House Tour 2012: The Reading Edition

So, I made a house tour video but it was so shaky and flail-y that it made me nauseated to watch it.  There was no way I'm going to do that to you, so I either have to redo it with my camera instead of the Flip, or figure out a way to film and walk without the video looking like I'm having a seizure.  BUT, the longer I wait to do it, the more the house changes.  It already looks different from yesterday, largely due to the fact that I physically can't stop myself once I start organizing and putting things away.  That's also why my heart hasn't been into blogging, if you couldn't tell.  That last post was perfectly awful and you have my sincerest apologies.  It's just that I want to clean and organize and make our house a home already, and I don't necessarily want to stop and talk about how the boxes in the corner are driving me insane.  I want to just unpack them and get rid of them so I don't have to be crazy.  If we're really talking about what I want, it would be so cool to be left alone in the house for a solid two weeks and at the end of that time, I would have a show piece for you!  Everything would be in its place!  I don't do unpacking, but I do organizing like a pro!

Anyway, instead of the video I ran around the house just now snapping pictures for a pseudo/mock/faux house tour.  Ready!  Okay! (tell me you just read that in your cheerleader voice like I just did.)

Now, keep in mind that it's Tuesday and we moved in last Thursday.  Nothing is in its forever home.  Except the dining room mirror.  That thing weighs 12,000 pounds and it's not going anywhere.  Which is a shame because I'm thinking I may want it a couple inches lower than it is right now - don't tell Drew.  So never mind, nothing is in its forever home.  We'll call these 'The Before.'

As you walk in the front door, the living room is to the right.  The tv is going to live on that wall because we're busting out the other wall and that's where all the built-ins are going to go.  The hole to the far right will be the computer armoire/workstation and everything to the left of the computer is going to be all kinds of fun stuff like wine racks, bookcases, cabinets to hold the AV equipment and whatever other stuff we can fit in there.  Additionally, we got a new sofa so the tan one is going to go.  We'll have lots more floor space with the new sofa and the room won't look so dinky.

The camera didn't pick it up all that well, but the tv wall is the color we're painting the rest of the living room.  It's Silver Drop by Behr and the right is the builder beige that came with the house. It's actually called Chocolate Froth, also by Behr.  It is my mission to get rid of all Chocolate Froth in this entire house.  It's not a horrible color, but it's literally on every wall in the house and that is far too much.

This picture pretty well sucks but it's the dining room and that's our fancy chandelier.  It's so pretty and this picture does it no justice.

This is what it really looks like.  It's so sexy and I love it!

I have a serious love affair with stripes and I knew I wanted them somewhere in this house and the dining room wall was the perfect spot.  It's Ocean Pearl (greeny gray) and Silver Drop (silver gray.)  And let me tell you, picking paint was an effing nightmare!  We'd find one we liked on paper, only to find that it looked different in the test pot, only to see that it looked different on the wall.  It looked different in the day, in the night and I was literally ready to just throw up my hands and say eff it, builder beige isn't that bad.  Plus, I took these shots with the fancy camera and that adds its own dimension of crazy.  So I apologize and once things settle a little more, I'll have better pictures.

I know it doesn't look like it but the kitchen is almost done.  The cabinets have been raised and the crown molding applied.  We just have to stain it and that part will be done.  The new countertops come tomorrow and once those are installed, we can do the backsplash.  Then I get to decorate!  I'm so happy with the kitchen and it feels so much bigger than it used to!

We got an awesome stainless farmhouse sink and I'm in love with it!  It's so seriously huge and it looks so chic!  That's Chris, our amazing contractor.  He makes magic happen.  He's in the process of installing recessed lighting in the kitchen ceiling and once we have an idea of how much light will be in the kitchen, we may get rid of that pendant.  Drew got it and it's not my favorite.

I'm mad that it looks more opaque online, because I would have been fine with it 

if I couldn't see the lightbulb through the shade.  

The laundry room is just off the kitchen and it is absolutely nothing spectacular.  However, when we're done with it, this is going to be a really fun 'before' picture.  Presently, we have no pantry and all of our dry goods are on the dining room table and on the countertops in the kitchen.  We're going to stack the washer and dryer and get cabinets for a pantry in here and we're also going to make a faux cabinet to hide that nasty breaker box and all those wires.  Mark my words, you won't recognize this room when I'm done with it!  Chris is already going to center the light in the room this afternoon and I'm thinking I need a chandelier in this room too.  No reason why the laundry room shouldn't be glamorous, right?

I wouldn't be mad about doing laundry every day if I had a laundry room like this.

Ours will probably have white cabinets, but you get the idea.

source

The basement stairs are just before you get to the laundry room.  I'm about to show you a bunch of pictures of boxes - can you handle the excitement?!

Drew set everything up according to room and I'm so grateful.  Like I said, I can't handle the mountains of boxes.  I prefer to take my time and open one box at a time and it is SO NICE to be able to have everything down here while I deal with things upstairs.  And then, when I'm good and ready I can take things up one bit at a time.

And that's the other half of the basement.  

Pictures don't capture how huge it really is.  It's almost 1000 square feet and

it's going to be amazing when it's finished.

Which of course will be when I'm like 60, because it's going to cost a billion dollars to do.

Back upstairs, this is the hallway to the bedrooms and bathrooms.  The end of the hallway looks like nothing now, but just you wait!

This is a dinky picture, but you get the idea.

I can't wait to do this for Sofia!

source via my Pinterest

The first door on the right is the Bathroom of Hate.  As in, I hate it.  The countertop is the worst, and of course it's the most expensive thing to replace.  We have a billion other house things to do first, so I'm going to have to live with it for now, but make no mistake.  I hate it.

A close second in the Bathroom of Hate is the nasty builder mirror that he tried to "upgrade" by putting nasty tile around it.  The lights are brighter than the sun and will show you every line, wrinkle and gray hair.  They're my third hate.

I took the door off the closet in the bathroom because the two doors opened into each other.  I plan to paint the closet a happier color and put baskets on the shelves.  If I run out of steam and don't get to it, the door is in the basement and I sure will put it right back on and hide everything once again!

We have an actual third bedroom in this house, so the bed that was in the baby's room has its own home now!  I have grand plans for our guest bedroom but this is what I'm dealing with right now.

My dresser is in here right now and one day before I die, I will find a home for all. that. CRAP.  But not right now, because I'm writing.

This is our bedroom and these are the boxes in the corner that are driving me insane.

This room is super teeny.

As in, there are mere inches of clearance around the king size bed.

Only one dresser fits in here and I took off the bathroom door to give us just a few inches more space.  In theory, it's also supposed to light a fire under me to make the barn door that I want for our room.

Like this from here

Or this from here

Imagine a toilet to your left and a shower stall to your right.  

That's the master bath.  It's teensy weensy.

Maybe one day I'll have a huge master suite, but for now my challenge is 

how to get the most out of such a small space.  I think I'm up for it.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST....

Sofia's room!

I'm just now realizing I didn't take a picture of the other wall, but just imagine her dresser with a changing pad on it and you'll get the picture.  Without a bed in it, her room is huge!  There's room for a dollhouse, play kitchen, small table, you name it!  She has a ton of space in her closet and I didn't do much else to it besides getting everything out of her reach.  I plan to go into more detail as I do more to each room, but I just wanted to give you an overview since this post is crazy long as it is.

But do you notice the walls?  That, my friends is Sherwin Williams Krypton.  Do y'all remember my paint debacle when I was pregnant with her?  And the fact that I spent $95 on two gallons of paint?  You best believe that I popped open that can with so much joy!  I finally got to use my paint and it looks so good!  Her room is nowhere near done and I can't wait to get started on her window treatments because they are going to be ah-mah-zing!  That is, if I can pull it off.

bamboo shades with a roman shade hung from the ceiling.

Cross your fingers that I can do this - I already have the fabric and 

the shades are on their way.  

this from here

WHEW!  So that's my little house y'all!  There is a TON of work to do but we're finally here and we have nothing but time to get it done.  As the big things get done, I'll do my best to get it photographed and blogged because this is going to be a fun ride.

Now if I can just get the motivation to start unpacking again.  All that writing took it out of me and I really just want to take a nap.

But I have to unload the washer.  

As soon as I make the bed. 

Right after I organize that dresser.  

Once the luggage in the living room is put away.  

Which will come after I figure out what to make for dinner.

I'm getting verrry sleeeepy......