THE House

WARNING:  PICTURE OVERLOAD!

Well, we are on our way to becoming homeowners again.  We have an accepted offer on a home that needs a lot of love over the next few months.  Thankfully, all I can see in my mind is the finished product... paint colors, decorations, etc.  I AM SO EXCITED... I cannot even begin to explain!

There are a few things about the home we are not crazy about, but hope to change in the future.  For this year, we will be concentrating on the inside.  Next year, we'll see what all we can improve on with the outside... eeks!

I'm actually thankful the home is at the stage it is because I (well, actually Nathan) can go in and personalize it to our style now.  What I mean by that is, I'm thankful the homeowner was in forecloser and upset enough to rip out all of their kitchen cabinets :)  Now I can pick out my own.  I'm thankful that the bathrooms are SO ugly and outdated and we (husband, friends, realtor... anyone) agree they simply just need ripped out! 

Oh, and I will living on a gravel road... hello!!  And I was working on trying to make Nathan less of a country boy! :)

Now here are the before pictures.  I've warned you - this baby NEEDS WORK, but just remember the after pictures will be coming and I'm dying to get started on it all.  Even if I do have to get my hands dirty in the process - ha ha!

So you turn in the drive and the house actually sits on your right (almost completely surrounded by fields).  It is a pale yellow, 3 bed/2 bath ranch.  And... don't be jealous that we now have our very own tractor tire in the backyard!!

You walk in the front door into the living room.  We will be altering the wood burner set-up over in the corner.  To the left is the dining room.  We will be filling in the wall between that and the hallway.  You will see to the left of the dining room is the kitchen.  I love how open these three rooms are.  Also, please understand that we ARE removing the precious benches that now reside in the dining room.  Hello, did we buy a hunting cabin??

So here we have the kitchen.  I actually love the shape/set-up of it.  My island will not be quite this big, but I will still have an island and keep the same set-up.  The cabinets you see (island and stove cabinet) is all they left for us.  The bulk head or whatever that is called will be ripped out... yes!  I can decorate above my cabinets!!

This is standing at the garage door entrance and looking back through the kitchen and into the dining room and living room.  I will also be converting this closet into a pantry... it is right behind the garage door entrance into the kitchen.

So... that is what is across the front of the house.  The bedrooms, baths and laundry room are across the back of the house.  Starting with the bedroom behind the living room - it is a great size and has a little bit bigger closet. 

Next we have a bathroom... this will be joined with the bedroom I show next for our "master suite".  MUCH work will be done to this bathroom... whew, between the harvest gold tub and toilet to the wallpaper, vanity, mirror and chandelier... it's a charmer!

This bedroom is in the middle of the bedrooms, but since it is the biggest one we are making it ours.  I'll show you my laundry room next.  It is so big we are going to move our closet wall back a little (into the laundry room) and to give me more closet space... goodness knows I need it! :)

THE laundry room...seriously one of the most exciting rooms in the house :)  I've never really had a decent laundry room or space so what we are envisioning here is terribly exciting!! 

Since there isn't a back door that goes into the backyard, we are going to put a door where the window is and then have a "mud room" area in our laundry room. 

On the other side of this is the third bedroom.  Nothing special, but again a nice size room.

There is a little bathroom and another storage closet of sorts behind the kitchen.  We are (I think) remodeling this area partly because it is wasted space and partly because it was never finished anyhow.  Love how wide (not) the doorway is to the bathroom... hope I don't get too hippy :)

These are the back hallway shots... looking from behind the living room down towards the kitchen area and then again from the opposite end.

Last but not least... my cute LITTLE garage :)

Now, if you don't hear from me over the next few months... you know it is because I am seriously covered with drywall dust, paint, stain, or something to do with this PROJECT!! :)  If I weren't so excited I might cry right now!