Showing posts with label House. Show all posts
Showing posts with label House. Show all posts

9.25.2011

1/2 way moved in. Sneak peak!

Is anyone still here? I sure hope so! I'm sorry for my absence, but I am happy to report that we are half way moved in to our house! It has been a very slow move and due to busy work schedules and extra projects to complete around the house, we have been forced to move in a little bit at a time. I am going nuts having my belongings scattered all over God's green earth. Hopefully within the next week or so we will be completely settled in. I haven't had a chance to take any new photos, but here is a little sneak peak at our bedroom barn doors. I LOVE the way they turned out! The board supporting them still needs to be painted to match, another thing on our "to do list."


I can't wait to share more photos with everyone. So far the room I am most excited about is Keating's room. It is so much fun and he finally has a space of his own. I painted a chalkboard wall and I am obsessed with his curtains. If you have been reading long enough, you can probably guess what pattern they are... houndstooth of course! =) He really likes coloring on his chalkboard wall, and the carpet and baseboards and everything else! Needless to say, he can only play with chalk with supervision.

As far as decorating goes, I can't wait to get started but there is still so much stuff and I am just not sure where to put it all! We will be having a garage sale in our near future. I'm also having a lot more trouble with the living room than I expected. There is so much open space I am a little overwhelmed with what to do with it! I will be open to suggestions! This weekend I made a trip to Ikea for white curtain panels. They are such a great bargain. I am trying to decide how to dress them up a little and add some color. Here are a few ideas I have been debating.


I love the ribbon trim on these curtains and I think it would be quite simple to add. Its just enough color, and if I ever got tired of it I could always replace it with something else.


I also like the horizontal stripes added to these panels.


The chevrons on these curtains are fun, but they would be a lot more labor intensive.



I love the quatrefoil pattern on these, but not sure if I have the patience to stencil them. I tried stenciling curtains for Keating's room and almost completed one panel and messed up the pattern. Talk about frustrating! I also have four matching panels to do, so it needs to be snappy. Anyone have any ideas? I think I am leading towards the ribbon trim. Thoughts?














3.22.2011

This little light of mine...

Ever since we decided to get neck deep in renovating our old ranch, I have been on the hunt for the perfect kitchen. With all of the posts that I have dedicated to the kitchen... you'd think I was sleeping in there! I promise, I will get around to the bedroom, I just have a one track mind!

I have been really inspired with lanterns lately. Specifically, old ones with lots of character. I have been envisioning an old bronze lantern with lots of character. After combing antique stores, stalking craigslist and weekly trips to Goodwill I have come away with a lot of random items, but no perfect lantern.

Finally I came across this little beauty! I think it has the perfect amount of aging to go along with my old bronze lantern vision. It is not old, nor is it bronze, but I think it is going to work perfectly!


My only concern is that it may be too small over the table. If that's the case, then I am considering getting another like this photo I took in Pottery Barn.


In other house news, the contractors are starting up this week! We can hardly wait to move out of the country. I don't know the reason for farmers to spread chicken crap all over their pastures, but it is DISGUSTING. The rancid smell and burning nostrils have ruined any attempts of going out to enjoy our gorgeous weather lately. Thank you Old McDonald!

Other than picking out things for the house and plugging my nose, I have had a sick baby, a sick husband, and I fired the wrong person at work this week. Keating got an ear infection over the weekend, {these things always seem to happen when his Dr's office is closed.} Brad took him to the Dr Monday morning and the poor little man definitely has an ear ache. He is getting better now, but he was just pitiful until today. Brad has had a cold, which he insists was the flu. {we all know how men are when they get sick! Just kidding Brad!!} I'm just hoping I stay well!!!

And to clarify, I know you're thinking "HOW DID YOU FIRE THE WRONG PERSON!?" There was a mix up with two employees names and I was given the wrong one. It really was not my fault, but of course, I had to fix it! Talk about feeling like a jerk!
"Excuse me, but I'm sorry, I didn't intend to fire you!" Yep, that was awesome.

Anyways, I hadn't posted in a week so I thought I needed to post about something.

Also HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MAWMAW! Sorry I didn't get this up yesterday on your actual birthday!

2.18.2011

At last, a home tour

I thought it is about time that I share with yall the before state of our house. We wont move in until all of the remodeling is complete, so everything you see is not ours.


Come on in...

This is the view from the front door, a long narrow hallway. We hope to take all of it out except for the wall at the left. It is a shame that the floors weren't done neutral, otherwise we would probably leave them as is, but the giant red stripe around the perimeter of the house is not our style. Instead we will be staining them dark brown.


This is the view once you step inside. A very typical floor plan for a 1970's ranch. That wall to the back of the photo with the painting hanging will be going too.

We aren't sure yet if we will be able to remove this whole wall or just a very large opening in it, only time will tell.

This is the view if you stand next to our "Built In Bookshelf" and look back toward the door.

I have no idea how I have no photos of the family room. This is the only view I have. It is very large and open with vaulted ceilings{which I love}, 1970's ceiling fans, 1970's wood paneling, and early 1990's light fixtures. I think the biggest thing that bothers me about this room is how the fireplace just stops half way up the wall and there is a random piece of trim at the same height that tops off the paneling. Oh where to even begin!? So many ideas, so little time. If you step around the corner with the fireplace behind you, this is the view to the kitchen. The wall on the left is the one we plan on getting rid of.


As much as y'all know that I love gray, this gray and maroon combo just does not work. Sidenote:: I dont know if I have ever mentioned it before, but I LOATHE the colors maroon and hunter green, Brad hates aqua, keep that in mind as you finish your tour.

We hope to add more lighting to brighten up the space, as well as all new light fixtures.


Since the kitchen is less than 10 years old, we would like to be able to repurpose as much as possible. I am sure that some people love oak cabinets, but we do not. The cabinets are going to be painted, we just arent 100% sure what color that will be yet.

Once again, as much as I love gray, the counter tops just dont do it for me... but we are going to work on loving them. Hopefully a coat of paint on the cabinets will bring out the best in them.

The back splash has to go... I never thought I would say this, but it is TOO MUCH GRAY! Once I realized this, I came to the sad conclusion that my coveted gray kitchen cabinets were out of the question.

Stepping out of the kitchen and into the hallway, this is your view. Lonngggggg and narrrrooowwww. I dont necessarily mind the paneling on the walls here, but it needs to be painted much lower contrast.

The door to the right goes down to the basement. Its a totally wet, creepy basement but its full of old furniture treasures that I want to revamp! The door on the left is the laundry room. I say we should move the laundry room down to the basement and utilize this space as a half bath and large pantry. We havent come to a conclusion here just yet.

The second door on the right is this massive hall bathroom painted a pretty shade of swimming pool aqua. All of the tile in here is new, so I am going to keep it... but I will have to find a paint color to downplay the orangey shades in it. Suggestions? We are also ripping out the vanity and mirror.

This is the smaller of the bedrooms, but still decent sized {much bigger than the rooms in our old house} The lavender will be going. As will the hunter green carpet. Gotta love the lasting effect the 90's had on home decor.

This is the second bedroom, which we will probably use as Keating's room. Its much more room than he needs right now, but plenty of room to grow in to.

And this ladies and gentlemen, is where the magic happens. HAHA KIDDING. There would be no magic making in this room under the current conditions... Luckily it will look nothing like this when we move in. Once again, gotta love the green carpet.
The only perk to this tiny master "suite" is that it has a large window... that will be knocked out so that we can add on to the back of the house. Also the only closet in the entire master bedroom is behind the narrow sliding doors. That just doesn't work for me. Not one bit. Neither does shiny paint on walls.


We are adding on because THIS is our master bathroom. Once again, it was all redone pretty recently, but its aqua, extremely small, lacks storage, has no tub, and its not our style.

Well friends, that's all for now. I hope the pastels didn't burn your retinas! Does anyone have any great NEUTRAL paint colors that they swear by? I have found a few I love, but I am open to suggestions. Shades of greige are appreciated!

2.15.2011

We are REFINANCED!

Friends, after a long 7 months of running in circles trying to refinance... it has finally closed! We are so relieved! During this long wait, we have learned a lot about things coming in God's time and not our own. It is a very hard concept to grasp when we are so used to instant gratification.

Tonight, Brad and I are going out on a hot date to celebrate! Yay!

I hope everyone had a great Valentine's day. Tomorrow I will come back with pictures of Keating's birthday!