So, here's our house. Built in 1985, but looks like it was built in the 70's by the carpet, etc. you'll see what I mean.... we like to call it "grandma-ville" because it looks and feels like you just stepped into grandma's house. some of that is why we bought it, some of that is why we're renovating.
we bought a fixer-upper, because we knew we could do at least most of the work ourselves and gain a lot of value that way. Because this house was so outdated, we were able to get it SUPER cheap (especially for the neighborhood). woohoo! now the hard part (and fun part) is getting the work done! :)
Here's the kitchen. the wooden doors over the sink are no longer there, and that looks out into the livingroom. Notice the broomcloset on the left, and next to it, if you're wondering what that is instead of a drawer - it's a breadboard!! used and cared for beautifully - I love it! Notice also the 1980's appliances (except the dishwasher) and the "wavy" border. yeah, the border has to go. oh, and don't forget the lanolium! ha. Great kitchen though. lots of storage space and working room.
The pantry is much bigger than the GA house. oh, and we have installed a new overhead light in here now. much better!
ok, so I lied, these aren't all from the beginning. This is the dining room, as we're pulling up carpet. we've painted in here, but that's it. we now have concrete flooring, the wainscoating and trim are white, and the walls are neutral. you can also see the entry-way at the very bottom of this picture. nice '70's tile. that's gone now too. just concrete. and the door is painted white instead of brown.
ok, and the epitome of grandma-ville. the livingroom. this is from the entry-way. The mantle had to go because it was rotted. We've painted the far wall, all of the trim, and the cut-out in the ceiling so far. The door on the right is the hallway (yes, it closes off and I love it!) with the kids' rooms and bathroom. To the right of the fireplace is another doorway that leads to the utility room and garage.
A different view of the livingroom. the window cut-out is the kitchen. You also see the entry-way to the left, and the door to the right leads to our bedroom, which also has access to the kitchen. Essentially, there is a circle of walkway around and through the entire kitchen. doorways everywhere. when Bella starts getting a bit stir crazy, I tell her to run laps. :)
The amount of doorways does present a problem when it comes to decorating and arranging furniture. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated :)
Our plan is to put hardwood flooring in the dining room and living room definitely. we're pretty sure we're adding our bedroom to that, and we're trying to decide about the kids' rooms. we want to do slate for the entry-way, and we'll have to decide on something for the kitchen and bathrooms. probably ceramic, but we aren't totally set on it yet. of course, paint everywhere, plus changing out some of the light fixtures, etc. There's more than just cosmetic stuff that we want to do, but not sure if it will actually happen. there's more to life than remodeling a temporary dwelling...so we'll see what happens. :)
