Remodeling Bedrooms in 2019

Master Bedroom completed

 Our children's bedrooms were put to new uses soon after they moved out about 2000 but were still bedrooms just in case they wanted to move back or stay for a visit.  When I took on the job as Manager of the State Tax Commission of Missouri in 2006, I bought four rooms of new furniture for a townhouse I rented during the week then coming home on weekends.  During the time I lived and worked in Jefferson City, I started clearing out the two bedrooms and painted to re-purpose them.  My daughter's room became an office and my son's room became an exercise/yoga room.  When I came back home full time, I sold all the old furniture and replaced with the new.  We were also remodeling the lower level during that time making a spare bedroom and living/hobby room out of the half basement that was my work office for over 25 years.  I have wrote about that project on this blog.  Use the Search tool for "Remodeling the Lower Level" back in 2011.  There are two posts.  Then I summarized all the remodeling done 2016-2019 in another more recent post.  This house was built in 1978 and we moved into it in 1986.  Many updates and remodeling were needed after about 25 years!  

This recent project included three bedrooms with closets and the stairway to the lower level; carpet, paint, and all the necessary preparations.  We bought our carpet from Lowe's installed.  I set it up into three work orders so there would be time for Keith and I to do all the preparations.  There was no added cost as installation was free (we met the minimum dollar amount) and included removing/hauling off the old carpet and moving the furniture which did not include closets, electronics and bed(s) must be disassembled.   We bought about 600 sf of SOS Dynamic Beauty III (TruSoft) in Indigo (grey) textured.  We went with the better quality pad type called Stainmaster Elite Foam which added some cost to the pad that would've come free.  There was no sales tax.  We got 10% military discount and a $300 rebate.  I also used a Chase credit card that gives me 3 points on the dollar for home repair.  Valspar paint choices were Royal Gray for room #1 (office) and Gentle Violet for room #2 (bedroom).  The Master bedroom color had not been decided at this point as it would be the last project several weeks away yet.  I wanted to get the textured wallpaper before a final decision was made.  The background color of the Queen Anne's Lace textured pattern just happened to perfectly match the Royal Grey we had used for the new office!  We loved the Royal Gray color so much that we bought more for the Master Bedroom.  All carpet is the same in all three bedrooms and the stairway to the lower level.

Mid-June this year, Keith finished the first of three bedrooms by cutting out the carpet and rolling back enough to repair the floor squeaks with good screws, stained/sealed the baseboards/trim, repair nail holes in the drywall, and put down a threshold.  Then it was ready to prep and paint for me.  I got busy clearing out the closets in two rooms and emptying all the drawers/bookcases so the furniture can be moved in by the carpet installers from room #2 (office) in a couple weeks. The 1st room didn't have much to move as it was mainly an exercise/yoga room and air bed guest room, when needed.  The installers were to add all the furniture from room #2 and room #1 became the office/exercise room.  Room #2 became the guest (grandchild!) bedroom.  It quickly filled up with most of our Master Bedroom furniture shortly after the carpet was installed as well as the newly carpeted office.  Both rooms were basically too full to enjoy their completed new carpet and painting at this time.

We moved ourselves and our basic week's worth of clothing to the lower level bedroom.  We also had all the contents from all three bedrooms closets in the lower level for me to go through and separate in preparation for a Labor Day Carport Sale.  This was alongside the remaining carpet for the Master Bedroom and stairway which was rolled up ready to be installed.  Chaos for about three weeks!

While I was in Branson for a week taking care of our granddaughter when our daughter was on a trip, Keith painted the Master Bedroom vaulted ceiling and began removing the old wallpaper which I finished when I came home.  While I was painting the upper walls, he custom-made the crown molding and installed.  I painted it to match the background of the new textured wallpaper.  Then I hung the new textured wallpaper.  We were ready for the final carpet installation in a couple days.  The carpet installers were very good!  During this whole time they tried to stay on the original 3-day installation plan over several weeks while Keith and I prepared each room.  There were some changes made due to the installer having an ATV accident the day before the first installation and the initial measurement person that came weeks before had mis-measured the stairway so it had to be included in the final installation instead of the first so we could use the completed carpeted stairs as we lived in the lower level.  My original plan would have allowed us to use finished rooms more efficiently while we were in the lower level.  It was all good as we adjusted well enough and it helped that I was in Branson for one of those three weeks!  

Vintage 1978 ceiling border (above) was replaced with custom made crown molding (below)

Vintage 1978 wallpaper (above) was replaced with a textured Queen Anne's Lace print (below)

Master Bedroom completed corner

Extra Bedroom will have a daybed soon.  For now it is used as my yoga room.  It will be set up for our granddaughter when she stays.

New office room filled up just right with all the furniture that was in the smaller room.  Before it just had the elliptical, table, and yoga stuff.

Finally, the stairway was carpeted!  We also found just the right place for the Pearson Shield and Sword our son bought a couple years after he left home.

All the preparations were made for a very successful carport sale Labor Day Weekend.  The remaining items were donated to various local organizations including all leftover books, VCR tapes, storage boxes, and cassettes to the local library.  All leftover clothing items went to the local C.A.R.E.S. Thrift Shop, and the huge framed tornado art was donated to Bolivar's not-for-profit art gallery who just happened to be having a silent auction that very weekend.  Now all closets were organized with much room left over!  

With a great sigh of relief on a job well done, we began to look forward to a much needed trip to Hot Springs, Arkansas in October!  There's more to do but all in good time...