House Tour - First Floor

Can you believe we have been in our house for over a year!? Me neither! So I figured it was about darn time for a house tour! Please forgive me. I am not a great housekeeper, so we’re keeping it real here today! Dust, dirty windows, and cluttered spaces! Lots of projects going on and gorgeous days, mean housework is the last thing on my mind! Some pictures are old from files and some were taken this morning... but this is real life people, no makeup! Hope this post helps clarify any questions regarding the house.

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Here is the first floor. Not sure how accurate the measurements are, but it will at least give you an idea of the layout when we talk about projects. Lots of windows and doors, bold paint colors and hardwood floors. (I rhymed, hehe). Our first floor makes one big circle, so we will start in the kitchen and go counter-clockwise.
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Here is the Kitchen. You have seen how we put up shelving on the wall above the stove and installed outlets in the island – yes, I finally did get a new coat of paint on it, so it is beamingly beautiful. The bucket on the island is not a permanent fixture, we are cooking up a new batch of wine so this one’s house is in my kitchen (where the cat can’t reach that little tube thing on top, yes that is the technical term…) until Friday.

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In the Kitchen is our “To Do List.” We do have a master list for the house, but only take it a piece at a time. When we complete a couple of the projects, I replace them with new ones from the master list. Maybe it should be called “Our Dream List.” We don’t know that we will get everything completed, not sure if this is our “Forever House” yet, but we will work on things as long as this is our current path. As we go through the rooms, I will share our list with you.
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Kitchen List
- Shelving on Wall: DONE
- Outlets in Island DONE with a bonus one below the shelves!
- Fix Drawers: hoping we can do this, they are original, you known the kind with no tracks that just tilts down when you pull it out… yeah…
- New Sink: I dream of a white farmhouse sink with an apron skirt front!
- Re-Do the Ceiling: previous owners tried to use 2x4’s mimic exposed beams… let me tell ya, it ain’t foolin’ anyone.
- New Light Fixture: half done! The original light fixture was fancy ikea stuff that didn’t give off any light and ate expensive bulbs weekly… so we swapped it out for a simple dome… I can see much better, but still nothing fancy to look at…
- Change Hardware: As most of you know, I’m not a fan of gold… nuf said.
- Fix Fridge: simple project, it’s not level, just need to stop being lazy!
- Vent Hood: would love a vent hood above the stove!
- New Flooring: the hardwoods are originally but not in the best of shape in the kitchen… would like to replace someday, maybe, who knows.
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Lots to do! Attached to the kitchen is an entry way from off the deck (this is our main entrance) and a small bathroom.
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The bathroom on the first floor is nothing fancy. It’s tiny, which is the norm for a house this old… Sink, toilet, shower/tub. Pretty simple – but that doesn’t mean that it didn’t make the list.
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First Floor Bath List
- New Shower Faucet: Plumbing is weird, only a shower right now… interesting story another time.
- New Floor: Vinyl flooring was poorly installed (theme throughout the house)
- Dual Flush: Self Explanatory.
- New Light: Of at least paint the gold.
- New paint on walls/ceiling
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Next up is the Dining Room!
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Boy do I have big plans for this room! Right now it is a yellow/gold color. At first I didn’t mind it, but I would like it to match the living room someday… so that is in the works. It has a beautiful picture window with stained glass that we both love. Are you ready for the list!?
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Dining Room List
- More Outlets: I don’t know how (not my job) but we need more outlets in this room, there is no access below this room, but we will find a way!
- Paint: Some more neutral that can also flow into the living room.
- Molding: I dream of super chunky molding going around this room, replacing the puny stuff that is currently lining the room.
- Curtains: definitely a need! I’m sure the neighbors are tired of watching us eat and me stage photos.
- Complete Table Project: In the works!
- Buffet Makeover: questionable, I may have a different idea for this area of the room…
- Window Bench: I would love a bench that stretches all the way across the wall with the picture window… great sitting spot for the cat and mucho storage for me!
- New Floor: The floors are in bad shape here too, this room and the kitchen are the only hardwoods we would consider replacing.
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Connected to the Dining Room with pretty colonnades, is the Living Room.
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We spend lots of time in here, with TV/movies being a common (cheap) hobby of ours! This is where we can be found most nights when we are too pooped to work on projects or clean.
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Living Room List
- New Couch: DONE
- Get a Large Area Rug: DONE
- Paint: match dining room.
- Molding: match dining room. We like the green, but it’s just too dark, need to lighten this room up.
- Curtains: match dining room.
- More Outlets: Some of the outlets in the room are apparently, just for looks!
- New Chairs: bought some, just not sure if I like them in here…
- End Tables: need some badly (so we can stop using TV trays), but space is limited.
- Touch Up Columns: need new paint job and some putty.
- Shelves for Bookcases: DONE
- Wall Art: there are a few thoughts rolling around my brain for some art above the TV.
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The idea with this room is to use paint to brighten it up and keep the flow with the dining room in as much as possible. The room has a very odd shape… which makes furniture placement difficult… Not a “pretty” room at the moment, but definitely comfortable. The picture window in this room shows the porch. It is a complete mess, so I didn’t take a picture. The porch has some BIG wishes, including a new roof. But nothing is for certain at this time. Are you ready to see the room in my house that makes me hang my head in shame!?
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The Den has been our “Catch All” room for over a year now. Two weeks ago, I tried to make a dent, so it is looking much better than it was! This room will get a major makeover sometime in the next year to become a more inviting, functional and visually appealing area of the home. For now we just close the doors and pretend it’s not there!
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Den List
- Add Storage: a definite need for this space.
- Sell Embroidery Machine: DONE
- Sell Big Desk: now that the machine is gone, something smaller will better fit the space.
- More Outlets: common theme in a century old house.
- Shelving in Closet: Chris uses this closest to store wine while it’s in the carboy, so I would like some shelving in there to serve as more storage…
- New Desk: time for a change
- Sell Computer Monitor: not using, so get rid of it.
- Wireless Printer: would love one, anything to get rid of some cords.
- Curtains: need something to cover the big picture window
- Area Rug: still not sure on this one...
- Sitting Area: still up for debate.
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Next is the Pantry. This area is where the basement stairs are as well as an access to the outside (where the grill is). We store coats, kitchen stuff and groceries in this area. It has some random homemade shelves that make no sense to use and is always a mess. But will get some more focus these next couple months.
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Pantry List
- Remove Random Shelves: we don’t understand the purpose of the shelf below the coats…
- New Lower Cabinet: something sturdier!
- Storage Baskets: help to hide the clutter.
- New Light: bought a dome, just need to install.
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The basement is only a partial and is not finished. It is where our washing and drying machines are, and also where we store our canned goods and finished homemade wine. There is a tiny furnace room, lovingly referred to as the dungeon and that is where Chris works on his guns. Next time we will head upstairs where the real mess begins!

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Happy Tuesday!