It’s hard to believe we’ve been in our house for 2 whole weeks! While we still have some boxes that need to be, well, un-boxed, we’re starting to settle in a bit more and this house is feeling more and more like home. One thing I really loved about this house when we saw it was that there wasn’t that much work that needed to be done. As much as I love the idea of doing a full renovation it costs a lot of time and money. Two things we don’t have much of! So, to find a house that was move-in ready was such a great bonus! There are some unglamorous projects that we’ll eventually need to do, though, like replace the windows and update the very very inefficicient air conditioning unit. In the meantime, I’m starting to get excited about the fun stuff! I thought I’d spend today giving you all a little tour of the house through the Before photos. It will be awhile before you see the Afters but this will be a good framework for some of the projects I have up my sleeve. Can’t wait to share the process and progress with you all!
ENTRYWAY
I love how open the entryway is. You walk in and we have a litle sitting room to the right, and stairs leading up to the bedrooms. One project I think will make a huge difference is swapping out the tile, and getting rid of the carpet on the stairs. The carpet is definitely handy for upstairs but I’m not crazy about it being the first thing you see when you walk into the house. I also want to paint/swap out the entryway fireplace completely. I don’t mind the granite but I definitely want a different mantle. The paint is also incredibly chipped on this one, so it would need to be redone regardless. I’m thinking we’ll probably hang our leaf print that was over the couch above the fireplace. What do you think?
DINING ROOM
This is the dining room which really doesn’t need anything done. I’m just planning on swapping out the lighting, getting a new rug, and adding a china cabinet/buffet table.
The Kitchen
When we first saw the house I fell in love with the kitchen. It was open and airy, and got incredible light. My one concern, though, was the space! I know it looks big but our last kitchen was HUGE and I got used that. I’ve made due with tiny kitchens in the past, but I have a ton of kitchen gadgets I’ve accumulated over the years that I can’t imagine getting rid of. So basically I need storage. This kitchen doesn’t have a pantry, whereas our last kitchen had a floor to ceiling double door pantry cabinet. Our old kitchen also had updated cabinets with pull-out drawers to really maximize space. Needless to say, I was a little worried. Since cooking is my #1 hobby and stress reliever, I’ve always wanted to have my “dream kitchen.” While we can’t afford a big kitchen renovation right now, eventually this is a space that I would love to redo and make my own. I’ve been pleasantly surprised though that this kitchen has held more than I would have thought. And I’ve actually loved the wooden island. While I love the look of a marble island, I think wood is where it’s at! It’s so much more practical and it’s a nice compliment to the white. One thing I will love to update is the oven. This one is very tiny and doesn’t fit my trays. I need big trays for all the cookies I make! {obviously!}
Definitely planning on swapping out the lighting and creating a cute little breakfast nook here! Right now this is where I feed Augustine in his high chair, so I like the idea of having a table here too.
FAMILY ROOM
Love the fireplace in the family room. We’ve never had a fireplace before so that’s one thing we’ve been so excited about. Every year we’ve always said we can’t wait to have a fireplace to hang our Christmas stockings and to sit around drinking hot cocoa or apple cider. This fireplace is just another reason to look forward to fall and winter!
I’ve always loved the look of white brick fireplaces but I also love the warmth the classic brick brings to the space. What do you think? To paint or not to paint? And any idea on what to put under the windows on either side of the fireplace? Or just leave those empty?
This spot is to the left of the fireplace. I think I want to recreate our floating shelves that we had in our last house. I love that it would look like a cool built-in. There isn’t much other space for bookcases and I need a place to store my hundreds of cookbooks! If we do shelving here, we’ll probably mount the TV over the fireplace. For a family room I kind of like that idea. I just wish TVs were a little cuter to look at when they weren’t in use.
MASTER BEDROOM
Love that we have a big bedroom! Our last bedroom was so tiny we had about a foot of space at the end of the bed. I can’t tell you how many times I stubbed my toe! This bedroom feels like a major upgrade. And to feel really adult, we’re getting a KING mattress! Actually, we got the mattress, just need the bed frame! We’re going to keep most of the furniture from our last bedroom but get a dresser or armoire, along with a bench/chaise for under the window.
BATHROOM
This bathroom needs some love! Just like the kitchen, the bones are good, but the style isn’t 100% me. I love having a separate tub and shower though. I’m thinking of swapping out the flooring, replacing the tile in the shower, and maybe having a freestanding tub. There’s another tub in Augustine’s bathroom that we’ll use for his baths probably. Hoping to swap out the his and her sinks for something more stylish and change out the mirror, and add lighting. One funny thing about this bathroom is that there are no towel bars/racks. Definitely need to add some of those because right now our hand towels, bath towels and washcloths have no home! Also, the bathroom opens right up to the bedroom. Do we add a door?? I don’t know!
There are other rooms I wasn’t able to take great photos of, like the guest bathroom and outdoor space but I’ll take photos of those in the next month or so and share with you.
Here is our home priority list right now:
restain floors– Will share more about this project next time!- decorate Master Bedroom- We got a king mattress {woo hoo!}, but now need the bed to go with it. Also want to get a dresser or armoire, and possibly a bench or chaise to go under the window.
- Redo Master Bathroom- I care more about this project than the Kitchen. The bathroom is a little old and squeaky and just feels a bit gross right now. I want to make it my oasis!
- Redo Augustine’s Bathroom- We have a piping issue in this bathroom so it needs to be re-done for more than cosmetic reasons
- Landscape the Backyard- We don’t have any grass in the backyard and Augustine needs some play space. Our backyard is teeny tiny but I think we can make it a fun area for him to run around in. Need to get an outdoor dining table set-up too!
- Update Fireplace Mantles
- Entryway- re-tile and add wood to stairs
- Redo Guest Bathroom
- Paint the Outside
- Redo Kitchen {obviously won’t happen for awhile but a girl can dream!}
Wow, ok that seems like a lot! There are probably more projects too but those are just the ones that immediately come to mind. Of course, I’d love to do this all now, but home stuff gets so pricey and we can’t afford to do anything just yet. But eventually, these are projects we’ll be working on. I can’t wait to share more of the progress with you all. If you have any ideas for me, or resources you’d like to share {favorite home stores, online sites for tile/hardware/etc}, please leave them for me below!
Hope you all enjoyed this post! Thanks so much for stopping by to read! And if you have any ideas for future home posts you’d like to see, please let me know!
xox
P.S. Follow my Pinterest for home inspiration! I love pinning bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and basically anything home!
