I'll Take Any Extra Space I Can Get

Yesterday, we explored our backyard and new patio. So today, we are going to check out the new fourth bedroom that Matt and I are adding above the master bedroom. This is the second of two extensions that we are adding to the house (the first being the 5 foot extension of the front exterior wall and enlarged dormer that we talked about here). We originally thought we would put decking down in the space above the master bedroom and use it as storage. However, the longer we lived in the house, the more we realized that the space was actually begging to be turned into a bedroom. Although the three bedrooms the house has now are large, we ultimately decided to add the 4th bedroom because of the flexibility that it will provide once bambinos enter the picture. So, like we have in previous posts, here is the current floor plan on the left and the new floor plan with the 4th bedroom highlighted in red.





The picture on the left is our "Before" picture with arrows showing the master bedroom and the kitchen. The picture on the right shows where we are today with the new bedroom framed out. I love the size of the room and how it gives some more privacy in the backyard.





Here is what the room looks like from the inside of the house. I think the large window will add a lot of light to the room, which will be needed once we get the roof.

We are also removing the windows in the living room and replacing them with folding doors. The idea is to be able to open the doors to create an indoor/outdoor living space between the living room and patio. Here are the windows that we are changing and an example of the doors that we are adding (I found this picture here). I think they are so cool..they make me do the happy dance just thinking about them‼!





So here we are today. The picture on the left shows the view into the house from the patio. As you can see, not only did we remove the windows, but we removed the wall to the right of the windows to fully open the space. The picture on the right shows the view from the living room. I think the large windows in the door will bring a ton of natural light into the living room and will make the space feel a larger regardless of whether the doors are opened or closed.





Hope you enjoyed the update and have a great day! Thanks for stopping by!!!

Stepping Outside The Glass Cage

Before starting this renovation, Matt and I completed two other projects at the house. One of these projects was our backyard. When we first moved in, there was a large sunroom that had been added to the back of the house. Here is the original floor plan with the sunroom highlighted in red and a couple pictures.

When we bought the house, Matt and I thought the sunroom was a great feature and had visions of converting it into our own mini Gruene Hall (the oldest Dance Hall in Texas, yee haw!). Unfortunately, the sunroom had no air conditioning and would get super hot in the scorching Texas summers. Also, despite all the windows, the roof in the sunroom was rather low and blocked the natural sunlight from the living room (making the living room quite dark during the day). In addition to the sunroom, there was a large pergola in the backyard. Although it was pretty and made for a great seating area, it was HUGE and took up the majority of the back yard. Between the pergola, trees and bushes, we only had a small 9' by 5' piece of grass in our otherwise decent-size backyard.

So, after about a year, Matt and I decided to remove the sunroom and pergola and replace them with a large patio and grassy area. The patio is divided into an outdoor living room (which will be covered with a pergola to let light though but will also allow us to attach fans for circulation) and an outdoor dining area. Here is the new backyard layout.

Since work keeps me inside so much, I wanted to create an intimate outdoor living space where Matt and I can enjoy the evenings and those few beautiful Houston days when it isn't raining or melt-me hot (I know, you can stop laughing, they do happen every once in a while). The pictures below are what I have been pulling my inspiration from.

These beauties came from here, here and here. I absolutely love the light fixtures, the wood pergolas and just how pretty each of these spaces look. So, with our vision in place, we tackled the project and created the new patio. Here are some sweet demo shots (looks like a bomb went off!) and the ever exciting "After" shot..which always make me giddy like a school girl! We still have to add the pergolas and buy furniture, but we are waiting until we finished the big demo for that.

Now that you are caught-up on the backyard, I am going to reveal the fourth bedroom addition tomorrow! Have a wonderful day!!!