These past few weeks have been a whirlwind of excitement and nerves. We bought a house! I am over the moon about it. It all happened so quickly. We’d been casually looking for almost a year now, but nothing too serious. When Kevin and I first moved here ten years ago we were newlyweds, just married a week earlier. We lived in a cute apartment within walking distance to everything. Kevin could walk to work, and he came home every day for lunch. Target was in my backyard. I loved it. A year later when we bought our first house, it was 20 miles from everything. I loved our house, but I wasn’t thrilled with being so far out! I grew up in a town that was five minutes from everything, so I was used to having everything close. In our house, you could drive for five minutes and still not be near anything. But I loved our house, and we had a big backyard for the doggies, so we were definitely staying put for awhile.
*Oh my GOSH if you click those links PLEASE for the LOVE of all that is holy IGNORE the super embarrassing photos of me. No one should be forced to look at ten year old photos of themselves!! Shield your eyes! By the way, those super low-tech pages are what kevinandamanda.com used to look like.
At the end of last year a big contract was renewed at Kevin’s work, and it was definitely decided that we would be here for a few more years. We were still very happy with our old house, but sometimes we’d talk about how it’d be nice to be a little closer to town, have a little more closet space, and hopefully find a home with a pool, because Miley and Howie love to swim. And for some reason, none of the community pools were really thrilled with the idea of us toting our two life-jacket-wearing dogs along for a swim. I mean, I know, right?? How dare they! This is what poor little Howie was reduced to using as a pool.
So after that, I’d sometimes browse our local MLS site for homes online. But we weren’t in any hurry.
Then I saw this house. And we fell in love. And we went to see it in person. And we fell even more in love. And basically, the next thing I knew, we were making an offer, scrambling to throw everything we owned into boxes, and with the help of our parents, spending one very long weekend moving in.
It even has a pool for the doggies.
And they still have plenty of room to play!
Here’s a peek at the inside. This is what you see when you open the front door. PLEASE NOTE, these are the staged realtor photos! This is not my furniture, lol! I wish it was! I would’ve bought this house furnished in a heartbeat. This house is now empty, except it’s completely covered from head to toe in boxes. :) Realtor photos via Cynthia Walker Photography.
And here’s the living room. Does anyone have any tips for taking care of hardwood floors? I know nothing!
Paint Color Update! The previous owners left some paint behind, and it looks like the color in the kitchen and living room is Sherwin Williams Virtual Taupe.
We are having way too much fun standing in the living room and throwing one of Miley and Howie’s toys up to the balcony. They have no idea where it disappears to, lol! They look all over downstairs. :)
The office, which will be the new blogging headquarters. :)
The kitchen gets gorgeous afternoon light, so I can actually make and photograph recipes at a normal time. :)
Another view of the kitchen.
The master bath.
I am in love with this tub. That is all.
I’ve had breakfast out here on the porch every morning this week.
But this is probably my favorite thing of all. I can’t wait until next summer.
Thanks so much for reading, guys. Ya’ll are the best! xoxo.
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232 Comments
Congratulations! This is a beautiful home! I am coveting big time- over every detail in the house! For hardwood floors we use the irobot roomba (easily transitions from our tile/wood floor/ rugs). When they need to be cleaned up I just use warm water and a little bit of vinegar- in a spray bottle and then mop it up with a microfiber cloth. They always look brand new! :)
I hardly ever leave comments here (unless it’s to comment on Howie, Miley or Louie) but I really do need to congratulate you. Your new home is absolutely beautiful! And the doglets will think they died and went to heaven with that back yard. I wish years and years of happiness to you and Kevin – you are often in my thoughts, as you seem like such genuinely good people. I enjoy your blog immensely!
Awesome new house!! For the wood floors . . . use the Bona system and hardwood flooring cleaner :). I am an interior designer and sell wood floors. And have wood floors. You can get the spray bottles at Bed, Bath & Beyond. Or go to a local flooring store to hopefully be able to buy the large, gallon re-fill.
Congrats! It’s just beautiful – I hope you get some time to garden out in that amazing yard!
Just Gorgeous.
Congrats, it’s a beautiful home! Can’t wait to see photos after you get all moved in. I’m sure you’ll have fun decorating the new space for the holidays too. Enjoy!
I promise I’m not a stalker, but we LOOKED at that house!! We ended up staying where we are (not far from you, BTW!), but I did love the pool at that one.
I have read your blog on and off for years, but never realized you were so close. Love your pics!
Congrats on the new home! It looks spectacular and that pool is oh so inviting. I could move into that pool seriously. I can’t wait to see how you decorate this house.
WOW!! That is amazing. Go ahead and send me the blue prints :) ENJOY.
Wow, your new house is gorgeous!! And HUGE. I’m a city girl, your house looks like a mansion to me, :)
Huge congratulations, Kevin & Amanda!! It’s gorgeous!!
Congrats on your new home. I’m sorry to say I’m still catching up on your blog as I’ve been away for a little while.
The home looks beautiful! My kind of colors and style. Funny thing is my husband and I are thinking of moving out of NY as the taxes here are crazy high. We’ve been considering Texas but your part of Alabama looks lovely.
You mentioned you wanted some help with the wood floors? Well, at my home in upstate NY, which has a LOT of wood floors, I love love love using Method Wood Floor Cleaner. It has a lovely almond scent. You can get it at your favorite store…Target. Or the grocery store probably has it to, as mine does. It just squirts on the floor and you mop it off with one of those microfiber (cleanable in the washer) mops. No water, no rinsing, no nothing. Just squirt and mop. It dries real quick to so make sure you do small areas at a time so it doesn’t dry on you before you can mop it up.
I’ve tried a few different cleaners but the Method cleaner is the only one I found that does not leave any streaking. And an added bonus is it’s all environmentally friendly and green! So when our kitties decide to run across the freshly mopped floor, it won’t hurt them. And it dries so quick I usually don’t see any paw prints.
If you have tile, like I do in our bathrooms, Method makes a wonderful tile cleaner too. Nice lemon scent that is totally not over-powering.
Good Luck and sorry about the long comment. Have fun in your new house!
Amanda your home is lovely. I really love the kitchen. It is hard to believe they did not put a pantry in this gorgeous home. It seems to have everything else. I wish you a long happy life in your new home.
WHAT IS THE PAINT COLOR ON YOUR WALLS? That grey/pewder color? Beautiful!!
Thanks Amanda and congrats! Luv you gurl! :)
Love the new house! Can’t wait to see your pictures! You will love the hardwood floors, just remember with hardwood ‘less is more’…..less water, less work and more beautiful! I use my steam mop on the “dust” setting, works wonders! And, even dirty hardwood looks better than clean carpet! Enjoy!
Beautiful home! You guys have great taste =).
Gorgeous home! Who is the builder? I am looking to build a home within the next few months, and I love the curb appeal of this home, the kitchen, the ath, and everything I saw. Thanks!
Thank you for giving proper credit and congrats on your new home :)
Wow! What a lucky girl! You have a gorgeous home.
As for taking care of your hardwood floors…We have hardwood throughout our whole house (except bathrooms) and I use a microfiber type mop head i bought at a hardwood floor store( i tried one from walmart and did not like how it cleaned)…go ahead and buy at least 2 if not 3:) I usually ALWAYS keep one on my mop at all times- we have 2 little girls and now we have an adopted Boston Terrier. Heart a flutter. So, it comes in handy to spot clean everyday.I would not trade hardwood for carpet again.LOVE.MY.HARDWOOD.FLOORS!
I also spray Bona wood floor cleaner on it. Just do a little section at a time. You can also buy that at your hardwood floor specialty store, while there, buy your spray bottle to put the cleaner in. when I buy it from the specialty store, its generally made to delute with water. When i buy it from Walmart, its ready to use. I do not recommend using a steam cleaner, If you planks were not sealed to make it one solid floor… its like this……..if you can see cracks between each wood plank, do NOT use a steam cleaner- you will ruin them.
And for what its worth, mopping is great exercise!
I hope I have helped you as you have helped me. I love your blog, I love your photography tutorials(i use them often as they have helped me learn my camera and take some great shots). I love looking at your cute 4-legged babies!
Best Regards-
jennifer
Wow, that is such a beautiful house! I bet you will have so much fun decorating it. And the kitchen is my favorite part! Absolutely beautiful!
Congrats on your beautiful new home! My husband and I are looking for open floor plans to build on our land. I am in love with the pictures of your home and the open floor plan its exactly what we are looking for in our home. Would you happen to have any information on the blueprints/floor plan I would love to build a home like yours! Thanks!
Brooke
Oh wow. Between the photographer and a comment someone made, I just realized we live in the same city! Welcome! And the house is beautiful. Congrats.
If you don’t mind me asking… what does your husband do for a living! Do you work? Wow! Any plans to fill that house with kids!?
this is MY DREAM HOUSE !!!! LOVE IT !!!.
Everything is so perfect. Congratulations!
I have followed you for sooo many years and am very proud of you! You have almost 38.ooo fans? I am not surprised!
Btw, would love to see your craft room.
Thanks you
whata sweet place…
Dear, where is your new Scrapbook-room?)
show us, we are waiting!))
The house is GORGEOUS!!! Congrats
OH MAH GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!
Your house is to die for!!! :D
:-D Couldn’t help but think, cor I would love all that space, and that house and garden lol, its just dreamy! I live in a cramped rented house in England with five of my seven children and hardly have a penny but whenever I need something I know angels watch over and give just what is required ie food for that day, and some miracle or other to get by….. and reading your blog has been a blessing, it is so kind of you to share of yourself with others. Thankyou for that. You are a wonderful person and you obviously have an amazing husband also! I kind of wished I lived round the corner so we could be friends :-D I just love talented creative people! Way to go!
From Sussex, England :-D