I’ve covered virtually every detail of this renovation in my previous posts, so now it’s time for the big payoff: a boatload of before and after photos. Let’s start with the exterior – we’ve come a long way since 2015.
Such a sad window.
Of course, the house hasn’t looked sad for the past few years. Within the first year of homeownership, I chose cosmetic improvements that made a big impact on a smaller budget: we took down the awning and had the siding and stucco painted. And never underestimate the impact of plants! This livened up the exterior of our bungalow significantly and made me happy with our house until I was able to afford this renovation. This is what Hauslermo looked like in May 2020 – quite cute!
Here’s what this babe looks like at dusk with the shades down.
Moving to the interior, here’s a crucial before and after:
And the windows are nice, too.
I plan to write a post rounding up all the Marvin window details in case it’s helpful for anyone going through the options selection process. This sash lock is really nice – it automatically locks when you shut the window.
Here’s a snazzy feature: you can use the slider in the images below to compare before and after views. (This probably doesn’t work if you’re reading this post via email or RSS, so click through to the website for this functionality.)
North-facing window:
West-facing window – I have to use a fisheye lens to capture this view because the space is so long and skinny (approximately 7.5′ x 21′):
If you’re worried this room looks too stark, I hear you: let’s bring in the plants.
Here’s a monstera in the south window. I’ll share details on the wall-mounted sconce in a follow-up post – it’s a hardwired fixture that I had rewired as a plug-in.
In the north window, there’s a ficus benjamina (AKA weeping fig).
Tucked in this corner is a simple pair of ledges I made for Lola. He can’t jump very well in his old age, so he uses the lower ledge to climb up. The window sill (technically called a “stool” on the interior side) is plenty deep for him to walk and sit on, but the ledge gives him some more room to sprawl.
Lola spends a lot of time here sleeping, chattering at birds, and pretending he would totally fight a squirrel if only there weren’t a window in his way.
I won’t get into listing all of the plants because this post is long enough as-is. Suffice to say, this room is heavy on plants and light on furniture, just like I wanted. A chair for Jarrod and a chair for me, with a side table for each, and a vintage footstool.
The curvy cardboard thing that lives under the bench is Lola’s chaise longue. Here’s an older photo of Naptown USA, population 2.
I propagate plants as a hobby: visitors usually leave with a plant in hand, and this summer I held my first not-for-profit plant sale (I donated the proceeds). So, my plant collection is constantly evolving.
Here’s a book I definitely do not need and absolutely had to own.
I designed and built this simple plant bench for ~$10 using salvaged lumber. I moved Lola’s lounger so you could see the keyhole detail in the legs, which I love. I’ll share some DIY details in a future post.
Here I’ll confess one of my remaining to-dos: installing moulding around the openings on this side of the living room wall.
I’ll close with an interior timeline. It’s a good reminder that renovations can – and often should – happen in phases over multiple years.
2015, plastic brick decals and all:
2016:
2018 (we did have furniture in 2018, for the record – I had moved it because I was working on the living room moulding):
2020:
That’s all, folks. Thanks for reading!
