Starting at the very beginning

So... we bought a house.

When we first moved here, we didn't think we would actually stay here. But this little town has worked its way into our hearts and we found ourselves this spring looking at every MLS listing in our three favourite neighborhoods. We saw some baaaad houses. We saw some nice ones we'd never be able to afford.

After a particularly bad day of visiting houses which felt haunted, or disgusting, or smelled really bad, I went back to the listings we'd passed over early in our search, and No. 77 didn't seem like such a bad option to me anymore. "Jordan, I think we'd better go see this one."

So we did.

After a 1 hour visit to the home, we said goodbye to our infinitely patient realtor and went to a nearby café and made a list of everything we'd like to do to the house. It was a long list. But MAN we were kind of excited.

And then we made an offer on No. 77... and 5 days later, after some negotiations and even bumping another accepted (but conditional) offer, our offer was accepted! We set the closing date at three weeks from our offer, so as a result of this blisteringly short lead time, we get the keys this coming Wednesday!

But let me tell you about the house. It's in our favourite neighbourhood in town, Wortley Village. It's located between two beautiful parks. The house was built in 1923, and is 1 and 1/2 stories with a full and finished basement. The exterior is brick, and at the front of the house has the most gorgeously inviting front porch, complete with a swing. We have four bedrooms and two bathrooms, in addition to a south-facing sunroom at the back of the house. There are coffer-style ceilings throughout the main floor, and beautiful wood trim around all the windows and doors. Underneath the carpet, also throughout the main floor, is lovely hardwood just waiting to be refinished.

The previous owners lived there for 50 years, and while it needs some cosmetic modernizing, they meticulously maintained it. Everything is in immaculate condition, right down to the orange and brown boomerang-worm patterned carpeting in the attic:

And the basement! How can I describe it? It's like the love child of an Austrian ski lodge and a Norwegian sauna:

Oh yes. And the kitchen. It's big enough to fit Audrey Hepburn, and that's about it. And orange. Did I mention that orange is a popular colour? 

Look at those lovingly hand-made cabinets. And the gorgeous shape of those handles! They will definitely be kept and refinished (I'm thinking a gunmetal grey) and repurposed in our new kitchen. 

So while our list of renovation project ideas is a mile long, the house has amazing bones and piles of potential to be as stunning inside as it is on the outside. 

We'll be posting lots of before and after photos here, as well as updates on our progress. Our biggest reno goal this summer is to get the whole main floor updated to our own style. Here's a rundown of what we're *hoping* to accomplish this summer: 

• Complete kitchen reno, including knocking out the wall between the dining room and the kitchen to expand it and make the whole hospitality side of the house open-concept. This is by far the biggest and most dramatic portion of our project! 
• Paint all the coffered ceilings and dark wood trim a satin white.
• Paint all the walls on the main floor.
• Rip out carpeting and restore hardwood floors. 
• Install tile flooring in the kitchen and the front entrance.
• Change out lighting fixtures in all the rooms. 

Of course, you know what they say about the best-laid plans and certain roads being paved with good intentions. I'm an idealist, a dreamer married to a cool-headed realist. Jordan tends to temper my crazy goals. But we accomplish a ton when we're working together. And we love a project. 

So wish us luck, check back here often, and pop by anytime! We promise to feed and water anyone who comes by the house wearing their work clothes. ;) 

COMING UP NEXT: Photos of No. 77 when we get our keys on Wednesday, April 15!