January 20, 2011: Artsy Fartsy

While what we've been calling the "front room" (for lack of a better description) was definitely NOT on the top of our priority list for furniture purchases, we knew what we wanted for the space - a nice desk and a couple bookshelves to pair with my oversized pink chair to make a nice cozy study/reading room. So when we saw the PERFECT pieces - at Costco no less - for an absolute steal, we just couldn't resist. And so the front room is starting to take shape, and it's nice to not have a big empty room be the first thing you see when you come through the front door!



It was a little bare on either side of my favorite piece by Zernie Smith, so on my trip home this past weekend, I found some great black metal sconces for either side. Please, Old Time Pottery, will you open a store in Maryland? Or even Virginia would be fine! South Carolina is just too far!

The shelves beautifully house all of my pretty art books and exhibition catalogues, plus some favorite photos. Here you can see the detail on the side of the desk, that matches the bookcases:



Still on the lookout for a nice chair to go with!

The pink chair works perfectly, and looks especially great with the black & white photos above - mine from my senior year photography course where I did a documentary series on a senior citizens' bowling league. Love having them back on view again! And niece K was SUPER excited at the appearance of the letter S - I guess it's almost like Sesame Street come to life:

My artsy fartsy room... all ready for me to curl up with a good book!

January 17, 2011: Can't Get Enough...

STORAGE.

One of the biggest reasons we looked to move out of the city was the need for space - not just usable living space, but also additional storage, something that we just didn't have enough of existent in our old place.

We are now basking in the many storage options, but I'm sure will be horrified with how quickly they fill up.

The laundry room:



The kitchen pantry:



My closet (happily, this doesn't even begin to depict how big it is!):

Mr. S's closet (Yes, I hang his shirts so they're color coordinated. Doesn't everyone?)

And the piece de resistance, the unfinished basement storage room. I already know that this room is going to help me maintain my sanity over the years!

January 13, 2011: Room to Spare

Here's a peek at a few more rooms! First up, the powder room on the main level:

Mr. S's office, still a bit of a work in progress...

The guest bedroom, still obviously missing a significant piece of furniture:

But the usptairs guest bathroom is ready for visitors!

Next up, a descent to the basement...

January 12, 2011: Master of the House

Continuing the grand tour, next stop is the master bedroom:



We are super pleased with our new furniture in here - beautiful dark wood and cool, modern layered design to the drawer fronts. Handyman Mr. S did a great job with the blinds and curtains in here, making this the room that's the closest to being finished!



We're thinking of painting the wall behind the bed as an accent wall - maybe a warm bronze-y caramel color like the bench at the end of the bed. We'll see!



And the master bath:

We've still got temporary paper shades on these windows (showering those first few days was a little adventurous!) because the pesky sizes are proving tough to find shades for. Rather than order uber-expensive custom blinds, I may give it a go with some frosted contact paper, which proved very successful in another room (coming up on the tour - check back soon!)

January 11, 2011: There's No Place Like Home

Well, we're in, getting settled, and the memories of a loooooooooooong and exhausting moving day are slowly fading. Just to give you an idea, look how much daylight we had for unloading:



Exactly.

But now that all our wordly possessions are here (and multiplying by the day), it's definitely becoming home:



Looking forward to warm weather to spend some time out here:

Coming in the front door to the foyer:

Coming into the family room:

And the kitchen into the family room:

Kitchen:

The morning room:

The table and chairs for here get delivered tomorrow (yippee!) so stay tuned for photos of that, as well as a continued house tour!

December 17, 2010: Winter Wonderland

Snow hit the area yesterday, so this morning we got to see the house in a different light:



Mailbox - check! Maybe it already has a few Christmas cards in it...



From the perfect sledding hill in the backyard:



We were there for our Pre-Settlement Demonstration with the Project Supervisor - he basically provided an introduction to the house. We now know all kinds of important things like where to turn off the water and gas, how to program the thermostat, who to call if we have any warranty issues, etc.

4 days till closing!

December 8, 2010: So Fresh and So Clean, Clean

The house is built, landscaped, & cleaned, and we're cleared for closing, so it's all systems go!



The kitchen with shiiiiiiny countertops (as far as we can tell, the only thing not finished in the house is the cabinet/drawer knobs):






Family room:

Basement (aka the Man Cave):

The view from the window in my CLOSET (yes, there's a window in what I've designated as the "hers" closet):

We move in two weeks from today... bring it on!