A Little Bit of History
Our house was built in the late 1980s during a housing boom that was happening in suburbs all over southern Ontario. Back then, the house was billed as an "Executive" home with a center hall plan. It included a stone fireplace, a master bedroom ensuite with a whirlpool tub, a solid oak staircase, and a double door entry.
When we bought this house thirteen years ago, it was decorated in true 1980s style: deep purple walls in the living/dining room, the family room walls were peach on the top, country blue on the bottom, the main bath walls were psychedelic pink accented with a black and white poodle themed border, the powder room and ensuite bath fixtures were dove grey and there seemed to be a lot of brass!
As well, there were burn marks and permanent stains on the carpet, the kitchen floor really needed to be replaced, the laminate cabinets in the kitchen were wonky, the steps leading to the front door were downright dangerous and there was an above ground pool in the backyard that, once removed, left a surprising hole in the yard with exposed tree roots and a retaining wall that only went one quarter of the way across the back! I had quite a list of things that were wrong with the style of the house. But I knew that everything could be changed, that paint can do wonders and that patience is a virtue; my husband and I could see the potential in the house.
We bought the house in spite of its shortcomings and 80s styling. It was a family-sized house, in a great neighborhood and it was in our price range. Even before we moved in we began the process of updating, renovating, refacing, repainting, refreshing and redecorating our house... and we haven't stopped!
We tackled projects as we could afford them and as the need arose. This blog is about how my husband and I have worked to make a stylish, well functioning, comfortable home for our family without spending too much.
