Small Updates ... Big Difference!

We're still hard at work to make the house what we envisioned.  It seems like the past few days we have been working on some smaller projects.  They may be small, but they are making a big impact on the house.

Since we moved into the house, we realized the past owners did not use a water softener.  We have EXTREMELY hard water, therefore, we bought and installed our own.  Only to find out that it began to dislodge buildup from inside our pipes, ruining some of our faucets, water heater and softener.

Basically a lot of unplanned cost.  We were able to replace most everything, but what really surprised me was how I felt about our old water faucet in the kitchen.  It wasn't pretty, it was supposed to be white, but was off-white from discoloration.  It did the job, was wasn't the best ... but I was fine with it.  On my list of things to replace, it was at the bottom.  SO, when we found out we had to replace it from the hard water, I was secretly excited.  We found a great deal on a Delta stainless steal faucet ... and I am secretly swooning over it.  It's beautiful and more functional than the last!  I can't complain!

I also found a great deal on outdoor exterior lights.  I had planned on replacing these, but not right away.  When I saw the price was buy one get one free, I jumped on it!  I think they really go well with our new black shutters!

Little updates here and there ... it's definitely feeling like our home!

Our Home: Blue vs. Black Shutters

For a while after we were going back and forth with negotiations, I would drive by the house, and one singular thought would go through my mind each and every time.

When I buy this house ... the first thing to go are those UGLY blue shutters!

My husband was the same way, they bothered us ... we had dreams about tearing them off ... seriously!

You know what the first thing we did to the house when we moved was?  You guessed it ... tore down the shutters!!!  I am SO glad we did too.  There were some nasty hives and dirt behind them that we would have never known about.  With a little power washing and elbow grease, we ... I mean RYAN replaced the shutters from blue, to a more modern style black shutter.  LOVE THEM!  

Before I show you what else we have done to the outside, take a look while one of the old shutters were still attached. Much improved right?

What a difference shutters make ... it seriously changed the look of the house ... for the better!

A Little Paint Goes a Long Way ...

It still amazes me how much a little paint can completely change a space.  It's probably one of the more economical choices when it comes to redecorating, or making a place your own. 

In our case, once we moved into our new house, the first thing we decided to do [after we deep cleaned], was to paint the entire house, top to bottom, closets included.  A MAJOR task for us as we have 20ft high ceilings in the main room.  You may remember this post where I shared the color palette we chose for the house.  

Here you can see just how much a little paint can go.  In the before image, the walls were a creamy, yellow color, which really dulled and outdated the home.  To make it more modern and to make the white trim "pop" we choose Benjamin Moore's: Ozark Shadows for the main level.  When we first put a sample on the wall, it almost seemed to dark, which made us question our decision.  BUT, with a little bit of help from family and friends, we took the plunge and went for it.  Boy am I glad we did, it's EXACTLY what I wanted and dreamed it would be.  Benjamin Moore ... you did not disappoint!

To save some time, we hired some painters for the main room, and my husband painted all bedrooms, closets, bathrooms and the laundry room.  We haven't even began on the basement, but that's for another post!  What do you think, did we make a good call with the grey?  What's your favorite Grey Shade?

We have recently completed the paint in our bedroom, dining room and bathrooms.  These will all be in a different post!  Hope you enjoy as we start making this house our home!

Upstairs Interior Rooms Painted

It's day 4, and we're been hard at work cleaning and painting the new house.  Words cannot describe how dirty the house was... almost hard to stomach.  But with a little elbow grease, the house is shaping up wonderfully!

Projects Currently Underway...

Professional Painting on the Main Level

Upstairs Bedrooms Painted

Master Bedroom Painted

Deep Cleaning

Power Washing

Changing all Toilets

New Shutters

Carpets Steam Cleaned
New Fans & Light Fixtures

The Upstairs Bedrooms were completed this evening and I am seriously IN LOVE with the color!  It's the most tranquil hue.  

My Iphone camera does not do justice.  The old walls were all different shades of blue, dirty and scuffed.  Now, each bedroom is fully cleaned, painted and carpets steam cleaned!  The camera makes the wall color show up pretty green, however it's more of blue when you're there.  Better photos to come when the rooms are complete!

Both boys rooms and the pay room upstairs are all in Benjamin Moore's Palladium Blue