Living room

Kitchen/dining

I see the door -- I think it balances that wall and I would paint it to match the bathroom door. And leave it in place! I envy you your house! It's lovely and what a nice staircase!

The reason I would want to remove the door is to have a wider space for a larger piece of furniture. Windows and doorways inthe house are spaced such that it is hard to put a wider piece of furniture anywhere on the main floor, and that would be one place they could go.

Also, the tile in the tiny bathroom could definitely be replaced. I would love to do something very consistent with the age of the home but also interesting. Any suggestions for such a small space? I plan to paint the bathroom too.

Congrats on new home.

Any walls with a painted surface should be wiped clean and repainted the color you choose.

The walls that are not smooth could have what is called an "orange peel" finish or they could once have had "grass wall paper" (ugh) over which someone painted. Either one will likely require a pro to strip and refinish them. Get some estimates. You might also consider asking for estimates to add paneling to those walls, including estimates on how long the work will take. You may decide adding paneling will be the quicker and less costly option.

Unless the floors look a lot worse than they appear in the pics, you might first try having a pro come in and do a thorough cleaning and buff them -- or at least rent the machine and do that yourself -- and then see if you still think they actually need to be stripped and/or sanded and/or refinished.

Unless the stairs look a lot worse than they appear in the pics, repainting the rails as you repaint the trim (the same color) might be all the refinishing they need.

I know what you mean about wall space! Our 1920s house has very little as well -- because of windows and doors! And corners -- there are only TWO corners that I can put my corner cabinet in -- one in the dining room and one in the guest room! Sigh! I like the black and white tiles if they are in good condition. If not, those hex tiles in a pattern or some of those patterned concrete tiles that seem to be popular now might be a good choice. I think Joanna used some on Fixer Upper and I find them interesting.

Too bad it's not a true center-hall Colonial. If you can find a new place for that powder room, I would - I assume it would then be a true front-to-back center hall house. Also, the bath would not be the first thing one sees when entering the house.

It's too bad that someone "modernized" the LR with all those ceiling pot lights. A house such as this, should have end table and lamps, not pot lights. They belong in kitchens and baths, and in halls with low ceilings. I'd remove them if it were my house.

Paint the railing and newel post on your staircase, a shiny Grand Piano black. You won't believe the difference it makes! A painter suggest this to me and it was an epiphany!

Do have the floor done before you move in if at all possible. It's a nightmare to live through and you won't be able to be in the house after they apply the stain/poly - can't walk down the stairs! When you do the floors, have them stain the stair treads a bit darker color - they look very nice being dark and the contrast is attractive.

If the door is truly un-useable, see about having it removed and a wall to replace it. Do this before floors.

You have a lot on your plate and I'm sure you budget is stretched. Do get a GC in to give you some idea of the cost of things you cannot do yourself. Frankly, as a single, working mother with 4 children, I don't know how you will have time to do much yourself unless you have joint custody and have time with the children away. Don't push yourself too hard! I was once an early 30's single mother with a 2 1/2 yr old and a 5 yr old and I didn't work, but the house was very hard for me to manage by myself. It was also a 1938 Colonial but not as large and gracious as yours. I learned to ask for help and trade work with friends. I also learned to ask my parents for house-related things for Christmas and birthdays. I was lucky three years later to find a wonderful 37 yr old bachelor and married him. Unfortunately, we were only married 27 yrs due to his dying from prostate cancer, but they were wonderful years and he was a wonderful stepfather to my children as well as a wonderful husband and willing to do anything I asked around the house (except cook, but he did clean-up every night after dinner!).

Good luck with your new adventure!

I've just seen your kitchen pictures. It's a nice kitchen, but if it were me, I'd have that opening from the kitchen to the DR closed back up. This is not a house that was meant to be "open concept" and that opening limits you with your decorating colors, and it will also mean that cooking orders/grease film will get into your DR. I'd probably paint the cabinets someday if a remodel is out of the question for decades (and with 4 children it most likely is!).

Here is the tough love. I've owned a bunch of historic and various aged homes. While it's a wonderful thought to redo the floors before you move in, there are unknown pressing, expensive needs just waiting to surprise you. Have you got a firm hand on the unglamorous stuff like foundations, roofs, siding, windows, basement leaks, heating, air-conditioning, plumbing, electrical, crumbling drives, and rotting trim? If you can say yes to those questions, proceed to dream about floors and half baths. Otherwise, you need to move in, discover what is really wrong that you can't see without living in it. There will be things, trust me. Proceed with caution. Move in, find out, make plans on how to fix it, and then you can do the pretty stuff.

Inspection is Wednesday. I know a lot already about the condition of the home...current owners have been there 20 years and are very open and great record keepers, but I will know much more after inspection.