New Home Tour
Originally posted on 03/04/2012
When my husband and I moved into our first home together, we didn’t plan to stay there long. Our original plan was to move after a couple of years once I was finished with school. We talked a lot about moving in 2005. One of the main reasons we chose the house was because it was close to the college I was attending. Since I was graduating that year it seemed like a great time to move on. However, home prices had started to rise by that time and I found it really difficult to justify spending $200,000 for a house which only two years before would have sold for $150,000. Also, we lived very close to my husband’s work
and I was pregnant. So we decided to put the move on hold. There are some advantages and disadvantages to living in a house that was thought to be a temporary living situation. The main disadvantage for me was that the house
never really felt like my home. The main advantage is that we had plenty of time to figure out what we really liked or disliked about our
house.
When the time finally came, we decided to have a house built rather than buy an existing home. It was really exciting knowing we would be able to pick out the flooring, counters, paint colors and other features. We had a pretty good idea of what we wanted—as well as what we didn’t
want. Here is a small tour of our new abode.
When my husband and I moved into our first home together, we didn’t plan to stay there long. Our original plan was to move after a couple of years once I was finished with school. We talked a lot about moving in 2005. One of the main reasons we chose the house was because it was close to the college I was attending. Since I was graduating that year it seemed like a great time to move on. However, home prices had started to rise by that time and I found it really difficult to justify spending $200,000 for a house which only two years before would have sold for $150,000. Also, we lived very close to my husband’s work
and I was pregnant. So we decided to put the move on hold. There are some advantages and disadvantages to living in a house that was thought to be a temporary living situation. The main disadvantage for me was that the house
never really felt like my home. The main advantage is that we had plenty of time to figure out what we really liked or disliked about our
house.
When the time finally came, we decided to have a house built rather than buy an existing home. It was really exciting knowing we would be able to pick out the flooring, counters, paint colors and other features. We had a pretty good idea of what we wanted—as well as what we didn’t
want. Here is a small tour of our new abode.
This is our foyer. The original floor plan of the house had the entry straight into a small hallway. We added an office to one side of the house which also created this nice foyer area with a closet for shoes and jackets. It is a nice sized area so we don’t feel cramped when we come through the door. Also, I really like that the entry is separate from the rest of the house. The front
door of our old house opened straight into the living room.
I love this green paint color. It is the main color of our house. I wanted something neutral, but I was so sick of white and tan because our old house was 90% beige. The color is Sherwin Williams Wheat Grass, and it is beautiful!
door of our old house opened straight into the living room.
I love this green paint color. It is the main color of our house. I wanted something neutral, but I was so sick of white and tan because our old house was 90% beige. The color is Sherwin Williams Wheat Grass, and it is beautiful!
Here is the main hallway of our house. Before I get ahead of myself, let me explain something. Our old home had a semi-open floor plan. I know that open floor plans are really popular right now, but I’m not a big fan. For one, I found it really difficult to keep clean. Clutter seemed to amass within minutes of clearing it all out. I think it is because the open floor plan seemed to muddle the functions of the rooms. Everything from the living room and kitchen just seemed to blend together into this giant amalgam of stuff that could not be organized, no matter how hard I tried. I also found it difficult to arrange furniture. So I actually modified the original floor plan of our new home to do away with the openness. While it is not for everyone, I love it. I love that each room is separate with its own function and purpose, like neat little boxes with little treasures inside each one. Having said that, let’s continue.
This is our living room. This is the most formal room of our house. The kids are not allowed to play in this room. It is basically where my husband and I sit at the end of the day to watch movies together, talk, or work on our laptops. It is also where I fold laundry while watching tv
movies.
All of the floors in our home are vinyl. Our old house had that light tan carpet that is so popular right now. I hated it. It stained easily and was a pain to keep clean. Even if the surface looked clean, I always worried about what might be happening underneath. The vinyl is easy to clean and looks great. It is Hickory Plank Vintage Timber by Armstrong.
movies.
All of the floors in our home are vinyl. Our old house had that light tan carpet that is so popular right now. I hated it. It stained easily and was a pain to keep clean. Even if the surface looked clean, I always worried about what might be happening underneath. The vinyl is easy to clean and looks great. It is Hickory Plank Vintage Timber by Armstrong.
I love my kitchen! Storage space in my old kitchen was nearly nonexistent. By eliminating the bar on the right side I gained another whole set of cabinets. There is a pantry to the left of the refrigerator. And while I don’t enjoy cooking, I spend more time in this kitchen than I ever did in my old one. I also have a lot more counter space in this kitchen so I have room to prepare and cook meals while also making grocery lists, going over my son’s school papers, or working on the computer at the same time. I like to cook alone, without a lot of distractions, and that is much easier in this kitchen since it is not open to the rest of the house.
The paint color is Sherwin Williams Kilim Beige. The cabinets are Camden Maple Coffee Glaze by Thomasville. The laminate countertops are Luna Glow by Wilsonart.
Here is the dining room. I don’t love the table—my husband picked it out. It is a little too modern and dark for my taste, but I’m hoping to lighten it up with some chair covers. I also plan to get a different, larger rug with a more contemporary pattern. And I lowered the chandelier. What I do love is the paint color—Sherwin Williams Tigereye! I’ve always wanted an orange dining room, and it looks really great against the green walls of the hall.
I hope you enjoyed that little peek into our new home. I love to hear your comments and constructive criticism on all my projects and this one is no exception. Do you have an open floor plan? What do you like or dislike about it? If you had to choose one color to paint your entire house, what would it be?