Greetings!

The lovely people on the Old Homes board suggested I re-post this here.

A little background:

My name is Lisa and I am 38 yrs old and about to purchase my second home here in NYC. I love old things with character, which ends up being a lot of work. The deed to our new home says the house is from 1920. It was owned by a very prominent NYC family who had the money to update everything- new roof, windows, heating systems, salt-water pool, pavers etc. There is not much for me to do structurally, however asthetically I do not share their taste and cant't wait to have all of my own furniture, wall colors, window treatments etc. I have lived in a traditional English Tudor for the last decade and will miss the beams, stained glass etc...

There are 7 bathrooms, 5 bedrooms (one of which was converted into a massive walk in closet)formal DR, EIK, large living room, office/library/ Great Room/ Billiards rooms etc...

I have heard many wonderful things about these forums and trolled the boards for awhile. It's just now, upon purchasing this home that I have a few questions. I am hoping you can help me out.

I belive that the home I am buying is a Dutch Colonial. It is listed as a Center Hall. What do you think?

I'd like to have some shutters put on the exterior front windows. I was thinking black louvered. Any ideas?

I'll be having all of the wall paper steamed off and opting for paint intead.

We'll also have the kitchen cabinets stained to a darker wood color and the counter tops changed from butcherblock to granite or silestone. The floors are granite and the owners had recently paid $30,000 to have them put in. They are not my taste, however we will keep them for awhile. I am not certain about the idea of grainite countertops b/c I think it will feel like a masoleum with all the granite on the floors! Not enough contrast. The granite floors spill into the foyer as well. I would have liked to do a cream and black large checkered floor upon entering, however it will have to wait.

I am also wondering if this is indeed a Dutch Colonial, would having beams put into either the Great Room or Living Room be in keeping with the integrity of the house? I will really miss the beamed celings in my Tudor!

I will post the same slideshow to the garden boards to see if someone can give us some landscaping ideas for the frot as well as to identify the flowering hedges around the periphery of the pool.

The living room being so long bewilders me configuration wise. I was thinking of cluster sof furniture: settees, chaises etc....not sure. The Fireplace is in the center.

Many, Many Thanks in Advance,

lisa

Here is the link to the slideshow of the house:

http://www.obeo.com/U.aspx?ID=604643

or if that does not work:

http://homesite.obeo.com/viewer/unbranded.aspx?tourid=604643&refURL=http://webmail.aol.com/32213-111/aol-1/en-us/Suite.aspx&locale=en-US