our home

Through our years of marriage we have bought, fixed up and sold quite a few homes.

Didn’t love all the moves but actually enjoyed the “fixing up” part.
We later built our “dream” home.
Shortly after, my husband was offered a position in Columbia, SC with his company.

 

Of course, right?

So we took the position and sold our beautiful new home in the process.
Thankfully our move only lasted 2 years because I was so terribly homesick.
Yes, we came home because of little ‘ol me.
SC is a beautiful state but it wasn’t home.
Back to VA we came. Yay! 

Great timing, not so much.

We ended up buying a house during the height of the crazy real estate market. The same market in which we did not own anything to sell!
We had sold the home we built just before we moved to SC in ’02 ( in the ‘normal’ market)
And rented while in SC uncertain of whether we would stay. Ugh.

Can you say hindsight to the ultimate degree?????

Pictured below is the 1978 house we bought when we moved back.
That was still stuck in 1978….in 2004, inside and out.
I have some GREAT before/after pics showcasing this.
Look for more posts on our rooms under the tab “Our Home”, in the drop down “Our Rooms”.

Can’t tell very well by the picture but those columns (as well as all of the trim) in the “before” picture are green.

And not a lovely shade of green. 
Before of our current home….lovely, no? NO

Artsy Chicks Rule House / Before

It needed us…..bad.

It has basically been “re-built”, in every way imaginable.

By us.

New floors (tile and wood), trim, doors, hardware, door knobs, hinges, light fixtures, walls taken out (to include plumbing AND electrical, some were surprises, not the good kind), wainscoting, bead board, board and batten , bathrooms, refinishing the old wood floors, paint, paint and more paint.

All of it ourselves. Ultimate DIY’rs, we are. ;)

Plus, we didn’t want to pay someone else to do what we knew we could do ourselves.
Yea, we’re kinda cheap like that!

This is the oldest home we have lived in and the one that has needed the most repair and renovation.

We’ve learned all kinds of things DIY in this house.
But kind of cool to look around and know we did it all ourselves.

And a couple of years in….better….

Artsy Chicks Rule House / During

And did I mention paint?

Yes, I’m the painter in the house. And I’ve painted almost every room in this home at least 2-4 times…. in 11 years.
14 rooms.

Crazy, I know but I love color and I love change, what can I say?

Semi-after of our current home.
Still needs the new roof, which will be dark gray/black….

Artsy Chicks Rule  House / Current/ Valspar Exterior Paint (Lowe's)

(Exterior Paint Color : Valspar by Lowe’s – Wild Hawk – 6007-2B)

I am thinking about painting the front door.
It is currently black like the shutters.
I’m thinking some sort of teal/blue shade.

And just for fun….the “dream” home we built and then sold in ’02 upon our move to SC……

My idea of a dream home is much different now.
More of a Craftsman style with a coastal flair and…

Heavy Moldings

Wide front steps

Large, deep porch

With a swing

High ceilings

Open, flowing floorplan

ONE STORY. Mandatory.

 

Coming soon………well, in about 2 years, or so after my youngest finishes school.

Until then, we’ll continue to renovate (and change & redecorate!) the home we are currently in.

And continue dreaming and planning our new, forever home.