This type of curtain is visually interesting, lets some light in, and would also be kind to our budgets – we have 4 windows in the living room area, and this type of curtain requires less fabric. The previous owners left some lace panels behind, so we could use those underneath.

(click for larger)

Click on the link below to view photos from our closing and moving days…
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The previous owners had cats, and they left a pungent odor throughout the house. The worst of it is in the downstairs bathroom, but second worst was the foyer/dining room rug. So before we moved any furniture in, we decided to rip the rug up.

Tearing the rugs up was easy, but getting the carpet pad off the floor was more of a challenge. It hadn’t been glued, but parts of it were literally glued to the floor with dried-cat pee. MMMMM.

Here is my mother scraping the gunk off our floor, and a close-up image of the gunk. That big wet stain is ammonia and hot water, which is what we used to get it off. Once it was saturated it came off pretty easily.

(Click the thumbnails for larger images.)

The floor underneath is hardwood, which was a huge relief. There are a few areas that have been pushed up, and there is rot underneath one radiator, but overall it looks like the floors can be saved. A little sanding will do wonders for them, since someone apparently thought it was a good idea to drip white paint from one end of the house to the other.

We’re thrilled with this discovery. We both love hardwood floors, and putting new ones in is definitely not in the budget.

Here’s what the rooms look like minus the carpet – that’s Teague’s mom ripping up the carpet tack.

What remains of our nasty carpet – now living on our front porch. I’m sure the neighbors are thrilled.

We’ve been working non-stop since Friday to get the closing and the big move over with, and I’m happy to say that it’s DONE. The unpacking is just beginning, but we’re living there in relative comfort so that’s saying alot.

Our friends and family were incredible – everyone pitched in and we got more done in two days than I ever imagined possible. We had two 24′ truckloads full of stuff, including some MASSIVE furniture pieces. Our doorways are narrow and our steps are a nightmare, but miraculously everything fit.

Here’s a photo of Teague and I, tired and happy, in front of the empty Ryder truck (click for a larger version):

Huge thanks to both our families, who provided us with food, lots of moral support, and much needed cleaning supplies. They spent a full day helping us clean and move in, and removed the cat-pee soaked rugs without gagging! They also squinted real hard and managed to see the potential we’re seeing in our house, which is appreciated.

Thanks also to Jason, who loyally trudged through the mud for four hours with us when we loaded the first truck. Good man!

More moving day photos to follow…..

… and I’m feeling VERY anxious. Our entire house is boxed and ready to go, my to-do list is done, and our friends and family are ready to swoop in and help us celebrate. We even bought the bottle of champagne to toast with! The months of preparation that went into finding and purchasing our home are finally going to pay off. I just hope I will be able to enjoy it – in case it isn’t obvious, I’m a type-a…. so I don’t take anything lightly and tend to overreact to obstacles, delays, etc. My goal tomorrow will be to stay relaxed and take it all in. Teague will help in that department – he’s much more mellow than me, and has a talent for keeping me calm and happy.

This is the type of tile I want in one of our bathrooms – I’m sure it costs an arm and a leg but it’s so cute! I also love the wainscoating and the roll top tub used here. I hate the decals they have on the side of the tub though. Blech.

When we found our house, one of our first troubles was trying to pinpoint what style it was. I kept calling it “a square Victorian”, which was a good enough explanation for most people. But we wanted to be more precise in our descriptions, so I went googling for sites that could help us.

Most helpful were:
Old House Web – Architectural Housing Styles
and
Architectural House Styles on About.com

Here are some good descriptions of the Italianate style:

http://www.oldhouseweb.com/stories/Detailed/10271.shtml

http://architecture.about.com/library/bl-italianate.htm

http://www.kitchens.com/Remodeling-And-Design/design/home-kitchen-styles12.htm

Some Italianate features found in our house include:

• The bay window on the right-front side
• Wide cornice with decorative brackets
• Two-stories
• Flat-roofed with a square cupola
• The windows are tall with slightly curved top moldings

Not that we can afford it, but I think this bed is beautiful….not sure about the scarfy part though, that’s a little froufy for my tastes.

(click for larger)

Just came across a great site and can’t believe the beautiful, LARGE photos they have online – it’s a great source for design ideas. They cover various historical periods, including Victorian and Arts & Crafts.

Check it out:
Eastender Restoration

Here’s a great Italianate-style living room – we will definitely be keeping our decor simpler than this, but I love these colors. (Click the thumbnail to view a larger image)

Please excuse the lousy quality of these photos – they are from the realtor’s online website. We should have better photos soon, but these will do for now.

The house was built in 1890. It’s a two-story, about 2,200 square feet on .42 acres of land (we’ve got a nice backyard). There is no gargage right now, just a tool shed to the left of the house. It’s covered in clapboard siding and has an interesting paint scheme – it’s a robins-egg blue color with dark red trim. I wasn’t too fond of the color at first, but it’s growing on me.

(Photos below the cut)
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