Cindy - I have not done anything to clean them yet. I was thinking of a tinted wood polish to start transitioning them into a slightly darker version - less yellow. They look awesome in some light/time of day, but when the light is bright and the sun is shining they do take on a little more of the honey color that looks a bit dated. I'm really hoping the dark knobs/pulls will help bring out the darker tones. I will for sure wait to paint until after the countertops and appliances go in. I need to see it all together. Appliances arrive 08/08! Excited! My next major decision is the flooring. I'd like to get it in place before appliances, so we will see! I'm having a difficult time finding something I like that isn't really expensive. I'll continue to update. :)

Its hard to tell by your pictures, which are a bit blurry and a bit small, but, is that exterior stained? If so, I would get it cleaned and a fresh coat of stain, since I do like the colors on there right now. I am the exception here, I guess, because, I do think those reddish shutters add a lot to the house. The landscaping could use a bit of work, but, all in all, it looks to be a very nice house.

It's a mid-century home, more in keeping with "mid century modest" than "mid century modern." I'm not looking to make it something that it isn't. However, houses like this are getting older, and I want the things we do to be "period sympathetic"--not authentic, and not high end. This house is on a quiet street in a small mid-western town. It makes no sense to improve it out of proportion to the neighborhood. So, when I ask, "what can be done for $5,000 to $8,000?" that's really what I mean. What is possible with a smaller budget? My husband wants to tear down the porch. I want to replace the bay window with a picture window. We've been looking, and we think a modest entrance like this could be created within our budget., maybe just retaining the existing porch overhang of the original roof, which is still there. Of course, we would choose stone or brick to coordinate with our red brick. Hopefully, when it's time to do the roof, we'll be able to do this, and maybe we'll just skip the skylight. I appreciate all the input!

@calidesign @missenigma Yep, here (and in most places in the US, if I'm not mistaken) the IRC building code basically grandfathers most everything in until it's modified. Nothing that prohibits the sale based on bringing anything up to code, although you can always ask for it. We're going to update this entire room including the railings anyway, so code isn't the biggest issue, as that will have to happen regardless. The bigger issue for us is: how to maintain the openness and distinctive style of the house while getting it up to code. Thanks for all the thoughts!