decorate, Makeovers, my old country house, old country house interior paint colors

MY OLD COUNTRY HOUSE BUCKET LIST

I LOVE OLD HOUSES.

love them with all my heart.

and when I am scoping out homes online, my head is always turned when I see a beautiful old home. The character, the charm, the history…and the quality of workmanship are difficult if not impossible to replicate on todays budgets.

are old houses easy? no

are old houses worth it? absolutely!

DRONES EYE VIEW OF MY OLD COUNTRY HOUSE Photography by @barlingphotography

Our house has been on the market now for 18 months. It was off for about a week and we decided to see this Fall season through and then re-assess come Spring. Not surprising, if still unsettling and truth be told, the longer we stay – the more I want to just stay put. Our main competition is new construction in a subdivision that did not exist when we moved here 13 years ago. For a LONG time, I thought that I would jump at the chance to have an all  new house…but, not so much anymore.

LIVING ROOM CHANDELIER

I HAVE A OLD COUNTRY HOUSE “BUCKET LIST”

In the list – well there are TWO lists – List#1 contains update that I would love to do NOW to improve the flow and living spaces in our home. List #2 – is the EXTENSIVE “if I won the lottery” list.  I WILL spare you List#2 – it contains the moon and the stars – but I would love to share #1 with you! It is so fun the dream!

MY OLD COUNTRY HOUSE – BUCKET LIST

  1. Open up the entry to the dining room – all of our rooms have regular size doorways, except the two living rooms which are separated by pocket-doors.

2. Take the wall down between the dining room and kitchen, gut the kitchen and create a more modern space- add a large island, and huge farm table. Oh my gosh – can you even imagine how gorgeous that would be!!!!

  1. Add built-ins in the living room on either side of the pocket doors.
  2. level the floor in the old sleeping porch and make that a studio/guest bedroom.

  3. Replace all of the storm windows and add black shutters to the exterior of the house.

and I think that is about enough dreaming for now.

Have you ever taken on a HUGE renovation? A few years ago when we did all 3 bathrooms and the kitchen and replaced the ceilings upstairs it was crazy but when it was done…it was amazing. I can only imagine that doing a kitchen is crazy – but it would be incredible in this house to have that open space.

Okay – back to reality. I am releasing new artwork next week on both UGallery and LesliDeVito.com so I have been in full-on painting mode. I am excited to show you the new pieces!

 

10 thoughts on “MY OLD COUNTRY HOUSE BUCKET LIST

  1. I love old houses too! My mother always said an older house is like an older woman; it takes a little more paint and effort but it’s worth it 😉

    BTW, typo alert: “if I wont the lottery.”

  2. I noticed your chandelier. I happen to have one very similar sitting in my closet that I stub my toe on every morning. I had thought about re-doing it, paint, etc. but after seeing yours I think I have to leave it in it’s tarnished brassy glory and just put it up somewhere and that job is now on MY house bucket list. I have a pile of things that I’d like to do in my home…why is it so hard to get to them?

    1. Our chandelier was an eBay SCORE – it was removed from a mansion in New Orleans Pre Katrina. I hope you hang yours soon! It is one of those things that once you do it you will be sooooo happy!

      and regarding your other question – “I have a pile of things that I’d like to do in my home…why is it so hard to get to them?” – If I had the answer to that question I would probably have my own TV show!!!!! – story of my life – but I often think that when I run out of things on my “to-do” list – My new list will be “Make a to-do list”

  3. I love old houses too. I keep telling my husband that, and he finally said (half-joking)… “you can enjoy an old house… with a new husband!” Ha! We had some people on our street move into a smaller house when they were in the same stage of life as you are now. The funny thing is, once their kids got a bit older and started families of their own they had to get a bigger house to acommodate for all the family coming to visit. Before too long, it’s possible that your home will be filled with “significant others”, spouses and hopefully grandchildren! And what a wonderful house to do that in! Just saying!

  4. Lesli, if only we had a crystal ball to know the future. My girlfriend purchased a bigger older home. She and her husband took down walls between the kitchen and dinning room, opened up a wall between the laundry area and pantry amongst other update projects. Her husband was transferred and the house went on the market. People came to look and told the realtor that they didn’t understand why anyone would take away the original footprint of an older house. Brenda’s comment is correct. Once our children marry they pile back in again for long visits and if they live close by and there are grandkids there are many years of sleepovers.

  5. In our last house, we basically gutted everything…and it needed a new roof and windows… BIG project. But so nice afterwards. It’s fun to dream about how I would renovate this 1920’s apartment. Just can’t help myself. Off to look at your artwork!

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