...and now the work begins! Curtis is over there as we speak doing...something. I hope.
So much work to do that it's hard to know where to begin! I just want to give you guys a tour of the house and comment on what we want to do to the space. I've got a "vision" in my head of what I want the finished house to look like, but I'm not sure if we'll be able to pull it off or not. First off, I do NOT like the way the outside looks. Our original plan was to put vinyl siding on...but due to budget constraints...it looks like we might be lucky to just get it painted. Maybe a tan or green? We would also like to put smaller windows on the upper floor - those things are 5.5 feet tall!
The Kitchen
Upon first glance, this doesn't look too bad. But, the previous owners stripped part of the stain off, leaving the cabinets two-toned. And then, they cut an extra hole in each cabinet so that they could use rope as the knob pulls. Like they were going for a rustic look...that didn't really happen. (Besides, I don't think burgandy and green are really rustic colors!). The cabinets themselves are in really good shape and pretty nice, so I'm going to paint them white, add a new backsplash and new appliances.
That's the eat-in kitchen area...not quite big enough for our table (which is going in the dining room anyway) and the wall is just kinda in the way. I want to cut "windows" in each side (all the way across, just leaving a pillar at each end and in the corner) that would look out to the living room and dining room. I would like an island or something there eventually. The wall is getting painted Whale Gray thanks to Casey's advice :) And we're removing the tile baseboard.
Dining Room/Living Room
The rest of the main floor consists of the dining room and living room.
Dining room is going to be painted shades of blue and we're leaving the laminate flooring. Hopefully we can find a light fixture we like! I never realized how many ugly ones are out there. We loved the one we had in Louisville, but of course we don't remember the manufacturer.
Yep, we already have a mess of toys in the living room :) It was supposed to keep the two little ones occupied while I removed cabinet doors. But...Lane wanted to help...and Katy was scared of the drill. We were there for an hour and a half and I only got four doors removed.
The plan in this room is blue and gray paint...new trim...and new carpet! I think new carpet will make a world of difference. Another "what were the previous owners thinking?" moment - the dining room and living room both have different trim - dining room is "rustic" knotty pine while the living room is a more traditional style. Really? And they thought it would look good?
We do like the tile entryway. And Katy LOVES the stairs...hence the two gates.
Master Bedroom/Bathroom
This room is...interesting. The carpet doesn't cover the entire floor...yucky insulation is peeking out from the sliding door frame...red sponge painting on the wall. But it's a good size and has alot of potential. The sliding doors lead out to a balcony that we're scared to step on :)
BUT...amazingly enough, the master bathroom is really nice! Looks like it is all brand new...including laminate flooring and a heated floor :) New shower, although I would've prefered a tub/shower, but at least this one is oversized. I was pretty excited about the french doors (don't they look cool?) until Curtis pointed out, (not very tactfully).."I really don't want you to watch me poop!" Ummm...yeah. Glass doors in a bathroom aren't really cool. Ace Hardware has some frosted "clings" that I'm planning on using. Much more functionable!
We have to wonder what the previous owners were thinking with this. Again, trying for a rustic look. Pedestal sink isn't bad. But that thing behind it doesn't really work. First, they had to bolt it 6 inches up off the ground to make the drawer work. And the light is kind of perched on it since it doesn't fit right. And really, it just looks kinda crazy! A new vanity is getting delivered from Lowe's on May 26. :)
Kids' bedrooms/bathroom
This is Lane's room. He's pretty excited about it...he was running circles when I took the picture! Although the closet is alot smaller than his old one...so sleeping in it might be hard :)
Paint and new carpet is basically the only plan in here...the walls will be dark brown, orange, and blue to match his comforter set.
This is Katy's room...a little smaller than Lane's but it's quite a bit bigger than her room in our current house! There is some water damage on the ceiling that we need to look at more closely to make sure there isn't still a leak. Luckily Curtis knows what he's doing :)
Katy's room is going to be a purply color, green, and blue. The colors look great and hopefully it will look as good as I'm envisioning!
The kids have their own bathroom upstairs, but it will also be the one most guests will use. Right now, we have no plans for it as it's functionable and pretty clean. I'll wait to do anything until I either have an idea of what to do with that tile or we have the money to tear it out and put in a shower. Lane's terrified of showers so it will be a few years before we need one :)
Family Room
The lower level is great. It doesn't feel like a basement due to the large windows and walkout door. It will be a combination office/playroom/tv room. I'd like to keep the upstairs living room more toy-free so I feel like SOME part of my house is clean, but I don't know how well that will turn out :).
The plan down here is laminate flooring, tan paint on three walls, and a deep chocolate color on the wall by the stairs. And hopefully I can find some cheap & cute storage cubbies/bookshelves to house all the kids' toys and projects. Like I said, I have a picture in my mind, but I don't know if I can re-create it or not!
Laundry room/half bath
We were surprised to find a third full bathroom in the lower level. It look like the shower has to go though. The house wasn't built to accomodate a shower in that area, so there is mold growing on the wall from leakage.
Our plan is to remove the shower and vanity and replace the flooring with the same laminate that is in the rest of the family room. We were going to remove the toliet, but our realtor recommended keeping it. I think she's right :) We're going to put laundry cabinets in along the (future) open wall along with a laundry sink. I think I'm going to find a screen or something to shield the toilet from the washer/dryer.
There is also an actual basement in the house...I forgot to take a picture, but there's a nice room for my craft stuff...good storage area...and then the basic furnace room.
So, that's our house! The actual buying process was pretty awful...we had to deal with a foreclosure company that demanded really strange stuff and kept putting off the closing date. I recommend not buying a foreclosure if you can help it :) In the end, we were really thankful for Michelle, our realtor, and Karen, our loan officer. They were both VERY helpful and made sure that everything would come out ok in the end.
I imagine it will be years before everything is exactly how I want it, but I will do updates once things start looking better!
