Moving On To The Foyer And Bedroom — Here Are The First Projects I Need To Tackle
Yesterday, I started working on the doorway between the bedroom suite foyer and the closet/laundry area, and I made some good headway on it. I hope to have it finished either today or tomorrow, which means that my closet will officially be finished!! That was the last remaining closet project on my list, so as soon as I can check that box on my list, I will take loads of pictures of the finished closet and share those with you. I’m aiming to do that early next week, either Monday or Tuesday.
So that means that next week, I’ll be moving on to the foyer and the bedroom…finally! I anticipate that I can get these areas done in less time than it took me to do the closet. That closet was a pretty extensive project with loads of cabinets that I had to build. Plus, I stained and sealed the floors in the entire bedroom suite, changed my mind on the color, and then took time to completely sand them down and refinish them a second time. That was a pretty big project that delayed progress on the closet, and there won’t be anything like that hindering my progress on the foyer or bedroom.
But here are some of the first things on the agenda. First, I need to deal with the ceiling light in the foyer. Before we started moving walls to square up the new bathroom (back when this hallway was much larger), this light was centered in this area. Now that walls have been moved, the light is in a very awkward position that makes no sense at all.
But if I center it in the smaller area, it’ll be jammed right up against the air return vent (is that what those are called?) for our HVAC. The return vent can’t be moved, so that means that the light needs to go away.
So I’m thinking about adding some wall sconces to the foyer instead of having a ceiling light. I could add two sconces flanking the full-length mirror I plan to put on this wall.
And then I could add more lighting on this wall to the left of the closet doorway where I plan to put an upholstered bench and artwork.
I need to think through that a bit more, but I really do want to get rid of the ceiling light altogether. And that needs to happen before I can start putting up grasscloth wallpaper.
Also, the door in the bedroom needs to be installed. This is the door I bought…
And it will replace the big window on the left — the window that’s on the front of the house.
I know this is a controversial decision, but it’s the decision that makes me feel peaceful. The door was supposed to be installed last week while I was still on break, and I was so excited about the idea of coming back from my break and showing y’all the installed door. But the door arrived one day too late for my contractor to hold my position in line. Literally, one day too late. Ugh! So he had to move on to go ahead and move on to another customer, and he’ll get back to me when that project is finished. He said it would be about two weeks. But obviously, that also needs to be done before I can finish up the grasscloth wallpaper in the bedroom.
Next item on the list that needs to be done immediately is moving the breaker box up about eight inches. It’s right in the way of the wainscoting that I’m planning, and I don’t want to move the wainscoting down any lower than 32 inches.
But this whole area has given me grief. I’ve been stressed about how to decorate around/over a metal breaker box in the bedroom, but over my break, I finally had clarity on how to handle it (I think). I have a plan for how to make it disappear and make this whole area make sense. So I’m not stressed about it anymore. But it does still need to be moved up about eight inches.
And then I need to get this attic access taken care of. Obviously, I don’t want to have this in our bedroom, but moving this will be quite a project.
I want the attic access to go in what is now the hallway bathroom, so getting this done will mean that I’ve actually arrived at the point that the hallway bathroom needs some significant changes. I will have to remove the corner cabinet and shelves just inside the bathroom to the right to make way for the new attic access.
I’ve been procrastinating on this because I love this bathroom. It was the second room I remodeled in our house, and I’m a little sentimental about it. But this will be a stepping stone towards bigger and better things. So as sad as it makes me, it’s time. The cabinet and shelves need to come out and the new attic access needs to go in so that I can continue on with my bigger plan and bigger vision.
I would love to get the whole bedroom suite finished by the end of the year, but I have no idea how realistic that goal is. After all, I had no idea that the closet and laundry area would take me five months to finish! That project took twice as long as I thought it would. So while I’m really going to do my best to have us in our new bedroom suite by Christmas, I can’t make any guarantees. I’ll try my hardest, though. But just like with the closet, it’ll be a while before I can actually get to any of the fun decorating projects. These first few projects are necessary, but they’re not all that exciting.
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Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
Although I can’t tell from the photo, I assume your attic access has a drop down stair (or whatever they are called) but if one does not, please install one so attic access is easier for you as you think ahead to kitchen renovation and and house addition.
If you google use IKEA frames to cover an electric panel you’ll find a video showing this very clever hack –
I’m so sad about the gorgeous bathroom going away! It gives me the best, albeit strange, feeling of peace and calm. I’d layer cushions in the tub when not in use and make it a reading nook, that’s how much I love it!!!
Oh well, so long my lovely…I’ll remember you always🥰
( warned you it was strange )
I love that bathroom, it’s one of my favorite rooms. But I also loved the mural in the guest room and was so sad to see it go. But I also know the new floor plan will work better for you and Matt and that’s what is important. Looking forward to watching the master bedroom transformation. It will be gorgeous I am sure.
Wasn’t there also a sunlight tunnel thing in the foyer ceiling that you were going to re-open to allow natural light into that room?
Are a few recessed lights out of the question for the foyer area? It might be night to have that option along with the sconces. Function and fun😁
Yay! Bravo to you! You always come up with great solutions. Excited to see you get started with the next rooms/areas. You are getting there.
You might consider one pot light in the foyer ceiling. Not centered but in the lane of travel to your bedroom; then add sconces. That might give you better overall lighting.
For variety sconces can also be in the form of picture lights.
Are you planning on tackling the electrical box and attic access yourself? You might consider using your contractor to help you out with some of that. It would really help to jump start your project. I love your closet and look forward to seeing your bedroom and foyer come to life.
I won’t be doing either one of those myself. I can do basic electrical stuff, but tacking an entire breaker box is a bit much for me. 🙂 And I’ll let someone else cut into my drywall and create an attic access.
I love that hallway light Kristi. Could you please tell me where you got it or the name of it?
It’s this one: https://www.homedepot.com/p/SAFAVIEH-Great-Veil-3-Light-Antique-Gold-Semi-Flush-Mount-Light-LIT4230A/205644653
I forgot to mention that I thought you wanted to move the electrical box into your future utility room aka bathroom, along with the attic access and crawl space so that they’re all together. Also, please open up your tube light!
I considered moving the electrical box, but I just don’t want to dish out that much money to move something that I can pretty easily work around/disguise. It would be a pretty huge project to move it to a completely different area of the house.
Since you will have crown moulding, you could recess led rope lighting under the perimeter with a variety of day/night, cool/warm modes and motion activation.
I actually thought of that! I can’t really picture having it under, though. I thought it would go up/over/inside. I’l have to search for some pictures of what you’re talking about. Matt and I both love really soft lighting in the bedroom, so it might be something we’d put throught the foyer and bedroom.
I think having the rope lighting pointing upwards onto the ceiling will provide more light actually, if it is a white ceiling. The light will wash over about a foot or so, and if you did it all the way around, that is quite a bit of light, but softened by the moulding.
I love the hallway bathroom and I know you want to reorient it, but it’s sad to think about it. However, instead of putting attic access there, is there any chance of putting in your bedroom hallway? You already have the air return there, and you’re planning to move that light anyway. So it might be a good place if it could work.
I understand your reluctance. That bathroom is so lovely it has grieved me that you are losing it! And now I known you feel the same, it somehow makes it easier to see the beauty of the whole plan and to let it go.
Thanks for this journey. Looking forward to lots of lovely pics, organization and display ideas when the closet is done.
It’s time for the plunge! I’m familiar with tearing into rooms that are done in order to move ahead with larger home projects. Always tough but you hold the vision and have something better in the end.
I don’t see how the attic access is such a big deal? Why move it? They aren’t really something you will stare at. If you think of it in terms of the same as an outlet or a vent, it’s just a necessary part of a house. And also, wouldn’t having it in such a confined space as that corner of the bathroom limit access to it if you needed to get something into the attic that is as big as the opening? Seems like so much work for something not that obvious to me. As for the light in the hallway/foyer, could you just put in two can lights?
Totally agree. I think eliminating the ceiling light would mean that you would not have enough light to actually use the mirror to check out your outfit. In addition to the lack of needed light, sconce only lighting would also make the ceiling seem lower. As someone who also has only 8′ ceilings, I’m always doing whatever I can to make rooms feel taller, and not so claustrophobic. Can lights really do lift the ceiling visually.
The closet is almost perfect and almost finished. Have you gotten an estimate of how much it will be to move the box up?
Lots of big projects ahead! It will all be perfect.