HOME AGAIN HOME AGAIN PART FIVE

Today's entry could easily be titled, "The Ricardo/Mertz Furniture Moving Company". I was excited for the new sofa to be delivered so I could finish up the family room. I actually had to help the delivery driver bring it into the house; in fact that was typical of every delivery! (The guy who delivered the bed actually NEVER got off the flatbed, I was fortunate that a neighbor stopped by and helped Brenda and I get it off the truck and bring it inside! I don't have a very high opinion of this slug!) The sofa delivery man left the sofa wrapped up as we brought it in through the front door and into the living room thinking it would provide better protection. It was like Christmas morning and I had a HUGE present to open!

After getting it unwrapped we started to move it into the family room forgetting that there were three doorways we had to navigate. We managed to get it mostly through the first one but then we had to make a 90 degree turn to bring it through the office doorway; from there we would turn again and bring it through the larger doorway and into the family room. The family room has two doorways but unfortunately the most direct route which would have been a straight shot, was a much narrower opening!

Standing in the first doorway and looking at the direct route into the family room and it's narrow doorway! Barely visible to the left is the doorway into the office

After attempting numerous different angles and positions, I realized that taking the sofa BACK OUTSIDE through the front door (now unwrapped and unprotected) and bringing it in through the family room french doors might be the best way. Have I mentioned that there was still snow on the ground?

Back in February here in Texas, Target had their snow shovels on clearance, 70% off, so I picked up two of them. I figured that the entire state of Montana had probably been sold out of snow shovels since Christmas and that these might come in handy. The fact that there were even snow shovels to be found in Texas at all came as quite a surprise! I ran outside and began shoveling a "path" through the yard and Brenda ran behind me laying down cardboard for us to walk on as we lugged the sofa. Have I mentioned it was a windy day?

Besides shoveling the snow path I was also running around chasing down cardboard! As we prepared to move the sofa out through the front door and carry it around through the yard Brenda wanted to try one last position. It's a good thing to know that all of her HG TV shows actually offer great ideas and in this particular case, it really came in handy! We flipped the sofa upside down and into a V shape and although it was a snug fit, it actually worked! Thank the Lord it wasn't a sofa sleeper!

The main focus of today's entry however is the FAMILY ROOM MAKEOVER! When I first saw this addition last August I immediately had a vision of what it COULD be. The previous owners had left it somewhat unfinished as far as the trim work and chinking on the walls, not to mention that it had a stark white ceiling and walls above the wood. I communicated my ideas to our Contractor and the results were startling! Here are before and after pictures!

Before: French doors leading out to patio, Jacuzzi tub motor exposed, white walls and ceiling (ceiling is missing some trim, chinking is missing in some areas, wood is unstained.

After: We had the wood stained and had the walls rechinked. Gone are the stark white walls and ceiling, they've been replaced with a warm neutral color and "mocha" trim!

Before: Previous owner had a gas stove (see opening in wall).

After: We created a sitting area that is warm and inviting and the contractor closed the opening for the old gas stove.

After: I brought the rocking chair up in the van from Texas, and we have soft lighting with new lamps and shades along with the wooden blinds!

After: The glider rocker and ottoman were delivered last October and I placed my Mom and Dad's Cross Country skis in the corner-ready to enjoy the powder at a moment's notice!

Across from the sitting area I placed the new blanket ladder that displays our Pendleton blankets from Glacier National Park. I have a great idea for the existing mirror to display another of Dave's photos. Over the blankets is Dave's photo of Castle Geyser in Yellowstone National Park that made the Top 100 Finalists in the National Parks Pass Contest n 2011.

Before: The ceiling and trim are stark white and there's ugly carpet. You can also see the wider doorway where we brought the sofa into the family room.

After: I decided to put the new bookcase over the little window since it doesn't allow hardly any light or air into the room. The ceiling has been painted and the trim is a nice "mocha" contrast, The ugly carpet has been replaced with bamboo flooring!

Before: Boring corner.

After: TV's new home. The new KUMA woodstove is a champ! Dave's antique cooler is the new home for storing firewood and my crock holds the kindling!

Brenda used cardboard to line the inside of the antique cooler to protect the interior from rough wood.

Stove close up. The hearth pad is from a local Montana quarry and it's gray/green color is a perfect match!

The new sofa which matches the rocking chair I brought up from Texas. On the wall is our Old Faithful Inn mirror as well as one of our Old Faithful Inn frames, crafted from reclaimed flooring out of the Inn by our Artist friend Rich Holstein! The bear rug is one of two area rugs I brought with us in the van. I had purchased it along with a moose rug at Canton Trade Days back in February!

The family room is EXACTLY what I had envisioned it could be! I was drawn here like a magnet and it was wonderful to see this room become a reality!! Evenings would find a fire in the new woodstove and after a long day of working, usually until 9 PM, we would sit and enjoy the fire and watch about an hour's worth of a documentary. "The Last American Cowboy". Ahhhh...the sweet life in our "Sweet Montana Home!"