Old House New House Red House Blue House!!

[teebee]

Or however it goes!!!

Well, we had the inspections this afternoon and while we are still waiting on the formal reports, it looks like the house is in great shape considering its age (built in 1936). There is only one spot of old termite damage & that is on the detached garage. There are a few piddly little plumbing repairs that need to be made. AND, what we were really wanting to know about was the structural condition: it needs 2 piers in one corner of the house, but that''s it!!! The structural engineer said he would rate it in the top 15% of homes (of comparable age) he has inspected ~ and he has been doing this over 30 years. VERY EXCITED about the good reports!!! WHEW, I feel like I can breathe now!!!

Just want to say thanks again to all of you wonderful ladies (and of course the PS Fairy) for all of your thoughts and ''good vibes''!!!

Sooooooooo, onto the pics!!

 

[teebee]

Here is another picture of the exterior taken a couple of years ago by the county:

 

[teebee]

Living Room ~ please disregard all ugly furniture or strange fixtures... obviously, those items don''t belong to us!!

 

[teebee]

This is looking into dining room from living room:

And a decent shot of the built-ins in the dining room. I guess now I have a place to put my mom''s fine china set that she''s given to me but also storing for me. The light fixture will be replaced asap:

 

[teebee]

time to make dinner...

 

[Mara]

teebee i didn''t follow your house saga but that thing is just such a cutie!! i LOVE exteriors like that, kind of a tudor look? so pretty and i love the inside (not the furniture of course!), great architecture. congrats!!

 

[Kaleigh]

Congratulations teebee, your new house is beautiful!!!!

 

[Jennifer5973]

teebee, this is my favorite kind of house--what character, charm and details! Look at those amazing built-ins!

I love well-kept older homes and far prefer these homes over new ocnstruction.

Congrats!

 

[Blue824]

Niiiice! Good to hear that all is well in the house!!
Thanks for sharing the inside views, but, i sincerely hope your decorating sense is a little better than the previous owners

 

[allycat0303]

Teebee,

What amazing news! I love the pics! I''m sure you''ll be very happy there. Congrats!

 

[teebee]

Thanks Mara, Jennifer, Kaleigh, Blue & Ally!!!

Mara ~ I won''t bore you w/ all the details of our house saga... But currently we live in a 768 sq. ft.house... and this new house is 2500 sq. ft. I think that pretty much says it all...

Jennifer ~ I love older homes too! While this house has not been decorated well (or at all!!!) it is in fantastic condition. And I''m normally not a huge fan of built-ins because it kind of limits the decor style - these are solid mahogany in nearly pristine condition so I won''t dare touch them!!

Blue ~ HA!! No worries, I have MAD decorating skills...

I have some more pictures to post - those are not the worst rooms in the house!! Actually, I did start interior design school... but decided I didn''t want to spend 4 years getting a degree so that I could become an intern/go-fer for 3 more years. But the people that bought my old house thought that it had been professionally decorated or staged for sale.

 

[teebee]

This is the kitchen... It is the most dated room in the house (typical) and will require the most work (and of course $$). I''m looking forward to the challenge. It''s got an awkward configuration...

Um, the weirdest thing in the kitchen: the refrigerator space is behind that walll that the side of the oven is against... And the oven? I''m thinking... JennAir stainless stell 6 burner commercial grade???

 

[teebee]

Bathroom ~ not awful... we''ll replace light fixture. Debating about the sink... It''s original so we may keep it and replace cheap-o faucet, rechrome the legs or curtain it off (but I''m not crazy about that look). Or we may just replace it w/ a pretty kohler sink like I put in my old house. All of the tile on wall & floor is original.

I like the arch over the shower & the vanity area to the left.

 

[allycat0303]

Hey Teebee,

The house looks like it has lots of goodies. The kitchen though, looks like it will be a terrific, fun project. I love kitchen''s. And you''re going to be able to fix it the way you want it. The fridge placement does look a bit strange. But the house we are looking at has a laundry room behind the kitchen ( in the same place as your fridge) however, the owner poked a hole in the kitchen wall so you have a view of the laundry room! Isn''t that bizarre too? I think you are going to have such fun with the house, you must be so excited to get your hands on it. More pics won''t hurt!

 

[MelissaSue]

teebee- are you aware you a moving into my DREAM HOUSE??!? I think I mentioned previously that I have major house envy, and now that I see your house, its even worse. Whenever I drive by little ADORABLE older brick homes like that, that look like little gingerbread homes, thats what I picture Jeff and I starting our family together in. I don''t know why.. but I just LOVE houses like that. They''re never for sale around here though.

 

[teebee]

Ally ~ that is bizarre to have put a hole in the kitchen to look into the laundry room!!! Hmmm, maybe it''s so you don''t get lonely doing laundry? Our laundry area is in the basement, which I don''t mind but the stairs are kinda steep - I can just see myself breaking my neck doing laundry!!

MS ~ I totally understand what you''re going through!!! I think everytime Bryan said that we''d have to stay in current house for 3 more years I''d take a drive to this neighborhood and just stare longingly at all the beautiful houses. Sometimes I will drive to a cute neighborhood to take a walk & be nosey!! And honestly, there are very few for sale around here as well & most that are for sale are WAY out of our price range (even with the great property values in OK). We were just incredibly fortunate to find this house for under $200k.

Oh, and my favorite sushi place is up the street as well as Bryan''s favorite bar!! Very convenient to be able to walk home after a few cocktails!

Here''s a bedroom. I like the windows that look out to the front porch.

And another bedroom - nothing exciting but at least they are just blank slates:

Same bedroom. These doors that have been painted on the outside... aggravating. They are beautiful wood doors so we will strip & restain.

 

[Blue824]

Well, I can''t wait to see the before and after pictures posted together...so get started on those decorating ideas! You have to, so I can live vicariously through you until I buy in a couple years.

Are you going to redo the kitchen before you move in so you don''t have to deal with the mess? Maybe they''d be able to change the situation of everything in the kitchen with out much trouble, that is odd with the fridge on the other side of the oven! Its werid, I am SOOOO not a cook, but a kitchen is *the* most important room to me in a house. Maybe that''s growing up with great cooks, but I feel like everything else I can make the best ouf of, but a kitchen I''d want exactly to my specifications and gorgeous and I''d spare no expense...and then never use it

 

[Mara]

teebee i love the bathroom, it could use some updating but the art-deco white black thing is very cool right now. i'd leave it like it is, update the fixtures and accessories a bit and see how it goes from there!

it's got lots of possibilities!! we went from a 900 sq ft 2 bedroom to our current 1850 sq ft townhouse and this is just enough space for the two of us and the white rat, scary isn't it?!?!? you fill it up fast with your memories!

 

[JCJD]

I want one. It''s perfect teebee! Congratulations on finding this beauty and good luck with everything! Your kitchen looks like fun!



(I''m feeling house envy with Melissa and seeing images of me and J and our adorable and well-mannered future children frolicking on the front lawn...... Have I mentioned I want one?)

 

[Jennifer5973]

I agree-I love the b&w deco tile and it is a classic-never ges out of style, IMO. It looks in great shape...I''d just update the details and focus on the kitchen...although, from the looks of it, the tile and cabinets there are in good shape as well...you could always paint the cabinets, change the hardware, paint, get new appliances, mayve do an island, and maybe a new floor and it''s be a whole new kitchen w/o spending many many thousands of dollars. Just a thought. I love the character of the older homes and don''t "mind" the older look!

 

[msb700]

teebee, the house looks great! it has such character!!!

i agree with Blue824...please make sure to post some before and after pictures

 

[teebee]

Thanks for all of your kind words ladies!! The next 5 weeks before closing is going to feel like a lifetime - I just want to get started on everything!!

Blue ~ No, we''ll probably have to wait a while before we do anyting major to the kitchen... We really aren''t in a great position to buy a house right now but it''s such a great price and location for us... so no major renovations for a while and I''ll probably do most of it myself even when we do get to that point. I''ve been wracking my mind on how to deal with the kitchen... There is a small little breakfast nook off to the side & we may just knock out the wall btw kitchen & nook, then expand kitchen into that space & add cabinets and more counterspace. The problem with changing things around much is that the space is also bordered by 2 different stairways down to the basement... Weird. I love to cook though (AND AM SO EXCITED TO FINALLY HAVE A GAS RANGE!!!!!!) so it is really important to me to eventually have a nice usable space.

Mara ~ I agree, I love the art deco black/white tile. The little designed tiles close to the top & bottom are all handpainted so no way we''ll get rid of that. It''s amazing how fast we can fill up a space isn''t it?!?! Before I moved in w/ Bryan my house was about 1400 sq. ft. so squeezing all of my stuff into a space 1/2 the size was... a challenge...

So I''m excited to be able to stretch my legs again! Even our poor dogs have a hard time maneuvering in this house it''s so small...

JCJD ~ thanks! I''ll remind you how fun the kitchen looked when I''m knee deep into it...

Jennifer ~ Yeah, I''m thinking right now we''ll just do some minor cosmetic stuff in the kitchen - and I think once the former owners crap is gone & the kitchen is actually *CLEAN* then it will be much more appealing. Apparently this lady is currently receiving treatment (inpatient) for depression? So, no wonder the kitchen is filthy ~ I guess someone just comes in to feed her poor kitty and that''s it. I did something very similar to what you''re saying in my old kitchen - painted the cabinets, changed the hardware, replaced ceiling fan, painted the walls, and found a peel ''n'' stick tile that looked remarkably similar to slate (most people thought it was slate until I told them) and it looked like a whole new room rather than the prison kitchen it resembled before I did all that. It''s amazing what can be done with a little elbow grease!

msb ~ thanks! I will definitely post before and after pics!! I learned my lesson in my old house - I was so eager to get started on the redecorating that I never took the ''before'' pics. By the time I was done, it looked like a completely different house but only a few people ever knew how much it had been transformed... Won''t ever forget that again!!

 

[teebee]

Okay ~ so I''ve been thinking about the living room... and I''m debating about color... maybe you guys could give me some suggestions??? I''ll post a picture from my old house so you can see the furniture & what I''m working with here. The living room in my old house is the only room in which I did not change the color from the previous owner. So, I''m trying to figure out if I should stick with that color (called Cinnamon), or if something else would go better? For some reason I''m just kinda stuck... My sofa is kinda funky - belonged to my stepdad before he married my mom & it''s almost as old as I am, but it''s cool and I''ve reupholstered it - right now it''s kind of a merlot color. We should probably get something a little less funky someday, but I''m kind of attached... So ladies, keeping in mind the pictures above of our ''new'' living room, tell me what you would do...

Sorry the picture quality is poor - this was a disposable camera:

 

[MissAva]

Personally I love gray and blue....everytime I move I pick a variation of those two colors and paint the trim white. That is just my taste (sometimes I like a red room too). However ihave found that the easiest way to tell what a color will look likes to buy a smaller can and some posterboard. Pair the board let it dry and then tack it up in the room. Look at it in all the different lighting situations you will have for that room. It gives enough of a block that it really lets you know what it will look like. Good Luck! (Oh and makeup brushes are great for cutting in.)

 

[caligal]

O.k. this place is absolutely adorable!!! It looks like a cottage from the English countryside- I LOVE IT!!! Congrats on securing your gorgeous home- enjoy it!!

 

[teebee]

Date: 7/24/2005 1:10:37 PM
Author: Matatora
Personally I love gray and blue....everytime I move I pick a variation of those two colors and paint the trim white. That is just my taste (sometimes I like a red room too). However ihave found that the easiest way to tell what a color will look likes to buy a smaller can and some posterboard. Pair the board let it dry and then tack it up in the room. Look at it in all the different lighting situations you will have for that room. It gives enough of a block that it really lets you know what it will look like. Good Luck! (Oh and makeup brushes are great for cutting in.)

Matatora ~ I love grey & blue too - very soothing & peaceful!! However, I just can''t picture either of those colors with my burgundy colored sofa? Hmmm, all of my furniture for that room are very warm hues so I''m having a problem visualizing the furniture against a backdrop of cool hues. And, like you, I prefer both of those colors with white trim and I just couldn''t bring myself to paint any of this mahogany trim that is in our new living room - it''s made it 70 years w/out being painted so I can''t be the one to mess that up!! I am considering a bluish-grey color for the master bedroom though. Oh, and I love red too!! It''s what I used in my old bathroom and it looked so great!! That''s a good tip on the make-up bruses - I never had much trouble using regular brushes for cutting in but I bet they would be good for tight spaces!

Here is a picture - I did EVERYTHING in this room (installed the wainscotting, baseboard, chair rail, replaced light fixture, textured walls w/ putty knife & joint compound to hide severely damaged walls, new mirror, new cabinet above toilet, painted, installed the pedestal sink, and installed toilet:

 

[Jennifer5973]

Date: 7/24/2005 2:32:21 PM
Author: teebee

Date: 7/24/2005 1:10:37 PM
Author: Matatora
Personally I love gray and blue....everytime I move I pick a variation of those two colors and paint the trim white. That is just my taste (sometimes I like a red room too). However ihave found that the easiest way to tell what a color will look likes to buy a smaller can and some posterboard. Pair the board let it dry and then tack it up in the room. Look at it in all the different lighting situations you will have for that room. It gives enough of a block that it really lets you know what it will look like. Good Luck! (Oh and makeup brushes are great for cutting in.)

Matatora ~ I love grey & blue too - very soothing & peaceful!! However, I just can''t picture either of those colors with my burgundy colored sofa? Hmmm, all of my furniture for that room are very warm hues so I''m having a problem visualizing the furniture against a backdrop of cool hues. And, like you, I prefer both of those colors with white trim and I just couldn''t bring myself to paint any of this mahogany trim that is in our new living room - it''s made it 70 years w/out being painted so I can''t be the one to mess that up!! I am considering a bluish-grey color for the master bedroom though. Oh, and I love red too!! It''s what I used in my old bathroom and it looked so great!! That''s a good tip on the make-up bruses - I never had much trouble using regular brushes for cutting in but I bet they would be good for tight spaces!

Here is a picture - I did EVERYTHING in this room (installed the wainscotting, baseboard, chair rail, replaced light fixture, textured walls w/ putty knife & joint compound to hide severely damaged walls, new mirror, new cabinet above toilet, painted, installed the pedestal sink, and installed toilet:

You are so talented and skilled. That bathroom is so beautiful! MMM and I want to know when you''re coming over.

You will take that great new house to fabulous heights! I can''t wait to see what you pull off!

I like the gray/blue thing too, especially with the dark wood floors...Candace Olsen redid a room like that on Divine Design and it was incredible... But the sofa color may not work...I don''t know...can''t picture it. How about a warm taupe with more pink undertones than brown to pick up the burguindy? Yet, this color will still be light enough to set off the floors? or, you could do the very light warm taupe/buttercream tone with white trim--very sharp yet neutral!

 

[Mara]

I also love blues and grays with whites..it''s such a crisp look. But I don''t like using too much color on the walls, so most of our house is taupe and then I use colors in each room to accent. Sometimes I wish I could be more bold, your bathroom is awesome!!

Hopefully one day in a house we have, we''ll have a huge master bathroom where we can have a chair! I''ve never had a bathroom that could hold a chair, and you know how in all those home design mags they have chairs? I want a chair!!

 

[MissAva]

Wow you did a kick as* job on that WC! Wow! Personally I happen to like burgundy with gray...but that may have to do with where I attend school. At UA that is one of the most popular color matches becuuse we are the Crimsion Tide.

 

[teebee]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, well now you''ve got me thinking.... And that''s exactly what I needed - a boost in the creative juices into an area I just couldn''t visualize!! I may have to take a trip to Sherwin Williams and get some bluish-grey paint samples... I love how they have their ''color to go'' or whatever their calling it - only $4.99 and enough paint to cover a decent sized area.

Jennifer ~ thanks... that bathroom was the most difficult room in my house so I am pretty proud of it!! I think the nice thing about wood floors is that almost any color is complimentary unless you use something that is almost identical in color and shade. I love the buttercream idea as well - I think what keeps throwing me off is the white trim - in every room I''ve ever painted, I''ve had white trim. But in this new house, I just can''t bring myself to paint the trim... so I''m getting hung up on that idea of trying to find a color that looks good on the wall, with my furniture, and with the wood trim...

Mara ~ I want a chair too!!! Like a really big chair in a really big bathroom!!! In this house there is a great big room upstairs, where the attic has been finished out - there''s no bathroom up there yet - but there''s still plenty of unfinished attic space so my ''plan'' is to eventually build a great big master bathroom suite where I can put a big chair!! As for color... Yeah, it''s something I can''t help & I think most people would not be comfortable living with the amount of color that I do - maybe it''s because my dad is an artist and color is just almost like breathing to me. Several of the rooms in my old house were pretty *bold*. I always admire homes like yours because they are beautiful and sophistocated and everything just flows... and then after I''ve decided to use a nice clean neutral tone in a room... I go and get the red paint!

Matatora ~ That WC just about kicked my a$$ before it was all over! I got friendly with the local convenience store staff for a couple of days when I installed the toilet...

I think I''m beginning to be able to visualize the grey and burgundy combo a little better (what is it? Roll Tide?). Maybe it could work... Oh, I think the other thing holding me back is that my throw pillows and the chairs I have are upholstered in a burgundy & gold pattern... I just need to go get some paint and see what happens!