The new house, before moving in (iPhone pics) - First Floor

We're due for sharing a photo tour of the new house! Beware: These were taken during very short viewings, during lunch breaks, etc. And while I was of course considering the blog, I hoped that I could make time for actual photos with a camera... but things moved more quickly than expected so camera photos are all we got. :) 

I've already shared a similar view of the entry/hallway...

Here's a view looking to the left, into the Dining Room. We really fell for the heavy pocket doors with window panes.

And here's a view from the other side. This room might be a little bit of a challenge. It's darker than I like, but generally a great space. Also the lighting isn't our style. But as we know, that can be fixed! 

The entry hallway leads into the living room, which is open to the kitchen. 

That's my awesome daddy on the left, pulling his phone out of his pocket I think (?)... Goofy shot but it's all I have. :) 

So here's the kitchen. Unfortunately the fridge didn't come with the deal, but the bones are good. And the tall custom cabinets with pretty classic lines are a great feature.

We also loved some details like the stained glass above the kitchen door. 

This leads into an area with the dining room straight ahead (that's the door with the window panes) and downstairs bath to the left. The pantry is on the right and the guest bedroom is that one with bright ligh on the right.

Here's the downstairs bath. It's a full bath, which makes sense for this house since our guest bedroom is downstairs. ButI do love the idea of decorating a powder bath! One day... :) 

Here's guest bedroom. This is a fairly cozy space but kind of a challenge with furniture placement. The room is long and the windows are kind of strangely positioned for a bedroom.  We shall rise to the challenge though, friends. And it will be fun! I've already made a good bit of progress on this room and can't wait to share.

Check back in for photos of the second floor!... :) I hope you all had a great weekend and Father's Day!

By the way, I love and treasure your email responses. If you don't mind though, leave a comment on Dwell and Tell.  :) Just plug in your name and e-dress. 

Is anyone else moving? Unpacking? Advice on getting settled in? :) 

Three porches, Zero Chairs (But Spring is Here!)

I snapped this photo while taking a few for our last post, and thought I would share. It might not look like it, but we're slowly getting ready for Spring and Summer.

... Unless you consider "having two large porches, one patio, and not owning a single piece of outdoor furniture" not being ready. ;-)

Coming from a condo, we didn't have a place for patio furniture, so we have some catching up to do! Some things will just have to wait until the budget allows. In the meanwhile we're just enjoying the opportunity so spend more time outside watering plants or working in the yard... While constantly hunting some good deals for quality pieces. Hopefully some great sales will pop up in a couple of months!

Any tips on buying patio furniture or getting your outdoor space ready?

Newels and Hardwoods, a Peek (Before & Kinda-After)

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

As I mentioned last week, we decided to refinish the hardwoods before moving in. Boooo for the checkbook, yay for the floors!

As you can see in this snapshot, the previous owners left a few scratches from their own sweet pets. 

We decided to make the plunge and enjoy the opportunity to scratch newly refinished hardwoods ourselves. Why scratch floors that are already marked up?  There's no fun in that.  It's much more interesting to spend lots of hard-earned money and watch your dog scratch them twice, really bad, in a week. (Not that I know what that's like or anything...). Ha!

Moving along... so I decided to switch out our stairposts. Apparently, whether I wanted them to or not, the hardwood company was going to take the stair posts down,  and replace them with new unfinished rails of the same style. (It's easier than trying to get all that finish off from little nooks and crannies.)

Hardwoods + Newels BEFORE

So I'm thinking, this is an opportunity to make this minor upgrade that (I think) makes a big difference aesthetically, for the money. It was probably a difference of about $300 for two newel posts, versus them replacing them with the same style we had before.

I showed inspiration photos to our hardwood guy who very fortunately had two on-hand!

Why these newels?
1. Box newels look a little less "builder" to me than the style that was installed (I'm not talkin' nasty about "builder" homes. HEY.  We all have builder homes! But you guys know what I'm sayin....). 
2. The lines seem more classic architecturally... and suit the style of the house
3. Antique or custom newels would have been wonderful, but I didn't have the budget or time to investigate that as an option.
4. I was able to get them in our timeline (and not wait for shipping)
5. They're affordable.

Ready for a look at the "almost" after?

Newel posts, (dwell and tell)

From anothah angle...

Newel posts, (dwell and tell)

I'm really happy with the result so far! And I love the hardwood color!

Why do I say "so far"? Well, it all looks pretty good, until you zoom in a little...

Yup, my friends, there was a LOT of mess (hardwood stain that was slopped onto the trim) on the stairs, all over the trim and even the doors and door frames. Fortunately, the hardwood company is paying to have them repainted. I'll try to keep you posted on that.

So what do ya think? Agree with the update? Do you have a preference about newel styles or stair rails? Do you have any experience with hardwood floor refinishing--good or bad?