Home Renovation Chapter 1--Small Changes, Big Dividends

Two and a half years ago my husband accepted a new job moving us from Texas to New Jersey. We were spoiled in Houston as the housing market was very affordable, and the subdivisions were just beautiful!

Fast forward to looking for a home in New Jersey......between selecting the right town that offered what we were looking for, and proximity to my husband's office, I viewed 48 homes in many of the surrounding towns within a 30 mile radius of his office. Our realtor was the most patient woman we have ever met. I guess her experience couldn't have been too bad as she and her husband are now our dear friends!!

The home we chose was the "oldest" home (15 years old) we have ever purchased, making this our "13th" home! The house had lovely bones, but was in dire need of updating. Building homes from scratch became our first choice when moving, but this time we decided to try a little something that required a little more work on our end. Oh dear!

My husband and I made a list of the "must haves" and then the "nice to haves," and started interviewing vendors. To keep with the integrity of the style of the home, we were determined to recycle, reuse and repurpose as much of the materials as possible, but at the same time update those things that were necessary. By the time we closed on the house, the calendar was populated with projects for four months.

The Foyer required some necessary changes to update it. A curved staircase and marble floor greeted us as we entered. They looked tired and dirty and in my mind were crying for some help.With every build I learned more about construction and materials. This being the first time to recycle marble was new to me. I had no idea that marble could be honed back to its original state. We found a local vendor that honed and cleaned the marble floor, transforming it way beyond our expectations. We hired a local painting company that worked miracles on our staircase, meticulously painting the railing the glossy dark black color I had chosen.Below are some BEFORE AND AFTER Photos!

Top area of photo is BEFORE Honing and Cleaning--dull and scratched

FINAL RESULTS-- Shiny and looks like brand new!

Staircase and paint colors-- BEFORE

                    New wall color, light fixtures and shiny Black railing--AFTER

Have you done similar projects or something you would like to share with us? I love learning
how people reuse, recycle and re-purpose things from their homes. 

Hope you enjoy the 1st Chapter in our Renovation!