Shiro, keep in mind you do NOT have to all at once...

This is not HGTV...Move in and live in it a bit..You may find that your priorities will change and things you thought were horrible turn out to be charming...

I am still working on my 1925 bungalow...paint was a good first step..but flooring and others were too big to decide on the fly..

Do not try to do too much...let the house speak to you...take some time to breathe, live...There is no rule that says you have to get it all done now...

Such good advice, B L...

quote:

keep in mind you do NOT have to all at once...

Yes, and as I'm realizing more and more, beyond the big jobs (which are now almost all done) we can't do it all at once. There are too many variables making it impossible to decide on a lot of things without us getting in there and getting our stuff in there.

These particular curtains I may decide on more quickly, though not until we get moved in. But other things are going to have to wait. And the front room, which will be the future home of a grand piano, is going to have to sit mostly empty until I get a grand, because I don't want to fill that room up with furniture and than have a hard time figuring out where to put the piano. (And given all the expenses we're having, I'm probably going to be pushing back the piano purchase, I can live with my upright for another year!)

Anyway, thank you for your comments. I'm kind of trying to find the right balance between what to do before we move and what can wait. The tricky part is that it helps me to kind of think and mull things over, and hear lots of people's suggestions. That helped so, so much in choosing the paint colors, which turned out so well and the colors are just fantastic!

Getting the painting done was of course a huge thing, to be able to do that while the house is still empty is really lucky! And now we have the date set to have the flooring installed (just the one room, with the ugly carpet), so we'll be able to get that done before we move (assuming it goes as scheduled, knock on wood).

Oh, and SK?

It’s supposed to be fun. Don’t forget that.

Oh my gosh! It is sooo fun!

I went to the house tonight after dark for the first time since Mr. SK finished all the painting, including the baseboards, crown molding, and stair well, and built in shelving. So I could see all the finished work, and also see the main wall colors in different lighting.

It looks sooo great!! The colors are perfect, they have the right undertones, the right amount of contrast, and the Navajo white is perfect.

Never has someone been so in love with a paint job as I.

Wonderful!

Just wait until you bring in the furniture and the walls pick up those colors. Wait until you see how the light changes morning to night, season to season. Wait for a moment after dinner when you take a bit of time to pause and reflect on the peace you feel when you are in the space you’ve created. Feel the memory of friends and food and music. Let these memories inhabit your space - your home.

Years ago, Mrs. M and I found a quote in Readers Digest (of all places) that captured how we - and perhaps others - feel about home. My Mom picked up how important it was to us and had a plaque made up by a calligrapher. She presented it to us at Christmas one year and it was a fixture in our houses for decades.

Alas, it was lost in one of our many moves. It appears the quote was not important enough to live on in the Google, and believe me I’ve looked for it. No matter, its still important to me and the gist was this:

“We make a bit of order in our lives and so the broad sweep of history does not overwhelm us. We do it with the furniture in a room, a bit of art, a flower in the garden, a plate, a dish or piece of cloth.

We make a bit of order and we find peace”

This is the joy I wish for you in your new home. You’re making a bit of order. I’m so happy for you!

Peace.

quote:

Originally posted by BeeLady:
Shiro, keep in mind you do NOT have to all at once...

This is not HGTV...Move in and live in it a bit..You may find that your priorities will change and things you thought were horrible turn out to be charming...

I am still working on my 1925 bungalow...paint was a good first step..but flooring and others were too big to decide on the fly..

Do not try to do too much...let the house speak to you...take some time to breathe, live...There is no rule that says you have to get it all done now...

Super excellent advice. Though for some of us inertia takes over and if we don't do it within the first few months ain't never gonna happen...