Moving On Up...

To Michigan! I've been MIA, I know. But the move to Michigan is complete, we are first-time homeowners, and my lingering unemployment allowed me to fix the house fairly quickly.

The move went very smoothly. The cats were well-behaved, if scared. We stopped at a rest stop and discovered that one cat was actually shaking in her carrier. When we opened the door, she hopped out, hunkered down in some soft items right below her carrier and was fine. Aside from one day of hiding in a closet, both girls have adjusted very well to their new home!

We chose a nice suburb of Detroit with plenty of restaurants and parks. I have to say, these two Midwest kids are loving that we have a yard and trees again. For the first time in years, I have neighbors that I've actually met, who say hello and bring over 'welcome to the neighborhood' flowers instead of just glaring at me when we pass in the apartment hallway!

Anyway, on to the fun stuff...  Painting!  I used all Behr Ultra paints (the paint + primer). I've included the colors just in case you love them as much as I do. Here's a quick look at before and after in our home:

The front door opens into a decent-sized front room. Back in the 40s, when the home was built, this was probably their main gathering room, but since our home had a large 'great room' addition in the back, we decided to turn this one into a study. The hardwood floors and coved ceiling? Awesome. The weird yellow/tan color and maroon-ish drapes? Not awesome. 

So I painted it grey! The color worked out fantastically! It feels more open and peaceful. I've since hung a few pictures, and may add white drapes later..   

Paint Color: Ashes. 

There is actually a large room upstairs (seemed to be a common feature in homes we looked at) which runs the width of the house, and has angled ceilings. We eventually intend to use that as the Master, but right now it is painted lavender, and has almost no storage. Temporarily, we are using a downstairs bedroom as ours. And it came with more of that icky golden tan color...

Green! I did worry this color would be too dark, but it is still muted enough that it works very well  (this picture is a bit dark). We will use this color upstairs as we fix up the room for our use.   

Paint Color:  Sanctuary

 We haven't fixed up the kitchen yet. One of our earlier projects will likely be a complete kitchen remodel. Despite its large size, we've found that the cabinets are not very good, counterspace is wasted, which doesn't leave enough for canisters and small appliances, there is no actual pantry, so we have to use a small rolling pantry that is not roomy enough, and while the appliances all work, they're an off-white color that makes them look incredibly old. Not to mention, the faucet drips when turning it off, and the side cabinets are slightly drooped and the previous owner added a light that she screwed up through the bottom of the cabinet...

The deck also has a patio portion next to it. We need to clean it, get some furniture/decor, and add a grill, but nothing too major out there. I can't wait to plant my vegetable garden!

Ah, the great room. (You can see the kitchen to the right... we will definitely put in half cabinets and extend the counter to open that up). This room made me happy (it's huge), and crazy (the fireplace mantle is red, the room is that icky golden tan the previous owner seemed to love).  This took the longest, and was delayed a few days when I dropped a sign on my toe, cracking the nail (it's a different color now too!).

Love! Ok, don't judge me on the tiny portion on the right wall. Me + 6 foot ladder still was not tall enough to reach it. My husband and his extra 8 inches will fix that this weekend.   So first, we painted the mantle an espresso brown color (I'm somewhat obsessed with espresso brown, it's OK). After way too many color swatches and some nervousness that we went too bold, we chose a gorgeous blue. I actually could not be happier with this color. It works with the espresso brown and white, I can easily add nautical accents in the living room side, and  (not pictured), it looks great with my espresso brown leaning wine bar AND the greens and tans that make up our dining set.

Paint Color (mantle): French Roast

Paint Color (walls): Juniper Ash


Now, I just need to find a job! And remodel the kitchen. And create a man cave in the basement. And fix the Master Bedroom. And plant my garden.   Stay tuned, the (mis)adventures continue...