Jen, the French doors look great, but I don’t have a good picture of them yet. The inside is still pretty dusty and dirty, so I’ve refrained from taking too many inside. Hopefully, I will have some this week though!

Thanks for the kind words, again, Ryder! I always appreciate feedback.

In other news, I accidentally bought a Kitchen Aid counter top mixer at a charity auction tonight. I thought I’d run the bid up an extra $25 on my buddy who was bidding, didnt work out well for me! Lol

I guess I’ve bought the first piece to decorate with because I’ll have no idea how to use it!

WOW the front porch and entry are fantastic!!! It really pulled together nicely, great colors!! You will do some serious front porch sitting there.

Now to more important things - any inside local information on the Kentucky Derby???

Lol! I wish I knew!

Your mixer can be a decorative piece in your kitchen. It’s a great color!

That back door might clean up just fine with a good sanding (finishing with a fine grit) and stain.

I’m gonna actually try to start learning how to use a kitchen, so it will be used some before being declared a full time decorative piece!

THanks, raee. I’m going to look at all the options, but I have so many things I’m going to need to buy it might be a while before I can do anything with the door.

I posted a few weeks back that I’m going to start a new thread about furnishing this place because I will need just about everything, so I’m already thinking of all the little things like sheets, plates, rugs, etc......

Don’t forget to put a link to your new post here so we can jump over and keep following your dilemmas.

That’s a promise! This thread, and everyone who contributed, is proof how great forums like this can really be. I’m forever grateful.

Well, you had a house with great potential, and yourself a great willingness to listen to our ideas -- synergy!

Thanks, Nathan. This has been one of the best threads I've ever contributed to. You and all the other Houzzers here have been great and you're getting a great result.

One more bit of advice as you start to furnish the interior with what I know is a seriously depleted budget: no one ever died from sitting on one of these:

In other words, don't be in too much of a hurry just to fill up the space. Let your bank account replenish before you buy substantial pieces like sofas and dining sets rather than buying cheap crap that won't last a year.

Thanks again, Grover, for being a voice of reason.

It is daunting to think about all the things I need to buy, but I’ve been trying to learn about vintage furniture, and other antiques.

I’ve decided my true BIG purchase will be a sofa. It will take time, but I’m hoping to order one later this year.

Back to designing the house, I know I plan to paint the foundation whatever color I get at Lowe’s from the brick I take in to match the other brick on the front porch. My question is, will it look terrible to paint the brick columns that were painted white as a result of our mis communication too? If I do I would assume I’d need some gray to paint in mortar lines as well? I just don’t want it to look dumb.

Another design question, I’ve seen several pictures where homes like mine will have the ceiling of the porch painted to give a bit of a “pop” of color.

Here are a couple of pictures of what I’m saying doesn’t make sense.

Would doing this be terrible or look bad? Reason I ask is I like the unexpected, and am considered by a lot of people to be kinda quirky. IF, and its a big IF, people indicate here it would add character and charm to the house, what color should I focus on? Would a dark orange be cool with the green exterior? Or maybe a dark, but lighter shade of green to create a monochromatic look (Thanks, Maria, I know what that means now!)

Of course, I’m ok to leave it white too. I know there is such a thing as trying too hard, and over doing it. My problem is I don’t know where that line is.

Have following you since day one. Have made a lot of great choices and listen to some great device here on Houzz can’t wait to see the finished product

Light blue in parts of the south and northeast is traditional. Haint blue is supposed to scare away spirits-so how festive do you plan to decorate for Halloween? I don't know if blue would work with your siding. I am also quirky but orange and green bring flashbacks to the 70's, so no from me. It's a fairly small area and paint is fairly cheap, so if you hate it easy to change it back...

In the middle of nowhere Kentucky my first thought (West Liberty)a rule-class city in Morgan county Kentucky. One of the smallest town I’ve catered in . No matter how large or small Kentucky is a beautiful state❤️

Is it painted now or plain wood? I wouldn’t do a funky color on the ceiling, maybe save that for a doormat or rug. The blue ceilings are meant to replicate the sky.

I’m with groveraxle, this is one of the most enjoyable threads I’ve been part of. We are all invested in your new home and you’ve been a joy to “talk” to via Houzz.

Not sure if painting the porch ceiling would work in orange. The light blue porch ceiling is a tradition, so I’d try that first. As said above, it’s a small space.

Starting a new thread around furniture and decor will give you a lot of good ideas. But you need to take a deep breath and save your money. Once you move in, you may be surprised at how many things you need, so prioritize! Houzzers can have tons of fun spending your money so if you can take ideas but hold back on the spending, you’ll get lots of inspiration for your beautiful new home.

Craigslist and other online listings can save you a lot of money if you start formulating a look you want. Start some ideabooks on the rooms that need furniture and design. And a sofa is a huge, important investment so take the time to try several and see what you like.

Thanks, Kathy, I’m pretty fond of Kentucky, too!

Appreciate the feedback about the ceiling. I’ll plan to leave it white. That might be a project I experiment with down the road, but for now I will focus on other things.

I sincerely appreciate that advice Ryder. I am hoping I can do this as smart as possible. The reasons you mentioned is why I’m planning to get a sofa first. It’s a massive investment for me, and I don’t want to rush, so I’m going to wait several months until I can save up the funds. I really want to order one from Interiordefinded.com (the Jasper is where my heads at now). The nearest showroom is in Chicago. I have a friend that’s going to go travel up there with me later this year, so her and I will make a weekend of it. I will give fair warning to everyone here when I’m going because I might need some quick feedback if I’m in the showroom and have questions I need impartial feedback to!

Thanks again, all!

Nathan I’m in Chicago near the showroom so if you need any scouting done before you come here, let me know.

Do you have a sofa now?

I had a new porch ceiling put in which is white, and I am absolutely going to paint it blue if I learn that it is okay to paint it (it is vinyl). The white just doesn't 'go' with the rest of the house colors (siding and trim).

You were in a house previously, weren't you? So I assume that you have tools, yard equipment, cleaning equipment and so forth to maintain this house. If you don't, that would be another fun thread - for suggestions of the essentials and nice-to-haves.

Take your time with furnishings. The only caveat is that unless you get very neutral window coverings now, they might be hard to coordinate with upholstered furniture later.

I was trying to think of the last piece of furniture that I bought new -- and that would be my sofa although even that came from the closeout section of Macy's. (Everything else in my house, except for lamps and mattresses, were either 2nd hand, thrift store, estate sale, handmedowns, or scratch&dent.) I made a mistake with it, though, because even though I love the style, cushions, and cover, I find it unsupportive and uncomfortable to sit on for any length of time -- and I bought it for that purpose. Its proportions just don't fit me. So when you go to Chicago give yourself a lot of time to sit on that sofa -- if you are going to read on it, take a newspaper and sit and read for a while

Molly, thank you so much! When things get closer I will reach out and would love to have some extra input beforehand.

I do have a sofa now. It’s a hand me down, very nice, but nothing I would of bought myself. It will work until I get a new one.

Raee, I absolutely prefer old stuff instead of new, so I am going to focus on that. I bought some artwork at an auction a few weeks ago, actually. As for items needed around the house, even though I did own a hone before I never have had much, abd wgat I did have I didn’t argue about during the divorce. I like your idea of starting another thread to get ideas of what I might need. When I do that I will link it here, too. Thanks for that idea.

Oh, and yes, the new couch will be my primary place for reading, lounging, everything. I might tell them at the showroom when I make my appointment to plan on me lounging on several for a while.

I know this this isnt a decor thread yet, but I’m messaging a guy about what looks like a cool mirror. It’s huge, 82 inches tall and 44.5 inches wide. i thought it might look cool in the front room, beside the front door and the French doors. Any thoughts? Seems like a steal for just a $150.

That is gorgeous and a steal! Get some blue painters tape and tape out the dimensions on the wall you want to put it on to get an idea of what it would look like.

I’m glad I got some positive feedback because I went ahead and told the seller I would take it. I was afraid to wait. I’m just waiting for confirmation now.

It is a steal for a mirror of that size and framing! I hope it works for you!

That mirror is amazing. Hope it works out for you

Shew, been sweating it out this afternoon as I never heard back after my last message after church. Luckily, he said he deleted my messages on accident, and didn’t have a way to get back in touch with me until I messaged him back. Anyway, the mirror is mine! He said it was saved from an old house in downtown Lexington, KY after the owner left the place to ruin. He said water ruined most of the contents, but they were able to save the mirror. Hoping I can pick it up this week.

Dang, I love that thing!

Well, I don’t know if this is a good thing, or not, but now I find this bed in a town on the way to where the mirror is located. the headboard is over 6 ft tall. I have a king size mattress already, and a hand me down bed, but this thing is pretty impressive I think. It’s stunning.

That looks very tall, would it fit up the stairs?

It would, but i would plan to use this in the master on the main floor. The ceilings are 8’4”, so I would have a couple of feet clearance at the top.

Im not sure though because with the other bed, it’s a complete suite with dresser too. I’d have to find a dresser and end tables on my own. That might be a mess.

This all could be for naught because the lady still hasn’t responded. No big deal, though. The mirror was the main thing I wanted.

The sunburst bed looks 1970's. It can't be vacuumed under. I'd pass up this one and keep looking.

The mirror is FANTASTIC!

As for sofa buying, you MUST sit on any sofa you’re considering. I have found a lot of sofas that looked pretty and were amazingly uncomfortable. I’m 5’2” and need a shorter seat cushion than others might.

I agree you need to have money for “homeowner stuff”. You will keep going to Home Depot and Loews for months, so keep some funds aside for tools and maintenance things.

My best advice (given to me years ago) is “Do it once, do it right” and that applies to furniture buying, tool choice, etc.

Nathan, Apartment Therapy has a Sofa Squad that tests sofas and also a short video on choosing a sofa here: https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/where-to-buy-the-most-comfortable-sofas-239959

Hello everyone! I’m sorry for going off the grid the last few months. I had some issues that came up that had to be dealt with and diverted my focus.

I closed on my house in April but only recently was able to start the moving process. I am still in the middle of that, but am excited to say I can focus on things at the house again.

Some things turned out well and other I wish I could do over. There have been some issues with some things that I’ve brought up to the seller and he is getting those taken care of for me.

Anyway, I will post more pictures as things start to get done, but here is a picture of the kitchen at least. Notice that lovely blender i got stuck with at the auction a few weeks ago! ‍

Great to hear from you again. Kitchen looks great! Can't wait to see the rest of your progress.

I had lost track of this thread and had been wondering how things turned out!

So sorry you had other issues to deal with, hope everything is turning to rights again.

The kitchen looks great - don't you just love the pull down faucet? (It's the little things, LOL!)

Nathan, the kitchen looks great, but I don’t see a blender. Are you referring to the blue Kitchenaid mixer? Because that is downright awesome!

Looks great! Really can’t wait to see more pics. I have built 3 houses. There are ALWAYS things you think you “nailed” and always things you wish you could change/would have done differently. Don’t drive yourself crazy.

Following

NATHAN. !!!! Welcome back. I hope we will see photo after photo. The kitchen is great !

Thanks for the welcome back! It’s nice to be back and I appreciate the kind words.

Lol I dont even know the difference between a blender and a mixer. Ugh. I’m afraid to use it because I want it to remain in “mint” condition. It looks too nice to use Lol

oh, and Jen, I don’t think I will drive myself too crazy. At this point I’m so ready to move in that I’m over it. I’ve made my decisions and even the regrets are things I can deal with.

Nathan I was wondering about you not too long ago. Glad you are finally moving in. Don't let the mixer go to waste, it's easy to use. :)

Ha! My mom has had her KA mixer for 40 years and it still looks awesome and works! I have had mine for 10. Same. It will always be the beauty that it is. Use it! You will love it. Kneads bread dough like a boss!

following

Love the color of that KA mixer! And a very pretty kitchen too

Thanks everyone! I think it might be time for me to create my decorating thread. I have got to get some curtains in the bathroom at least. I can’t be walking around display for the entire neighborhood! (That’s only on the weekend! =)

Don't forget to post a link here to your new thread so we can follow along.

I certainly will. Probably be a day or two because i want to try to get some decent pictures of where the place stands now So when I post folks can see what I’m working with.

I will greatly appreciate everyone here who took the time to help me on this phase continuing to do so as I move into the next phase with this house!

Finally started a new thread! Here is a link. Thanks so much!

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5771422/will-you-help-me-decorate-my-home-piece-by-piece#24478218

The link didn't post.

Thanks molly, think I fixed it.