at home with H: Then and Now

I thought it might be fun to compare how the old owners set up the house to how I have it set up today. It’s fun to look back to see how different our styles are and to remember what the house looked like when I first toured it. Sorry they aren’t the best pictures but I took them quickly while I was touring the house the first time. On with the show!

*I don’t have any pictures of how they decorated the kitchen, which is odd. But if you look at the house tour page – you can see the ‘before’ picture as the kitchen looked when I got the keys.**

Living Room: Old Owners

They had two oversized couches in here and a huge entertainment center. I remember the room feeling small but I knew it was mostly due to the big furniture.

Living Room: Now

My furniture is also too big for the room – well, the couch and chair anyway. The chair was one I had before buying the house but the couch was one that I got specifically for this house. I didn’t even think to measure to make sure it would be size-appropriate. Lesson learned.

Dining Room: Old Owners

They opted for a rectangular table that is off-center in the room. You could tell they had pets because of the large dog bowls and aquarium in the dining room. The only thing we did that was the same was to add a beige rug (though I think theirs is too small) and a large mirror.

They used the shelves for knick-knacks and family pictures while I’ve opted for my milk glass collection.

Dining Room: Now

I think the circular table allows you to move around the room easier since this is the middle of the house – kitchen, living room and hallway to bedrooms are all off of this room. We both added a large mirror to the same wall – I like it since it allows me to see into the living room when I’m cooking.

Bathroom: Old Owners

The bathroom is simple in decor. On the wall opposite the toilet they had a HUGE mirror hanging with mirror clips that I removed not long after I moved in.

Bathroom: Now

Even though they had color with the walls, I feel like my version has more color. It must be the shower curtain, new flooring, and wall of pictures that I added.

Master Bedroom: Old Owners

They hung a row of mirrors behind the bed and the only furniture in here was the bed, a small dresser and the small bedside table.

Master Bedroom: Now

We both like white bedding but that’s where the similarities end. I added more furniture but the room doesn’t feel any smaller to me.

Bedroom 2: Old Owners

They left this as a bland, white room with a full-sized bed, a single picture on the wall and a dresser. This was the first bedroom I painted since I couldn’t wait to get some color on those walls. Living in white apartments for years before buying the house gave me the itch to paint!

Bedroom 2: Now

Bedroom 3: Old Owners

An odd chair, a beanbag, a large aquarium, the file cabinet and a desk was all that they had in the third bedroom. We both opted to use it as an office instead of a bedroom. I added more storage in the terms of bookshelves and added some height with a shelf on the main wall.

Bedroom 3: Now

Basement: Old Owners

I’m not sure what they were thinking with the walls colors down here! They had couches and a TV like I do (but mine is in a more pleasing arrangement I think). The one thing they had that I had no desire for was a huge workout machine near the sump pump. The laundry room just to look like a sterile place that I wouldn’t want to do any laundry in so I tried to soften it a bit.