A Few "Befores" + Some Big Plans

Since the majority of my decor posts will most likely revolve around my own home, I'd like to kick off the blog with some good old "before" shots to give you an idea of what we're starting with.  The following photos are a combination of shots taken during our original walk-through of the home and during our move-in process, so please ignore the mess {particularly in the garage!}.  As mentioned before, our house is far from a "fixer-upper", however, we do have big plans for it.

Entry: I love the very high ceilings in here, along with the large arched window that lets in a ton of light.  I also love the staircase and the loft/game-room that keep everything so open.  Our plans for this space include a fresh coat of paint, new light fixture {I love lantern-types}, dark wood floors & refinishing the banister.  Also, I'm thinking of possibly getting some type of window treatment to cover those side windows - it creeps me out a little at night to have those so open like that, but maybe I'll get used to it?

Off of the main entry is where you'll find the office as well as the living room and dining space.  All these really need are a coat of paint and a little decor.

Power Room: We'd like to update some of the fixtures in here, but {you can't really tell from this photo} the great thing is that the room is actually huge for a powder room - so much room to work with in there!

Kitchen: I love the open floor plan, I love the height of the cabinets/ceiling, and I love that there's an island.  Things that we'd love to update in order to make this into a dream kitchen: new, espresso cabinets, larger island, granite counter top, subway tile back splash, stainless appliances, a light fixture that does not involve a fluorescent tube... this may take us awhile to save up for.  As you can tell, this will undoubtedly be the largest project in the house.

And this pantry...love the size... but I can see a big organizational project just waiting to happen!  {Please ignore our random jars and bottles thrown in there - I promise it doesn't still look this bad!}

Family Room: The first thing that needed replacing in here was the patio door.  Our inspector informed us that it had started to rot out, and we wanted to replace it with a sliding one anyway {the original one was french}.  The fireplace is going to be our only other project here, as they are one of my favorite features of a room.  So, wee really want to update this one to have a larger mantel and a modern white tile surround that will really make it stand out in the space.

Backyard: This deck.  It was one of the features that attracted us to the house, but after further inspection, we've come to realize that it is warping in some areas and needs fixing/replacing.  It also isn't up to code - it's over 30" off the ground, requiring it to have a railing around it.  Not really an issue if you don't have any kids {which the previous owners did not}, but eventually we might have a couple, and I'd like to have one up and ready for them.  In short, our plans for the backyard include a complete overhaul - new or fixed deck {with railing}, new fences {just on the sides - the back is fairly new}, new shed & new landscaping.  I'm envisioning a fire pit, stepping stone path, lots of fruit trees and a veggie and herb garden!

Garage:  Don't judge.  A lot of these photos were taken on moving day!  I am an organizational freak, and this space is driving me insane.  As a lot of garages do, it has become our storage room.  We've come leaps and bounds since this photo was taken - installed a ton of new outlets in the walls, brand new can lights, painted the walls, ceiling, and even epoxied the floor!  We have a lot left to do as far as organization goes, though.  {Tools, I'm talking to you}.

Master bedroom & Bathroom: Paint - I love the ceilings in this room, and I think a darker color will accentuate the shape and height of those ceilings a great deal.  And a complete overhaul of the bathroom, which is in the works now {and all started from finding a little leak and some sub floor damage}.  Progress photos will be coming soon!

Guest Bath: I don't really have anything major I want to change in this bathroom, and after spending a ton of time and money on our master bath remodel, I feel like I can update it a little here and there on a budget.  I'm thinking of doing some cabinet painting, light fixture changes, maybe try to frame out the builder's grade mirror to make it appear much more custom... stay tuned:)

And there you have it - an overall idea of our "befores".  We do have a few more spaces that I didn't really show here, but I will show more as I work on each one.  Looking forward to making progress & making our house reflect more of our style.  Thanks for following along!