OK, first off, you all will be happy to know that tonight, Randy--yes, that Randy--left a comment on my last entry about the Cringe launch. According to my stat counter, which is how I confirmed it was really him and not someone playing a cruel, cruel joke, he found my blog after typing his full name into Google, which in turn led him to this set of diary entries. Don't worry, I've already reassured Luke that our marriage is strong and will likely outlive the newness of this shocking development, though pretty soon I might have to start stuffing dollars in the Randy jar, so happy am I that my old crush and friend is finally in the know about his kind-of published status.
(You caught the Friends reference, yes? Monica's obsessive talk about Richard? Chandler no likey? Monica coughing up dough for each Richard reference?)
(And the pun, it has officially been killed.)
Second, house talk! You've been waiting for it, I know. Our inspection was last Thursday, and Luke stayed home with Kara while I poked and prodded every nook and cranny of our future residence for two hours. It was the first time I'd been in the house since our showing, so it was comforting to see the place again and confirm we made the right decision. We so, so did.
And I have the pictures to prove it. Walk with me, won't you?
Here's the exterior. Originally Luke and I wanted to stay away from houses like this because there's no presentation to speak of, but after four months of fruitless searching, we suddenly became more open-minded. The trim needs paint, and the siding will eventually be replaced in a color that isn't yellow, but it's not hurting us for now.
Welcome to our living room. The laminate floors are new, and the space is more than our current living room and dining room combined. AND THEN SOME. Plus, lots of windows for plenty of natural light.
When I saw this corner, the first thing that came to mind was, "Playroom." Not that we'll turn it into an actual room, mind you, but this is the perfect place to carve out a books and toys area for Kara and Number Two. Since the house is a two-story, the last thing Luke needs is to spend his days trampling on the staircase to retrieve additional options for early childhood entertainment.
The dining room, which leads to the back yard. The chandelier is tacky ("tacky" being a theme that runs through the entire house, as you'll soon see), but the space is perfect.
First shot of the back yard. When I first saw it, I nearly wet myself because the lot was by far the biggest of all the many, many, MANY houses Luke and I have seen since May. The current owners have four dogs, which explains the poor condition of the lawn, but grass, it grows. I can totally imagine running around with the kids here, playing tag, wading in the kiddie pool, throwing a ball around, or simply enjoying hot dogs on the grill. This was one of the biggest selling points for me.
Second half of the yard.
Now, let's check out the upstairs.
(The upstairs! I grew up in a three-bedroom apartment building in Chicago with my parents, four siblings, and a dog. We owned the building, but space was tight, and lil' Frema dreamed of the day she would live in a house. She never imagined the possibility of a second floor.)
(Also, poor lil' Frema, missing out on all this cool stuff. Printing the Randy poem, buying a house. My adult self weeps for her.)
You're looking at the house's second big selling point (for us): the loft. At our price range and in our current market, Luke and I could be picky enough to narrow our search to at least three bedrooms, but a fourth for office space just wasn't feasible. Situated at the top of the staircase, this loft can hold a generously sized desk, filing cabinet, the works. This enables us to keep all things computer related out of our living room and our bedroom and award each child a bedroom of his/her very own, also a luxury lil' Frema would have died for. If we ever have a third, the gender-sharers can bunk up. The first one to complain gets demoted to the sleeper sofa.
Second view of the loft.
The first half of our bedroom. Notice I said half because this room is GINORMOUS. The fire-engine red paint has got to go, and it will, but I prefer to focus on the large window
and walk-in closet
and this whole other section I have no idea how to deal with yet. Library? Tea room? The possibilities are endless.
But I love that it's there.
The master bath. Which has its own closet. I am in love.
Not with the carpet, though. The current owners are the original builders, so why they approved carpeting to be installed in a room that is so NOT appropriate for carpet is beyond me, but it's an oversight that will soon be rectified, as Luke and I are having the entire upstairs re-carpeted and two bathrooms re-tiled. Or in this specific instance, tiled. We subtracted the cost from our offer specifically for that purpose. The carpet and tile have been chosen, and the deposit was made last night. I know it'll make a huge difference in getting the place to feel like home.
Also, in removing signs of life with FOUR DOGS. Blech.
Bedroom number one. It's smaller than the second bedroom, but it's closest to the master so I'm calling it number one.
Luke and I made offers on three houses earlier this summer, all of which fell through (thank God), and house number three also had non-master bedrooms that weren't identical in size, and it bugged the crap out of me. Here, it doesn't bother me at all, just because the house is so spacious that the chances of us tripping all over each other are slim, and also, again with the sleeper sofa if I hear so much as a peep about how Big Sister has the bigger room. She's the oldest. Them's the breaks.
The second full bathroom, which one day will receive more TLC by way of new cabinetry and mirror fixture but for now will have to settle for new paint and tile. Apparently, the sellers' daughter felt comfortable enough with me to leave remnants of her primping routine scattered across the sink.
Also apparently, she thought bathroom shelving was better used for storing beanie babies than her hair spray collection.
Second bedroom, first time you bear witness to the sellers' love for stars. But it won't be the last!
And as if the yard, master bedroom, and loft weren't enough to seal the deal, God planted a sign that this house was meant to be ours.
It's almost as if Harry Potter himself wanted us to live here. And really, who are we to say no?
There are two rooms left to show you. Two rooms I specifically saved for last because they almost--ALMOST--caused me to walk away. Which would have been crazy after all you've just seen. But that just shows you the extent of the tacky.
The kitchen in all its pea-green-cabinetry glory. With orange walls. Hold me.
The kicker? Is that the woman painted the cabinets JUST FOR THE PURPOSE OF SELLING THE HOUSE. Against her agent's advice. Because she wanted to list this room as "updated." Excuse me while I bang my head against her handiwork.
In all seriousness, this isn't the first house we've seen with painted kitchen cabinets; consequently, this isn't the first time I've looked down on a couple for painting their kitchen cabinets. We're not quite sure what to do with them. Stripping and staining would be quite the job, re-painting them is even less appealing, and replacing them altogether isn't in the cards, budget-wise. I figured we'd just leave them alone until next year and redo them with bonus money, but then I started thinking about color choices for the living room and how limiting the cabinet color is to our first-floor decor. Luke thinks I'm insane--"They're separate rooms!"--but there's no way I could move forward on a blue color scheme for the living room when those horrid green atrocities are visible from my ass print on the couch. If you have suggestions, bring them on.
The blow is only slightly lessened by the nice-sized pantry next to the fridge and adjacent half-bath, but we'll live. Even though that bathroom's tainted, too.
Because of course all the cabinets have to match! Sob.
Also, more stars!
So, that's our house. Luke and I worked damn hard to be able to afford a house on one income and take on a mortgage that won't keep us up at night, and never in a million years did I expect to find anything more than a suitable starter home to outgrow after five years. This place fell from the sky, and to label it a "starter" when there's so much room to play around with would be sinful. The negotiations were relatively painless, and a week later we had a signed purchase agreement and a September 30th closing date. Our apartment lease ends on Halloween, so the plan is to paint for two weeks, re-carpet and tile the third week, and move in the last weekend of October. Hooray for not having to make a mortgage payment until November.
And now, time for bed, seeing as tomorrow I'll be at the hospital with Molly welcoming baby Marin into the world! Be sure to check her blog for updates.
Wow, congrats! I'm so glad you could see through all the bad paint, carpet, etc. to the true "good bones" of this house. All those things can be changed but the basic structure cannot. Soon you will give it all the touches that will make it uniquely yours.
Posted by: Lynne | September 05, 2008 at 07:49 AM
Frema, that house is AWESOME. Congratulations! And you are wise, oh so very wise, to have the floors done BEFORE you move all your crap in. We still have to get our floors done, and I have no freaking clue where we will put all the stuff while that happens. But that is our problem.
As for the kitchen, I agree that the paint color choices leave something to be desired. And that something is taste. But don't be hating on painted cabinets in general! Look at the before and after pictures of my kitchen: http://docmaureen.blogspot.com/2008/07/so-now-that-kitchen-is-finished-i-can.html
Painted cabinets have their place, like when the cabinets are grease-stained and in bad shape and too dark for the room. Or! When they are already painted and it would be utter insanity to try to strip them! So much work! SO MUCH WORK!
You asked for suggestions, so I definitely suggest repainting them in a color to your liking. Then, later, when you have money, if you still really want unpainted cabinets, buy new ones. Consider IKEA; they are cheap, but QUALITY cheap. It is true that modern kitchens never seem to have painted cabinets these days, but just tell everyone you are going for "country chic."
Posted by: Dr. Maureen | September 05, 2008 at 08:46 AM
Stupid Typepad. Here is the link, all linkified:
http://http://docmaureen.blogspot.com/2008/07/so-now-that-kitchen-is-finished-i-can.html>Dr. Maureen's Kitchen
Posted by: Dr. Maureen | September 05, 2008 at 08:47 AM
AUGH! This is my last try. I apologize for the multiple comments. Hopefully, this link will work:
http://docmaureen.blogspot.com/2008/07/so-now-that-kitchen-is-finished-i-can.html>Dr. Maureen's Kitchen For Reals This Time
Posted by: Dr. Maureen | September 05, 2008 at 08:48 AM
How exciting! I kind of like the kitchen colors, but then again, I was almost overcome with glee when we got married and were looking for furniture, and I found a couch, loveseat, and chair in that very color of green.
Posted by: Katie | September 05, 2008 at 09:26 AM
That's a great house. I'm officially envious of you and your giant backyard.
Posted by: Nichole | September 05, 2008 at 09:32 AM
Oh Bree, it is fantastic! HUGE Congratulations. What a perfect first home. As far as the kitchen cabinets, I think they wont quite so badly if you paint the walls a new color.. (dont hit me) look over there --> your sidebar, tan and green? Not bad! Okay I KNOW its a computer screen but still, I think you can lessen its gag value.
The rest is just wonderful, I am so very happy for you. AND, so proud, way to put your $ to use. You help me to see my husbands veiwpoint, in terms of upholding our household alone. Thanks!
Posted by: Christina | September 05, 2008 at 09:39 AM
Like Katie I'm a fan of the color green used on the cabinets(and I love the combo with orange), but I'm married to someone who's not so fond of the green, so I understand that it's not something that everyone loves.
How about a nice creamy white for the walls in the kitchen and bath? Green and white is a pretty classic combo - and green can stand most colors as an accent, so maybe you can minimize the green by surrounding it with colors you do like until you can deal with the cabinets.
And also smart to do the floors before you move in - said as someone who moved into a house hating the carpet and moved out with the same damn carpet there because it was too much hassle to move everything.
Even with those minor blips, your house is incredible! Good for you for sticking to your guns until you found something you loved.
And what's with all the stars? Living room, bedroom, baths...
Posted by: Mrs. Higrens | September 05, 2008 at 09:45 AM
One more thing: I see a microhood in your future. That micro takes up TOO much room of your limited counterspace!
Posted by: Mrs. Higrens | September 05, 2008 at 09:47 AM
Lovely home!
Advice about the cabinets? I'd paint them white and then paint the walls in whatever color goes with your 1st floor scheme. White cabinets make the space seem larger and will go with just about any decor you want. And paint is cheap!
Good luck!!
Posted by: Pam | September 05, 2008 at 10:24 AM
Wow! So much space! A huge yard! I am SO so happy for you and your family. Hooray!! :)
Posted by: Liana | September 05, 2008 at 10:30 AM
It's wonderful!!! I love the big tree in the front yard. I kind of like the green cabinets, but they do look tacky with the current wall color. If you paint the walls a neutral color it might tone down the green and look really pretty with a blue living room! One of our kids isn't even going to have a bedroom at first... he's going to be sleeping in our loft area because it is close to the master bedroom. And then they are going to share. They have a playroom and a family room to call their own, they don't need seperate bedrooms too! Now we may need a sleeper sofa so I can send complainers there like you guys!
Posted by: Becca | September 05, 2008 at 10:56 AM
I'm LOVING the Harry Potter shrine! Hee hee! That is a gorgeous house - what a great place to raise your babies!
While I kind of like the dining room chandelier, the orange-green combo made me gag a little. My advice is to ask Molly (resident paint queen) what the heck you should do.
And also? I have a carpeted master bath. The hell? What are people THINKING? I'm desperately saving pennies in hopes of tile in my future.
Congrats again!
Posted by: Stacey | September 05, 2008 at 11:42 AM
House is gorgeous!!!!
Posted by: keri | September 05, 2008 at 12:46 PM
Oh, the house is awesome! Congratulations!!
I just have to say: this woman and her house, she wanted to say the kitchen was "updated" so she painted, but she'd never heard of "staging" or at least shoving all that clutter into a closet or something?? Sheesh.
It is so cool that you guys have enough money for new carpet and tile (!), because that carpet is hideous. And in the bathroom?
I was going to suggest leaving the kitchen cabinets green and just painting the walls white, which would make the whole "peas & carrots" thing go away, but then you said BLUE!! and now I don't know. But still, the house is great! And so much space and the huge yard. I can't wait to see the "after cribs pictures".
Congrats again!
Posted by: elizabeth | September 05, 2008 at 12:49 PM
Shoot, I wanted to say something about the lack of "presentation" on the outside of the house. You could really play up the walkway to the front door with plantings to draw people around the garage. Somehow hide the view of the backyard fence and put the focus on the door. I think that would help. But as you say, not really an issue right now.
Posted by: elizabeth | September 05, 2008 at 12:51 PM
Your soon to be house looks great! I would suggest painting the walls a different neutral color, then maybe doing a wash over the cabinets w/ a stain or another color. It would tone down the cabinets a bit. Good luck!
Posted by: Erica | September 05, 2008 at 01:00 PM
What a great home!! Green cupboards, red bedroom and all. I'm totally jealous of the walk in closet and huge yard and am on the way to calling Brad to suggest a move to apparently affordable Indiana:)
Posted by: eva | September 05, 2008 at 01:01 PM
Congratulations! I loved every picture... until the kitchen. Also, please talk to my husband about painted cabinets. Please.
Posted by: Michelle | September 05, 2008 at 01:13 PM
Wow it looks even better than you originally described! I would suggest painting the cabinets white for now until you can afford to get all new cabinetry. If you add some fixtures to it - like fancy metal knobs or handles, you could make them look really nice. But only in white b/c that seems to be the only color of painted cabinets I don't see to notice. Even though they are a pain to keep clean if you're a frequent user of spaghetti sauce, like myself.
And Randy's comment? priceless.
Posted by: Liz | September 05, 2008 at 01:27 PM
How big is your lot? From the pictures it looks teeny compared to Utah standards, and big compared to Houston standards. Oh, how I miss the home prices in Houston (sob).
Posted by: Katie | September 05, 2008 at 01:29 PM
It looks like a great house! Even with the green cabinets ;) I agree with Liz, consider painting them white until you can spring for new ones. That's what we did- MUCH cheaper than spending thousands on new cabinets, and it really turned out pretty nice! At least compared to the super-dark ugly stained wood they were before.
Posted by: Jen | September 05, 2008 at 02:11 PM
Totally awesome! The rooms are perfect for you two to spruce up however you please. It should be a whole lot of fun and although I know you aren't too fond of those cabinets, can we say blech, but you better stay far away if you re-do them before the baby comes :)
Posted by: Trina | September 05, 2008 at 02:36 PM
YAAAAAAAY! Your house is amazing! You're going to looooove having all that space. How exciting...I can keep up with you working on your house while I work on mine! OH, pea green is seriously schmugly. We looked at a house with a fire-engine red kitchen. Upon close inspection ,we learned that it was not paint, but horrid red wallpaper! With fans on it! This is funny because we're now accenting our new kitchen with, you guessed it, red!
Love your yard, love the loft a LOT, and can't wait to see what you do with the place!
Looking forward to your announcement of Marin's arrival.
Going to read Randy's comment right now!
Posted by: Jen L. | September 05, 2008 at 03:02 PM
Wow, what a great find! But I do question the owner's choice in cabinet paint. I don't mind painted cabinets per se, but pea green? Yikes. The rest of the house looks fantastic, though. Congratulations!!
Posted by: nonsoccermom | September 05, 2008 at 04:08 PM
Oh, Frema. It looks wonderful! Green cabinets and all! I'm drooling over your closet space.
Posted by: Operation Pink Herring | September 05, 2008 at 04:10 PM
I love the house!!! Well, yeah, except for that kitchen. I would paint that shit any other color so that you can at least tolerate it!
And, what is up with the toliet seats being up? Am I the only one who noticed that? Probably. I'm OCD like that.
Posted by: Rachel | September 05, 2008 at 04:22 PM
Just showed my husband the pictures. He was horrified by the pea green cabinets and asked why the seller didn't watch more HGTV. ;) And he covets your loft.
And holy crap, how did I miss the picture of the couch in the bedroom?? That room is massive! You hit the jackpot! Your family is sure to be quite happy there.
Posted by: Jen L. | September 05, 2008 at 08:29 PM
Wow, I'm so happy for (and a little jealous of) you guys!! You are gonna have an awesome time making this house into your home.
Also, I'm just wondering how much $ I could pay you to swipe the Watson/Radcliffe pictures for me... they would go beautifully with my signed copy of Goblet.
Posted by: r+k+mama | September 05, 2008 at 08:49 PM
Frema I just love your new home. I love the yellow siding too. All that space and a loft? I think you and Luke will make it into a wonderful place for your sweet family. I do have to say that even with my offbeat taste, (Haight/Ashbury meets great grandma) I find the kitchen colors a bit too too. She actually did that to entice buyers? Her agent must have died. I love the tour you gave us and Rachel I also noticed the open potty seats. But it is a great looking place and aside from those few things it is amazing and it's yours. I am so happy for you.
Posted by: debi | September 05, 2008 at 09:06 PM
The house is great!!!! Havnig the space like that is so terrific. I am so happy that you and Luke will be raising your wonderful family in a house you like so much.
But, yes, the pea green and ornage have to go! I like the suggestion of painting them white, add hardware on them and paint the walls maybe a tan shade. That will hold you over until you can replace them.
Wow - seeing stars ALL over the place without even hitting your head anywhere!
P.S. - So glad I got to see you (and Kara - yay!) today!
Posted by: Jenny | September 05, 2008 at 09:07 PM
P.P.S - I now have a craving for split pea soup after this entry - I wonder why? ;)
Posted by: Jenny | September 05, 2008 at 09:08 PM
Congratulations!!!!! Patience and persistence pays off!
Very smart to do the floors before moving in. If you're going to paint any of those rooms, that's the time to do that also. I agree with a few others about white, or an off-white cabinet color until you can get new ones. It would help the kitchen dramatically.
How nice that you could see past room colors and cabinet colors. Nothing drives me crazier when watching House Hunters and the people complain about room colors. Easy fix people!
Posted by: ann | September 06, 2008 at 09:20 AM
My first choice would be to paint the cabinets white or off-white but painting cabinets is hard and a pain. I think the green cabinets would look great with a khaki or tan color wall which would be way easier. I have white cabinets, blue walls and a blue and white 12-inch square checked floor and I LOVE it but white cabinetry is definitely not the in thing right now.
Posted by: liz | September 06, 2008 at 11:01 AM
Congratulations to you and your family! How exciting.
Moving is one of my most hated things, I can't imagine doing it pregnant with a toddler. Make sure you don't overdo it okay?
Also, last time we moved I took photos of the place we were leaving before we starting packing. Just so I could have a memory of it all.
Posted by: Amy | September 06, 2008 at 02:25 PM
Wow. Li'l Fraulein is intensely jellus as well. I actually sort of like the chandelier above the table. Maybe painted a different color? With different shades?
I can't believe that women wrecked the kitchen like that. Actually I can. The woman who owned my sister's old house painted the bedrooms a bunch of garish colors right before she started showing it. Maybe those pea-green cabinets wouldn't be so objectionable if the walls were a normal color?
Posted by: Fraulein N | September 07, 2008 at 06:08 PM
Great place! I like the green cabinets actually, but would definitely paint those walls something else. Anyway, you won't care once you're finding places to put everything and arguing over who mows the big lawn. :)
Posted by: Amy | September 09, 2008 at 02:02 PM
Your new house is gorgeous!!! Congratulations!
Posted by: Debbie | September 10, 2008 at 08:39 AM
I think the house is great! I am a Realtor here in OK, and my advice for the cabinets may take some work, but you would probably love them a little more after. Try maybe doing a rub or whitewashing or something to that effect over the green or paint them something prettier (read:not green) and do the same. There is even a technique where you can paint and then use a tool designed to give the paint a "woodgrain"-believe me, I know this sounds cheesy, but I think it could be done in a cool way. My best advice is to look through tons of cabinet/kitchen magazines to see if you see anything you could replicate. Good luck and many congratulations!!
Posted by: Sarah | September 10, 2008 at 01:50 PM
Your house is absolutely adorable! Congrats! I love it!!! And the Harry Potter stuff... swoon!!! I love it! Too bad they don't come with the house, eh?
And I gotta say I love the stars... but I kinda grew up with stars being a regular in my life, since they're a regular in my name. Too bad they don't come with the house too.
I can't wait to graduate from school so I can have my own place. Only a year and a half left!
Posted by: Christar | September 12, 2008 at 09:24 PM
Call me crazy, but I like the green cabinets. They'd look really awesome with some nice molding at the top and maybe a coat of stain over the green to antique them. The orange, though? Icky!
Posted by: Britt | September 16, 2008 at 12:29 AM