Exciting Beginnings: A Full Tour of Our New Colonial Home
You may recall my recent announcement about a significant life event: we purchased a new home, successfully sold our old residence, and completed the big move! It’s been a whirlwind of activity, but we’re absolutely thrilled to finally share this exciting milestone with you. As promised, today marks the inaugural tour of our brand-new home. What you’re about to see are the very first photographs captured on settlement day – an authentic “day one” glimpse. This means you’ll be seeing the house completely empty, without furniture, fresh paint, or any personal touches applied yet. It’s truly a blank canvas, offering a unique opportunity to witness its transformation from the very beginning.
First Impressions: The Exterior and Inviting Foyer
Let’s begin with the initial view of our new abode from the outside. It’s a classic colonial-style home, nestled comfortably within a charming neighborhood where similar architectural styles prevail. One feature we were particularly excited about is the brick facade on the front of the house. Beyond its timeless and elegant aesthetic, brick offers superior durability and requires far less maintenance compared to materials like vinyl, providing both beauty and peace of mind for years to come. The curb appeal is already promising, and we envision enhancing it with landscaping as we settle in.
Stepping Inside: The Grand Foyer
Upon entering, you are greeted by our new foyer, a space that immediately captured our hearts. The rich cherry hardwood floors were an instant selling point for us. Their warm tones and impressive wide planks create a sense of grandeur and openness that significantly differs from the flooring in our previous home. This initial area sets a sophisticated tone for the entire house, and we’re already envisioning a welcoming console table and perhaps a statement rug to complement the stunning floors. While the current brass chandelier in the foyer matches one in the dining room, it’s definitely on our list for an upgrade to something more contemporary and fitting with our personal style.
Exploring the Main Living Areas: Light, Space, and Potential
The Elegant Living Room
Moving further into the house, we find the spacious living room. A lifelong dream of mine has been to have a home featuring beautiful bay windows, and this house generously delivers with not one, not two, but three of them! This living room alone boasts two of these magnificent windows, flooding the space with an abundance of natural light and offering lovely views of the front yard. The ample light and generous layout provide endless possibilities for furniture arrangement, creating both cozy conversation areas and open spaces for relaxation. We look forward to selecting furniture that enhances the room’s natural elegance and makes it a perfect spot for entertaining guests or enjoying quiet evenings.
The Formal Dining Room
Adjacent to the living room is the formal dining room, a space that promises to host many memorable meals and gatherings. This room features a charming tray ceiling, adding an architectural detail that elevates its sophistication. While the tray ceiling is a delightful touch, the existing brass chandelier, which matches the one in the foyer, is certainly not our ideal fixture. I am incredibly eager to replace both of these outdated light fixtures with something that better reflects our modern tastes and complements the home’s aesthetic. Once updated, this room will be transformed into an inviting space for formal dinners and celebrations, offering a perfect blend of elegance and comfort.
The Heart of the Home: Our Family Room
The family room is undoubtedly going to be one of the most used spaces in our new home. What immediately strikes you are the expansive windows, which truly brighten the room and create an airy, open atmosphere. A cozy fireplace, almost identical in style to the one we had in our old house, anchors one wall, promising warmth and ambiance during cooler months. This similarity is a comforting nod to our previous home, while still offering a fresh start. We envision this room as a comfortable sanctuary for movie nights, casual gatherings, and everyday family life. The sheer size and light of the room provide ample opportunities for creating distinct zones for relaxation and entertainment.
From this opposite perspective of the family room, it becomes even clearer how much of a blank canvas this house truly is. With nearly every wall throughout the home painted a neutral white, we have the exciting task ahead of us to select paint colors that reflect our personalities and style. This clean slate offers immense creative freedom, allowing us to imbue each space with character and warmth, starting right here in the central gathering spot of our family room.
Husband’s Productive Haven: The Home Office
This room serves as my husband’s dedicated home office, a space designed for productivity and focus. It proudly houses the third and final bay window of the house, which, much like the living room, ensures a bright and inviting workspace throughout the day. The elegant French doors leading into the office add a touch of sophistication and allow for a seamless connection to the rest of the home while still providing a sense of privacy when needed. We’re excited to customize this room to be both highly functional and aesthetically pleasing, ensuring it’s a place where he can work comfortably and efficiently.
Our Culinary Space: The Kitchen
The kitchen, often considered the heart of the home, features beautiful cherry cabinets complemented by sandy-colored granite countertops. While my absolute dream kitchen was the white Martha Stewart kitchen from Home Depot that I lovingly designed and left behind in our old home—I’m definitely a “white kitchen” kind of girl!—I truly can’t complain about this impressive space. It’s well-appointed and highly functional. We’re particularly pleased with the modern GE Stainless Steel appliances, which include a fantastic convection oven! I might need to schedule a few lessons on how to fully utilize its features, but I’m excited about the culinary possibilities it brings. This kitchen offers a wonderful balance of style and utility, providing a perfect setting for daily cooking and entertaining.
The Invigorating Morning Room
Seamlessly flowing from the kitchen is the bright and inviting morning room. This area is truly a gem, featuring large, beautiful windows that allow an abundance of natural light to stream in, creating a cheerful and uplifting atmosphere. It’s the perfect spot for enjoying a morning coffee, casual family breakfasts, or simply relaxing with a book while bathed in sunshine. We envision this space becoming a cherished part of our daily routine, offering a serene start to each day and a comfortable spot for informal gatherings. The connection between the kitchen and morning room also makes entertaining effortless, providing an open flow for guests.
Private Retreats: Bedrooms and Basements
The Serene Master Bedroom
The master bedroom is one of the few areas in the house that already had a coat of paint. It’s currently a pleasant shade of gray, which we actually quite like and will likely live with for a while. However, since we don’t have any touch-up paint or knowledge of the exact color, and there are a few marks on the walls, it will eventually need to be repainted. I absolutely adore the elegant tray ceiling in this room; it adds a touch of luxury and visual height that makes the space feel even more expansive. We’re excited to transform this room into a tranquil retreat, a perfect sanctuary after a long day.
The Elegant Master Bathroom
Adjoining the master bedroom is the master bathroom, a space that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. It features lovely, neutral-toned tiling that provides a clean and calming backdrop. The overall design feels contemporary and fresh, offering a serene environment for daily routines. We appreciate the spacious layout and the potential for adding personal touches to make it truly our own. This bathroom is a wonderful complement to the master suite, enhancing the feeling of a private and luxurious escape within our new home.
My Dream Crafting Haven: The Basement Studio
One of the areas I am most excited about is this section of the basement, which is destined to become my personal crafting studio! The absolute highlight here is the presence of windows, a feature my old craft room sorely lacked. Having natural light stream in will be an incredible boon for all my creative projects, making it possible to work and photograph my creations all in the same well-lit space. Furthermore, the charming fireplace in this area ensures that I’ll stay wonderfully toasty and comfortable during the colder winter months, making it an ideal year-round creative sanctuary. This dedicated space promises to ignite even more inspiration for my projects.
My New Creative Workspace: The Basement Office
This adjacent basement area, which the previous owner utilized as a home gym, is slated for a complete transformation into my new personal office space. Similar to my crafting studio, the most significant upgrade here is the presence of windows. My previous office had absolutely no natural light, making this a huge improvement, even if the windows are a bit smaller. The influx of natural light promises to boost my productivity and creativity, making this office a much more enjoyable and inspiring place to work. I can already envision setting up my desk and organizing my creative tools in this bright and dedicated space.
An Exciting Collaboration: Two Homes, Two Journeys
Now for an exciting surprise we’ve been eager to share!
Many of you are likely familiar with my dear friend Johnnie’s wonderful blog, Saved by Love Creations. Well, Johnnie and her husband have also just embarked on their own new home journey! While our new home is nestled in the vibrant suburbs, Johnnie and her husband have purchased a charming farm house out in the picturesque countryside. We thought it would be incredibly fun and inspiring to coordinate our blog posts as we each embark on the exciting process of transforming our respective houses into cherished homes. This unique collaboration means you, our fantastic readers, will receive twice the DIY and home decor inspiration for the “price” of one! And by “price,” of course, we mean absolutely free – because sharing creative ideas is what we love to do! We sincerely hope you’ll enjoy following both of our unique journeys as we pour our hearts into making these new spaces truly our own. Be sure to check out Johnnie’s insightful new home tour and renovation plans RIGHT HERE to see her incredible beginnings!
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