What a difference a new wall can make.

I know, I’ve taken my time in posting the changes in our new house. Trying to gather, organize, resize and post these pictures has been quite a job! We closed on the house the first week of August and right away we began making changes. We weren’t living here, so construction was no problem for us…I came down every few weeks to check on things, and of course, to paint. You’ve read some of my paint “challenges” and choices, and discussions, and narrowing down the palette, and the help I received from Kelly! You can look back here and here and here.

 Outside of the HUGE issue of paint and colors, we also wanted to remake part of the main living area. As you walk in the front door, or look down from the stairs here, you see the wide open space of the living room and then dining room. They are were very open, with only a slight divider on each side, and the dining room is was totally open to the front hall area.  One of our requirements for this new house was an office for my husband, and this space fit beautifully…except it needed to be enclosed. How to enclose without making it dark and tomb-like (no window in the room)?

These three shots show you the space, as it was:

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Two months later:

Wall between the two rooms, with a transom window at top:

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view from the living room:

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starting to frame out for the French doors:

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the doors the day they arrived:

they look enormous!

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And the (almost) final result:

French doors installed with another transom window above. This side gets brilliant afternoon sunlight as there are windows way up…and the ceilings here, in the front hall, are 19 feet so that sunlight really comes streaming in! 

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View from the living room. Window looks stark here, but it really works!

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Looking in, with the endless paint samples on wall:

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and looking out:

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Later this week I’ll show you some of the details in this area: the door handles, the paint color(s) for the study, the final paint for the front hall area and living room. Yes, it’s come a long way baby!