We pick up where we left off on our Country to Modern journey. If you missed Part I, you might want to back up and catch up. Our transformation began with the decision to get rid of everything and we did.
(I know, I know… I’m really late with PART TWO. I explain at the end of the post.)
The kitchen was the next room in the house to see changes. It went though a lot over time. Kitchens are expensive and we had to do things in stages. So yes, like the rest of the house it started out a little bit country. Okay, a lot!
When we moved into the house the kitchen was pretty gross. I eventually made some changes by taking off the wall paper and floating out the walls. (It was all paneling behind that wallpaper) We painted cabinets and did our best to make it more us.
The pink counter tops were always a source of consternation with me but we definitely didn’t have new counters in the budget. That was something I couldn’t even comprehend at the time so we just pretended they weren’t there.
You have to admit the white cabinets were a huge improvement but why the hell I had a bird cage on the top of the refrigerator is still baffling. The window treatments and shades were all handmade by me. I created a pattern and sewed them up. I loved sewing them and the projects I did made a real impact on the space. Custom window treatments are so expensive.
Oh goodness, I was so into blue glass. That’s an old ironing board cabinet I transformed into a little display shelf. There was a door on the front where the board went and the iron was stored in the box below. Old houses have cool stuff. But lets face it. I was never going to iron my clothes in the kitchen.
Having a hanging pot rack was all the rage! I had to have that and the hanger actually came from Ikea. Funny thing is… I NEVER ONCE used those pots. They were only for decoration. HILARIOUS!
After more and more of the house started to get a makeover it was time to take the plunge and spend some dough.
We replace those pink counters and pulled up the sheet linoleum. I special ordered some beautiful gray slate tiles and laid them myself. It was a big job but it made the most impact.
The kitchen was now more our style and I’m convinced helped up sell this house in 4 days flat!
Now that I see these I really miss that floor. You can see also how we added glass fronts into the cabinets below (compare to 2nd picture). It was the perfect spot to display all my Russel Wright dishes. New track lighting, black counters, a new paint color with some stainless appliances and it was starting to feel right. I loved this kitchen because it had so many cabinets. We had some that were completely empty. Compared to what I have today this space is HUGE!
The laundry room was right off the kitchen and we continued the slate tile into that area as well.
The country wall paper and outdated space became really clean and modern. Doing laundry became much more enjoyable.
I had to keep that fabulous old sink. It was awesome. I also have to cringe at the sight of that huge tank water heater! We currently have an on-demand water heater and it hangs on the wall and is the size of a small briefcase. I’ll NEVER go back!
I sometimes can’t believe we just dumped everything and started over. It was a little scary but SO exciting. I honestly can say that having a home with less clutter and more modern streamline decor makes a real impact on your every day life. Or maybe it’s just finally getting what you want and knowing you did the right thing. Just feeling like it’s YOU and not what you thought people wanted you to have.
Little by little we ditched the country and made each room a little more modern.
The bedroom had a big sleigh bed and handmade armoire (by Richie’s dad) Now we have two of these modern platform beds made by Richie and his dad.
Even the bathroom was an explosion of dried flowers and wallpaper. Every detail had to match. I remember fretting about making sure I found fabric for the windows that matched the wallpaper and the swag I had placed on the back of the toilet. I cannot lie. This sort of makes me cringe! I did love that hex tile, though. Good times!
The old sleeping porch became my office area. Getting rid of all those heavy (and hideous) window treatments made a huge difference in lightening up the space. All hail to the country scalloped edges! NOT!
Of course the outside of the house got a face lift too. It was always a very pleasant space to hang out in. We lived out here. We painted the outside a lovely shade of gray and really worked hard on the landscaping.
BEFORE:
AFTER:
The only picture I could find of the front was after a snow. But you get the idea.
BEFORE: 
AFTER:
So now you know I was telling the truth. I was a little bit country. Okay, more country than I’d like to admit but it wasn’t jiving with who we were as people. I’m happy we found our STYLE and ditched it all. It was the best decision ever. It’s also been great fun, over the years, hunting and searching for the things we really wanted. A desire became a love and a new way of life. It’s never too late to get exactly what you want. And now we’re coming up on Year 5 of our modern renovation of our Goode House. It’s still an ever changing, always exciting experience. Thanks for being along for the ride. And thankfully it’s not a ride that involves a cowboy hat or horse….. or lace curtains and copper pots. YEE HAW!
I actually started working on this Post February 18th and just could NOT get around to finishing it due to real life kind of crashing down on me. (I feel like I say that a lot! HA HA!)
I had mentioned in an earlier post about having some trouble with my back and how terrible it had made me feel. Come to find out after doctors visits, MRIs, and a trip to a Neurosurgeon I have a severely herniated disc that has cracked, leaked and is pushing outward on to my Sciatic nerve. The pressure on the nerve has caused my butt, leg and foot to become numb (hopefully not permanently… but without relief so far). It has made every day tasks almost impossible and has altered my life dramatically. I am now mentally preparing myself for the inevitable surgery that will most likely take place in April. I am scared to death! Of course I’m sort of a wuss when it comes to my health, so that’s nothing new. So keep me in your prayers for a good outcome and a path back to a healthy lifestyle. I’m fairly certain the insane things we’ve done while working on this house over the last 5 years have contributed to this condition. My advice: Hire someone, or do it in your 20s!
As if that weren’t enough… in the middle of all this madness…. I get approached with a job offer to take a position with the University I work at, to become a web editor for their campus website. Yes, it totally freaked me out! The thought of leaving a job I really love was heart-breaking but the opportunity to work full-time doing web work and a very lovely raise was too tempting. Thankfully they seem perfectly okay with waiting for me and holding the job until after the surgery. (which says so much!) I can’t really think of a worse time to be making such a big decision. It’s times like these I hear John Lennon’s song “Beautiful Boy” and the lyrics “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”.
So I’ll keep you posted. And if I have surgery (which I don’t see how I can avoid) it will mean I’ll be out of commission for a while. Then, if I take a brand new job, it may mean a real change to this blog or an end to it. I hate the thought of that… but maybe it’s time. Again, I’m being dramatic, as usual. But I’ll keep you posted.
Many thanks to my dear friend Natalie over at Nat and Gang who has been there for me through all of this back business offering love, support and the kind of caring that seems impossible to find in a friend as you get older. She’s a doll! And that woman can SEW like nobodys business. See her talents here >> NAT AND GANG
THANKS, NAT! xx
One of my friends…who is MUCH older than you are…had back surgery last year and is virtually pain free, so I feel sure you’ll do great! Still, I hate that you’ve been in so much pain. I have chronic back pain from arthritis, which is nowhere near what you’re going through, but it dictates what I can and can’t do quite a bit of the time, so I understand that part. The new job sounds wonderful. My daughter just left a job she loved to take a huge promotion…and lots more work…but she’s glad she made the move. I hope we won’t lose you as a blogger, but if you think you’re getting rid of me, you’re mistaken. I’ll just email you when I need a Stacey fix. :) Take care of yourself, and let us know how you’re feeling.
As for the country stuff, I can’t laugh too loud. If I did, I’d have to show you my country decor. Mine was ever so much worse…dusty mauve and country blue. Eeeek!!!
Thank you so much, Dana! That’s such encouraging news. I’m glad your friend did so well and that surgery helped. You hear such horror stories that it makes it so frightening. At this point I really have little choice. Life like this SUCKS! HA HA HA! And yes, arthritis pain is just as bad as anything else. If it alters your everyday life and dictates what you can or can’t do or makes you even question doing something, then it’s real and it’s hard. I’m sorry you have to deal with that. I have so much empathy for people who experience pain like this. Unfortunately I think it’s more people than we actually know about. I just hope you’ve found ways to cope and feel better when it happens. Finding relief is so important.
Sounds like your daughter ran with it and never looked back. I love that! I’m sure I’ll have those feelings too (one day). I just hope they hold the position for me. It’s an amazing opportunity.
My hosting is up in May so I have some decisions to make. I hope I can hang on to it all. I’m going to try! Thanks for saying such sweet stuff. I adore you! You have made blogging so much fun for me, Dana. I still remember your first comment on my blog. I thought it was so awesome that you found me and reached out. I was thrilled!
Dusty Mauve and country blue is hard to imagine when I think of you. You’re too hip and stylish to even go there. :-) I’m glad we both made it over the river and through the woods! HA!
Stacey! First, I’m so sorry to hear about your back. Yes, surgery is scary, but you can’t live life wracked with pain, so just think about how much better you’ll feel once you recover. Stay positive!!
I would miss the hell out of your blog if you gave it up! Living in our old house, sometimes I need a shot of modern to clear my head! I hope you won’t give it up, but take the time to get well and settle into the new job, and get your feet back on the ground. Take care of yourself first!
Lastly, I really had to laugh (with you, not at you) at the country stuff … I, too, had copper pans that NEVER DID A LICK OF WORK IN THEIR LIVES!! And I have a rug upstairs that’s burgundy and hunter green. My fave transformation is the sleeping porch/office–but it all looks so much nicer and fresher!
Hope you’ll feel better soon!!!
Thanks D’Arcy! Just reading your words make me feel better. So much of this is about attitude and when you have people like you being so kind and encouraging it puts your mind in a good place.
I have switched to waterproof mascara, though. Crying has become my “thing” lately. It’s pathetic!
HA HA HA! That’s great about the pans. All they did for me was collect dust! I wasn’t about to cook in them and then have to polish them. HELL NO! They were purely aesthetic. Which now, in a minimal, more modern space seems ridiculous. Good times! (glad they’re over). Love ya!
My sweet Stacey,
First on the house… I am cracking up laughing at the bird cage… But they are actually back in now! Maybe not in a country setting, but they can look modern. And the blue glass. I will admit that I had an entire collection myself! And then one day, I gave it all away. There’s still a little tingle inside of me every time I spot blue glass at the thrift store… But I always manage to walk away (and straight to the Pyrex but that’s another story…)
And for your back… You can bet that I will be right here (in the snow covered tundra) holding your hand virtually through this whole thing. :-). And someday soon, we can actually sit down together to polish off a bottle of wine (or two) and laugh at this entire craziness!!! XXX
Hello Dar-lin’! Yes please… I’ll take that cold little winter hand any day. THANK YOU! Anyone that can survive a Canadian winter is someone I need to gather strength from. I have no idea how you do it!
Thank you for being here through all my doctors visits, tests, and all the bullshit I whine about. You’ve been an angel and I thank God for sending you.
The blue glass probably needs a post of it’s own. I was so in love with blue glass and things really got out of hand. It was getting to the point where that was ALL I was getting for Christmas from everyone I knew. Blue Glass exploded all over the place. Glass bottles, bowls, birds, candlesticks, knobs, wine glasses,… any anything else my mother could get her hands on. INSANE! And now… I don’t think I have a single piece of it. I’ve replaced my blue glass fetish with plants. HA HA!
I’ll start buying the wine now. That way we’ll have several bottles to enjoy! XO
That reminds me. I had an enormous blue glass phase too. What? Why? I have no answers.
Thank you so much for sharing the remaining pictures and the wonderful tale that went with it. I am sitting here looking at a stove just like your white one in the old house. I got it from a neighbor who was going to throw it out. The timing was right because we needed an extra. But now I am ready to part with it, so on to Craigs list it will go.
I do hope you have a quick and full recovery after surgery. I will be so sad to see the blog end if that is its fate but I understand. Maybe you could just keep all of our email addresses and send us a bi-annual pictorial update. Your decorating skills are to die for.
Best of luck with your new job too!
Best regards – Karen
Hey Karen! I actually loved that stove. It was a MONSTER! And it worked really well. I would have kept it but since we were going for all stainless I let it go. I’ll never forget the first night I cooked on it. I turned the burner on and the ceiling fan in the living room came on! Lets just say we had “some electrical issues”. HA HA! That was the first of many fixes at that house. Such fun!
Thanks for the encouragement! You’ve been incredibly kind to me and I love that you’re here. I hope I can keep the blog and NOT be neglectful of it. My fear is that I’ll keep it and then never have time to post. I hate it when bloggers do that. We’ll see. One thing at a time, right? No matter what, I’ll definitely keep your email. Count on it! xo
aaaand phase II did not disappoint! just as entertaining as phase I. hahahaha. but you truly did manage to do some wonders on the remake. what a cozy home you had! btw i think my grandma used to have a birdcage like that, ivy and everything. wth is up with those silk flowers on the toilet?! :D and i absolutely love your laundry room sink! so glad you posted this. but as much as love your old house, it simply can never compare with your goode house!! ;)
so sorry to hear about all the pain you are in. surgery doesn’t sound like fun, but if it fixes ya, get her over with!! and congrats on the new job, lady! so happy for you! i just started a new one myself a month ago! (and i’m filming a movie. and started a new class. and…all that to say, super busy – and why i am writing this at 2:18 am – ha! so i get your whirlwind. BUT PLEASE KEEP UP YOUR BLOG! even if you have to slow it way down, keep.it.up.)
yours truly…
WHAT — WHAT? YOU don’t have dried flowers on your toilets? SHAME ON YOU! OH TAMARA… I have no idea what the hell I was thinking. That should be obvious by any one of those pictures. HA HA HA!
But everything matched. That’s for damn sure! (psycho!)
Yep, our house now was definitely a step up. You can see why we took this on. Something this unique just couldn’t be passed up. Although I cannot lie. I’m really wishing as I sit here with a numb leg and foot that I had hired someone to do most of it. Live and learn, my dear!
Congrats on your new job!!!!!! That is so exciting. Filming, classes, being fabulous, OH MY! You have been busy, my friend. That excites the heck out of me. I’m thrilled for you! Life is crazy in the best ways, sometimes. Honestly I’m so ready for change so I hope this new job works out. I’m keeping my fingers crossed (and my back straight!). Thanks for taking the time at 2:18 in the morning. I love you for it! HUGS!
My friend just wrote about her similar back surgery, six months out, today. http://www.preparingforpeanut.com
It’s a hopeful tale.
I’ll be thinking of you. I figured the blog silence meant it was spring pledge drive time! I go in for surgery too, this Wednesday. Not looking forward to being immobile for awhile, but it is what it is. Take care.
Ps.love the old country tales.
OH MY GOODNESS… YOU MADE MY DAY! Thank you so much for sending me to Becky’s blog. It’s exactly what I needed. Seriously. It was a hopeful tale and an honest one (which I needed).
I can relate to everything she said and felt. This was a godsend today!
Funny you mention the pledge drive because YES, that’s all happening right in the middle of this… along with another job offer. God is definitely testing me. HA! I hope I pass with flying colors.
Surgery this Wednesday? I know you mentioned possibly having to have surgery in a previous post so I wish you all the best. I’ll keep you in my thoughts and prayers. I’m going to jump off the blog and send you an email. Thanks again for your sweet words and for sending me to Becky’s post. You’re the best!
Oh Stacey! Am feeling for you on the back situation! I hope and trust that the surgery goes very well. Exciting news about the job – it is crazy over there at the Goode House but I do believe that everything happens for a reason – maybe this confluence of events was meant to be, for some reason.
Your country to modern tale continues to thrill! amaze! and shock! both Rob and I over here. What a huge change. We are inspired…we are already pretty modern though, so maybe it’s time to… get a lil bit country? Ah, if only you had those window treatments and the fridge bird cage – we could swing on over to TX and take them off your hands…. :)
Good luck w everything
Thanks Jocelyn! I have thought the same thing many times. Why in the world would all this shit happen at the same time? There must be a reason. Hopefully a good reason. Lessons to learn and hopefully an outcome that will make me appreciate everything even more! Or maybe God just needed a giggle so he thought he’d have a little fun. I guess I have to trust that, TOO! :-)
OH NO NO NO NO… Promise me you won’t go out and buy copper pots or dried flowers. Promise me, Jocelyn! My back is hurt but I could still come to NY and put a stop to that. HA HA!
Thanks for the kindness and concern. You’re awesome! xo
Stacey: First of all very sorry for your pain and suffering. It is miserable and awful and I hope for your very efficient and effective surgery and recovery. Now… can I start laughing at your country house? Where oh where did that come from considering your current self is so tasteful and hipster cool. You make me feel better because I have done some DREADFUL things to our current home and am repairing the damage dollar by painful dollar. Honestly, I have one feature that may compare to your bathroom with the toilet swag. Unfortunately mine is in kitchen tile and quite permanent. Goes to show that taste evolves over time and education.
I loved your posts on changing directions. We did the same thing a few years back. I am sorry about your back. :-( I pray you do well after surgery. I hope you will still find time to blog about your home. I love to see it :-)
Thanks Sherree! Yep, the looking back is so much fun. Makes me proud of how far we’ve come and how much we’ve grown. There’s so much to be thankful for. …. AND so much to cringe about! HA HA!
The surgery is Tuesday morning so I’m anxious, but ready. Thank you for the prayers and good thoughts. I believe in that power and it helps me through. You’re so sweet!!
I will try to fit in a post here or there but it will be pretty low-key until I heal up. Thank you for always being here! xo
I will remember you on Tuesday :-)
No need to respond back… Just wanted to let you know I’m thinking about you. I turned the two week corner post surgery and I’m feeling much more optimistic. Just starting to sleep better is a gift in itself. Sending thoughts your way.
Thank you, Kristin! I’m so happy you’re doing well and feeling better about your surgery and the recovery. I think two weeks must be the magic number because it seems everyone I talk to always starts to feel better after two weeks. And the sleep thing is MAJOR! Getting a good (or better) nights sleep is life changing. Hope you continue to rest comfortably.
It’s comforting to know you and so many other friends have me in their thoughts. I’m not sure if people realize how powerful that is. It means everything to me. It can take you from feel down, depressed and hopeless to feeling like “everything is gonna be just fine”. Seriously. Thank you!
My surgery is Tuesday the 8th at 7:30 a.m. and I have one night in the hospital for observation. It’s creeping up on me. As nervous as I am… I’m also excited to get it over with. I can’t wait to feel better. Although I know I have to get through those first two weeks! Thanks again, Kristen. Hang in there!
Enjoy this weekend and I’ll be thinking of you on Tuesday. Trust your body, but if at all possible, get off the heavy narcotics as soon as possible. (That’s my only unsolicited advice, I swear.) I’m amazed at what Aleve and Ibuprofen can do for pain, and the other stuff was just evil.
Oh, one more thing :). If people offer to help – dinner, cleaning, etc. take them up on it. But also have them sit with you for awhile. I really felt lonely – even with a house full of people – for the first few days. Everyone was busy around me, but that can be a little isolating too. I wish I had asked for someone to sit with me earlier. Instead I didn’t realize how much I needed that until I was a sobbing mess on my bed on day five. Too much alone time gives you too much time to think – and books and tv and phones aren’t enough to distract you when you are in pain and uncomfortable. Nothing like a live person sitting there beside you.
You can do this! And think how fabulous we’ll feel this summer! I can’t wait.