I agree with poster who said pick out bedding and curtains first. Even though you will change them when she's older, it's a good starting point. I also agree to stay on the warm side with pink ground or powder puff. (I think I prefer pink ground, but I'm not positive.) I would absolutely stay away from "cold" pinks like wild aster and pinkish in your first photo. "Refined pink" rooms are always a warmer pink, but not too close to peach!

Maybe a cherry blossom color just a idea for the room .. The color not the decal

Hi, I haven't checked in for a long time. How are you? Have you had the baby yet? Did you finish the baby's room? I would love to see pictures and I'm sure everyone else would too.

DebraGunstanson: I love the shape and look of those shades, where are they from? I am also looking for lamp shades, however, I have zero interest in the straight drum or empire styles in midmod colors that are EVERYWHERE. I like my shades to have a little "waist" to them and a little texture or something.

Rissafin: I like the shape shade by Uttermost that Maureen suggested, though in a lighter color. I would not touch the lamp base, I think it's perfect as is. It looks like it's got a bit of antique brass coloring, which I wouldn't touch, and the vivid turquoise color is excellent!

Love Sneha Joshi's last shade. My daughter has a lamp like that, and it has always been one of my favourites.

Please do not paint the base. It is lovely as is.

It looks like you have plenty of advice, I'll only echo what others have said if it helps lean you in one direction or another. I think the living room "bones" are beautiful. I like the idea of painting the walls a shade darker than the couch. In the kitchen that vent hood is the only real eyesore you have, whether removing or replacing. The cabinets should definitely be added to, and I like the idea of going past the fridge, a row of glass cabinets on top, or replacing with a contrasting color for the top row. I would never paint woodwork. Ever. Had both, hated the painted. I also feel that you really, really need pops of color. Not so far as "all green" as you had at one time, but right now, it looks like a blank canvas, not a finished room. Take heart, it appears everyone thinks you have a beautiful couple of rooms to work with!

Jenna, regarding your homesickness and remote feeling in Louisiana- In the early mid-80's we moved to an even more remote part of the state than you are in now. We moved from a great northern well-populated state to Natchitoches. There wasn't even a freeway close by. We had to drive more than an hour for anything more than the basics.

However, I learned to love the people, culture and have fond memories of our time there. I decided that if I had to live so far from 'home' that I would make the most of it. I am now an excellent Cajun cook, thanks to my southern friends. I sometimes watch 'Steel Magnolias' just to take me back to that quaint city and time because it was filmed there. I still stay in touch with friends we made there.

Make the most of it! I'm sure you will find many things that will interest and inform you too! Enjoy!

Thank you Cheriealford. You're too sweet. I'm so glad that you have such wonderful memories of Louisiana and I love watching Steel Magnolia's. It's in my top favorites. I have actually lived here all of my life. I named my dilemma homesick meaning I'm sick of my home. lol. I bet you know how to cook a great gumbo!!!! :) thank you for checking in - I enjoyed your post.

@capeanner: odd that they simply divvy the results between urban and rural. Without knowing if those who drifted out of the rural areas went to the suburban homes or urban apartments, a big piece of the puzzle is missing. I also wonder if the breakdown of the family affects this at all with record babies being born to single mothers. It's hard to own and care for a house as a single parent, much easier to rent in that situation.

I've lived in a 500 sq. ft apartment, 1200 sq ft duplex, 3000 sq ft duplex, 1000 sq ft apartment, and now we're living in a very cute 800 sq ft detached home (with a garage). The 1000 sq ft apartment was a fourplex and was probably my favourite, but we NEED a garage bcause we work in the trades. I will take a small space over big anytime. I would practically have to take the day off just to wash the floors in the 3000 sq ft. I absolutely love our place now but i don't have the knack/time for yard work. With all this being said, we've never owned our homes. We've been extremely lucky with neighbours/landlords. For our circumstances now, we're in an ideal situation but if i had the opportunity to build my own home it wouldn't be much different than what i have now except i would probably just make the whole yard a deck!

We had our house built about 10 years ago, and not only was I in love with the floor plan, it was great having a buffer from neighbors and noise. I gave our home to my ex in our divorce. He let go into foreclosure. I've had to file bankruptcy, and now, I am stuck in a studio apt. of less than 500 sq. feet until my credit is better again (working on it). No more garage; my car has been broken into twice. I can't sleep well because I work nights and have rude neighbors that slam doors at all hours of the day and night and play video games on surround sound (bass comes right through the floor). And, my front/only door is right by the stairs which have screaming children running up and down them all day. I don't even have a balcony here, so I went from a big garden to one lonely houseplant. I pay high rent because it does have a washer and dryer in the unit. Can you tell how much I miss my house? LOL The only real perk I ever saw to apartment living is that they do the maintenance. Just my humble opinion...

I would have voted tent if I was under 25. But now, as long as I have a mattress, I'll be happy, so Cabin gets my vote.

Camp like a champ. Tap all the opportunities to make your camping adventurous. Load your cooler with ice cubes, food and drinks. A cool comfy base camp would be perfect for day hikes. Comfort should be a top priority for your safe haven (tent). beware of dead trees and if you are a walk-in, be sure to survey the landscape. Choose campgrounds with enough tree cover, know the wind direction, and determine where the sun will rise and set.

When it comes to kids, exercise, Fun and new friends are the major attractions of summer camps. Summer camps aid in learning and education, with lots of activities like walking, team sports, playing with other kids. Health through exercise. Encourage kids to take part in after school sports programs

Another interesting option would be an RV, being comfortable and flexible. Good if you own one. Renting would be costly.

You should consider the three modes of road-travel trip 1) own car and stay in hotel 2) own a small RV 3) renting a small RV.

For a traditional driving vacation, use your own car, stay in hotels, and dine out.

Owning a small RV would be the cheapest mode. Never take on debt to finance vacations or travel costs. Owning a small RV is a clear winner as it would let you travel for only 60-70% of traditional car plus hotel cost.

While taking your kids along hit the gorgeous lookout area to ogle the rivers and mountains, the forested trails and kids' jungle gym.

If you'd like to see the backcountry try a backcountry pack trip. You just need your clothes and sleeping bag, with air mattress. Tents already up and there's someone to do the cooking. If you aren't a rider don't worry, the horses are trained for people like you. You can lay around camp. or go for day rides if you're just going to one spot. Or, you can move every day. Hubby spent years packing people from Mammoth to Yosemite (he was born in Yosemite) that's a 6 or 7 day trip, cook included.

Not able to backpack any longer I'm still able to go. I'm his wrangler.

Want to see the Teton's? Go online and look for pack outfits.

My 4.5 year old daughter loves pink. Oh, excuse me, only hot pink...not light pink. She will tell people her favorite color is: "Hot pink-purple-red." I don't think it has to do with all the stuff marketed towards girls, it just truly is her favorite, so in redoing her room with a big girl bed, I made sure to include all three of those colors. I do think that the guilt trip grown women have if they actually still LIKE pink is equally offensive, as if it's wrong to like pink past age 5. Just saying! :) Decorate with what she likes--that always wins! Here is my very happy daughter in her very pink room (not quite finished yet.) Warning: it's not very "Houzz" style.

I was he youngest of three siblings and the only girl. When I was little, my folks bought for me a white canopy bed with a gauzy white coverlet with embroidered pink butterflies. Painted the walls pink, too. I HATED it! Mom so wanted a girlie-girl, but horses were my thing! Next I got a brown plaid bedspread for that canopy bed.

We consciously and unconsciously tell boys and girls to conform to gender norms from birth. There is nothing inherently wrong with pink walls, it’s just a pretty color. We talk to girls differently, and give them different clothes to wear and toys to play with. You could choose a neutral color and let her tell you what color she likes in a year or two. Or choose a delicate pink and change it if/when she tells you her preference.

I have strong opinions on this one. I lived in NYC from age 27-36. I lived in both elevator and walk up buildings. There were stairs everywhere I went. I have never in my whole life been all that coordinated in the mornings, and although I was in great shape physically, I fell down the stairs several times over my 10 years there, including twice on the marble stairs (very hard) in my building. Even at that young age, I pined for the days I lived in a ranch style one-level house with a walkout basement. (I had also lived in a 2 story Victorian in my early 20's, but didn't long to return to that.) Guess what I bought when I moved home to my Midwest city at 40? Yep, a one-story ranch/walkout basement. Also, never had an issue with separation of bedrooms or noise--simple, the bedrooms are on one half; the kitchen, dining, and living rooms on the other half, divided by a foyer and halls. I only go downstairs when I'm well awake to do laundry, go to storage, or watch a movie in the family room. I will never need to retire somewhere else. I am in Heaven! By the way, elevators are a new trend inside urban homes? Ha! I would hate forgetting something and wanting to "grab it quick."

To me, ranch is the only style id ever want. same square footage feels so much larger when its one story and not two. Easier to move between private and public areas of the home. ours spans almost our entire lot and gives a lot of space for landscaping out front, outdoor living out back. Stairs are challenging when your very old or very young! here, most have full basements not counted in the listed square footage = bonus whole other house underneath (ours is over half finished, the other part is nice but concrete floor and walls and used for utilities/laundry/storage). Of all the home types, split levels dont make sense to me

Two stories!

I LOVE antique brass. When we bought our home 4 years ago, I convinced my husband to eschew current trends that would surely be dated sooner: stainless appliances (we chose black), and brushed nickel accessories (we have antique brass, some copper, some warm bronze). Our house had a lot of antique brass crank outs and door handles, so we ripped out any painted or plastic ivory/white accessories and replaced them with antique brass. We used warm harvest colors to coordinate. People have loved it. However, we have shiny brass in our master bath, which doesn't fit our rustic elegant 1967 ranch style home, and I'm anxious to replace it. Shiny brass I feel looks best in certain settings, like Victorian homes, Hollywood regency style, and something big and glam like a music mogul's home!

Bacteria and viruses die on natural, unfinished brass. It's a beautiful metal, and very clean because of its anti-biotic properties. Many chrome faucets, etc., at least used to be chrome plated brass. I tried to get unfinished brass products for our new home, but could not. (I think because, now they are not brass, but plastic). I would LOVE to have natural brass faucets, faucet knobs, door handles, etc. It will weather to look similar to an old penny if left alone and naturally handled. A subtle, no-maintenance beauty.

I think brass hardware and lighting is so ugly. It is not for me ever.

Hey Mario, We bought a fixer upper about the same age as yours and are working on a similar scenario. So my neighborhood is full of homes from the same era, and many have been updated, some poorly, and some well. Here are my 2 cents:
1. I like your inspiration photos of the cream homes. I think that's your best bet.
2. I personally think I'd stay away from black, charcoal, or any kind of gray with that brick. Ditto with any yellow. Bad results in my neighborhood.
3. I agree with poster who said get a new storm door that reveals more of the door.
4. In the mock up photos people photoshopped new colors in, I feel like the garage door looks best a darker color than the brick, not lighter or the same color. Maybe similar to the brick, only 1 or 2 shades darker? Or a chocolate brown that looks nice with the cream?
5. DON'T ditch the shutters, your house will look naked or institutional. Either paint them a medium tone like sage, or replace them with board and batten style in a medium color. I thought the dark brown were too dark and the ivory too light in the sample photos.
6. I actually think leaving the green shingles will make your home look cool and unique--as long as you get the rest of your color story right. There were things I initially hated about our 1966 house that I have learned to love. I used to hate our ivory glazed brick and was jealous of our neighbors with stone on their homes, but then we powerwashed the brick to reveal about 50% of the red underneath, and now I think we have the coolest, most unique finish in the neighborhood! Staining your shingles just sounds like a bad idea.
7. I'd paint the front door a vivid color to draw your eye there, but not yellow. Perhaps a vivid hunter green, emerald green...or a vivid russet or mahogany for contrast?
8. Lastly, I'd replace your railroad ties around your front garden. They are too boxy for the house. We had the SAME thing, and replaced them with sandstone colored blocks in a curved line. Everyone compliments it. Then you could put some reddish mulch darker than your brick in like your inspiration photo.
Hope this helps, and good luck!

What does everyone have against nice traditional red brick? Glad you didn't paint it. I do think you need a brighter colour on your front door. Maybe blueish green. Landscaping will be a great addition.

P.S. ... I agree with you "Jean Doherty". My own home is traditional red-orange brick, and I love the no maintenance aspect, and the warmth of it. I think during the period of Mario's home, construction got sort of "choppy" with the siding/brick/garage/etc., so people struggle to unify the exterior.