House Tour

Nate and I acquired our own little piece of Ohio back in March of 2015. After renting during the first ten months of our marriage, we were excited to claim a bit of our own territory. When looking for a home, in the area we preferred, the options were slim. We looked at a total of four properties, all outdated ranch houses.

A house that I had written off as not an option, ended up being the perfect choice for us. We had driven past it a few times, before we actually set foot inside. Each time we commented on how it looked so small. The day we stepped inside the door, we were pleasantly surprised at how much space it seemed to offered. Looks can be deceiving.

We made an offer on the 1970's ranch and waited for what seemed like an eternity. Not for the offer to go through, but for the closing date to be scheduled. We thought it might be to our advantage that the house was vacant, but that did not seem to matter. The day finally came in which we were handed over the keys. From then on, we had a project on our hands, nothing major needed to be accomplished. Just 1758 square feet of white walls staring us in the face. It was exciting though, a blank canvas is the easiest way to start.

Read more about the purchase of our first home by clicking here.

Although we would not call this our dream home by any means, it seems to be a great 'starter' house. I am thankful for the simplicity of it, along with the flaws that show up from time to time. I never wanted to start off with anything extravagant, especially since that might take away from the excitement of what could be next.

I am posting these pictures more for my sake. I like to look back and see the progress that we have made (hopefully for the better), and I hope to keep adding to this post as we continue to do house projects.

Main Living Room 

First off is our main living room. This is the room in which I spend the most time. Mainly due to all the natural light that comes in through the picture window. I also enjoy watching the neighborhood kids interact with one another.

Before

During

Now

I say 'Now' instead of 'After' because I am constantly switching things around. I do not care for change in most areas of my life, but switching furniture and decorations around is exciting to me. Unfortunately the large sectional couch cannot be moved into any other position. Read about our couch saga and how I saved $500 here.

Living Room #2

This part of our home was an addition that some previous owners built on. It was an awkward use of space, and we wanted to maximize it to align with our lifestyle. Hence the center, non-supporting wall came down, thanks to my husband.

Read more about this project by clicking here and here.

Before

During

Now

I am still trying to decide what other elements to use in decorating this space. Little by little I will keep adding, but I do not want to spend too much $$.

Do not mind the bare walls.

Kitchen

This kitchen has served us well. We treat this space, not only as our kitchen, but also as our dining room. The bar stools are just too handy not to have meals on. We did nothing but cosmetic repairs to the kitchen. And by cosmetic I mean painting and only painting. We hope to add a back splash in the near future.

Before

After

Fireplace Room

Here we have the fireplace room. All this room required was paint. Nate and I have not found a secured purpose for this room yet. Let us know if you have any suggestions.

Before

Testing paint colors

The painting crew

Now

This room went from being empty, to being an extra sitting area, to being our office, and now it is empty again, searching for its purpose in life. The furniture was moved into our newly-renovated living area, as you may have noticed in the pictures above.

Our Bedroom

I have been slow to decorate our bedroom, and it is a continual work in progress. I put most of my energy into the remainder of the house before I realized that I was running low on inspiration. I wish I would not have left our bedroom till the end, but we like it simple for now.

Guest Bedroom #1

Before

The above picture is the only 'before' picture that I have of this room. Painting the dark trim and closet doors white made a world of difference. I found the bedspread/quilt at Carson's soon after we were married and I just could not resist. It goes well with the antique bed.

Now

Guest Bedroom #2

Before

Around the time I painted this room, navy was a very popular color. Bold colors are not exactly my personality, but I went for it.

Now

The medallions, hanging on the wall, add a fun dimension to this room. I bought them at Lowe's and on Ebay and went crazy with a can of white spray paint.

That is all for now. I am thankful for the progress that we have made in the past year. We have made many wonderful memories in this abode, and we pray for countless more. May our home always be a safe haven and a blessing to those who enter. We hope God will use our home as a tool in furthering His kingdom.