She's Come SO FAR!

Ryan and I were in Abby for a little bit yesterday, surveying what must be done before her first outing and what would be nice to have done before her first outing. (All projects are currently behind because of recent setbacks. I'm sure you understand.) Also, if you're new here, Abby is our fixer-upper RV we purchased last fall. Without that tidbit, this could be one really awkward conversation. 

While you might call this mean, I feel I should tell you up front that there are no after pictures today. Just before. I started to take some in-process pictures, but Ryan gave me such a look of horror that I stopped. He's not wrong, though. It really is so close to being done enough for proper after pictures that it would be sort of anti-climactic to show half-done pieces. But I do want to go back to the before pictures today and at least tell you what we've done so you can know what to expect!

In the bedroom...

WHOA. It looks...nothing like this anymore. The walls are blue, the cornice boards are gone, the cabinets are all white, and the hardware is silver. We already purchased the bedding, and as soon as we touch up paint that got scuffed in later projects, we can finish this room! Ryan also got me some ambient lighting (a string of the little globe lights that you see on porches, usually) for this area, and I'm excited to put that up too! We are also getting curtains for over the windows, and those will arrive soon. (There are pull down shades that you can't really see in this picture, and we did keep those.) 

In the "hall"...

Also really different now! The walls are blue, the cabinets are white, the hardware is silver, and the old linoleum down there in the corner has been replaced by a farmhouse-wood-feel laminate flooring. It's so much bigger and brighter feeling just with those changes. 

In the bathroom...

We painted the walls with a special paint intended for such a space. We painted the inside of the door and are getting a new shower curtain to cover the door when the shower is in use. Other than that, we didn't make many changes to this space. (But having a bathroom on the road is officially going to be one of my favorite things about this adventure. I can already tell.)

In the kitchen...

Big changes! The cabinets are all white now, and the hardware is all silver. We ended up leaving the sink, because we were unable to find one in the correct dimension. We did get a new faucet, but we haven't installed it yet. We also left the stovetop (also because we couldn't find a proper-sized replacement) and the microwave/oven. We covered the wall behind the sink with peel and stick backsplash, which added so much color and dimension. We took down the grimy mini blinds and are replacing them with a curtain that is currently being made. We also have almost all the absolutely necessary kitchen items for our first couple of trips. 

The kitchen, Part 2...

The other side of the kitchen picture shows the privacy curtain for the bedroom area. We decided to leave that in - and we'll see if we use it. It tucks back out of the way, so even if we don't use it that much, it's not an eyesore. All these cabinets are now white with silver hardware, and the fridge and freezer doors have chalkboard paint on them now. (They're being retouched too. Another project damaged them a bit.) 

In the living room...

I think this part has the biggest transformation of all! That floral purple couch is gone. It was beyond saving. Way too many cleaners and chemicals deep in the cushions. We purchased a new couch, which is a whole story in and of itself, but it's here and almost completely anchored in. Ryan worked SO hard on building a new foundation for it, and I'm so proud of him for his great ideas! That carpet is gone, too, with its many years of cleaners, chemicals, and discoloration. The same farmhouse-feel flooring from the back now runs all the way through! The cabinets are all white and the board behind the TV is painted with chalkboard paint. Ryan reupholstered the panels on either side of the front cab chairs, and our privacy curtain is being made right now. The chair is currently out of the RV, but we kept it (it seemed to escape all the cleaners) and are going to put it back in. We took down the cornice board and curtains above the window and are replacing that with fresh, new curtains. The pull down shades got to stay. Ryan is also building a wooden console to go between our seats in the cab, for storage and additional cup holders. Ryan has learned he has way more skills than he ever knew. ;) 

I love how very different she looks now, and I love that we got to do this project together! I can't wait to show you the official before and after photos side by side!

We're excited to spend time in her this year! Let the adventures with Abby begin...soon!