Home Tour

Today I'd like to take you on a tour of our home. Some spaces are done, others are still waiting their turn to be spruced up, some places were completely neglected and everything is subject to tweakage upon my whim and our budget. I'd also like to update, add and change the tour as things change. 

I had one last hurrah with Picnik (online photo editing site) before it closes next week in order to make these fun collages. I've switched to using Pic Monkey, which I find even more user-friendly, but it hasn't added collage capability yet. It's great for basic editing, adding a watermark, and applying fun processes though. Justsoyouknow.

Outside:
We live on five acres in the country, complete with a barn and a few mature trees. We've added fruit trees, hybrid willows for a windbreak, and a large garden.

The outside of our home is rarely featured because it isn't landscaped. I know, I know, we've lived here for 3 1/2 years--time to landscape already! The boys and I are working on it, but between having babies, raising a huge garden each summer, needing to possibly dig out and expose a portion of our basement in order to reinforce a cracked wall, as well as the cost of proper landscaping, it takes time!

Kitchen:
If you know anything about me, you probably know that I'm completely anxious for a new kitchen. What I have works, but it is lacking. It was grossly, disgustingly, can't-imagine-the-filth dirty when we moved in, and other than a quick (and messy) coat of paint to hide the grease stains and the addition of craigslist appliances,  we've left it alone. Oh, ok, so my husband installed the light over the table and a new faucet, and I added the sink skirt and contact paper to the (pink!) (with sparkles!!!) stained countertop.

Really, it looks better in pictures. I am so thankful for what I have--trust me! It could be so much worse. All the same, I will be jumping up and down when the original, chipped and stained flooring gets ripped up and we get a dishwasher and a better layout. Soon. Right?

Living Room:
Our living room is comfortable. And evolving. I have ideas for it, like hardwood floors, one less wall, maybe some wainscotting and a new color. It has a huge picture window that makes taking pictures impossible, and I'm in the market for a new and larger couch to replace the one I've had since my first house (2000). I think we all have those areas in our homes--ones that are fine and function ok, but could be so much better!  

Nursery:
When I was hugely pregnant with our 3rd son last year, I decided to tweak the existing nursery by adding board and batten. That lead to painting the crib and re-thinking the window treatments. I also fell in love with a free dresser and vanity I refinished, so I switched that out too. With all the other changes I just had to paint the top part of the walls... One thing leads to another, right? There are a million or so posts on my nursery. I think it's my most-featured and best-known portion of my home. I did it on a teeny budget too--I just paid for paint, mdf and caulk. 

Big Boys' Room:
My husband and I traded bedrooms with our older boys (ages 2 and 4) last fall which gave me the excuse to choose new colors and fun elements! I went crazy with maps and John Deere green. If I had it to do over, I would do it differently, but it doesn't stop me from loving their room! It's very age-appropriate and will grow with them. I might need to tone down the green in a few years, but it's a super fun space just the same.
 

Master Bedroom:
Our bedroom doesn't have a walk-in closet or a private bathroom and it's very small as far as master bedrooms go, but it's just the right size for us. I had a lot of fun putting this together this winter and I love how it turned out! My favorite things are the barn door headboard and the blue ceiling. 
 

Bathroom:
The one bathroom in our home is right next to our bedroom. It was the first space to get updated after we moved in! I lost the pictures of our total gut-and-replace job, but have some pictures of the new look. We do have a tub/shower unit with a great tile surround that my husband did, but apparently I didn't take pictures of it!
  

Hall: 
The most recent makeover was purely cosmetic. Our hall recently went from orangey oak to soothing gray with white trim and some fun stripes. The gallery wall is a work in progress. 

Not pictured:
The lower level (aka: basement) of our home is unfinished. This includes a family room, office, guest bedroom, storage, cellar, laundry and future bathroom. 

Hope you enjoyed the tour! I hope you're in for lots of projects and changes in the future. Speaking of which--I'm adding these categories to my topics in the box on the right! Everything used to be grouped under 'our house'. You can also find the spaces featured above by typing the words in the 'search' bar on the top right side of my blog. Have fun exploring!