Delaware Home

Home, sweet Delaware. Our last relocation for my job got us back in our home state in 2015. At this point we had been married for almost 5 years and decided that we had traveled most of our bucket list trips across the world and cashed out on our wise investment of our Charleston fixer upper… next step was to expand our little family.  We got pregnant before my last relocation with high hopes of landing in Delaware near our families and it worked!

We searched and searched for our “forever” home, knowing that looking for our dream home would probably be near impossible (more on that later). We landed on this basic, early 90s, builder grade home in a nice neighborhood.  At our biggest house yet, this 4800 sqft home has 5 bedrooms and 4 full bathrooms, and sits on half an acre.  It was bigger than we intended, but it definitely checked off a lot of our needs and wants in a home.

The plan it to make this into our forever home, and that means upgrading it over time to fit our needs and dreams. So we don’t have a timeline on the renovations like with did with our South Carolina home, and they will most likely be much slower with a baby in the mix.  But, we’re excited to continue brainstorming and working on it.  Below, you’ll see mostly some before and maybe some “progress” pictures that we’ll be updating as we go along.

 

 

Front Yard

Ideas:
- Update shutter color and front door color
- Replace the front door
- Rip out and replace all landscaping
- Add in some hardscaping pathways and landscaping walls on the slopes.
- Replace the roof when the time comes.
- Update to some prettier garage doors?
- Upgrade light fixtures.
- Add trench to the driveway for better water drainage
- Repave driveway

Back Yard

Ideas:
- Rip out and replace most of the landscaping
- Fix the deck. Composite possibly?
- Fix the fence (make sure its completely Bailey proof long term!)
- Remove the satellite dish
- Furnish the Deck
- Add in a play set
- Add in a hardscaped patio near the parilla
- Replace back doors
- Upgrade light fixtures

Foyer

Ideas:
- Replace front door to let more light in the foyer
- Replace all flooring
- Install a stair runner
- Install some type of wall treatment in the stair way

Dining Room

Ideas:
- Upgrade Light fixture
- Replace flooring
- Install a built in buffet with wine fridge

Living Room

Ideas:
- Rip out load bearing wall between the living room and family room to make it one large living room. This invovles replacing the HVAC and rerouting its many lines so this will be a big job!
- Install built ins along the back fireplace wall
- Replace all flooring

Family Room

Ideas:
- Same as above
- Replace sliding glass door with larger set to let in more light?
- Refinish fire place

Kitchen

Ideas:
- GUT JOB!! :)
- Replace all flooring, cabinetry and counter tops
- Create a new layout that extends the counters and cabinets into the living room with a peninsula for seating
- Attempt to rip out soffit area? Have to see whats hiding in there

Powder Room

Ideas:
- Replace vanity, toilet, flooring
- Decide on keeping or getting rid of the shower?
- Install a pretty tile wall

Laundry Room

Ideas:
- Update washer and dryer
- Replace flooring
- Add in cabinetry
- Decide on ripping out pantry closet and installing cabinetry to make room wider?

Guest Bedroom 1

Ideas:
- Rip out wallpaper!!!
- Replace flooring and molding
- Add a ceiling fan

Office/Playroom

This room is somewhat completed. The foundation has been done, as the floors have been replaced, it got a fresh coat of paint, we upgraded the base molding and installed new curtains and blinds. Over time, we'd like to install some built ins for storage with some window seats on the far wall, find some cute desks for Dave and I to have some dueling desks near the window, and have the other half of the room be the playroom area. We'll eventually move the couch that's currently in the living room in here and I'm sure over time that Connor's toys will be taking over.

Hallway

Ideas:
- Replace flooring
- Add some wall treatment
- Install some type of laundry organization system
- Upgrade lighting

Connor's Room

This is the first room in the house that we can currently call completed. Here, we installed and painted some pine tongue and grove boards on the back wall to create a shiplap look. We added molding upgrades around the window and door frames, added in larger base molding and crown molding. We replaced the ceiling fan, installed new wood floors, and fixed up a piece of family furniture to be the side table to the glider.

Guest Bedroom 2

Ideas:
- Update for future baby nursery when the time comes :)

Guest Bedroom 3

Ideas:
- Paint and replace floors
- Add in new molding and ceiling fan

Hallway Bathroom

Ideas:
- Replace tub/shower, toilet, vanity, flooring
- Update lighting
- Install a fan/vent

Master Bedroom

Ideas:
- Paint, add molding, replace floors
- Make ceiling vaulted?
- Upgrade ceiling fan
- Run gas line for a fireplace?

Master Bathroom

Ideas:
The layout of our second floor may allow for some expansion above our office/playroom. We're thinking of potentially finishing off that area and moving the master closet there so that we can make a larger master bathroom:
- Install a double vanity (or two separate ones!)
- Replace flooring and toilet
- Expand shower larger to space for two shower heads
- Install vent/fan
- Add in separate tub if there's room?

Master Closet

See above

Gym

Ideas:
- Finalize layout, decorate
- Work in some mudroom storage?

Bar

Ideas:
- Install a wetbar with cabinetry to work in with David's "keezer"
- Add in a bar table
- Install some shelving for our growler collection

Theater

Ideas:
- Add comfy seating
- Add sconce lighting?
- Install the projector on the ceiling
- Create a screen area with curtains
- Add platform for seating

Basement Bathroom

Ideas:
- Replace toilet, flooring, shower, and vanity

Workshop

Ideas
- ORGANIZE :)
- Add in some cabinetry (maybe the ones we tear out from the kitchen)