So we've reached the end of this renovation. The house is done. It feels very surreal. It feels that way every single house. And I always get to the end and forget what it looked like in the beginning. So let's review where we started, shall we? Let's start with the basement and stairwell. The stairwell to the basement was unremarkable and enclosed, with stairs leading to the attic enclosed above it. And the doorway was folding closet doors, as seen below. The stairwell blocked the line of sight from the living room to the kitchen and dining room. We knocked those walls down and my father built a feature wall (at my request) and his signature iron and wood railings (I think this is the third house we've put them in) and the stairs that were once hidden away are now the highlight of the house. Now you can see from the front door all the way to the dining room. Shiplap was installed in place of drywall in the stairwell, which brightens up the space. I've never loved a set of stairs more than I love these stairs. The basement was an odd sort of paused renovation when we started. Marble around the fireplace but no walls and exposed cement. Inset drywall and new paint and a new mantle and voila! So that's the stairway and basement. There's more to the basement - a full bathroom, a sizable laundry room, an extra storage room and a space to keep all your pool toys, but I didn't take pictures of any of that. It didn't feel exciting enough to photograph. Because all the other spaces are such drastic transformations. ~ Stephanie