After 30 years working corporate (oil industry), I retired. What now?  I needed a real project. I decided to update my living spaces in a 25 yo rental house.  

My old, dented oak furnishings were sick and tired of me.  I had been here for 3 years and still hadn’t hung my grandmothers paintings.  I wanted bright pillows, new bed frames, new bedding, display cases for glass ware and books, curtains to hide ugly vertical blinds, a light filled office, a girly/girl guest room, and an industrial style master bedroom.  I wanted new lighting for every room, that could leave with me, because ceiling lights, and ugly fluorescents suck.

I wanted new rugs to cover the ugly carpet, and define smaller areas.  I wanted ottomans, new DIY prints that were meaningful to me, a better something for my living room TV that wasn’t black metal, new house plants, freshly cleaned carpet, and updated bathrooms. Oh yeah, I wanted patio furniture!  I’d only had plastic chairs.  Also, Vases. I wanted lots of vases. 

I needed a good home for my 55 yo Pecan upright Cable Nelson.  It was a gift from my parents when I was in 6th grade. It went to a little girl who was a beginner.  I gave away all my old furniture. Including my used Ethan Allen platform glider I nursed my son in.  He’s now in his 30’s. The only furniture I kept was a light oak trestle table.  My son and I had replaced the ugly tiles with new Italian tile.  I found blue chairs with linen seats for it. I needed tools, and a power drill. Badly!  And so much more.

The first few photos are the furnishings I arrived with.  I included the obligatory pets.  I will follow with a second post because 20 photos will not do.  This was a 3 year project in constant motion.  Enjoy, and thank you for reading my novella. 😍

Retirement was boring until I DIY’d my rental house for 3 years.