Design I Love

If all continues to go well, we will be in our new spot on Thursday. While most people would be bubbling over, I am cautious and detached. After years of looking for a house-years of not finding anything that fit our needs on our budget and being rejected for financing- I have learned that when I get my heart wrapped up in things, I am disappointed when those visions don't come true. So, I am cautiously optimistic that this whole deal will go through.

I can see it, though. I can see us in that house, making it our own. Quite honestly, that "making it our own" will require drastically changing the whole house over the years. Aside from painting the blank canvas, we're going to overhaul the living room/dining/kitchen area first.

Let me say this: this house is kind of like what life has been like. I always pictured Andrew and I picking out dark hardwood flooring, white cabinets, medium shade walls, light furniture, very matchy matchy. This process of deciding what we can afford and what we like has led us to make choices like light bamboo floors, darker furniture, things that are unexpected. It's not what we expected, but it's a process of finding out more about ourselves and each other. Luckily, we agree on a lot.

So, without talking at you more, I'll show you some things we're liking a lot:

Light Bamboo Flooring


We walked around some high-end opened houses the other day and loved the tile throughout.



We also like straight border as opposed to the tapered that we are used to. It's also a little thicker and taller.


I've been trying to describe my "style" to my mother-in-law and aunt while we've been visiting. We went to Captain America the other night, and I remembered how much I loved the Untouchables, and that 1930-1940's style. I've been saying modern eclectic, but I really love Art Deco or Mid-Century Modern. I love the lines, the character, even the glitz that goes along with it. I'm hoping that as we reinvent this house, it will become art as we make most of the things in it. I can't wait to get home and start making things again.

I love these rooms.

I can't really tell you what draws me to this room, but I'm drawn to it.

This room has my heart wrapped into the table, the lights and the art piece.

While looking in the Crate and Barrel magazine, we saw a fireplace with the mantle underneath the fireplace opening. I can't find a picture of it right now, but we really loved how unexpected that idea is. If we can figure it out, that will fit in the space really well.

On the couch front, it wasn't feasible to ship the sectional from Omaha to Illinois. So, we've decided to go with a couch from Big Lots. I know, I can't believe we're buying a couch from Big Lots, either, especially one that is called a metro-sectional. But, a sectional is what we like, it's not made of real leather, which is good because I don't want to be the kind of mom that won't let her kids be on the couch with their feet. It's affordable, so in a few years when the kids are older, we can get one that we really want. So, the metro-sectional it will be:

Just one more thing, which isn't very art deco, but more Bancroft, Nebraska; we will be bringing this piece home from my in-law's house. Andrew's grandpa bought it for a quarter when it was painted red. He stored tools in it. Joan has stored miscellaneous things in it. I'm not sure what we'll put in it, but I will be proud to have this as part of our home. We don't have any family pieces yet.