Project House

You might recall that back in the fall we purchased the house next door to us. While we weren't expecting to buy this house just yet, the timing ended up being perfect and the benefits of owning 100% of our shared driveway and having some control over who is living next door to us are enough to make both Peter and I do the {happy dance}.

The house is currently undergoing a complete remodel - as in, the walls have been mostly ripped out, the bathroom is no more, and the flooring is being stripped down to the original hardwood. There is a lot to do and we've been thankful for the friends who have already helped and those who have offered their various services once we need them. The floor plan will be undergoing some slight modifications, but in the end we'll have an open living/dining/kitchen area, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a laundry/mud room.

Although I've done plenty of hands-on work on our own house (including helping Peter install 4 x 8 sheets of plywood for the roof of the addition - did I mention I HATE heights?), this time I haven't done too much other than remove the first layer of flooring in the living/dining area. However, the area that I'm the most excited about is the designing and decorating. Now that we've got the new layout in place, I've started hunting for all the items that will make it a relaxing home-away-from-home for those who stay (it will be a fully-furnished, short-term rental property).

In the past I've done a Fashion Week - but I am not a fashion blogger. Neither am I an interior designer, but I do have lots of ideas and have no problem pulling them together. I'm having a ball finding stuff for the project house because it's all quite different than what I've tried in our own home. Because it's a rental, I'm gravitating towards a more hotel-meets-Pottery-Barn look. I want it to feel homey without the occupants feeling like they're living in someones home.

That's a rather long introduction, but I needed to get it all out of the way so I can get down to my point (and have a post to link back to in the future)...you're coming along for the ride! I've decided to document the progression of the Project House (PH) and share my finds and ideas with you along the way. I've already got quite a collection of goodies stored in the basement and the pile continues to grow. I've never done a "design board" or anything remotely like that, but I'll do my best to give you the overall scheme of the various rooms and give you some ideas on how I'm keeping costs down. I am, after all, cheap frugal, but I have very expensive taste and a budget that says I need to be creative. Perhaps you've had the same problem? Maybe we can help each other get the most bang for our buck. In the meantime, stay tuned for future PH posts, deals, and maybe even a giveaway or two!