closing the chapter on harvard avenue: lower level family room tour

 

photo by carin davis

It's been a little over a year that we've been here in New England. And oh what a year. One day we will write a book entitled 'Our Year In New Hampshire' and next time we see each other, ask us to tell you a story and you better believe, we will have a good one for you!  There are just so many to choose from!

We have had so many adventures, both good and bad. But we are adjusting to a new place, new people and beginning to find our place here on the East Coast.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  Before I really get started here on this current chapter, I want to finish that chapter.

Yes that one.

On our dearly loved Harvard Avenue.

The last few months of living there were rough, with James commuting back east and the kids and I  at home trying to finish up the remodel...the remodel that was a couple days from full completion when Piper (the dog) used the water supply line in the upstairs bathroom as a chew toy and flooded the main level and the freshly completed basement while we were away for the day.

It is never a good thing when you open the front door, and it sounds like it is raining in your house.

Yes Harvard house remodel, you nearly did me in.  And then to have to leave you three months after completion, nearly broke my wee designer heart. I've started this post, several times over the last year, but the tears would start flowing every time I looked through these pictures. Not because of the remodel process(!) but because I've never lived in a place that so truly felt like home.

I loved living here, with our home being filled with friends and family. I loved the park up the street, Immigration Market, the Clayton Musical, breakfast at Eggs in the City, every child's school within a short walk, tree-lined streets in the fall, neighborhood carnivals. It was our little slice of heaven.

So I thought I would document this home with a little home tour before I get started documenting our new home. We'll start with the level that had the most drastic change. The lower level. There was not one inch that was not touched on this level. And it got really bad before it got better!

what we began with...warped slanted hardwood & yellow linoleum stairs and hallway

  knocking out walls, adding new plumbing lines, and pouring level concrete floors

 new open layout, new drywall, new duct work, new lighting & new concrete floors

 we didn't mind the weird wall/duct work since we knew we could hide it by building a media center cabinet here

the original hearth was so cracked and damaged when we bought the home that we knew we would need to end up redoing it. We did the floors in a durable, high end laminate (Mannington) & painted the walls in Gray Owl by Benjamin Moore (yes, along with the rest of the blogging world!)

BEFORE

 

and 

AFTER

photo by carin davis

Can you believe the difference?! I hardly can. It was a beast to live through, but this became our perfect little hangout/playroom for all of us. Just down the hall we added two bedrooms, one for Andrew & one for Cam, and a beautiful, albeit pint-sized, bathroom too. Those rooms are coming up next!

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