We're in. 2 weeks and counting. Have the children been neglected and left completely to their own devices over the past month? They absolutely have (Dude has mastered Lego Star Wars on XBox) and Squirt has learned sign language through the iPad, but we're nested, unpacked, de-boxed and feeling at home in our new quarters. Sorry kids, all our hard work just didn't leave time for playing with you, but thank goodness for a week long visit from Nana and Papa. They saved the day in major ways.
We've never purchased a home that needed TLC like this one did. Given the killing we made on selling our house, which was almost ridiculous how smooth it all went, we had the funds to put some sweat equity into the new house. We're blessed to say the very least. After 2 weeks of managing 9 grown men scraping ceilings, re-texturing, painting every single inch, laying new floors in four rooms, adding lighting, replacing lighting, filling in unnecessary holes in the walls, stretching carpet, cleaning carpet and shopping like a crazy woman in between all of that, I learned a bit about acting as a general contractor. Secret - I kinda loved it. I don't have issues with being bold and bossy (with a sweet smile and free food of course). Tim spent every night here for 2 weeks working his little fanny off. Like a champ. We're indebted to some rad dads who volunteered their time to help us out with electrical work, laying floors and the actual move. Of course we didn't hire movers. I'm married to Tim. Have you met him?
After numerous requests for photos from far away friends, here they are. I wanted the walls and surfaces adorned before I captured our new space. We're still in awe that God has given us this treasure to call our own. There's so much to love. The quiet dishwasher for example. We can converse while it's running. Blessed doesn't describe how we're feeling in this home. There's nothing "house" about it. It's all "home." Home sweet home. Our home is your home and you're welcome any time.
Before and Afters:
Living room. This is one of three fireplaces - this one is gas, which the children think has a magic torch lighter buried inside.
View from the living room into the kitchen space.
My sweet, cozier than cozy office space. It's a step down from the front family room and leads into the living room. I have my very own wood burning fire place, which in theory is charming. It will never get used, but that's ok. The builder refers to this room as the "conversation nook." And now you know where you can converse when you visit our home.
The front family room is our tv watching space and Enzo's favorite spot to be a lazy dog.
The entry way. The bottom floor is a complete circle, this hallway being the middle route through the circle.
The powder room was given a face lift. The octagon floor might have been a bear to lay, but she sure is purdy.
The mud room leads to the FOUR car garage and includes a door to the right leading to the back yard. It had really attractive dirty brown carpet before we moved in.
Perhaps my favorite 4 walls in the house. The play room was an addition with the fourth garage stall back in the day. It was gross green with an obtrusive 1972 heater jetting out of the wall, so we gutted it. The door shuts, it's out of the way, but close to the kitchen, and the children are loving it. Done.
This little man is started to get into his groove here. Uprooting him from what's comfortable isn't exactly a cake walk, but we're getting there.
I've always dreamed of a little coffee bar. Well, for the past year since I started drinking coffee I guess.
Dine with us, play games with us....this is the space. My chandelier friend does a fine job of welcoming our guests doesn't she? This space was pea green. That didn't suite our fancy, so we upgraded to this yummy gray blue, added crown and the light.
Upstairs bath was also given a gut job. The purple counter top is about to see her last days, but we're certainly enjoying her while we can.
100% sweetness. I might have had the most fun decorating my diva's room. It's massive and has the most fun architecture to it, starting with a long hallway to enter. She's right at home here. If only she and the dog didn't each vomit all over the floor already.
Tinkerbell paid Squirt a visit one night.
Dude is loving his Star Wars room. He has a new (from Craigslist of course) loft bed with a cozy reading corner underneath. Nana decked out his ceiling, galaxy style. That massive ball of white on the wall is his "Death Star." This decal took me 45 minutes to peel off, so please take your time in appreciating its awesomeness.
The master underwent the most change. New floor, new closet doors, canned lighting, ceiling fam, and the massive window in the sitting area was filled in. Yes, there was a window that looked down on the front family room. Non-nonsensical.
The hole lived where the book case and frame are sitting. The children would have met their deaths if we kept the hole.
The kitchen garden window will eventually be turned into an accordion window that opens into a serving area for the back patio space. For now it's filled with ghost lights from Nana.
We spent 3 hours this weekend trimming back overgrown bushes. Lots of them. The yard is smaller than our last yard, but the massive covered patio more than makes up for that. Next Spring the landscape will get much needed TLC.
Papa hung our festive lights around the patio, which I LOVE. Sitting out there in the rain is dreamy to this Mama.
The front space was another draw to this house. It's massive and nicely shaded. We painted the doors a happy shade a blue and one of my girlies gifted us with the fantasticly awesome wooden "home" sign on the left wall when we moved in. Happy.
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