Decorating porn.
Posted on | October 19, 2011 | 9 Comments
Taylor and I have rented since we were married. Buying simply hasn’t made sense. We are rambling folks, and rambling folks don’t get the awesome priviledge of home ownership. Instead, we live in one rental after another, noting all the things we hate and would love to change, and not being able to change anything other than where we hang pictures. We haven’t purchased any new home decor because what if it won’t work in the next house? And do we want to spend the time and money to decorate some place we won’t be in another few months?
Decidedly not.
So instead, we just stare at the walls and dream of all the things we’ll do someday when we have our own home.
Well, our someday is now sooner rather than later. Next year, we’ll be stationed somewhere, finally, that we can call home for the foreseeable furture. Amazing. While I have loved jumping from place to place, I hate the renting aspect. I hate throwing away money every month, paying someone else’s mortgage, and not being able to paint a damn wall. I want a house to become our home. Our real home with our own blood, sweat, and tears poured into it to make it ours. I have dreams of fixing up an older home…maybe 50s, 60s, 0r 70s. Of taking an old home with good bones and ugly carpet and turning it into our nest.
I know, I know…renovations are hard. And you never know what you’re going to get. And you will get dirty, etc. etc. etc. But that’s okay. I am so ready for something fun and exciting like this. We don’t want a new home. I know that many neighborhoods have a million new homes, ready to move into tomorrow, with upgrades. BUT, that’s just not our style. We like something different. Older. Established. I get the excitement of a new home where people can immediately say how beautiful it is, but to be honest, our budget wouldn’t allow us to purchase a new home with everything we want. But it will allow us to fix up an older home and turn it into what we adore.
A house like this:
Doesn’t it just scream, “Love me! Make me your home! I have potential!”
You don’t want to see the inside. It ain’t pretty. But it could be.
So I have begun to obsess. Because that’s what I do. I obsess over things to the point where I can’t sleep at night, and I dream in visions of hardwood floors, tile, paint, brick.
I want things like this:
and this:
(both pictures are property of Young House Love. basically, I totes want their house. but I don’t think that will work. so instead, I’m getting inspiration from them).
That yellow door? I swoon. And I would have never pictured a yellow door working. See, I rarely, if ever, have paid attention to home design and decor prior to this moment. Because before, it was like someone saying, “Look what you can’t have! Bahahahaha!” everytime I saw beautiful images of homes. And now, it’s more tangible. More exciting.
I cannot freaking wait.
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9 Responses to “Decorating porn.”
"I'm a twenty-five-year old mama to two little boys and married to the love of my life. I have a serious Diet Coke addiction and a tendency to overshare. My biggest dream is to write a book. A good book that tons of people buy and relate to and love. In the mean time, this is the story of us as we flounder through raising our wild, little boys, moving a million times, and buying and renovating our 1968 Ranch home."
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October 19th, 2011 @ 2:27 pm
We got really really really lucky when we bought our house. We got a $350,000 home for much less then that because of the area and housing market where we live. It took us months to find a house that I loved everything about it… in pictures. We didn’t actually see our home until 3 days before we closed, but as soon as I saw it and walked inside, it definitely felt like home.
I wish we could have bought an older home, but with two kids, one on the way and with Zack going to be gone more often then he is going to be home, a newer house just made more sense for us. 
October 19th, 2011 @ 2:46 pm
I love that door too, minus the spider, eeeesh!
October 19th, 2011 @ 3:26 pm
i was thinking about you today and buying when you got here – have you thought about renting for a little bit – 6mo-1year so that you could figure out where you want to buy? its just SO hard to know an area before you move there and once you buy you have to LIVE there (since you know, the lease is never up:-p).
but if you had a feel for the lay of the land around post, what gates etc. then you’d know if you’d like raeford or off of morganton, or haymont or springlake or off of ramsey, etc.
just a thought
mrstrophywife Reply:
October 19th, 2011 at 3:28 pm
We considered it, BUT the cost of moving an extra time is enough to change our minds. Especially since we will have just moved after a six month stay. So thankfully, we’re going to get to come visit several times before we make any drastic decisions!
October 19th, 2011 @ 4:30 pm
I heart yellow doors, too! Yellow is a smiley color….a wonderful welcome!
October 19th, 2011 @ 4:34 pm
I wish we had bought a house with more character but instead got carried away with new construction, updated fixtures and features, and vaulted ceilings. Our house is basically a cookie cutter of the one next door, and the one next door to that. Everyone has white garages, a tiny front porch, and one tree. It’s so boring! hahaha
October 19th, 2011 @ 6:51 pm
that makes sense (plus the pain of moving. oh the pain :-p). yay for visits!!!
October 22nd, 2011 @ 12:05 am
SO fun and exciting! We’ve been shopping around as first-time buyers too, and just put an offer in on a condo. All the houses in our price-range were very old and needed a lot of work. It was so fun to imagine all the cool changes we could make. It’s SO exciting to pick out all the details by yourself and make all the design decisions. In the end though we went with a 2 year old condo because at this point we wouldn’t have the cash up front to do all the things we’d want to do with an old house. And besides that, my husband didn’t think he’d have the time at this point (it’s his first year as a high-school English teacher and is SWAMPED with grading!). So maybe next time around we’ll be in a better position to buy a home and make it our own!!! I’m excited for you. No matter what you choose, it will be exciting because it will be your very own! Even picking out paint colors is beyond exciting to me at this point! Haha! (We’ve been living with my parents for more than 3 years, so just having a place to call my own is a total thrill!)
October 27th, 2011 @ 7:01 am
I am excited for you! I plan my dream home out on Pintrest.. daily