We’re so pleased to introduce you to our new home. We’ve been on the hunt for a place that we could see our girls grow up in, maybe host their wedding receptions in the back yard, somewhere we could spread out and breathe a little bit and we found it 30 minutes down the road from our current home, on 3.5 acres with all the mature trees and landscaping I could dream of (and Greta is especially keen on the horse pasture out back).
While the lot and yard is definitely what sold us (doubles anyone?), we’re anxious to make the home our own over the next several years. Since we decided to buy this home, we’ve been introduced to a lot of people (including the previous owners) that loved this home with their whole hearts–it shows and I can feel it when I walk through the home. So while the current style isn’t our style, we are still coming at any upcoming renovation plans from a place of love. We already love this home. We see ourselves here until we’re empty nesters.
I think there are three kinds of renovations. The fast flips to make a quick buck–which are fine but there can’t always be very much heart in those. The renovations done because you hate aspects of your home. Those rarely turn out for the best because if you’re merely trying to improve something out of hate then usually anything will do. And then there are the renovations done out of love. Because you’re so invested in bringing out your home’s full potential and in making it part of your family–that you can’t NOT improve it. That’s the kind of renovation we’ll be doing here. There are many people that will look at these photos and think, “That’s such a nice house! Any improvement would be a waste!” And there are many people that will look at these photos and only see what they DISLIKE. When I see it–I already see the after and the projects and the amazing memories we’re going to have here. It’s literally all I can see and I can’t wait to take you through the whole renovation journey.
There’s a video tour coming at you Wednesday, but let’s do a little photo walkthrough.
Through the arched doorway will be our office. Another big selling point of this house! I believe they used it as a sort of theater room previously and said they had plans to make it the master bedroom, but it’s a great size with terrific windows and we’re excited to have a little more elbow room while we work now.
This space below that’s straight ahead when you enter (they used as a formal dining room previously) had me stumped for weeks! But we finally have a pretty good plan that involves making a ceiling (and adding a bonus room upstairs!) and walling off part of it (see ya columns) and removing that door and widening the doorway to the living room.
All of the ceilings in this home are at least 9-10′ (another must for us!) but the living room vaults and we can’t barely wait to move the fireplace to the blank wall (and make it double sided for the adjoining room) and add a full wall of windows looking into the backyard where the fireplace is currently blocking. (If you follow me on Instagram, then you know new windows are one of the first major things we’d love to tackle. It changes daily, but we’re leaning thin black windows right now, like 92% sure. Hahaha)
Before we head to the kitchen, through the glass door in the living room is this! Basically an entertainer’s dream. We plan to add an everyday table for our family in the breakfast nook, and open this room up on either side of the new fireplace (it’s going to be double sided to this room–the chimney already exists on the wall!), make sure it’s probably insulated–it feels a little drafty in here right now–and make it a special room with seating for, like, 20! If you know us, you know we love to entertain and we both have really large families. So to have a room like this where we can gather and eat and talk–it’s a dream come true.
Okay, back through the living room into the breakfast nook/kitchen. Chris is very excited about that range nook and is envisioning a 48″ range someday while I’m dreaming up one of those built in/hidden range hoods and recessed cubbies on each side. We probably won’t tackle the kitchen for some time, but we’re so grateful it’s a great size with great appliances and light in the meantime.
All four bedrooms are upstairs (with a fifth in the basement for guests) and since I grew up with bedrooms upstairs, it was another huge plus for me. Greta found hers right away.
And it has some pretty fun carpeting! It also has an attached bathroom of its own and it has her feeling very grown-up.
Faye’s room has a sweet arched window and although it looks small in this photo, a queen size bed fits on the window wall–right when we saw this room, we knew it was for our darling Faye.
Polly’s room is light filled and simple, but we can’t wait to inject her spunky personality.
My favorite thing about the master bedroom is all the natural light. In the bedroom, bathroom and closet! We’re excited to simplify the fireplace and expand the shower (here we go, again! hahaha) down the road.
This was just the main spaces and highlights! We’ll do a full video tour on Wednesday showing you how the whole house flows and I’ll try not to blabber on about too many plans. Because to be honest–very few plans are set in stone as of now. I alluded we were going to be channeling a Tudor/cottage feel on the exterior and interior (if you follow me on Pinterest, you know I’ve been pinning up a storm for this house right here!), but I’m still nailing down an overall moodboard of what that will look like.
All I know is we’re going to be happy here and we’re excited to take our plans and designs to a new level. (Also our dog, Willow, is gonna go nuts over all the yard she has to run around in!)
It’s odd to me that you’d do thin black windows — that isn’t Tudor cottage and doesn’t match any of your exterior inspiration images.
We are leaning more toward a modern cottage look now.
Love this! A house of this size and look would run me about 750,000 in Maine. Do you mind if I ask what the purchase price was? Can’t wait to follow along!
(Ps I just got rid of Instagram so I could take a social- media hiatus for a bit, but I missed your posts and DIY’s so much that I now creep on the blog so much more)
Congrats on the new house CLJ!
Such a stunning home. I can’t wait to see what you’ll do to this beauty. Where do you live? I love the land!
We live in Idaho!
GORGEOUS house- can’t wait to see you make it YOUR home! Such an inspiring family. I just adore you!
Fabulous new house and those grounds are amazing! I can’t wait to see how you turn it into a home! It is certainly completely different from all of your other “blank” canvases and will be exciting to follow along as you place your personal stamp all over it!