The following pictures show how the Cape house looked when we left to go home last summer. I think I'm going to document it with photos these first few summers to see how it changes due to re-decorating and bigger projects (like the basement remodel that happened last year). Because, you know, houses are like babies those first few years you have them, right?
The Living Room
We got a new couch and armchair and they made a big difference in the room. I really believe the couch sets the tone in a room! I also replaced the two old end table lamps with new ones.
Out with the old and in with the new.
We kept the rocking chair, coffee table, and end tables.
I redecorated the mantel with my shopping finds and got the TV and sound system hooked up and the cables wrapped.
I had gotten two pretty black-and-white framed nature photos to go on the living room wall, but they were mostly just fillers until I found something permanent to go there...
...which was this nice print that I found on Joss & Main. It was perfect for that spot.
Having said that, it's a very pleasant room and I really like it.
I found this antique framed map picture of Cape Cod from the year 1880 on Joss & Main (I love that site! And this map!).
I like this cut-through window between the living room and kitchen. It opens the two rooms up to each other.
And I was able to fill it with good shopping finds. :-)
The Kitchen
It doesn't need much work or anything right now, thankfully.
I love the table and chairs; they're perfect.
A cute Yarmouth whale for the wall.
No lonely bare countertops in this house!
Master Bedroom (Ground Floor)
This is the room that Peter and I sleep in. There's a room upstairs that's bigger and more comfortable, but the kids' room is right across the hall from it and it doesn't have the awesome shower next door to it that this room has. I'm conflicted about this. In future years, I may end up switching rooms. But for now, this arrangement is working out well.
The furniture set in this room is really nice and high-quality. I just got new bedding and curtains.
This summer, I'd like to replace that little table by the chair. It's cute but flimsy, and I'd like to be able to have a pretty but sturdy little table there that I can use as a small desk.
Cute stuff I bought last summer that's in this room.
Second Ground Floor Bedroom
I haven't really changed anything in this room. It's pretty much as it was when we bought the house. It's a cute room. I'll probably end up changing the bedding and curtains at some point in the future and making it a little less "frilly," but for the foreseeable future, it's staying like this.
The Ground Floor Bathroom
It has an amazing shower, with jets in the wall and a big showerhead.
It puts our master bath shower in Iowa to complete shame.
The Kids' Bedroom (Upstairs)
I got new bedding for the beds and some new pictures for the walls, and a small bookshelf.
We may get a bunk bed or two in the future to replace the twin beds in order to increase the kid-holding capacity of this room.
I love the eaves in the two upstairs bedrooms. Slanted ceilings are so cozy.
This room is big and easily fits two dressers and two beds. It's a great space for the kids to hang out in. And it has the secret room that's behind the closet, which is pretty awesome.
Second Upstairs Bedroom
(a.k.a. My Favorite Bedroom in the House)
I love this room! It's spacious and cozy and peacefully serene. It's the only room in the house with a view of the water. This is where my Mom sleeps when she stays there. For now. Ha ha.
I got new bedding and some decorations and that little bench.
Upstairs Bathroom
The upstairs bathroom is pretty and nice but a little too flowery and feminine for my taste.
Purple flowers everywhere!
I'm happy to report that this bathroom was repainted and redecorated this past spring. (Pictures to come in the fall.) I found an elegant beachy bathroom set at Bed Bath & Beyond that I liked a lot, so I bought that and my mom did the rest. Thanks Mom! :-)
Upstairs Hall
I bought a cute little table that fit the space perfectly, and a cool starfish nightlight.
The Basement
We love it! The remodel was awesome, and it's a bright and fun space to hang out in now.
This couch is so comfortable. I took some good naps on it last summer.
I found this picture randomly at a consignment shop here in Iowa, of all places. What great luck! I paid a ridiculous amount to have it shipped out to MA so that it wouldn't get damaged, which almost surely would have happened if we tried to bring it out in our car with all our stuff. It was worth it!
Peter bought this. We think it's funny. And true. Ha ha.
The Backyard
We bought a new grill and an umbrella for the patio table.
When I stepped out onto the side patio from the kitchen one day, I noticed the view over the fence. Pretty!
I really like having a fenced-in yard.
The yard, like the house, is not too big and not too small. It's just the right size.
Maybe I'll actually use the backyard shower this summer!
Some backyard hydrangeas.
The Front Yard
A pretty scene next to the front door.
These rocking chairs looked nice and we thought we were getting a good deal on them, but they've turned out to be pretty cheap. I'm probably going to have to replace them this summer.
They're pretty though, and they work.
That dead tree in the front yard is eventually going to have to go.
The house looks small from the front and people are always surprised by the amount of space it has inside. I think it's just right--not too big and not too small. I really love it and I'm so thankful to have it.
{If there are any potential random thieves reading this and making diabolical plans, don't even think about it! Not only do we have some vigilant neighbors who live there year-round, but we've also got a state-of-the-art alarm system that will send the police right out to nab your thieving butts! (Forgive me, readers. Working on this post has made me feel rather possessive of the house and its contents, I suppose. My apologies!)}
I can't wait to be back here in our summer home in a few short weeks!
