Thursday, March 27, 2014

Finally Finished Floors

 
 
 
Well ~ I've finally finished refinishing my living room/dining room floors.  It was a long haul, mostly because I took a 3 month break right in the middle of the project.
It all started over Labor Day when I reached my limit with my dirty off-white carpet that I could no longer get clean.  It seemed like the spots would grow overnight and in a fit of frustration, I started ripping up the carpets.  I had been saving for replacement carpet for several years, even though I knew I had nice oak hardwood flooring underneath.  And I had every intention of putting new carpet down.  But ~ the floors had such potential if I would just make the effort to refinish them ~ and so I did.
 
 
Like I said, I started in September and would hand sand, stain, and polyurethane sections of five-board widths at a time.  The living room floor was easy to sand by hand because the finish was pretty much worn off and it kept the dust to a minimum.  After sanding, each section received two coats of stain and two coats of polyurethane, which I did each night before going to bed, so they could dry overnight and not be walked on.  If they were still a little tacky by morning, I could easily step over five-board widths, thus allowing me to go on with life while working on the floors.
 
 
I started behind the couch, moving furniture as needed, and got about half-way across the living room when fall leaf raking consumed my time, then Thanksgiving, followed by Christmas.  There they sat unfinished until after New Years when I started up again.  But ~ as often happens ~ one project leads to another. By the time I reached the hallway where there was still carpet, I knew it was time to not only do the floors, but also to replace the door and floor trim in that area, which led to Project 1.
 
 
And Project 1 led to Project 2, refinishing the stairs.
 
 
By this time I had worked my way over to the dining room, which was the most difficult part.  Previous owners had used a large professional sander to refinish the dining room and had left gouges in the floor.  Plus, their sanding had removed the darker stain that was used on the living room floor, making it extremely difficult to match the two sections.
I did the best I could, using two different stains trying to achieve the darker color of the living room, but the difference is still evident and the gouges are very noticeable.  The two rooms flow into each other, but because the living room had been carpeted, there was metal trim on the dividing line.  When I removed that, underneath it were nail holes and cut marks in the wood from the carpet layers.  Maybe others wouldn't have noticed, but it caught my eye every time I walked through the rooms, so I installed an oak strip room divider to cover the holes and cut marks.
 
 

Stained oak strips were also installed in each of the door openings to the bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen, and closets.  They were the most expensive part of this project.
~
Well, while we're in the living room, I'll show you how I decorated for spring. 
Last year I made these pillow covers for spring.  My intention was to use them to brighten up the room and pull out the soft aqua color to use as an accent.  Not a color one would normally use to go with my burnt orange sofa, but it works because of the pillows.


Next to the sofa I used a vintage egg basket to hold bright and cheerful spring-colored eggs.


On the other end of the credenza is a white tulip arrangement in aqua Ball jars that I shared in more detail in a previous post.


On another wall, next to the TV armoir are more touches of soft aqua in the form of a sweetly nested bird and a solitary candle.



Then on the mantle to continue with a touch of spring, I changed out the framed print, added aqua candles, another Ball jar with tulips, and a small glass pedestal container of vintage aqua buttons.







Thus ends the tour of my living room and my longest drawn out project.  I miss the warmth of the carpet, especially since it was such a cold winter, but I love how they look and the richness of the wood.  I have a few rag rugs around the room, but haven't decided yet if I will purchase an area rug for the center of the room.  For summer, I think it'll stay as is and revisit the rug decision when winter rolls around again.
Thanks so kindly for coming by to visit.
~
Linking with
~
French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
~
Common Ground for Be Inspired
~
The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays
~
Mod Vintage Life for Mod Mix Mondays
~
Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
 

16 comments:

Unknown said...

Your floors turned out beautiful! We just got hardwoods in the Master Bedroom and I am so thrilled!

Debby said...

Amazing how you did this all by yourself. It all looks really good

Betty said...

Everything looks so beautiful. Now come over and do my kitchen floors. HA! HA!

Michele M./ Finch Rest said...

Cindy, your floors look FANTASTIC - oh my goodness.

You did an absolutely fantastic job, well done wow!

Love your spring touches. Now if we could just have spring weather.....

Anita Diaz said...

Wow, I am so impressed!! What a project to tackle! And it looks so wonderful. I'm sure you are so proud of it and really enjoy looking at your handiwork. So many pretty and unique things you have there too. Just beautiful!! Thank you so much for stopping by:-)

Stacey said...

Your floors are amazing! You are one determined girl and it worked out beautifully. You should be very very proud. :)

My Garden Diaries said...

Your floors are gorgeous Cindy!!! Holy cow! Your work all over your house is just magnificent!!! A professional trades man or woman could not have done it better! My hands actually got tired after reading the labor that went into those floors and boy are they just stunning! And your spring touches are so pretty! I love the eggs in the basket! A wonderful day to you friend!!! Nicole xoxo

Linda P said...

You've worked so hard on your indoor projects over the Autumn and Winter months, Cindy. Everything looks fresh and lovely. I love all your touches of Spring in your colour scheme and displays especially as greeny-blues are my favourite colour shades. Hope you get some Spring weather now and you can sit back and enjoy your handiwork as the sunshine highlights your lovely rooms.

Nancy said...

Hi Cindy. Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving the nice comment. I'm glad you did, as it brought me here. Your floors are beautiful. Well worth all the effort and time you put into them. I looked at your profile and I see you're from Worthington. I lived in Columbus for 13 years, 10 of those with my late husband. We spent many happy times in Worthington. I remarried and became a Pacific Northwest transplant. Your blog is so pretty, and I'm following now via Google Connect. I have a monthly blog party Every Room In The House. It would be so nice if you would join us with any bedroom posts -- they don't have to be recent -- in March. We party in a different room every month, so maybe you'll want to join in on upcoming parties. At any rate, I'm glad I found you. Here's the link to the current party:http://www.ajoyfulcottage.com/2014/03/every-room-in-house-party-3.html Blessings, Nancy @ A Joyful Cottage

Jacqueline~Cabin and Cottage said...

What a beautiful job you did on your floors! Once again I am in awe of your many talents. I also like how a wood floor gives you options. Easy to add a nice rug if you want it like you say. Your room is beautiful all dressed for spring!

JoAnne said...

Your floors are beautiful, Cindy! I'm so impressed that you did all of that yourself. I wouldn't worry about the imperfections, that's just part of the charm of an older home. Your spring decor is really pretty too!

Connie said...

I am so impressed that you could do all that work like a pro. I admire your "sticking to it" attitude that produced such beautiful rooms. Enjoy your new spaces and all the lovely compliments that are coming your way.

Liz@ HomeandGardeningWithLiz said...

I admire your tenacity on this project. It looks like the floors came out really great! All of your decorating touches look wonderful too. Now you can sit back and admire all your hard work and the new look you created with lots of pride!

Candy S said...

Beautiful Job on the floors. I like the color of stain that you used - not to dark, not to light. I would not have the stamina to see a project of this size through. Congratulations on a job well done.

The Tablescaper said...

Love all of your touches.

So wonderful to have you at Seasonal Sundays. Looking forward to having you join this weekend as well!

- Alma, The Tablescaper

A New England Life said...

I think you did a stellar job, Cindy, as always! The floors look so much nicer than carpet could ever look. Plus they're easier to keep clean. Enjoy!

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