Making a House into a Home

When we bought our house it was in decent shape.  No major renovations had to be done.  But LOTS of cosmetics had to happen.  One of the first things to go was the plush carpeting throughout.  Not only was it plush, but it was an aqua of sorts - ick.  Next was the bathroom, we ripped up the carpet(yes, MORE carpet, but this was more of an indoor/outdoor carpet, equally as hideous).   So up it came, a new vanity and sink put in(to replace the PINK sink that was there, it's a 60's house!).  Then we redid half of the basement living room area, put down laminate flooring, got some area rugs and painted.  Things are really coming together and here we are four years later with a house we now call a home.  Of course there's always more to be done, doorknobs to be change, ceiling fans to replace, etc, etc...  But little by little it's becoming "ours".  Some of the smallest changes can make such a HUGE difference.  Which is the point of this post.  I wanted to show some of the things we've done/put in our kitchen to make it feel like home.

My husband is to thank for this.  The butcher block portion of our countertop used to be light in color, felt waxy and dirty(no matter how hard I scrubbed) and was beat up.  My husband sanded it down, stained it and varnished it.  It's one of the most amazing things he's done.

Above:  Faucet before(old, dirty & calcified = not pretty hideous)

Below:  New Faucet(clean, shiny, NEW)

The rest is mostly just a hodge podge of decor that we've collected over the past 4 years, but this is the stuff that makes this our home.  Not the new counter or shiny faucet(although they do make the place easier on the eyes!)

 Vintage soup mugs, courtesy of my Great Grandma(yes, another thing I scavenged during her move!!)

 We got this rack while antiquing and converted it into a spice rack and a place for some of my vintage salt & pepper shakers(I collect those too!)

 An antique storage shelf.  The wine cork insert it also courtesy of my husband's handy work!

                                                 

Found these cute clogs antiquing.

Another antique find - an old movie theatre letter.  

I made these bulk spice jars out of mason jars.  I chalkboard painted the lids.  I use these for boullion and soup mixes.

My newest S&P shaker addition(and one of my favorites!) - thanks to my mother in law.

 My favorite shakers, and one of my very first buys!

Antiquing, just a random sign we found and fell in love with!!

 Hopefully I've given everyone a glimpse into our lives, our tastes and our home.  We're far from being done with our house, but I don't know if you're ever truly done.  I think it's a work in progress and changes as you grow.  The only thing that matters is that your house is not a house, but a home.  A place where love grows and memories are made.  A place where you laugh and cry.  A place to grow old in.

Just a typical night in our home.