This year has already brought so many new things. Andrew & I got married on December 27th, & on January 12th I started a new job (more on that later) and we got our new home!
I use the term "new" very loosely. Of course the house is new to us, but it is actually over 70 years old. It is a very quaint house in a mill village part of Greenville.
The previous owners moved into the house in the mid 40's & put their heart & soul into it. It is evident that they loved their home, and thankfully they took great care of it. We were lucky enough to purchase it from the original owner's daughter...and she is overjoyed that we see the potential in the home that means so much to her.
The kitchen won't get much updating at the start. We plan to remove the wallpaper, paint the cabinets, & do minor cosmetic changes right now. Our plan is to eventually replace the counters with butcher block, and update the appliances (but for now we pray that they keep trucking along).
The living room is a great shape, and I love the bookcase that is already in place. The previous owner was an antiques dealer & loved collecting knick-knacks. The house is full of shelving that her husband built for her to display her beautiful things.
This room doesn't need much, so we will paint & add a built-in bookcase near the fireplace (which will eventually function).
We are tearing up the carpet tonight & hoping there are hardwoods that we can use underneath.
The bedroom is a great size and has great closet space. We ripped up the carpet in this room already, and under 4 layers of flooring, we found hardwoods! I may have done a happy dance. Andrew wasn't as impressed, but he will be once they are refinished.
Isn't that border lovely? :)
The rest of the house is going to be updated later. There is a dining room, 2 bathrooms, and 2 more bedrooms.
So there she is, in all her 70's glory! Enjoy the before shots!
Be sure to keep checking back for updates!
Hey, Elizabeth! I love your post and you're doing amazing things in your new home. What an exciting time for you! New marriage, new home! Those are huge changes and I see you are managing them both with such grace and elegance. I love your decorating style. I can commiserate with you on the kitchen makeover. I've been in my home in Lancaster for 13 years this June and I still had PINK countertops!! OMG, I decided this spring that I wasn't going to abuse my psyche anymore. I got addicted to Pinterest and found all sorts of ideas but wound up painting them white. I love them. I 'm so glad I did it. My cabinets are actually very good quality cabinets. I had stained them with a white pickling stain, but I've ended up doing that like 3 times in the 13 years because the sun coming in my kitchen window fades the gloss off my stain (and off my front door, too). I'm so excited for you and Andrew and I've been looking for something to give you that would be extra special because your family is very special to me. I had texted your mom a couple of times asking for suggestions. I'm so thankful she pointed me towards your blog because now I can see what you're doing and the direction you're going in. I'm so very sorry I couldn't attend your wedding. It saddened me greatly because me and your mom go back to 3rd grade, and although I don't see you all very often, I consider you very dear friends. She has showed me some of the photos. You have incredible style and a giving heart and I know you both are going to have many happy years together. I really enjoyed seeing and meeting Andrew and I can tell "he's a keeper!" More from me soon. . . in the meantime, keep on blogging. I'm going to follow it. Love, Mrs BJ
ReplyDeleteOh, I almost forgot. Rustoleum makes a countertop paint. It's only $20!! I used it on my countertops and I love them... wow, that's really a great deal to get rid of PINK! Countertops by Giani also has a kit, but its $75. I decided to not use the granite look theme. I just painted mine Putty (which turned out like a greenish gray) and it's such a great contrast with the white cabinetry. I'm learning there's a product out there for everything if you just keep looking!! Love you!
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