Here is a sample of our trim. I have enjoyed the look and low maintenance of wood trim for the past 20 years. I'm embarassed to admit, I've only thoroughly washed it a few times, if that, over the past 20 years. My routine has been to vacuum it when dusty looking, and for the most part it has always looked fine. I love the look of painted trim also! We are in the process of putting on a 940 sq ft addition and we plan on painting most of the new woodwork. Wood trim original house and painted in new add on . . . what do you think? Make sense? The addition includes expanding and updating the kitchen. I'm planning on going white trim, hardwood floors, and a combination of wood and painted cabinets. The same for the mudroom/butler's pantry area right off of the kitchen. Lots of beadboard, white subway tiles . . . you probably know the look all too well. Good luck with your decision and post lots of photos. Here is a link that might be useful: Wood Trim

I'm sure you've seen my kitchen before...I have a few of these elements. My home is an 1873 farmhouse, so not a very frou-frou or ornate Victorian. I wanted to try to have a kitchen that seemed like it belonged in the house (no bamboo or granite or chrome--just wouldn't work) but obviously was NOT trying to duplicate an authentic Victorian kitchen. Blues and greens: ORB faucet, mason jar soap dispenser and antique bottles found by my grandfather on display: My lighting: We exposed the brick chimney: Grandmother's cuckoo clock and great-grandmother's sewing machine: Freestanding pieces: Antique workbench as an island (we added wheels to make it slightly taller and movable): Pot rack on wall, though it is really just for decoration to display the copper pans we can't use anymore: My mom's old canisters: I also have soapstone counters as well as some elements of my kitchen that are decidedly not in the Victorian farmhouse genre, like my copper backsplash/door panels and my tile floor. But again, this is just our interpretation, and to us, the kitchen looks like it belongs with the rest of the house, which also has been updated in various ways--leaving a pleasing and comfortable combination of the antique and traditional with the comforts of modern living. Here is a link that might be useful: my blog with more kitchen info

I don't think there IS a "happy place", only a perfect & happy place for now. And how long now lasts depends, sometimes for me it can mean many years and sometimes not. I do rotate my art on purpose from time to time because I like to see it anew, with fresh eyes, & in different light. Sometimes to make sure I still want it in my life or if it is time to let go. That, for me, is part of art collecting...de-growth as well as acquisition. I find the hardest part is moving a piece from a wall where it looks perfect but too familiar to a space less perfect but that makes me see it again. Oh, and here's a picture of Bunny Williams new flat. Another who moves her stuff about from time to time :-)

If the house isn't centered on the lot, how much room do you have and on which side? Can you draw the entire lot with the house and add dimensions? Which direction does the porch face? South? North? Are you removing the roof to make vaulted ceilings? You said you are from the south, but have you ever lived with vaulted ceilings? I live in Oklahoma, and I hate my high ceilings. So hot in the summer and cold in the winter. I also have an open floor plan with kitchen, dining room, and great room that was made out of two different porches, a living room, and a kitchen. I don't know what the previous owners were thinking. They had to put two manufactured beams and one steel I-beam in the open area. The old porches had different kinds of ceilings and different heights of ceilings. We spent $20,000 on a new 35 ft beam to get rid of the choppiness that people have been mentioning. Putting the new beam in caused other issues that had to be fixed, so more money was spent just on structure! I would not get rid of the porch. It makes the house look inviting. It keeps the house from looking like a box. Your contractor said he could add a shower only and demo the porch, dig foundations, add walls, concrete footings, match the siding, paint the entire exterior of the house, install drywall, doors, moldings, paint all of the living room, dining room, and kitchen, and run new electrical wiring for the front add on, lights, shower stall, plumbing, and whatever else I did not mention. Add a new front porch enclosure, raise the roof for vaulted ceilings, remove the kitchen wall which you really need to keep in place.....it is going to snowball. And...you need $10k in new windows because the old ones are shot. He will do this for $20,000? Every time we started a project in our current house, it always cost us more than the estimate. A lot more. Our new siding was $9200 more. The upstairs remodel went from $3200 to $12,000. They don't know what is under what they are taking out, so the estimate is their best guess if nothing goes wrong like a rotting porch. Are all the other homes around you larger than yours? Have they all been enlarged or updated? You need to think about the area and whether or not your home will have a comparative value. If your home becomes the Taj Mahal in the neighborhood, you may never get your money out of it once you sell. How old are your kids? Will they be leaving home within the next five years? 10? 15? Kids can deal with sharing a bathroom with you. I think the king sized bed may have to go because you don't have a place for storing things like holiday decorations, etc. I didn't see a garage, anyway. When you start removing walls like the dining room wall, you start losing places to put furniture and end tables with lamps. Your kitchen will have less wall space if you remove the wall. You could probably fit a small table and chairs on that wall. Since you bought it, I assume you will want to move in soon. I would start with necessary things like new windows. Everything else is just "wish-I-could-have". You really must live in it for a while to know where best to spend your money. Once you live in it, you may find that the heat/ac need replaced, or the hot water tank, or the plumbing needs repaired, or the roof leaks..... Don't hire a contractor until you know for sure that nothing else needs repaired or replaced. Live in the house for a while. I live in a fairly cheap state for building costs, and all of your plans would cost $80,000-100,000 here. My 15 windows cost $18,000. Ask your contractor if you could "go up". I don't know if your walls and foundations could support a second floor or not, but I have always heard that is much cheaper to go up since you don't do any ground work. Maybe that has changed though... Congratulations on your new home! When you start remodeling, post the pictures so we can all celebrate with you! Your kids will love having their own bedrooms and love the front porch, too! That is my favorite! I love the detailed woodwork!