This Old House of Ours...

Last time we left you on a bit of a cliffhanger as to what our house looked like, but I thought you'd find the anticipation to be worth it.  Besides, we've got a lot of ground (and photos) to cover. I didn't want to make it too lengthy of a post, and the house certainly deserves it's very own chapter in this book of ours. :)

Lets just start off by giving you an idea as to what we were looking for when we were window shopping rentals. We wanted a 3 bedroom at minimum. It's nice for us to each have a space that is ours, and a separate place for guests to stay that could also function as an office. It was also necessary that our new home include a garage. We have a classic car that is in need of some tender loving restoration, and having a place to work on her (and her pieces) is important. The third thing we looked for in our potential home was that it had a yard-- preferably a fenced one. We have two four-legged fur babies that need a place to run and play just as much as our daughter does. Giving them a place that they could run around safely is a must. Finally, we needed all of this to fit within our measly budget.

So that's it. The four major things we were looking for. The first thing we did was hop in the car and go "sign hunting". It was helpful for us to see what kind of neighborhoods we would be surrounded by, and also gave us a lay of the land. I also checked Craigslist, a few rental search engines, and local real estate listings. We viewed a few places before settling on the one we ultimately choose-- it ended up being a property we hadn't even seen online. Here are a few pictures from move-in day.

View from the front

View from the rear including the yard

Two car garage

This house has undergone quite a few changes over the years. The front porch was obviously converted to an enclosed sun-room, and new upgrades consisting of laminate flooring and newer kitchen cupboards were installed. Not to mention, the house and it's interior have been painted a multitude of crazy colors. Take for example our awesome mac and cheese living room below:

Groovy, isn't it? The dark hardwood accents are totally awesome, though, and they carry through this room and into the dining room. In fact, each side has a swank little cupboard built into the gorgeous woodwork. The dining room features new laminate flooring, and has a chandelier hanging at brow level in the middle of the room. It was quite the obstacle before we moved our furniture into the house and positioned the table below it. Another swanky feature the dining room provides is a nice little built in "bar" tucked into the corner. I'll highlight more about that in a future post. 

I've deduced that the owners of the house are very fond of matching the walls to the curtains. They did it in the living room, and they've done it again in the kitchen. It's the only explanation I can come up with for the primary color overload. The new features that our kitchen boasts are a blonde wood laminate floor, newer appliances, and newer kitchen cupboards that feature pull-out drawers below and a frosted front glass above. 

This is probably the largest master bedroom we have inhabited yet. It also boasts a giant walk-in closet that has more than enough room for the two of us. The cappuchino walls are also a lot more calming than some of the paintwork downstairs, so I am relieved that this room won't need much overhauling. 

The other two bedrooms are significantly smaller than our previous house. This room is directly across from the master bedroom. Originally we had put our daughter in this room until we were able to overhaul the other. Due to the layout, it's slightly smaller than the other. Check out the chocolate brown wall and matching curtains. Detect that theme yet?

Finally we come to the last bedroom. I've affectionately referred to this space as "The Blueberry Room". While it is slightly larger in size than the other, we put this room under quarantine until I could remove the smelly carpet and paint the walls. This space was, in a word, DISGUSTING. The owners had several cats, and you could definitely smell it. This entire room has been overhauled, so stay tuned for the transformation. 

The bathroom is probably the most updated space in the house. Not only does it have a new sink, vanity, and toilet, but the floors are a decent stone tile. Unfortunately it's a little small and it's the only commode in the house. There is a small towel closet behind the door, but other than that there is limited storage space. We're going to have to get creative in here. 

Last, but certainly not least, is the front enclosed sun room. This room had previously been the front porch of the house, and was later enclosed with wall-to-wall windows. We're looking forward to filling this place up with more green and using the space as a game room. 

So there you have it. Our house. We've already begun to overhaul and make some changes, and we're looking forward to sharing our projects and ideas with you. My list is a mile long, so get ready! Who's down for a little transformation? :)