This week-end was cold and gloomy. A little rainy. Boo.
We made ourselves take a break from projects. It was nice to relax…for a few hours. And then we were both a little stir crazy…and driving each other nuts. We need projects. We are project people.
We decided to head to the Quad Cities Home Builders Association’s Parade of Home. Who wouldn’t want to spend part of their afternoon looking a new homes and getting bad ideas? All free of charge. The bad ideas…not completing them. Unfortunately.
What ideas did we walk away with? What trends did we notice?
We both really liked the built-ins/moldings in this living room…
We could see making this happen here…
But the tv would need to stay above the fireplace. It would just be surrounded by pretty moldings. I don’t want to tilt my neck to watch How I Met Your Mother.
We also both loved the moldings around these windows…(Please work with the cell phone photos. We figured carrying around our DSLR may be frowned upon. And we’re chickens.)…
Nate had tried to explain this idea to me a couple of months ago. I wasn’t understanding. He thinks we can make it work here…
We have wanted the windows closer together top-to-bottom since the day they went up but we think that adding moldings similar to the photo above may make the gap less noticeable. Or we could be completely wrong but it sounds like a fun project.
I fell in L.O.V.E with these pendant lights. I have no idea why. They just spoke to me. “Put us in your home Michelle.” I e-mailed the company that did the lighting in the house to see if I should keep dreaming or if I can make them a reality. Fingers crossed I hear back soon.
We were also looking for basement ideas during our parading around. The only thing we walked away with is this cabinet…
It looks like us. And it looks like a good place to store DVDs, games, etc. Add it to the list.
What trends did we notice in the new homes? We want to be sure to keep up with the times and not leave our house stuck in 2008. Probably not a problem now…but in the future.
- ORB finishes. Makes me want to replace our satin nickel but I’m too lazy just yet. Maybe satin nickel was circle back around.
- Carpet on the stairs. Nate pointed this out repeatedly so that’s why it made the list.
- Doorless walk-in showers. Nate was a visionary on that one.
- Dark kitchens with walk-in pantries disguised with cabinet doors. The hidden pantries were awesome but not something we can make a reality.
Have you been looking at house lately? New or old. What trends are you loving/hating?
I love looking at new homes! Then I am pressured to redo my house!
ReplyDeleteI love your TV/fireplace set-up just as it is. Plus it means you always have the option of changing/moving the furniture around. However, I think you should go for the moulding around the windows - I've always loved that look.
ReplyDeleteWow carpet on stairs? I have that and hate it. Been trying to convince the bf that wooden treds would look so much nicer for around 5 years now. So of course he will soon realise carpet is coming back and is going to say he is a trend setter by keeping the carpet. Damn it!
I'm always looking at houses. I think it's a disease. Or at least that's what Nick tells me. Love the wall of windows. My vote is that you add more windows inbetween yours. Oh, you didn't ask for my opionion? Bummer.
ReplyDeleteAlso, what the heck is up with not liking taco pizza?? Sad day.
i love looking at houses, of course then it just makes me depressed about how much work there is to do in our own home lol. I love the built-ins around the fireplace. we have them and its so nice to have all the built in shelves :). I am with you though, the placement of their TV is way weird and i would not want to have it over there either. plus for some reason, it makes that blank space above the fireplace look weird as well.
ReplyDeleteI do see a lot of ORB, which i like, but i still love satin nickel too.
As for carpet on the stairs...yuck. i don't care if its IN, i'm not doing it!
After our wedding next month, I think Joe and I will start looking at house. Not to buy, but it's fun to see how people design things and get another point of view. I totally endorse this!
ReplyDeleteLooks like fun! The fireplace and windows photos totally look like they'd work in your living room. It's fabulous already so that just may put me over the edge.
ReplyDeletegood luck on the pendants. I hope they fit in your space and budget!
Oh I am so jealous. I didn't know there was a parade of homes in the Quad Cities this weekend or we would have been there. (My parents only live about an hour or so from the QC) DARN IT. I guess we will go next year.
ReplyDeleteDo you know of any other parade of homes in the midwest? Seems the only ones I can find lately are old homes---which are beautiful but not much help when it comes to new construction building.
It's really amazing how you notice the finest details. If that was me, I'd just be saying, 'Yes, I like it' or 'No, I don't like it' without even realising what it is that makes the difference.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of making your windows look closer together. That will look great. That light that you loved looks like one I saw at Lowes that I want to get for my dining room. I love that style too. I'm a bit bummed about the ORB craze. It seems so dark to me. I hope your right the the satin nickel look will make a comeback.
ReplyDeleteSo fun! I love looking, even if that's all it amounts too. And secretly it makes me feel good to see trends or whatnot that I dislike. It reminds me that my home is MY home. It's about our life, budget, and aesthetic...not keeping pace w/ what/whomever.
ReplyDeleteI'd also feel chicken taking pictures in someone else's house. :) Love the built-ins, too!
ReplyDeleteAnd--hope you were able to straighten out that misguided multivitamin soul. Rick will probably sympathize when he reads your comment. :)
Amazing windows. I love that cabinet too. Carpeting of some kind on stairs should be a must - I am more partial to runners. Always great to take a look at other homes. I find everything is cyclical and will come back at some point.
ReplyDeleteI'm still clinging to the brushed nickel finish - even though I'm loving ORB
ReplyDeleteWhat a super fun way to spend a day. That'll get the creative juices flowing for sure. BTW, what do you mean by ORB finishes?
ReplyDeleteOkay, I just got it...oil rubbed bronze:)
ReplyDeleteI loveeee looking at new homes, but I always get followed by sales peeps. They must think I'm trying to steal something. They have no clue! Around here, the big thing that has caught my attention is the double staircase, one in the front, and one in the back. I told my husband that our next house has absolutely have to have one of those. Don't they just remind you of old t.v shows? I totally agree with your husband on the molding around windows, I did that to my kitchen window, and loved it. Now I only have 17 more to go ;)
ReplyDeleteBTW, I do like carpet on stairs, only because I am very clumsy, and it would just hurt too much to fall on wood stairs (been there, done that), but I do really like the ones with wood at the edge.
ReplyDeleteI wish we had a parade of homes near us. You guys are so lucky...
ReplyDeleteI never would have picked up on the window molding if you hadn't pointed it out, but now that I see it, I love the concept. Do it!
Fun! I am in love with those TV built-ins! And, the window trim... I'm just a trim sucker. Wish we had more of it.
ReplyDeleteNo one should have to crane their neck to watch some HIMYM. And I TOTALLY think you should frame out your fireplace wall - it would be amazing! And then mail those ladder shelves to me. Immediately. =)
ReplyDeleteI love looking at new homes!!! I could do it every weekend if I had the chance.
ReplyDeleteWe built our home the same time as you and we also have brushed Nicole. I still see it in new homes still being constructed in our neighborhood. It's a classic look although I wish we have rubbed bronze in a few of our rooms.
Love your house girl, especially since we built around the same time. Gives me so many great ideas!
LOVE the built ins! You could totally make those work in your living room!
ReplyDeleteMy brother has a doorless walk-in shower in his home and it was actually the deciding factor in purchasing it! There was a problem with it though, in that whoever built it originally didn't do it right and they had a problem with mold but once they got it fixed correctly with the right materials, it's amazing. I love it because when you first walk in from the master bathroom, he's got a huge walk-in closet on the right, then to the left, you walk through the tiled entrance, turn the corner, and there's the shower! Showering in there is almost like taking a shower in a cave but with more light. Very awesome.
ReplyDelete