The House from 1986

Thank you for your prayers for our little guy.  He still won't take a bottle, but he is willing to nurse more often, so his calorie intake is higher.  We are in a holding pattern until we see some results from these increased feedings, and will form a plan based on those results.  Please pray for understanding for the other kiddos and for energy and perseverance for me.  I'm nursing every 2-3 hours as if he were a newborn, and the little vampire is sapping my energy. But he's so cute when he's doing it....

In the meantime, I have been chomping at the bit to show you our new house!  I can't believe we've been here for two months! It seems like forever and yesterday all at once. I realize that I haven't shown a single picture of this house from the inside {well, there was one from the listing that I copied for this post}, so today will be a total photo dump.

Just to impress you with our progress, I'm taking you on a tour of the house as it looked when we moved into it.  If you remember {don't worry - I don't expect you to, but I alluded to it in the post link above} we were thinking we would keep the blue grasscloth wallpaper in the livingroom, but closer inspection revealed that it was dingy, dirty, and the strings were coming undone in places.  So, off it came.  We hired someone to take all the wallpaper down and paint the trim.  It was just too ridiculous to try to do it ourselves.  I estimate that it would have taken us two years to completely paint the trim in our current circumstances.  Handsome Hero says four years.

We'll start our tour in the entry - very dark, but I think you can tell that the wallpaper has already been removed.  I love that there is a real entry, not just entering into a room, and I really like the cloudy glass on the side windows.  We have privacy, but don't lose the natural light.  In our last house, the side windows were clear, and anyone could look right in.  It's kind of hard to ignore a door-to-door salesman if they can see you through the window.  Another thing I love?  TWO coat closets!

 

If you were standing in the same place the shot above was taken and you swiveled to your left, you would see our dining room.  Again, the photo is dark, but that is going to be a problem in several areas because of all the natural light.  I'll work on trying to figure out how to change the settings and all, but for now, this is what I have.  Notice the tan trim, the country rustic chandelier, the wallpaper, the cheap curtain rod.  You probably can't tell, but there are tan metal mini blinds on the window.  Those puppies were on every.single.window.   

 

 

Again, moving to the left, the kitchen.  Plusses:  huge, with a nine foot long island, big pantry, more cabinets than I can fill, a three basin sink, instant hot water faucet,  a six burner range, and double wall ovens.  Minuses:  poorly and inconveniently laid out, electric range that takes forever to heat up, non-adjustable cabinet shelves that majorly hinder where I can place things, cabinets with the finish coming off, an island with room for only two stools, and sinks that are really shallow. 

 

 

Oh but we have plans!  We have a kitchen fund.  Painting cabinets and adding mouldings to them, making them adjustable, switching to gas, replacing the counters with granite and extending the island {yep, you heard that right} in order to have more seating, putting in a new sink.  We will be saving for awhile. 

 

This is a close up of the wallpaper in the kitchen.  The door goes to the garage.

 

 

 If you keep turning left from the above picture, you see the eat-in kitchen area.  We decided to put the piano here instead and use the island and the dining room for meals.  Again, wallpaper, yucky trim colors, mini blinds, and very rustic chandelier.

 

 

 

Moving on to the left, the living room.  We are moving these couches to the family room in the basement as soon as we can replace them.  We sold our old leather couches in Wisconsin and need the seating.  I am thinking two {maybe tufted} charcoal gray sofas of equal length on either side of the fireplace.  Mmmmmm.... 

 

 

And this beauty is a big reason for our excitement over the house.  We have planned built-in cabinets in each of our former houses, and have never done them, so to already have them done was very exciting!

 

 

And here we're looking back at the kitchen to the far left, the dining room on the other side of the wall with the picture, and the entry straight ahead.  To the right of the entry {and to the left of the bookcases} is the hall to the master and guestroom, as well as the stairs to the basement.

 

 

The hallway in all of its wallpaper glory.  Straight ahead is the master, to the left are the stairs, further is the guest room, and to the right is the master and hall bath {currently a shared space - yuck!}.

 

 

This is the guest room.  Nate is in here for now, but he'll be sharing a room with Jack when he's a bit older.  This room had not just wallpaper, but a border!  It also has that awesome built-in that I'm using for craft storage.

 

 

This is the Master.  BORING!  Notice the hunter green curtain rod and the beautiful metal mini blinds.  The door in front of you goes out to the sunroom, which is really nice.

 

 

Before we head out there, check out our Master bathroom!  It's huge, 11x15, but most of it is taken up by this jacuzzi tub that I'm sure was state of the art in 1986.  We have lots of plans for this space, but the kitchen comes first.  Unless I'm walking into Home Depot and Bath Crashers happens to be there.  I keep hoping.... 

 

 

Back out to the sunroom.  I love this room.  It's beautiful, large and inviting, and the windows!  Ooooh, I have plans for this room!  I keep saying that, don't I?

 

 

From the other side.  That far door is to our room, and the closer door is one of the french doors to the living room.

 

 

 

Back into the main house and down the stairs to the basement family room.

 

 

I haven't measured this room, but it's enormous.  It's living area, office, school, and play room all in one with room to spare.  Talk about a great hang out for the kids as they grow!  Can't you see the slumber parties?  Plus, it has two large windows and a french door walkout to the patio so it doesn't feel like a basement. 

 

I love this house.

 

 

The school area.  I am planning to paint the wall to the right in chalkboard paint.  The door leads out into the workshop.

 

 

Another view of the space.  The office is on the right wall, and the living area is to the left.  I'm standing in  the school area. 

 

This is the downstairs bathroom.  It's horrible.  The worst wallpaper in the house.  It makes me extremely dizzy and I just want to leave.  Oh, and that's Steve.  He's the contractor we hired to take down the wallpaper and paint the trim.  Best.decision.ever.

 

 

I forgot to take any pictures of the kids' rooms, but here they are in their current glory.  All that's changed is pictures on the wall and white trim.  The lighting is horrible and they need paint like I need to breathe.  Ella wants to paint her room red {not happening} or pink {not my fav, but I will compromise - I keep trying to convince her that what she really wants is a very light yellow - no dice so far}. 

 

 

Jack wants blue. Jack would like to actually be blue, I think. A blue Buzz Lightyear. A blue Buzz Lightyear who drives a fire truck to nativity and beyond.

 

 

 

And there you have it.  If you made it all the way to the end of this, you're either a really good friend, a glutton for punishment, or my mom.  Hi, Mom!  I am really excited to show you over the next few posts what we've changed so far.  Of course, there is a ton to do, and probably always will be, but I don't mind that.  I love a good project.  As I look at these pictures, I can see that we've accomplished a lot in spite of all of the setbacks.  That's really encouraging right now.