The minute we walked into this house, we knew it was the "project" house we'd been wanting. It is old enough to have charm and to need work, is well-built and well-maintained so it doesn't need massive structural work, and has not been updated for many decades (excepting some fixture replacements...not all...and a few things here/there...all perfectly acceptable!). A blacksmithing family built the house in the late 1800s--we have a photo dated 1890 in which the house figures prominently, so it was built at least by then--and five generations of the family subsequently lived there. The folks who sold it to us were doing so to settle the family estate. They are the last of the family line and live very far away, so they cannot live in the house themselves, but they wanted to ensure that the "right" buyers purchased it. Apparently it has been in limbo for some time and they have turned down flat several offers to buy the house/land because they feared the house would be torn down or unappreciated. My DH and I wrote a letter to accompany our purchase offer: he is a planner with an architectural background, and I recently graduated with my MAHP, so historic houses are just our thing. :) It's the funniest thing...when the realtor was showing it to us she was very apologetic about the kitchen/bathroom and how dated they are. To me, the kitchen is one of the best rooms in the house because it hasn't been gutted of any of its 1940s-50s charm. It's an addition that hasn't changed much since it was built, as far as we can tell. PERFECT! I had to tell the realtor after the closing how much her apologies had fallen on deaf ears. Every time we walk through the door I'm struck by how it feels like home. We have an electrical crew rewiring right now (fishing new wiring into the old K&T chases), but once they're done it'll be ready to move into. I can't wait. As we've explored the various trunks, dressers, hutches, etc. that are there we've found some fascinating family history as well as some great house history. I have shivers just writing about it. Of course, there are a few problems. At one point the upstairs bath (a closet with a toilet and the tiniest sink in the world) had a minor leak. We'll need to do some probing to ensure that there's no rot or fungal problem lurking. And, probably because of the moisture and heat, the kitchen plaster walls are not in the greatest of shape. However, the plaster in the other rooms is lovely, and from what I could see in the attic, at least the second-story ceilings are remarkably well keyed. Woohoo! The woodwork has not experienced the dozens of paint layers that frequently accompany old houses. There's no real wood rot, even on the exterior wood, that I can find. We'll need to strip off the steel siding to reveal the clapboard underneath, but that will wait until spring, after we've gotten a few other things taken care of. I know this is the longest post EVER, but I can't resist telling the story of this house to some folks who will appreciate it! Most of our friends/family seem to fall into the camp of "Are you nuts? You must be absolutely nuts!!"

STEP ONE: Relax. It's not nearly as ugly as you think it is. Live there for a while and decide what to do. Also - visit the landscaping forum at Gardenweb and ask advice. Post several pictures - GOOD ones, not fuzzy cell phone stuff: 1 - full front of house, taken from across the street so we can see the whole thing. Include approximate dimensions. 2 and 3 - Pictures taken from an angle that show the front corners and sides of the house. READ THESE: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/56289/create_your_own_landscape_design.html http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/51060/frugal_landscapingdont_waste_money.html Here is a link that might be useful: landscape forum

Congrats. Like those wood doors. Like the gray much better than the pale blue with black. Consider adding a pair of corner cabinets in the dining area to add extra storage space for your dishes without taking up space needed for your table and chairs. Solid doors on the bottom and glass doors over the top shelves is best. If you can match the wood finish of the wood doors, all the better. If not, white would do. http://foter.com/explore/small-corner-cabinets-dining-room If you rip off the country charm scalloped trim over the sink between the overhead cabinets, then the top of the blinds would show. If you don't like that style, it might be better to replace it with a straight edge board rather than leave it off. Blinds or shades of some kind are good for privacy and light control on any kitchen window -- in any dining room window, too. Would not remove them unless and until you find something for privacy and light control that you like better. Not a fan of fabric window treatments in or very near the kitchen ... absorbs cooking odors.

Folks here are only going to be able to offer suggestions if you post photos of the rooms. As saypoint said above, post one room/area at a time and then define what you need help with, as in paint colors, rug ideas, window coverings. Make sure you specify what you are keeping so someone doesn't tell you to ditch the couch you just bought. Also, photos need to show the whole room/area and not just a fireplace or one wall. Finally, make sure you know/say how much money you want to spend so people don't recommend ideas outside your range.