The Down Low on the Down Stairs

Oh, hi there.  Please excuse my absence.  I'm back, and I can't wait to share with everyone our new house.  It is my goal to keep this blog updated with all the changes to the house.  I get so inspired reading my favorite home blogger's posts, and it will be a great way to document our progress to the house.  These pictures were taken several weeks ago when we had just moved.  A lot has already changed, but I want to post the way it looked when we just unpacked.  So without further ado, here is the house we're very fortunate and blessed to call our home.

That is our front door to the right, and obviously the dining room is to the left with the bay window and chandelier.  We've already done quite a bit to this room that I will share with you soon.  The walls were originally a texture wall on the top half, and the whole thing room was painted a chocolate brown.  We have since smoothed the walls and painted.  Our new table is in the room, and I just ordered chairs that will ship in September.  But more on all that later.

This is our formal living room looking from our entry way.  The back door and deck are beyond the windows, and our casual family room is just past the hallway.  We plan on painting the majority of the house including this room.  We want to go from the tan neutrals to gray neutrals and some blues as well.  We've been looking at furniture for this room, but nothing has been ordered yet.

Looking from the opposite direction for you to get a feel of the layout.  As you can see we've already added the baby gates which have worked out perfectly for Hannah.  She was pretty upset the day we installed these.  There was a slur of angry baby babbles when she couldn't open the gate the first time, but she has quickly accepted them and the fact that she can't climb the stairs whenever she desires.

 

This is our family room off of the kitchen.  I just put the canvas picture in front of the fireplace until we get a cover for it.  Surprising Hannah really doesn't mess with this set up or the fireplace.

Looking at the family room from the eat in kitchen.  Again we want to paint in here, but we will definitely have this and the staircase hired out to professionals due to the really high ceilings.  We also need to add some curtains, fireplace mantle decor, and a couple more pieces of furniture.  This room is where we're spending most of our time, and I love the windows out to our back yard.  You can see the play set outside on the window to the right which will be nice when Hannah is older.

This is looking from the family room into the kitchen.  The door leads to our laundry room which is very convenient to have off the kitchen and family room for me.

This is our kitchen.  I love white kitchens!  The backsplash is one of those things I can't wait to change, but it's down on the priority list right now.  We may change out some of the hardware as well one day.

This is our laundry room which the picture doesn't do it justice.  I changed out the brass hardware already to the oil rubbed bronze, and I painted the laundry Benjamin Moor Palladian Blue which you can see in the picture as well.  Our new washer and dryer have arrived, and they're amazing.  I've lived off of hand me down washer and dryers since college.  And I did appreciate them and the convenience to be able to wash my clothes at home, but there is just something nice about brand spankin' new appliances.

This is a cute little magnet board that the previous owners with a little girl had up in the kitchen.  Hannah loves to play with her animal magnets on this board every day.

This picture is taken back at the main entry way to the house.  To the left is the formal living room and the right is the dining room, just to get your bearings.  The first door on the left is a coat closet, and if you can see it, back on the far left is an entry way that leads to the kitchen.  Directly to the back of the hallway is a half bath.  The door on the right of the hallway is our pantry.  And in the far back right of the hall is access to our garage.

This is our half bath with very red walls.  We'll be painting this room as well, and I would like to maybe find a framed mirror and change out the light fixture.  Other than that, we'll be calling this room good.

If we go back to the front door again, to the left just before the formal living room is our master bedroom.

 

Our master bath that maybe one day way down the road we'll make some changes, but right now, we're just enjoying the double sinks and extra space.  Hannah has taken over our bath tub, but I have been able to squeeze in a couple bubble baths.

 

A little room with french doors off our bedroom is what we're making our office.  We've hung the diplomas and gotten our desk.  We hope to finish up that room in the next month or two.

The trey ceiling in our master bedroom.  We've already replaced the dusty white fan with a new lantern fixture that I shared on instagram.

This pretty much recaps "the before" of our downstairs.  I know the paint and curtains aren't what makes the home.  They're just the things I enjoy doing as a hobby.  It's the memories and time spent as a family in these walls that make a home.  Hannah has been the happiest we have ever seen her since our move.  She's grown closer to her grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins.  She squeals in delight running around our empty house being chased by her daddy.  I can't describe it, but she just seems so content here.  So we'll be making updates quite regularly to the house, but I'm also busy enjoying my baby and husband making memories.