A Final Tour

It's been an exciting few months and we've had lots of announcements!  Just to increase our stress levels a bit more...we have one more happy announcement.

After owning this house for almost 3 years, it will soon be a house of my past...our past.

Justin and I are listing it - and she will find a new owner.  After a full 12 months of looking we finally found our new home.  I wanted to renovate this house and give it a new life - and I feel I've done just that.  So after many hundreds of hours of work and late nights, she's ready to move on to the next owner.  

It's been a while since I gave a full glimpse at my work, and this tour is past due.  

Here is the final tour. 

The living room - which we use as a sitting area since we've finished the basement.  This is my favorite room in the house.  We use it as a quiet space and the basement has become the entertainment space.   

The second bedroom, which was previously the office space.  We recently converted this to a guest room.  I had big plans for this room should we have stayed. 

Evidence that we intended to paint the room.   I'll need to touch up the paint before it's officially listed (and cover up the paint swatches). 

I had custom organizers built in the closets to make the most of closet space.  We use this closet as a "mud room" to hold our jackets and shoes (and my winter sweaters). 

One thing I love about this old house - the built-ins and laundry shoot.  I don't know how people live with out a laundry shoot (lucky for us, the new house has 2)! 

The master bedroom has seen the most changes.  The walls went from blue, to white to brown... We settled on a darker wall color (as opposed to the rest of the house) and created a feature wall to make the room feel timeless and cozy. 

What drew me to this house is the amount of storage it has.  Typically, houses built in the 20's had very tiny little closet spaces.  This house boasts several built ins and closets so storage has never been a problem.  We made the most of our closet space by creating custom built-ins - allowing plenty of room for both Justin and my clothing.

And more built-ins which provide great storage!  (and some specific male of the house got the TV they wanted - which I wouldn't have wanted unless there was a space for it).

The dining space - with lots of room to grow!

I keep only two chairs at the table since I mainly cook for two.  But the two side chairs allow us to quickly add space for friends.  The open dining space has allowed me to host dinner parties for up to 15 people at a time!

Remember the mantle installed in 2012?  I love that faux mantle.  It was the perfect addition to an open wall that just felt crowded with furniture.  I will incorporate a faux mantle somewhere in the new house.  It adds the coziness - with out the price tag of a working fireplace!  (Notice the pup hovering over the heat vent?  He's not included in the sale of the house).

My pride and joy... the kitchen.  I love to cook and I wanted a space that was easy to work in, organized and open - with all the perks of a great kitchen (gas stove and externally vented exhaust fan).  It's true that every one gathers in the kitchen.  And this kitchen offers that large house feeling in a cozy bungalow. 

  

The hallway to the basement has been revamped in light colors and new carpet. I opted not to install carpet on the upper portion of the stairs since that saw the most traffic.  There isn't much of a transition from the outdoor elements, and I found it was better with no carpet.  Especially with a dog, it's easier to wipe up the stairs than steam-clean carpet that's matted and muddy.  (But we kept a remnant of the basement carpet so the next owners have the option of adding the carpet). 

I really haven't shared pictures of the basement since we moved furniture down there (a year ago)!  Finishing this space has almost doubled the size of our house.  We (well, Justin) spend most of our time down here now that it's finished.  We love the over sized sectional in this area.  It makes for a great spot for a movie night - and allows us to invite friends over to enjoy a movie too and everyone has room to sprawl out.

I wanted it to feel like an extension of our home (not like a basement).  We had a lot more plans for this room (like adding crown molding and custom built-ins), but even just adding curtains to the glass block windows made it feel a little more like another living area of the home.

We added a TV that swivels, so I can watch my yoga videos while in the yoga nook...  lol it was a good concept.  

Want more?  Here are the official pictures of the The MLS listing (the realtor hired a professional to take these photos)...I realize that I need to work on my photography skills... here they are:

 

 

psst...notice the shoes out of place?? Those certainly aren't mine :)

Justin and I will be spending 7 more weeks in this house.  I will take advantage of those days, and saying good bye will be bittersweet.

I've made so many happy memories in this house.  But we are both very excited for what the next house holds for us!  The new house needs some lovin' - and we already have some great ideas in the works.  I can't wait to show you around the new place!

Mary