in love with the idea of vinyl click planks. Easy to install and will last a long time! They can even be installed in bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, etc.

Now, vinyl used to be shunned as a cheap flooring, but oh how things have changed! Vinyl plank flooring can be just as expensive as nice hardwood floors and it is actually the "new" thing according to the flooring specialists we spoke with. We actually had trouble finding one in our price range! However, I was persistent and found a great one online.

 

We purchased 1500 sq feet of Feather Lodge Shark Plank Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring in Sugar Hill from www.bestlaminate.com (I am in no way being compensated, etc. from these companies, just sharing our choice and review). We also purchased 1500 sq ft of a 6mm visqueen moisture barrier. Moisture barrier is actually not a necessity when it comes to vinyl but the company recommended it in order to increase friction between the floating floor and the subfloor (Yes, i'm sure it was just an up-sale, but we got it anyways).

This particular flooring has a beautiful color and texture. There are lighter areas and wood texture throughout. This complements nicely with the rich brown color of the plank. I like this because instead of the flooring looking country it looks more "modern farmhouse". Which is exactly what I wanted!

 

The flooring also installs fairly easily for the average DIY-er. It can be cut with a utility knife and clicks together snuggly with maybe a little gentle taps from a tapping block or something similar. We made sure to follow all of the manufacturer recommendations as well for installation.

As far as wear goes, this particular plank is 4.2mm and waterproof (some only say water resistant fyi but I'm not sure if they are actually any different). Other than that, we haven't had it long enough to determine how easily it scratches. I'll have to let you know in the future! I can say, however, that for now I'm in love with them! Can't wait to add the baseboards! For now, my daughter's messy toys will have to hide the lack there of!

 

 

Hole be gone!

One of the biggest issues this house had was a big hole in an exterior wall. Along with this huge hole was old termite damage and rot on the wall and joists supporting the house. I think this issue scared a lot of people away from buying this home but not the Crawfords! Apparently, we enjoy a challenge! 

 

Yes, that's how it looked when we purchased the home! Mold and all!

 

It was such a happy day when the wall came down. I was so happy to finally not feel like we were breathing in that terrible mold every time we went there! Mold can be very dangerous and we wanted it out as soon as possible. Also, always remember to keep your vision of what the end will look like, otherwise it can get very scary having a huge hole in your future house!

 

 

One of the best decisions we have made on this house is moving the side door that is in this wall. It was on the left side of the wall (from an exterior view), but since this is actually our future kitchen, we wanted to be able to wrap the kitchen cabinets around that corner and provide more counter space. So, as you can see in the picture below, we moved the new door to the right side (and I love my new door with the blinds inside the glass!).

 

 

 

The wall isn't finished yet and we needs steps (notice the floating door!) but I'm so glad it's at least closed in and the hole, mold, and termite damage is gone! One step closer to the end of this nightmare...I mean...fun!!