I’ve been so busy snapping pictures that I haven’t taken time to blog about all the things I’ve been thinking about these days. One of the things most on my mind is thinking about how to make our mark on this house. I have so many ideas but don’t know where to start, or what would be the most sensible way to approach the things needing to be done.
Things I’d like to do to the house:
- Paint the sunroom. Right now it’s not a bad looking green but this green doesn’t seem to fit any of my possibilities for colour on the front door. I’m thinking something tealish for the walls? Maybe a less punchy version of one of these below? There isn’t much wall space so I think we can get away with some bigger colour.
- Paint the front door some bold colour. Our house in pretty plain from the outside. This would be an easy fix to help it stand out. Maybe something redish like this? (Unfortunately I couldn’t find the actual colours I’m considering online.)
- Paint the living room walls. Maybe something with yellow tones in it? The front room doesn’t have a window and gets light from the sun room in front and a large window in the back half of the living room. We also need to put up proper base boards and crown moulding, which I’d like to keep white. The back half of the living room is filled with the kid’s things. I struggle with colour ideas for the whole living room because I don’t want it to all be different and crazy coloured. I’d like the house to flow, be natural and yet perhaps a bit whimsical.
- Redo the bathroom. As it is right now, the sink is a little tiny space in the corner of the room. One step back and you’re in the toilet! We need a new tub and rearrange the room with the tub on the back wall and toilet and new vanity where the tub is currently. Our neighbour plans to tear down his house and he thinks he has an old cast iron tub we could have to refinish. Claw foot tubs don’t seem too hard to find either for a good price.
- Do something in the kitchen. It’s covered in two different wallpapers and a bright yellow in the dining room. We really have space issues as well in the kitchen. I thought that adding shelving would be enough but it seems we need to do something more. Cam’s making a chopping block island which will help.
- Paint the spare room and recover the futon. My mother in law made Cam this cover for the futon before we were married. I have to admit I didn’t like the pattern 10 years ago and it hasn’t grown on me since. Now that the futon is in a more public space, I’d like to recover it with something a little more our style. We also need some serious shelving for my sewing supplies.
- Paint the bedrooms. Again, I want something subtle and yet colourful. Maybe very pale (not pastel) colours. Lily wants something like lilac and we have a red/orange/yellow duvet cover I can’t seem to make work with any colour choices. I suppose I could just get us a new cover…
So there you have it. Some of the projects running around in my head. We might do all or only some of these projects but they’re minor enough (most of them) that I think with a little colour help from (you) friends, it won’t be too much of a stretch to get done.
Moving into a new home can be overwhelming, especially when you’re making it your own. A piece of advice we were given when we moved into the house we’re in now is to live in it a while before decorating anything. That way you can get to know the home’s personality and sometimes the decorating just comes on it’s own! I’m looking forward to seeing the changes!
Two different wallpapers in the kitchen, eh? That totally reminds me of the Cranny house! That’s quite the ambitious list of painting and reno’ing you have but I can’t wait to see the progress as you go – especially in the bathroom.
With my first house I sample painted about a dozen yellows and landed on…. York harbour yellow, just like you. It’s lighter without being too pastel. I like to the think of our old house as being like a tree. When I get home I can check the actual colours but in the bedroom we had the york yellow with a butterscotch/orange for the accent wall, alligator green in one room and then the guest room was a mid-tone brown with a warm taupe (2 walls of each).
It’s hard to find bold but not too bright but I’m sure you’ll do fine. You’re inspiring me to settle on a colour for the kitchen that has driven me nuts since we moved in more than 2 years ago!
We completely gutted our house before we moved in- we had to – it was truly hideous! SOOOO dirty and stuck in the 1980’s- nothing like what you have there. We whitewashed it throughout as a big vat of white paint was all we could afford by the time we got to painting! I came to really like it white downstairs. It makes it really light, and we have so much stuff in our small space that the “things” and textiles give it all the colour it needs.
That said, I knew what colours I wanted in some rooms straight away, and I have just about got round to painting them. I didn’t change my mind from the hunch I first had 4 years ago! My guess is that you’ll be right about your choices. You are so right about the futon too LOL!
It looks lovely Annie, I’m sure you’ll make it your own in no time ;)
Oooh, colours! So much fun! We’re making the same decisions with our place right now too.
I love grey, but maybe in PR, that’s not the best choice! Warm (yellows? blood reds? orange?) might be better. I like someone’s suggestion of white, too. It’s just classic, and it’s easy to overdo colour, especially if you want that “tied-together” feeling you mention. Or go monochromatic–different shades of one colour throughout the house (or a floor anyway). That might help it all come together. Have you thought about using some colour on the ceilings? If you have coloured walls, you could do a lighter shade on the ceilings. Or white walls and different coloured ceilings to define spaces.
Have fun with it!
Oooh you are so lucky to be contemplating these things…. our house is so chaotic, messy and needing a total clearout, never mind redecorating! No time. Literally no time.
We moved into our current place just one year ago and we are still doing the final touches on settling in (including a gut rehab of the kitchen), but it took/takes a while to make the place ours by painting, working in the yard, etc.
One of the first things we did, though, to mark the place as ours was to paint the front door a glossy, bright red. So I say go for it!
P.S. My family and I ate the buddah bowl last night (and for lunch today). Yum! Thanks for sharing.
Hey thanks everyone!
Everything is pretty white right now some I’m eager to give some colour although I think a lot of the colour inside might end up being quite mild.
I think you all are right- that it will come in time. I know some of what I want to do right away but a lot is just stuff I want to do at some point…
Susan- Red doors are awesome! It’s definitely my first choice. I’m so glad you liked that Buddha Bowl! It’s one of my favourites. Watch for the Ymir Bowl recipe coming within the next week!