Guess What I Was Doing All Weekend?

Living on my computer, researching and pinning home decor ideas. Which is nothing that out of the ordinary for me, but this time it was different. This time I actually let myself look at decorating ideas that are permanent, only-things-you-can-do-when-you-own-instead-of-rent kinds of ideas!

That's because this week we are FINALLY starting to look at homes to purchase!

Ok, really only one house, because one just came to our attention that is for sale only a few streets over from our current rental. And we love our neighborhood and the area, so we would be remiss if we didn't go have a look at it, even though this is a couple of months earlier than we were planning to start looking.

And so of course, I've already started decorating this not-yet-seen-in-person house! It's ok though. Most people would probably say "don't get your hopes up, don't get your expectations up too high, blah blah blah." But the number one goal my husband and I have agreed upon is we absolutely won't settle. We definitely have a list of what we want in a house, and know we will have to compromise somewhere, obviously. But location, lot size and floor plan are our sticking points, no matter how long it takes us to find the right house. So I think by actually getting my hopes up, and building each house we go see up in my mind, it will actually be easier to reject them when they don't tick all of our boxes on the list, so to speak. And that will mean we won't settle until we find the perfect house!

That's why it's a good thing that the one we're going to go see tomorrow meets all of our location, lot size and floor plan criteria! (Well, meets all of our recently changed criteria, which is now: within about a 5 mile radius of where we currently live, minimum of 0.4 acres and 2,000+ square feet with a garage and open kitchen floor plan. And the house is a great price, so we would definitely be able to do the cosmetic renovations that are needed (I bet nobody is surprised I want a project house, right?).

And here's just a look at what I've pinned on my Pinterest, for our hypothetical new house:

For a sun room/bonus room, a beadboard vaulted ceiling.

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Maybe also with beams.

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I LOVE the color of blue of these walls for a family room/TV room, with beige and white furniture and decor, and pops of yellow and green.

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Especially when paired with extra tall bright white baseboards, crown moulding, and refinished walnut hardwood floors, like these ones.

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And of course, you've gotta have some built ins around the fireplace!

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As far as the kitchen goes....well, there are too many little details to show them all, but basically white cabinets + medium grey counters + green back splash + dark wood floors = perfection. Sort of like this, but brighter and simpler cabinets, and not the cherry wood island that doesn't match:

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As much as I love my blues and greens, I'm leaning toward a more posh and sleek grey, neutrals and red palette for the formal living room.

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And in this one I'm intrigued by the idea of a grey window and baseboard trim, to complement the color scheme.

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And the outside living...oh the maybe-we-can-afford-something-cool-a-decade-from-now possibilities with a large yard. I love the yard layout in the photo below, but with more of the aesthetic of the images below that.

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And I absolutely must have an outdoor fire pit, so I can have s'mores and roast Little Smokies sausages, without having to then spend the night in a tent!

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Ok....maybe that's enough for one post. As you can see, I kinda went crazy on Pinterest with the home decor stuff this weekend! But it was so refreshing to let myself look at more than just rental-friendly projects. :)

So anyway, I'm super stoked, after almost a year of studying and researching the Raleigh real estate market, we can finally jump in. Wish us luck!