We bought our home May 2010 (full story is the 2nd post ever on this blog) and it has been a big project ever since. We tried to get as much work done as possible before we even moved in but with time and money being limited we could only get so far. Admittedly, the progress slowed once we moved in. There have been lots of changes around the house and there are lots more that are needed but only time (and money) can make it happen and now we've run out of time. As of August 2012 our life changed. We had our baby boy August 2012 and Bran got a new job a couple of weeks later. The hitch with his awesome new job? We have to be in the Raleigh, NC area within a year. So now we are moving out. So the NOW pictures are the finished pictures (at least for us) of our first house.
Below are the house stats and a rough layout I did (which isn't exactly to scale, but it is close enough).
Below are the house stats and a rough layout I did (which isn't exactly to scale, but it is close enough).
House Stats:
Age: old (1948)
Size: 2,048 sq
ft
Land: 3.65 Acres
Bedrooms:
3
Baths: 2 (full)
Rooms: Kitchen,
Dining, Living, Bedroom 1, 2 and 3, Bath 1 and 2, Sunroom,
Utility
Here is a rough layout:
There are also some Then and Now pictures of some of the house below. Note THEN and NOW and not BEFORE and AFTER... all the rooms were IN PROGRESS so they can't really be labeled after.
Front of House
This is the front of the house when we bought it. The previous owner LOVED plants but with the house being basically abandoned for some time, the plants kind of took over. There was also a built out structure that was a little sketchy and pointless to us.
The house now:
Side Yard (Barn Side)
This was the side yard looking from the lane back to the house. There is a rickety old barn, bean poles, a chicken coop area, a spider filled greenhouse, and the pump house. There was a LOT going on over there.
The side yard/barn/garage now:
We got ride of the chicken coop, took out the bean poles, shabby greenhouse shed, built a 2 car garage, and added a dog day pen in-between the kept barn and new garage.
Pond/Yard
This is the pond side of the yard. The totally opposite side of the yard from the barn. The picture directly below is more of the pond's dam being blown out. Below that is the mud pit (due to a natural spring) and weeds that were the "pond."
The pond now:
Bran worked really hard and spent plenty of time fixing the dam that holds in the pond. We have loads of frogs, turtles, ducks, owls, hawks and loads of random wildlife since we have got the pond filled up (though it still goes down from time to time). While we love the pond, our dog Bella enjoys swimming in it more than anything!
Bathroom 1
The first bathroom that is attached by a closet to the 2nd bedroom was bad. Sadly, it is STILL pretty bad. Before though the mirror, light, and mustard CARPET (not pictured) made this bathroom beyond gross. Of course the tan and blue seat toilet and I have a love have relationship and I am ashamed to say it is still there (not by my choice).
Bathroom 1 now:
Much like our kitchen, we had plans to totally redo our small bathroom. Alas, all it really got was some paint. Oh well...
Bathroom 2
Bathroom 2 was a 60's nightmare. The paneling had a pattern that made me dizzy. The tub didn't reach to both ends of the room (which bugged me). There were double sinks, but the cabinet, light, and mirror made me want to scream.
Oh paneling and mustard carpet....quite the match.
Guest Bathroom Now:
Bedroom 1 (Master)
The room we consider the master bedroom (had the most closet space) was one of the newer additions to the house and all around not the worst room in the house. The carpet was gross, the blinds were blue, and of course there were plant hangers hanging over both windows.
Master bedroom now:
It is amazing what paint can do. Our furniture is way too big for the room and I never got a chance to decorate it, but it is a really relaxing room and has the best views of the pond.
Bedroom 2 (Now Nursery)
The 2nd bedroom was once the master at some point in this house's history. It featured yummy mustard carpets, dingy blinds, some fancy wood paneling, tiled ceilings, and a closet door for someone with no shoulders.
Did I mention the awesome retro fan and more plant hangers this room had to offer?
Nursery now:
I had painted this room an earthy green when it was a guest room and never really loved it. Now as our son's room it is my favorite room in the house.
Bedroom 3 (Guest Room)
The third bedroom is the smallest in the house and is overall just a tiny room. Like the second bedroom it featured tiled ceiling, wood paneled walls, plant hangers, the house electric box, and a wonderful window view into the laundry room. The carpet was already torn up in the picture but the wood floors were not much to look at.
Guest Room now:
This itty-bitty room was a junk room (and bright blue) turned office and then finally turned guest room. Amazingly it fits a queen bed and side table...with just an liiiiittle bit of space to spare.
Dining Room
The dining room is the room you first come into when you come from our main front door (we have 2 - the other comes into the living room). It is a large room that when we moved in was covered with green and yellow (obviously the previous owner's favorite colors). The dingy green carpet and paint choices were not really my style.
Dining room now:
Sorry for the super neon orange lighting. I never really got to decorate the dining room and I regretted the color choices as soon as I painted them, but it is still better than all the green and yellow horror before.
Hallway
This hallway is not a much loved area of our home. It is long, skinny, and dark. The carpet was gross and it ended up being a dressing room area at some point. Below is looking towards the master and the picture below that is looking at the end of the hallway outside of the 3rd bedroom. The doors in the last picture are no longer with us. May they rest in peices.
Hallway now photos coming soon:
Kitchen
The kitchen made me want to cry/laugh/run screaming when we first saw the house. With all the work that needed to be done to the house, I knew we didn't have the funds to gut the kitchen. The cabinets are kind of hokey and very country. Obviously there are no appliances. The light fixtures were gross and the one hanging tried to take off the head of most visitors. The positives of the kitchen were that the sink was huge and had a very nice big window, so we decided to look paste the green counters and 70's wallpaper backsplash and go with the postives. Gutting the kitchen is what really needs to happen but we've made the best of what it is for now.
Kitchen now:
Sadly, we never got our chance to gut the kitchen. It is a great space that I think really benefitted from some paint, tiled counters, and stainless steel stick on backsplash.... but it could be amazing if the next owners are able to do it right.
Living Room
The living room side of the house was an add on (maybe in the '80s). It is a very large room and has a very large fireplace. Once again the green carpet and paint continued. The dingy white brick fireplace was (and still kind of is) in rough shape but it really does command attention to the center of the room. Our second front door can also be seen (and never really used) in this room.
Living Room Now:
I'm going to miss our super large living room. It's home-base for the house. We munch and lounge on the couches, moved our desk to the corner, warmed fire-side in the winter, and gave Everett plenty of room to play.
Spider Cave of Death (Now Patio)
I am not sure what the purpose of this sketchy "room" was. It was attached to the sunroom of the house and also a little greenhouse so it probably had something to do with the owner's plants. It was poorly constructed and there had been no permit to build it, plus it was creepy and infested with every type of spider you could probably imagine. The roof was caving in so I was happy to see this thing come down first thing.
Patio Now photos coming soon....
Sunroom
The sunroom didn't really get much sun or seem very sunny. The wood paneling was buckling, there were dark FOAM beams on the ceiling and astro turf for carpet. It does lead nicely into the kitchen, deck, and laundry room though.
Sunroom Now photo coming soon....
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