House Time!

Hello all! I am bad at this blogging thing, as evidenced by the lack of posts in the last few weeks. But the bog news to share currently is that we officially have a house under contract! We are scheduled to close June 15, meaning we'll have just over a month overlap of being renters and owners! The house is in Durham County--for those of you unfamiliar with the area, Chapel Hill (where David will go to school), Durham (where the house is) and Raleigh make up The Triangle (three guesses why....)

Here are a few pictures of the house. I am quickly coming to the realization that I have never really had to decorate a dwelling before--living in apartments for so long, there seems to be only so much you can do. The last time I painted walls was before David and I were married. (Love you, old roomies, but dark red in the living room and bright pink in the bathroom was probably not our shining moment, huh?)

So, I am reading up on some decorating blogs (which inspired me to turn to my own blog for thoughts and inspiration). My big beef with the house is that there is SO much grey in all the rooms besides the kitchen. That being said, there is a LOT to love about it! We are excited that it is livable from the get go, but excited to really make the place our home. So....suggest away! Any good tips for a first-time, low-budget decorator?

Front of the house--notice the covered porch and ALL the trees!!

Living Room from the front door---notice all the grey. It looks pretty bright in this picture, but don't be deceived.

Into the Kitchen from the Living Room. LOVE the openness of this room. I am thinking of keeping the yellow paint and white cupboards and adding some blue accents. Thoughts?

Closer view of the kitchen. It will be strange to have a microwave again, but I am glad it won't be taking up counter space!

OK folks. I am in love with this window. What a place to have a meal! This dining space and kitchen open up to the backyard:

That's right! We are on a 1/3 of an acre, and really do have that many trees and...

A porch AND......

...A GAZEBO!!! I think one of our summer projects will be finding a way to put a door on this and screen it in so we can sit out there with a bottle of wine and NOT be eaten alive by mosquitoes. I am also thinking of running a power line out there and putting light in. Thoughts??
There are more bedrooms (and the bathrooms), but here is just a glance. Notice the grey again in the bedroom. Our bedroom colors are pretty earthy--tan, brown and green. Until we can get around to redoing carpet, I am thinking about backing off of the tans and browns and going for greens and greys and silvers. Feedback?

Love to all, especially on this Good Friday. How wonderful to know, as we are embarking on this new journey, that Christ walks both the joyous route of Palm Sunday and the difficult trek to Golgatha with us all.

Peace,

the VanderdelaCuadraHamm's