The Neverending Story (a fixer-upper update)

A quick update on our fixer-upper because, no, we’re not done with the remodel yet. I’m not complaining– we’re chipping away at projects as our schedule and finances allow, refusing to go into debt (or the mental asylum) over this renovation.

via GIPHY

Instead, God’s forever teaching us patience, and we’re continually shuffling the master honey-do list. Most recently we tackled the landscaping and started a fence with the help of handy friends. We also did a quick update on our guest half-bath.

Bathroom before: Though we painted, replaced the commode, and installed new flooring when we first moved in a year and a half ago, this recent makeover included a new faucet, light fixture, towel hook, and accessories.

The modest closet bathroom belongs mostly to Husband, as it’s adjacent to his home office; he digs the mid-century modern sink and mirror that have a cool, retro vibe and so chose to work with them instead of throwing the baby out with the bath water. Embracing the era, he selected a simple, shiny faucet in a better scale and a simple, shiny light fixture with old-fashioned Edison bulbs.

Outside, for curb appeal: New sod, underground sprinklers, plantings, river-rocked flower beds, and a 6 ft. cedar privacy fence (fear not, there’s a secret passageway between yards for the cousins) were tackled. Husband tore out the old tetanus-laden chain link along the back retaining wall and will replace it with some sort of ranch-style fencing that keeps things open to the woods behind our house. Our property goes down the hill a ways and now that Husband has tamed the jungle it’s actually quite lovely.

Husband has now installed four fences for the six homes we’ve owned in our adult lives– he’s forever mending fences. Snort! This time around we went with a more modern, dark stain called ‘Cinder’ which Firstborn helped apply.

For the back we plan to do something along these lines by wrapping the existing posts with cedar:

We still adore our shade canopy, it makes summer evenings in the backyard bearable and even helps cool the interior of the house.

Quick reminder of how far we’ve come:

*It’s fine. Chain-link works, it’s still around, but it’s the cheap, go-to utilitarian option we kids of the 80’s & 90’s grew up on– much like convenience “just add ground beef” boxed dinners that we split cells on.  

One last parting photo update, for posterior– er, posterity’s sake– of Husband doing a jig for our new doorbell.

Addt’l before & afters from our fixer-upper journey:

Radical Ranch Remodel, Rockin’ the Suburbs, Welcome to Myyyy House, Movin’ on Up, Home Sweet Money Pit, Remodel: Hall Closet Turned Pantry w/Barn Door, A Tale of Two Sisters, Fixer-Upper Houseiversary