One Room Challenge Ranch Renovation Week Two

It's Week Two of the One Room Challenge™ already!  Yikes.  Time is moving much too quickly. Go here for Week One.  

Before I show what's happening/not happening at my house, let's look at pretty pictures.  I shared an image last week showing fabrics I'm considering.  Until I commit, I'm fickle.  There are just so many gorgeous options, it's hard to choose.  Today, I'm all about Jane Churchill at Cowtan. She's killing it with her embroidery fabrics.  The one above with the blooms and leaves is beyond words.  I want it everywhere.  See the trim with the little pom-poms?  Oh my.  I need to incorporate that somehow.  

And, still more options.  The blue velvet you keep seeing is from Stroheim, and I already have it on a settee that will be in the living room.  The settee was a past ORC project that you can see here.  And, as I was saying, once I commit, I'm committed.  I chose that fabric three years ago (can't believe it was that long ago!) and I still love it.  This Timothy Corrigan print is amazing and would be spectacular on upholstered chairs in the sitting room.  Help me out here.  Two gorgeous options, but such different directions!  Thoughts?

This lovely image is from Alexa Hampton's book, and is one of the inspiration images I've been collecting.  I mentioned last week that I'd made big life changes during the past year.  It's made me want a more aesthetically serene environment like the somewhat monochromatic space seen here.  However, I received this book in the mail today, and all bets are off.  Now, I'm wondering about throwing some happy green into the mix.  Ugh.  

So, now on to what's going on at my house.  Before I can start working on the aspects of this project that will be really fun for me, I've had to really get out of my comfort zone.  As I mentioned last week, this is a ranch house that needs a complete renovation.  I've actually always liked ranches, and have been dismayed to see so many of them here in Dallas bulldozed and replaced with large dwellings that combine a misguided understanding of Tuscan/Mediterranean/Tudor/Disney Castle architecture.  

For my One Room Challenge project, I'm redoing the ceilings, the walls, and the floors.  Did I mention I have zero experience dealing with construction or remodeling?  I definitely needed someone to manage all of the different types of work I know nothing about.  Have any of you ever used Home Advisor?  I called and talked to an executive at their headquarters to learn about how they work, and decided to give it a try.  I'll follow up after the project to let you know about my experience.

If you read about remodeling a ranch house, one of the most important things you can do to add value is to raise the ceilings.  Typically, they're 8 feet, and home buyers want more height. Because of roof pitch, it's usually not possible to go straight up to raise the ceilings.  In a more internal room, it works, however, and because of the entry's inset, they can be raised easily.  I'm so happy that I listened to friends who strongly encouraged me to make this specific update. It's not yet finished out, but I can already appreciate the huge difference it makes.    

Just looking at this photo is frightening.  I took this picture yesterday.  Are you wondering how in the world all of this is going to happen in time?  I am!  Gerald assured me he would have it completed in plenty of time to do my part.  However, we've basically had a week go by without much progress.  There was an HVAC issue that interfered with the ceiling work, and the work is now definitely behind where it should be.  Do you think it can be done? It's the ORC, so there's nowhere to hide -- I suppose we'll all know soon enough.  

This is the front door I'd love to use.  You can't go anywhere in Dallas without seeing one on almost every block.  Why then can I not find a source?  I've scoured the internet, and can't find a thing. If anyone could point me in the right direction, I'd be very grateful.  One of these with sidelights would add much needed light to the entry.  

Moving on to walls -- I sent this image to Metrie, one of the One Room Challenge™ sponsors. They're helping me with moulding, and my walls are going to be gorgeous.

My paneling won't be this same configuration, or purple, but this image illustrates the type of paneling I'll have.  I can't say enough about how wonderful the people at Metrie have been.  My level of ignorance in this arena requires lots of hand holding, and I've been met with nothing but the most friendly, helpful, patient attitude.  All of the new moulding, crown, and baseboard with make such an improvement.  I can't wait to see!

The other major update I'm tackling is flooring.  The entire house is carpeted with the exception of the kitchen and the bathrooms.  While I love rugs, I'm not a wall to wall carpet fan, and my allergies make that impossible anyway.  Since my previous houses had hardwoods, I've never needed to know anything much about wood floors beyond their care.  Purchasing flooring for an entire house is an important investment, and I wanted to learn all I could about hardwoods.  Thank goodness for online.  My search for educational information on hardwood flooring led me quickly to Jessica Hickman from Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring.   Jessica's written incredibly helpful articles about hardwoods that make learning about flooring easy and interesting.  I looked at photos of her company's flooring and decided I wanted to work with her.  Reading reviews about her and Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring confirmed my interest.  Below is an image of the flooring that's on its way to Dallas this very moment.  Thinking about replacing that carpet with these hardwoods makes me so happy : ).  More on this next week.

Head over to see the other Featured Designers!

Centsational Girl | Chris Loves Julia | Christine Dovey | Dwell With Dignity 

The English Room | Glitter Guide | House of Brinson | House Updated

  J+J Design Group | Lark & Linen | Abby Manchesky | Nesting Place

 Old Brand New | Old Home Love | The Pink Pagoda | Rambling Renovators

Erica Reitman | Sketch 42 | Suburban B’s | Erin Williamson  

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For more interior design inspiration, visit Calling it Home on Thursday to see bloggers across the US and beyond transforming spaces as One Room Challenge Guest Participants.