I liked the small rooms in our house. Each room had a door so it could be closed off from the others. This is one of those ways our house showed its age. No one had opened up the rooms, even when a family with seven kids lived here. I love old New England houses, and the separate rooms seemed useful -- I envisioned the kids as teenagers, occupied in different rooms, doing different things.
Fortunately, it was a sunny week!
As it turned out, I loved the rooms being open. We switched the playroom and dining room, so now the kitchen flows right into where we eat. It's much more functional! Uncovering the chimney turned out to be a nice bonus. We weren't sure what condition it would be in, or if we'd want it exposed. But it looks beautiful, and helps our house feel more homey. At first we wanted to paint it white, but I'm glad we changed our minds. I love the colors!
The playroom became a cozy dining room: