note: this is a post written in conjunction with the hubs. so you should totally read it…
our home is a lovely one, full of charm. and also full of quirks. that’s par for the course with a house that’s almost 200 years old! in the past several months, we’ve noticed some things that either must be fixed or replaced {storm doors, porch paint} and some things that we’ve talked about updating on a bigger scale {appliances, new fencing}. while a bit overwhelming, it’s also given us some time to think about what we want for the house in 2019!
as the primary design decision maker in the family, i thought it would be fun to get bill involved a bit more. as in this post. not in the design decisions, ha ha. anyways, i decided to ask him what he loves and dislikes most about this little house of ours, and what three things he’d like to see updated this year.
BILL’S FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT THE HOUSE
1/ the kitchen… “i love a big open kitchen“
2/ the playroom… ”i think it is so cute, a great use of space, and i love that max is proud of it”
3/ our underused dining room + bar area {the underused part is legit…due to a lack of storage, our dining room is often a catch-all for items that don’t yet have a home or things that are in transition. but i’m working on it and since we never made any major changes to this room, i’m also working on making it a space i want to spend more time in…think wallpaper or paint, new dining table, chairs etc.}
BILL’S LEAST FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT THE HOUSE
1/ the stairs… “too old, steep and scary”
2/ lack of closet and storage space
3/ the downstairs bathroom is right off the kitchen
*for the record, i agree with all of these*
BILL’S TOP 3 THINGS TO UPDATE OR CHANGE IN 2019
1/ backsplash in kitchen {it’s happening! will share more soon but it involves fireclay tile and herringbone brick. insert happy face emoji}
2/ new appliances {our current appliances came with the house and are perfectly fine. we have a gas range and stainless finishes but they’re older and we now have a dishwasher that’s falling apart and an ice machine that doesn’t work consistently in the fridge. and let’s be honest, they’re not the best looking.}
3/ a major yard overhaul including cleanup, mulch + new fencing {we are so lucky to have a monstrous back yard with a good size front and side yard. it’s a lot to keep up with and the winter weather over the past couple years has wreaked havoc. we’re excited to focus on this!}
and how do they compare to my lists?
EMILY’S FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT THE HOUSE
1/ the charm, from the ceiling beams to some original flooring
2/ max’s room. it’s the perfect mix of whimsical, calming and sophisticated {in my opinion}.
3/ that we finally put central AC in last year!
EMILY’S LEAST FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT THE HOUSE
1/ the mudroom is in the front of the house. we use the door in the back of the house. you can see the problem.
2/ lack of closet and storage space {see we agree! and it truly is the biggest problem we face.}
3/ the kitchen being separate from the dining and living rooms {BUT, i also like that rooms are separate because it’s more authentic to the old house. it just can be difficult when one of us is cooking and the others are 2 rooms away in the living room.}
EMILY’S TOP 3 THINGS TO UPDATE OR CHANGE IN 2019 {ok it’s kinda more than 3}
1/ kitchen updates {backsplash, appliances, new cabinet fronts, new counters}
2/ finally figure out storage for the downstairs bathroom {bill uses this as his closet} and storage in the entryway/landing/hall spaces. a trip to IKEA is in our near future.
3/ the outdoors {repaint the back porch, clean the yard, organize the sheds and garage, new furniture etc. etc.}
truthfully, we have no idea how long we’ll be here. it was built in the 1830’s and has been well-maintained over the years but i’m not sure it could ever be our forever home. if we want to stay in it for the next several years however, we’ll need to renovate as space is tight for our family, and will be more so as max gets older. lucky for us, the previous owners left behind renderings for some options they had drawn up before selling! for now, we’ll make our updates, big and small, and enjoy it.
bring on the warm weather!
