The New House

So, after months of searching and eleven offers, we have a contract on a new house. Well, it's new to me. It's an 1800 square foot ranch with an 1800 square foot finished basement. It's on a lake, which is very nice. It also has not been updated since 1963, when it was built. We call it the disco house. I will add some more pictures to the side of this post, you will die laughing. The thing is, the basement is so obnoxious I have to keep it pristine. It has red and orange shag carpet up the walls surrounding my black naugahyde circle bar. Now, we are not big drinkers, and the bar will probably be stocked with pop and juice, and for parties, the occasional beer or wine. It does have a mini-fridge.

It's the main level I have issues with, serious issues. Sky blue and silver lame wallpaper in the kitchen. That matches the white countertops with sky blue trim. Which matches the painted cabinets that, for some unknown reason, they took sky blue detail tape, the kind you detail cars with, and "accented" the cabinets with it. They also used sky blue shelf paper, even on the outside of a cabinet, to "blend" it in with the whole kitchen theme. When you finally recover enough to look down, it's to see lavender linoleum (it was probably sky blue in 1963) inset with white starbursts in key locations. There are no words.

We also have a "yellow" bathroom. Here in the midwest in the 1960/1970 era they color coded bathrooms. So I have a yellow tub/shower, yellow tile all around it and up the walls, yellow sinks and a yellow toilet. This can be done quite tastefully if you downplay the color in the rest of the bathroom, they decided to accent it more. I have gold faucets. Gold lame butterfly wallpaper. They painted the cabinets yellow. They put those smokey gold lined mirror squares around the toilet. It's a sight not to be believed. We also have a pink bathroom, accented with gray. And pink roses on the striped wallpaper. Again, you have to see it to believe it.

This said, some paint, and new kitchen counter tops and some tile here and there and it will be an awesome house. It has cove ceilings and in it's day was definitely a custom house. We just need to give it some tender loving care. I have lovingly described this house at work and some unknown Santa delivered a disco ball to me by way of an elf. I have absolutely no idea who it was, but I am hanging that bad boy in the basement. Now all I need is a lava lamp and strobe light.

Any moving horror stories? What about wallpaper? Share the love. And the pictures if you have them. At the end of the day, the view is worth it.

God bless you and yours.