Entry & Fireplace Makeover

Well, hello November! Us Johnstons just love November.  We love it so much, in fact, that we always choose this month to make a major move.  I was thinking today...I can't remember the last time we weren't moving or somehow in major transition at this time of year.  Which makes the holidays interesting and sort of crammed in there between unpacking and trying to juggle everyday life.  The good thing is that this time it's OUR house and we won't be locked into moving around lease dates.  Soooo niiiiice.

After a morning field trip to the Coleman Fish Hatchery, I took our three kids + one more to deliver In-N-Out to our hard-working men.  Today Peter has some helpers, which is wonderful! Thank you Dad and Grandpa!!! Wasn't it so nice of my grandparents to move to Redding just in time for our move? Not only were we able to inherit all of their moving boxes, but my grandpa is a great handyman.  Reminds me of last year when my dad retired from 37 years at the City just in time to fly over and help me move here from Hawaii.  The way they all plan their lives around mine is just amazing.  *wink*

Grandpa Cannon, Dad and Alex (in the background)

While Peter was pulling up carpet, prepping the bedrooms for paint and carpet and making runs to Home Depot, these two Cannons were busy covering our cinder block with sheetrock.  After much research as to whether we should attach the sheetrock to furring strips or directly to the cinder block, apparently it was decided to forego the furring strips.  It was would have made our already-narrow entry even more narrow (not by much, but some).  So now when I decide to hang something on that wall, I'll have to get a screw through the drywall and the cinder block behind it.  So I'll be carefully choosing what I decide to hang there! But I can already tell that the space is going to look so much softer and less, well, cinderblocky.

This brick wall was one thing about the house we really didn't like when we first looked at it.  It made for a very uninviting welcome.  But with the new sheetrock, the right wall art and our door re-painted Georgian Brick, I think it will be so much better.

On the right side you can see where the cinder block has been covered with sheetrock already.  I thought about even covering the top half of the brick fireplace with sheetrock.  Hmmm... how does one cover a curved brick fireplace with sheetrock? I'm very excited to see what this is going to look like after we paint it.  And hopefully we can have a nice curved mantle built, as well.

My man has blisters on his hands and is feeling sore and tired, so he'll be taking the evening off.  Tomorrow begins the re-texturing process in some of the rooms, which is a new skill for Peter.  Fingers crossed that it turns out great!