loop pile construction pr0n

As a sort of birthday-slash-I-know-your-life-is-semi-wack-at-the-moment-so-please-cheer-up present, my mom helped us with the financing of some new carpeting. I have never been so physically attracted to something that just lays on the floor and smells kind of weird.

We ripped out a bunch of carpeting when we first bought the house, mostly in the name of ridding ourselves of the dried cat pee smell. But new carpeting wasn’t really in the budget. So the areas of hardwood flooring that were still in decent shape got some area rugs and the areas that weren’t got a steam clean and the stinkeye. Particularly because the existing carpeting was U-G-L-Y.

I remember at the closing the previous owner boasting how nice the indoor/outdoor carpeting was and wanting to punch him because…no. It’s not nice. Ever. Unless you’re living in a college dorm at a state school and need something that can stand up to Pabst vomit. The portions of the house that didn’t have the dark blue indoor/outdoor crap had this burnt orange shaggy stuff that was just depressing. The pile on the stairs had long ago been mashed down so it held on to every mote of dust and fuzz in the air. Vacuuming it was a total waste of effort and I felt like a total idiot every time I wasted an afternoon on it.

I’ve been really bad about taking official before and after pictures of our very slow remodeling, but here’s what I can offer in terms of B&A of the stairs.

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Orange stairs of doom, plus my cute kid.

And now?

Can you hear the chorus of angels?

I don’t have a before picture of the hallway, but here’s one of our bedroom:

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That’s the same indoor/outdoor junk and unfortunately, due to budget constraints, we couldn’t put new carpeting in this room, but you get the idea.

Cue the chorus of angels, please:

Now, finally, here’s the biggest transformation. The smallest bedroom was a total wreck and was the first one that we really tackled with gusto. We ripped up the carpeting, tore down the walls, insulated it, put in some wiring (I think), put up new dry wall, installed new wood trim, painted, stained…and it only took us four years! I think we’re good candidates for Extreme(ly slow) Makeover: Home Edition.

So here’s the official before and the room is at a weird angle so it’s hard to get a full shot:

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Here’s a during shot:

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Angels, please!

Now all that’s left for this room is covering the vent and outlets, getting a window treatment, a light fixture, and moving the baby in there. It might actually happen this weekend.

Screw Mayan prophecy, this is truly the sign that the end times are upon us.

8 Responses to “loop pile construction pr0n”

  1. Frankanat Says:

    Helping gut the front room was the dirtiest I ever got in my life ever. EVER. and it was fun.

  2. kdiddy Says:

    @Frankanat, I had rave boogers for days.

  3. Mary Says:

    If I were a kid, I would love to live in a room like that.

    I am also really wanting to rip up the carpet in my own house and replace it with hardwood flooring (or a reasonable facsimile thereof) or at least get rid of the raggedy-ass linoleum in the kitchen, but you takes what you can gets.

    Our living room carpet is so gross, I steam cleaned it three times and it’s still filthy. What I am trying to say is, I feel your pain.

  4. kdiddy Says:

    @Mary, yeah, old dirty carpeting is so grody. I now feel totally filthy when I cross from the hallway into our bedroom.

  5. Kim Says:

    Speaking as someone on the brink of recarpeting, hallelujiah! I have some berber now kind of like what you show there but it’s been through some hell, particularly on the stairs. I soooo want to replace it. Sounds blissful.

  6. kdiddy Says:

    @Kim, it is indeed awesome.

  7. jive turkey Says:

    Awesome. I just had a new-carpet orgasm on your behalf (I promise I didn’t get any on the new carpet).

    That indoor-outdoor carpet is the kind of shit that gives you WICKED rug-burned elbows and knees when you’re playing on a floor as a kid. My parents had it, as well as a couch that I SWEAR was upholstered with burlap. God help you if you fell asleep on it. Burlap-burned face for you. I had a very scratchy childhood, apparently.

  8. kdiddy Says:

    @jive turkey, what the hell is up with that? do people really dislike comfort that much?

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