You guys! We did it! We bought a home here in Raleigh, and we’re staying for the long haul. This *beauty* was built in 1963. We purchased the home from the original owner. I call it “traditional with a 60s twist”. We decided to hire a contractor to do the heavy lifting in turning this home into the clean, bright, inviting home we know it can be. Here’s a quick looksey at the befores. Hopefully you can follow this little tour to get a sense of the layout. We have plans to improve just about every square inch.
The home has three bedrooms, but we will be turning an old den into a fourth bedroom suite. The “wing” on the right below is the old den. We will incorporate that porch space into the square footage, bringing the exterior wall up to where you see the columns.
When you enter through the front door, you see the stairs and the hall leading towards the kitchen. Turn to the left, and you’re in the living room. The room immediately to the right is the dining room.
Through the dining room, there’s the stunning kitchen! Just behind the wall oven is a small half bath, and a door into the back of the living room. The lovely red-carpeted room there is the old den. The two windows on that right wall face the front yard.
Next up: the upstairs! There is a bedroom behind each of those dormer windows on the front. The first one pictured below is the master. It has a tiny pink 3/4 bath. The grey-tiled bathroom is off the hall. Then you’ll see a pic of each of the other bedrooms. These will be our girls rooms. I’ve been so thoroughly absorbed in choosing finishes for the kitchen and master bath, I haven’t even begun to think of how these will turn out. I do know Elsie wants pink walls. Surprise surprise!
Down in the basement is this light-filled den space. I can not wait to slap some paint all over it! Well, the terrazzo floors will stay. There is a hall off the den that leads to a 3/4 bath, the laundry nook, and a storage room. Clearly those spaces were finished a few decades after the home was built.
At this point, a bunch of demo has been done. All of the wallpaper has come down! The kitchen is out! The carpet is out! And the pink bathroom is out! Now we’ll have a little lull as plans are made, permits are filed, and HVAC and electrical are sorted out. I am truly seeing what a massive puzzle renovations can be. There is so much to think of, and we are so glad we made the decision to hire a contractor to lead the process.
And, finally, here’s a glimpse at the best feature of our new home…the huge wooded back yard. I see lots of forts and explorations happening here as our girls grow. And perhaps a few chickens. Yes, it’s a tid bit overgrown, so you know where we will be every Saturday for the next two years. 😉
