Shout out! Lowes @Chalk Hill

I have done several home remodels. I've also done several flips. I've done them through small companies, local companies, big box you name it. I've done it. The past 3 flips and 3 home remodels it was decided that I'd focus on one stop shop. Using my local Lowes. My current Lowes is in West Dallas at Chalk Hill. They have proven to be a great resource.

Doing a remodel for a home you are going to live in takes time and you often want a more custom look to your remodel. For this we've used several resources through Lowes that meant Special Orders. Yes, your Lowes can do that. Don't see a 6 light Chandelier? Speak to your Lowes specialist. Not finding that particular range you've been dreaming of? Speak to the Appliance manager. Work with a Pro-Services representative if your unsure of where to begin. We knew this would be a full remodel since we were taking the interior of the home back to the studs, moving walls as we changed the floor plan for todays lifestyle and relocating a few doors and windows.  The team at Lowes did not let us down by helping us order enough lumber for new framing, sheetrock for new walls, green board for wet areas, and the thousands of nails we've used. Yes, there is often way more to a remodel or in this case re-build!

I am not sponsored or paid to give this opinion. I simply wanted to give credit where credit is due! From the managers down to the paint specialists I've been helped with the professionalism that you would find at many designer show rooms. They've shown me the best way to save, the best options for my needs and helped me find the look for my desired goals.  Thank you, Lowes!

By the way, can not wait to show you some of our finished spaces! Keep checking in and thank you so much for following and sharing this journey!

~Teresa

Finding your Homes style...

There are various rules of thoughts when buying an old house. Do you re-imagine it? Make it something brand new? Like blowing off the top and adding a second story. For example and taking a basic ranch and transforming it into a Colonial.

Or you could basically ignore the old house you bought and transform it into something modern and new.

I've chosen to embrace the home that she was built to be.  My house in the middle of the block is a very, very fine house...beautiful, yet simple brick and stone one and 1/2 story Tudor.  Classic details and simple lines for everyday living.  I will be opening up a few of the rooms to add light and function and reimagining others.  I've chosen to kick the pink and burgundy tile to the curb but will install beautiful classic mosaics that will stand the test of time and honor the 1940's.  Re-wiring and re-using many of the original light fixtures, restoring some elements and adding others that make living in the home work for today's lifestyles. 

I'm so excited, we've started DEMO! Follow along as I respect the beauty of this lovely old home and reveal her new potential. Bye, bye to low arches, pink tile and a tiny, tiny kitchen space.  Hello, open, bright and lovely!

With the demo comes lots of dust and a lot of clarity. We've assessed our budget, reviewed our skill set, negotiate with several subs and contractors.  We are now dividing the project into two phases. Technically 4 but two of them are happening simultaneously.  I have registered as a General Contractor and will be managing the main level of the project for our home. We will still use a larger General Contractor to work on the upstairs re-working of the roof, stairs and the new addition.  This is definitely a bigger scope of work than we are used to managing and we want a seamless finished product.  Phase 1 & 3.

Phase 2&4 are the yard.  This was what we originally thought of as Phase 3. But, reality hit. The yard was in a very natural state of affairs.  There was a lot of clean up and clear out of plant material and debris so that we could find and see the house.  We also lost a few more trees because they were growing too close to the retaining wall and house and actually causing damage.  We have now done a very complete clean up and clear out.  We've built a fence and will add a semi-circle drive to the front of the home, rebuild the retaining wall and add wrought iron fencing so that we create security around the creek.  This will complete phase 2 and leave us with a beautiful pallet for new plants - phase 4.

Clean up!

It was so awesome getting Phase 2 the yard clean up under way! Can not thank the City of Dallas enough for their bulky debris clean up crew! They did a wonderful job cleaning up our debris. It wasn't a small task but they stuck with it and did a great job!