Some remodels are out of necessity

And let me tell you what necessities are...

• functionality that can't be worked around
• privacy
• healing

Some of our remodels were a product of a need for all of those reasons.

The first remodel of any scale was the master bedroom.  The room was ruined for us early on.  Not only was I dealing with the ghosts of girlfriends past. Oh, and we had a peeping Tom.  Okay, it was a peeping ex-husband.  Still, it ruined the room.  Nothing will kill the romance like worrying that someone is watching.

Something had to be done.

We were going to get rid of the existing cornice that while designed to look like drapes functioned more like a window frame.  It conveyed with the house.  It was ugly and it smelled.  (This was before I had discovered Febreeze...of course, even if I had...it still would have had to go.)

The blinds were the old skinny metal ones.  You know the ones I'm talking about.  These were the blinds that even when closed still allowed someone to peek through...hence the need for the remodel.

And since we were going to get all new window coverings, we might just as well get paint for an accent wall and a new light fixture and maybe some matching lamps for the nightstand.  It was all very exciting.  There's nothing like a bedroom remodel to bind a couple together.

Oh, that's right.  This is a remodeling blog.  You don't want to read about our budding romance.  You just want to know what we did, get ideas for your projects, and move on.

Say no more.

Lowe's carries a nice selection of white wooden blinds.  They are wider, with a larger overlap.  This is important, especially if the master bedroom is on the ground floor of the home and not enclosed by the privacy fence.

We added a new curtain rod, antiqued bronze, and some long brown micro suede curtains.  The accent wall was painted Rum Red.  (Well, it was a bright cheery red, nothing like...red rum...)

Some painting tips...

• If you are a bad painter working with your boyfriend who is a contractor, a little alcohol can go a long way.  (This is for him, not you.  You need a steady hand and all the focus and concentration you can manage, while he needs to lighten up and be less critical...hence the alcohol.)  PS. Make sure it doesn't wear off mid-project.  I'm just saying.
• Watch for drips.  Even them out.  Drips will ruin a wall.  And a ruined wall can ruin a relationship...unless you have a sense of humor.
• Prime.  If you don't prime, make sure it is because you have invested in a more expensive paint that has the primer built in.  It's worth it if you want the color to look like it does on the paint key.  At the same time...
• The color is never ever ever going to look exactly like it did on the paint key.  The lighting is always different in the store.  And when you bring home the paint key for the room, it's hard to tell from that itty bitty picture how an entire room is going to look.  Trust me.  It will always be different from what you expected.
• Don't be afraid to buy a sample jar or two or four.  This is as close as you are going to get to really getting a sense of how the room will look.  Paint a big two by two section, step back, wait for it to dry, and decide. 

The beauty of paint...it's not permanent.  If you hate it and have the time, money, and energy, you can simply repaint.

Just remember, this is supposed to be fun.  Wear a smile.  Joke.  Laugh. It's remodeling not neurosurgery.

And if you have any questions, visit Carolina Home Enhancements or check out our contact us page.

I've always fancied myself a do it yourselfer...

He loves his power tools...

When I was in high school, I already was in love with design.  I toyed with going into some aspect of the field in college, but took the easy way out.  I pondered career changes.  I even considered becoming a house flipper.

I watched all the shows and quite frankly, the challenges they faced seemed like rookie mistakes.  I figured I could do better.  I watched all the shows.  That was the same, right?

So, my ex-husband and I bought our first house.  It was a 1980s contemporary ranch.  I fell in love with the open floor plan.  All it needed was a little updating, and for the bathrooms to be remodeled, then it should be good to go.

Only, it didn't quite work out that way.  My ex husband was not...handy.  Handsy, but that is so not the same thing. 

I was on my own in the remodel department.  And I swore, after struggling with heavy lifting and removing not one but two antique tile floors that I would have a man to help me with future remodels. 

Enter my new almost husband.  (It will be official, 09/10/11!) 

Sam is a contractor.  He has been working on all aspects of home remodeling for roughly thirteen years.  He is a third generation remodeler.  And when I had projects, I sort of confided in him.  He was, after all, experienced and did conveniently live just down the street.  Poor, Sam.

He patiently helped me with projects.  And because I enjoyed doing projects with him, we started working on his home even before we were dating.  Our first project was a tiling project.

The original owners had remodeled the bathroom, sort of.  And they had taken a few shortcuts with the plumbing.  Sam hates that kind of thing.  So, he hauled out a jack hammer, drilled out the slab, and replaced the tiles. 

I came in for the grouting part.  We worked together.  I grouted, he  wiped.  We had the entire room knocked out in no time.  And soon feelings had developed.

The more I worked on the house, the more I wanted to share it with him.  And now, here we are, three years later, about to get married and have that life I imagined so long ago. 

We still love working on projects together.  We make a great team, the do it yourselfer and the professional.  What I lack in actual skill, I make up for in enthusiasm.  That's our joke.

Come back often to read our adventures in remodeling, see some of our projects, and get advice and help from the professionals.  We have our own company, Carolina Home Enhancements.

Follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.  Connect with us and let us know how we can help.  All projects should run smoothly.  We can make it happen.