Generations Part III: The Raw Remodel

Grandma talked all the time of the way the house used to be before she remodeled sometime in the 70's. Hardwood floors in the living room that was painted a teal blue. The kitchen had gray speckled floors with a red border piece. They barely had any furniture when they moved in. A table from her Mother-in-laws home. A little wooden piece with removable leaves. She painted the legs cream to update it a bit. I have that table now. It's over 100 years old. Eventually it ended up in the basement acting as a table to fold laundry on, the leaves pushed up into the rafters of the unfinished basement ceiling.

I knew this remodel project would reveal what the house was originally. I would be able to unveil parts of the original home that Grandma talked about. I felt like an archeologist getting ready to uncover history. Under that pink carpet was a glorious hardwood floor. Nearly perfect condition.

Tearing out my Grandma's pink carpet gave me a little bit of satisfaction. The pink carpet was her favorite. It used to be this beautiful green shag carpet. I loved the green shag. We used to go to grandma's after school every day, cook up some ramen noodles and put it on the pizza tray and sit in front of Grandma's tiny tv and watch Gilligan's Island... or grab the FairyTale book off the top shelf and curl up behind the rocking chair next to the heater vent blowing on me. When the pink carpet came- we were older but also Grandma was very... particular... about her pink carpet. No shoes. No food. Don't leave marks if at all possible. We would open the front door, step on the small area carpet she had placed take one step on the carpet and bounce over to the kitchen entry where there was a stool under the desk area to sit on to talk with Grandma while she sat in her chair.

The kitchen was covered with a 1970's yellowish/greenish colored floor with a floral pattern to it. The cupboards- white with white formica with yellow marbling. A dark wood buffet had been put in with a desk near the phone line. That's where the rotary phone used to hang. 66 years with the same phone number. We all had it memorized and it was a sad day when my Aunt cancelled the line. 785-3757- forever etched into my memory.

The bathroom had linoleum flooring and only a bathtub. No shower. Tin tiles went around the bath- Originally black but now they had silver showing through from all the years we would take baths and "wash" the tiles with the scrub brush Grandma kept to wash us with.

The hall closet used to be host to 100 VHS tapes. Shirley Temple, The Sound of Music, Gigi... all the classics now gone. Empty.

The house echoed. I leaned against the corner of the wall between the living room and the kitchen- The corner where Grandpa used to scratch his back like a bear on a tree. Took a deep breath and sighed. This project is going to be harder than I thought. I was overwhelmed by memories at every corner and I have to change it all. The only saving grace would be the thought of giving this home a new loving family. Updating it's bones to become that same charming home that won my Grandma and Grandpa over in the first place so that the next 66 years could find the same love.