January 14, 2017

Our Nest: From Joseph’s Colored Coat to Home

Purchasing a home was one of the greatest moments I’ve experienced in our financial journey. From being denied the first opportunity to purchase, to receiving the keys to your first place is something I hold dear to my heart. When we first stumbled upon our home it was completely unexpected, but Mike and I both knew that this would be where we settled in for sure. However, I wish I had the skills of Chip & Joanna Gaines when we moved in – but I have an eye for seeing the beauty behind most things!

This is long overdue, because if you’ve been to my home you know what as soon as we moved in within the weekend I had repainted the majority of the house (I don’t recommend it). I’m know that pure adrenaline and the help of friends who appease my crazy antics made it all possible in such a timely manner. This is no exaggeration, but our house was about SIX different colors when we moved in. Doors were missing, walls were damaged, and the story goes that the previous renters (it was a rental property prior to our purchase) would rescue dogs and cats…totaling to about 13 animals who inhabited the home with free reign. Take a deep moment and pause…13. My eyes water thinking about it, and my skin itches if I could tell you how much we’ve cleaned out since then. But I digress, because the best part is how it looks now! So here is what we moved in to 2 years ago:

The main floor was a powder blue leading into the kitchen which was a tiffany blue. The ceiling is still an off white as I realized over time that it too was blue at one point… However, this is what it our living room looks like today!

It’s most certainly an improvement! We are looking forward to stripping and re-staining the floors in the future along with this upcoming week we change out the banister! Can’t wait to show you all that either.

Moving into the kitchen…oh man the kitchen. With the original cabinets, faux marble counter tops, and old light fixtures it was quite the sight. I love the openness of the area, as the previous home owner had actually vaulted the ceilings (not common in the other homes in the area) and placed a beautiful skylight. These were huge selling points for us. So take a good look at before:

And this is AFTER!

The boys were able to find a spot during my photos of course! I took on the task of redoing the cabinets myself with a homemade version of chalk paint. It’s the same I used in this tutorial here. I eventually did touch up the cabinets this year with actual cabinet paint to help keep them durable and clean. New hardware on the cabinets pulled in the stainless steel look from the appliances. Also we had someone redo the backsplash and countertop as well as replacing the sink. I plan to get a few more copper items to offset the new and old look that I love. Also I will be redoing our coffee cart in the near future so stay tuned!

As much as I love home makeovers I honestly advise that you TAKE YOUR TIME. Over the last two years Mike and I have gone through a cycle of saving and changing items little by little. We made a list of prioritized areas in the home to fix and have knocked them off our list one by one. Each project takes time to find the right contractor and materials – trust me we’ve had some challenges with contractors! So set a realistic deadline and count your costs! It’s worth it.