Landscaping ideas

Ryan doesn't have a lot of "musts" for the house, but this is one: an eco-friendly driveway. We have no idea what restrictions/rules there are for driveways, but we're hopeful we can tear up the old drive and do something more like this.

I like the brick look because it ties in with our idea of brick on the entry, plus it seems like it would go with an old house, but we're open to many different solutions. I've seen these types of pavers more and more lately.

Front entry ideas

When I came across this photo, I showed it to Ryan and he said without hesitation, "That's what I want." We don't necessarily plan to go to two stories, so imagine this without the steeply pitched roof and dormers. It's remarkably similar in some ways to our house now, with a center entrance, large windows on either side, stucco exterior, even the curved walk from the driveway. But we love the arched entry, the old/tumbled brick, the stained wood door, and the darker color of the roof.

I took these photos around our neighborhood because I like the aged look of the bricks--the chimney is actually on a stucco house almost identical in color to ours. Ryan prefers a browner tone to the brick, but this is the general idea.

Bath ideas

Most of these are variations on the same theme--white subway tile bath/shower, white hexagonal tile floor. I like something like this for the hall/kids' bath, with pops of bright color making it playful. I also like the larger, slightly lower mirror for kids.

As much as I love pedestal sinks, I don't know that they're the most practical choice for both baths. If the kids' bath had plenty of other storage it could work. Otherwise, I like a cabinet and sink like this--I really like the big wide sink (perfect for kids who splash a lot!).

I pulled this photo because it was shower only, as I imagine the new master bath will be. Though we don't need a glass door--a shower curtain will be fine (and cheaper).

I like the look of two pedestal sinks in the master bath, though again I need to think about what really works. If there are two nice-sized medicine cabinets, it would probably be OK.

If we went with cabinets, I like the idea of two separate cabinets, instead of one vanity with two sinks in it.

This is just pretty.

Mudroom ideas

Lots of thoughts on a mudroom/laundry room/office. This is what I envision if we want to go basic and budget--some hooks at kid and adult heights, a bench and some baskets. Nothing fancy, doesn't take up much space.

This one would fall more in the "dream" category--I don't think we want to put in quite so much cabinetry--but we like the look. Also I liked how this one flows into the kitchen, if we needed to go that route.

This one I like because of the way they've put a countertop over the washer and dryer--I envision doing something similar with butcher block, if that's what we use in the kitchen, to provide a nice clothes-folding/work space.

This one I mostly like for the black and white floor and for the way this narrow space incorporates everything we need--laundry, office, mudroom for dropping off stuff on the way in.

If the office has to be incorporated into the mudroom, I like the idea of continuing a butcher block countertop to create a desk space.

Kitchen ideas

This is an rendering of a kitchen from the 1920s and is the look that inspires what I'd like to do in our kitchen renovation.

If you put a black and white floor in this one, and replaced the handles and fixtures, it's close to perfect-

I also like many things about this one--the black and white floor on the diagonal, butcher block countertops, some open shelving for our everyday glasses and white dishes, and racks taking advantage of wall space. I also like how the wood shelves and table, along with the countertops, give the room warmth.

Love, love, love this-

For an alternative to black and white, I like this play off of a traditional checkered floor using tiles--subtle but still a vintage feel.

Ryan wants a dining set like this one, with a bench on one side. It would work well for us, as we could put three kids on the bench and still seat four adults comfortably. So when we create a dining space, we'd like it to be large enough to accommodate something like this.