Code Word

Potential is a good, positive word.  However it really is code for WORK!  We bought a large old house with potential.  This is how I spent about 3 hours the first day, crouched down like this:

Doing this about 1 million times:

I should have counted how many 3 inch nails I pulled out of a 4x6 piece of subfloor.  After about 3 hours I got one piece done .... only about 11 more or so to go in this room.  I'm trying not to the think about the other rooms the carpet continues in. 

 Aaron ripped up the 1980-something carpet to find someone let their dog/s pee on every possible inch of carpeting. 

Here's what we found ... we think it's 5" pine plank floors.    I worked solo today to find some not so pretty spots .... that we think the room was once 2 rooms and they tore out a wall and patched the floors with whatever was in easy reach.  Not sure what to do about that.  I'm going to let it soak in and of course keep removing the subfloor hoping that there are no more surprises.   I search the internet for inspiration photos hoping that with some good patching, sanding, and some stain we can have nice wood floors.  It's really overwhelming, when you don't know what you are doing, working without your sidekick (he was at work) to at least talk about it, and listening to my children scream and fight every 5 seconds. 

There is potential ....

Wouldn't a Christmas tree look great right there in the middle of those windows?

Won't my dining room look pretty painted a creamy yellow color?  Gasp, I think these paneled walls are the only nice walls in the entire house.

Some "nice" kitchen cabinets would be beautiful looking peeking through the doorways.

It takes every ounce of resistance not to start ripping out all these old mismatched,some homemade cabinets.

Or to tear out the bathroom cabinets ... who needs this much storage in a bathroom?????  What do need besides towels, soap, shampoo, and a few medical supplies.  I guess I could become a member of Sam's Club again and buy the biggest toilet paper pack they have.

I'd love to go buy some paint remover and see what this banister looks like au natural.  There are chips that peak into it's old beauty.  But once again I get ahead of myself.  We promised ourselves we would not start a bunch of projects at once on this house.  We would make a plan and finish projects/rooms before we begin another.  Still it's hard not to start more than once thing.  Oh the potential!