A house tour of our 1800s Queen Anne Victorian | CamelsAndChocolate.com

Virtual Housewarming: A Peek Into Our Lair

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Since returning from the Bahamas at the end of October, I’ve been home bound here in Tennessee—other than a quick five-day trip to Washington—and it’s been great getting to actually live in the space SVV and I have spent the last three-and-a-half years renovating.

A house tour of our 1800s Queen Anne Victorian | CamelsAndChocolate.com
A house tour of our 1800s Queen Anne Victorian | CamelsAndChocolate.com

You may recall that we were in the midst of doing our siding when last I updated you on our home progress. We got that done just under the wire for our refinance inspection—which we’re still waiting to hear back on that mess of a situation because VA loans are the worst—the week before Christmas with the help of a trio of handymen from Advantage Siding; though it was a bit more than we had hoped to pay, they were indeed awesome to work with and got the job done. As soon as it starts to warm up in the spring, we’ll be working with Sherwin-Williams to paint the exterior High Reflective White.

A house tour of our 1800s Queen Anne Victorian | CamelsAndChocolate.com

A house tour of our 1800s Queen Anne Victorian | CamelsAndChocolate.com
A house tour of our 1800s Queen Anne Victorian | CamelsAndChocolate.com

But what about the interior, you might ask. I’ve been posting pretty regular room tours on my Snapchat lately—follow along at LunaticAtLarge if you don’t already—and it seems like you guys want more.

Queen Anne Victorian floor layout | CamelsAndChocolate.com

Created with this super awesome free software, Floorplanner, that SVV found

So even though I’m a perfectionist and it pains me a little to show you our very unfinished house, here’s a sneak peek at where all of our rooms currently stand.

The Master Bathroom. If you’ll recall, we teamed up with Mission Stone + Tile to completely make over this space, and I absolutely LOVE the way it’s turned out so far. Note: This is still a work in progress. We just ordered a piece of remnant Rococo quartz to serve as the vanity top and still need to find a hanging shower fixture and curtain and some other accents to complete the space because the walls are slanted and it’s a very odd layout. Any ideas, for a mirror in particular? I’d love to hear them.

Mission Stone Tile Bathroom Renovation

The Master Bedroom. Other than getting the floor replaced in 2012 (fear not, the poplar will continue to darken over time), tiling the fireplace and recently adding a chandelier from my sister’s wedding decor—we’re nothing if not resourceful—we haven’t done much with this room … yet. It’s comfortable enough now, but we only really sleep here. What we really need is some better closet space (not pictured), so we might build one at some point in the future.

A house tour of our 1800s Queen Anne Victorian | CamelsAndChocolate.com

The Living Room. You’ll be hearing a lot about this space in the coming months as we’re working with my good friend Kendall Simmons and using her new e-design service to totally makeover this room, and I’ll be chronicling that process in depth. As you can imagine, we spend a lot of time in this room and other than the Z Gallerie couches, which are SO comfortable, I’m ready for everything else to go and to get a nice color scheme going and some fun art on both of the walls. I also can’t wait to scrape these horrible popcorn ceilings and switch out the ugly light fixtures, which were there when we moved in.

A house tour of our 1800s Queen Anne Victorian | CamelsAndChocolate.com

The Dining Room. Eventually, we’d love to knock down the wall between the living and dining room and make it all one big space that flows together. We’re also going to have a custom farm house table built with a bench on one side and chairs on the other, but for now, this is what it looks like.

A house tour of our 1800s Queen Anne Victorian | CamelsAndChocolate.com

A year ago, we also moved my Pottery Barn desk set down into the dining room as I was never using it in our office upstairs. Being on the ground floor is so much better for me, and though we haven’t completed this space, you can still get a feel for it.

A house tour of our 1800s Queen Anne Victorian | CamelsAndChocolate.com

The Lemon Room. Our upstairs guest bedroom has more or less been done for two years, though whatever window treatments we use downstairs, we’ll likely incorporate into this room, as well. I’d also like to get a big piece of artwork to hang in the blank space over the mantle.

A house tour of our 1800s Queen Anne Victorian | CamelsAndChocolate.com

The Green Room. We outfitted the downstairs bedroom, which we dubbed “The Green Room” thanks to the fireplace tile, with a pair of antique twin beds I found on Craigslist a few years ago with the intention for my nieces and nephew—or our friends’ kids—to be able to sleep in a space separate from their parents (in other words, those of us in the rooms upstairs can sleep soundly!). I also thought that when we have big groups of friends come stay, it would be handy to have one room with a queen bed and the other with twin beds so non-married/dating friends can share this room if need be.

A house tour of our 1800s Queen Anne Victorian | CamelsAndChocolate.com

This room has a lot of work that needs to be done, but it’s low on the priority list. We’re going to seal up the door which you can’t see but that leads to the Florida Room (it’s useless) and build corner shelves along both blank walls to house our 40+ globe collection and all the magazines I have to keep for work/research purposes. I’d also love to get rid of this trunk and put it in our attic, but for now it serves as my magazine and document storage.

The Kitchen. Oh man, the kitchen. This is probably the room we spend the most amount of time in after the living room, and it’s going to be a beast to tackle. We’re hoping to start it this summer—new cabinets, seal up the door to the bathroom and create an alternate entryway, sand and paint the floor, build an island, tear out that ceiling fan, cover the beadboard, replace those ugly countertops—but a lot depends on budget and, of course, time.

A house tour of our 1800s Queen Anne Victorian | CamelsAndChocolate.com

A house tour of our 1800s Queen Anne Victorian | CamelsAndChocolate.com
A house tour of our 1800s Queen Anne Victorian | CamelsAndChocolate.com

Sometimes it feels like we’ve made so little progress in three-and-a-half years, but then I look at the original photos from when we moved in fall of 2012 and I realize how far we’ve come. I’m trying not to beat myself up too much over this and just enjoy the projects we’re doing one step at a time.

A house tour of our 1800s Queen Anne Victorian | CamelsAndChocolate.com

That’s all you get for now, but if there’s something you’re dying to know about our old Victorian home, let me know in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer!

COMMENTS
  • February 8, 2016

    I swear this house is SO you! Love love love!!!

    • February 9, 2016

      Thank you, friend! I don’t know much about home design so I’ve been learning as I go 😉

  • February 8, 2016
    Shawnna

    hey girl Love the house! So cool! Y’all have done a great job!

    • February 9, 2016

      Thank you, Shawnna! It will forever be a work in progress =)

  • February 8, 2016

    Swoon, swoon, swoon!!! I can’t wait to see additional updates and improvements! (And, you are right, you have come a LONG WAY since the dark red and yellow walls!!)

    xox

    • February 9, 2016

      I have to frequently refer back to those pictures to remind myself of the Fruit Loops state the walls were in when we first bought it! Scraping the ceilings and painting the walls white was the first thing we did before moving in.

  • February 8, 2016

    You’ve come far in only 3 1/2 years especially with your busy schedules. Nice job with the photos showing how bright and large the rooms are. I’d stay in the yellow room on a future visit. Thanks for the update.

    • February 9, 2016

      That yellow room is all yours if you ever make it this far east!

  • February 8, 2016
    Laura

    This is basically my dream – LOVE living vicariously through your renovation posts!

  • February 8, 2016

    Did y’all reverse things in the master bathroom? I was looking at the old post and either it’s a different bathroom or it looks like y’all reversed the tub/countertop … I was trying to figure out something with that mirror but that threw me. 🙂

    • February 9, 2016

      You are perceptive! Yes, we swapped the tub and the vanity because the slanted ceiling meant you couldn’t actually shower there so it was essentially useless. Trying to figure out how to mount the mirror though was super tricky! Not done yet, but here’s the first post chronicling the bathroom reno:

      https://www.camelsandchocolate.com/2015/11/master-bathroom-renovation/

    • February 9, 2016

      Yep! We moved the swapped the vanity and clawfoot to opposite sides because we couldn’t even stand up in the bathtub without hitting our heads on the ceiling. A little bit of plumbing wizardry and a rip saw did the trick! Any advice on the mirror? The roofline is right there and if we move it down some to keep the angle a little more straight it becomes non-functional. That said, right now it’s a little surreal feeling to have it so slanted. Kinda feels like we’re falling up.. 🙂

  • February 8, 2016
    Joan van Veldor

    Gorgeous and will just get more so as you continue with your work. Your house has lovely bones and all the effort is going to turn it into a treasure. I love it all except…. I can’t find “the chair”.

    • February 9, 2016

      Guess you’ll just have to make a return visit to see it for yourself! =)

  • February 8, 2016

    Ty and I were looking at the photos in your posts and he’d like to know if we can move in. I see you already have a room ready for us. Ha!!! Looks gorgeous lady!

    • February 9, 2016

      A room for the adults upstairs, a room for the boys down =)

  • February 8, 2016

    I LOVE those hanging glass planters above Ella’s bed – so cute! And I also really like that you use vintage suitcases as a table beside your work desk – what a great way to pay homage to travel. Now if I can find some vintage suitcases for myself…

    • February 9, 2016

      Thanks, Pauline! We’ve been collecting the hanging air planter over the years, from West Elm and eBay stores. I would like to get some vintage luggage that fits that space better, but they’re hard to come by (and expensive!).

  • February 8, 2016

    Wow, that entry foyer and staircase is really stunning, love all the fun projects and work. (love all the stained trim work) Boy that kitchen will definitely be a big work in progress.

    • February 9, 2016

      Yes, the kitchen is going to be a HUGE job. And we’re trying to do it on a budget, too, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we do it in phases over the next few years.

  • February 8, 2016
    Jeje

    Pictures just don’t do it justice! You have really come a long way!!

  • February 9, 2016

    Really love all of the character in your place – both added and I’m sure, there since the place was built. The green and yellow fireplaces are totally fab!

    • February 11, 2016

      Ha, yes, plenty of unwanted character but most of it is charming 😉

  • February 9, 2016

    I will forever live vicariously through your home remodeling projects! I don’t know how you have the patience (or time!) to do them all but I love, love, love watching your progress!

  • February 10, 2016

    I used to see renovation projects and think to myself “ugh” they always turn out so beautiful, but man the investment of time and muscle, but since the RV I started watching HGTV one day and now I am hooked and I think renovating looks like a lot of fun (plus hard work and money, lots and lots of money). P.S. Ella is a small dog I have a cat and they both have an abundance of dog beds! When we had the house it was three levels and there was a bed on every level, two on the bottom…even in the RV she has two – for each “part” of the rig….ahhhh our furbabies!

    • February 11, 2016

      Funny you say that as we literally just ordered her two more this weekend! She currently has one upstairs and one downstairs, but spends more time on the couch and the king bed like the princess that she is 😉

  • February 10, 2016

    Gorgeous house! I’ve been following your snaps of the house and it looks beautiful! 🙂

    • February 11, 2016

      Thanks, Dominique! We’ll be working on this house until I die 😉

  • February 11, 2016

    I don’t even own a house and this is making me jealous.
    I would love a house even half as beautiful.

    • February 26, 2016

      Thank you, Richard! Definitely a lot of work and a huge money suck, but it’s worth it in the end to have something we feel like we created in a sense =)

  • February 11, 2016
    pam

    love this! thanks for the update!

  • February 15, 2016

    Quite possible the most cheerful house I’ve seen! And reflects your personality beautifully!

    • February 26, 2016

      Thank you, Lindsey! I can’t wait to see what Kendall does with it (and I still want you two to meet! she comes back to Paris in May, I believe).

  • February 15, 2016

    I love the house – it’s super stylish! Also, reminds me of why I sold my house and went back to renting…home ownership is a never ending project. I hated having to choose between a new furnace or a vacation!

    • February 26, 2016

      Exactly! We originally were under contract for a house that’s not even a decade old. I’d love to know what our life would be lack had we bought that one instead! Though koi pond aside (and camel as a next door neighbor, not even kidding), it didn’t have near the character as this old lady =)

  • February 18, 2016

    Gorgeous work! It looks amazing. You guys have done a lot in 3 1/2 years and it looks really good, especially compared to the initial pictures. We’re working on another home remodel right now and it’s just exhausting. We’re not trying to do the whole thing at one go and it’s a much smaller house than yours — only 1900 square feet — but it’s still a lot of work!

    • February 26, 2016

      Ahhhh, are you documenting your home renovation? I want to see it! It’s not actually a ton smaller than ours; ours is just 2600 square feet, which always surprised people (though it has high ceilings and a massive attic we may finish…eventually).

  • February 23, 2016

    Your home is GORGEOUS! I love old Victorian houses like this…well worth all your hard work. That staircase, fireplace, bow windows…all those beautiful original details! Also, your website is equally as beautiful! I love the fun, playful and easy to navigate design. One of the best I’ve seen so far, I’m excited to have come across your blog!

  • February 23, 2016

    Is there actually a fireplace in every room?? I can’t lie, I’m jealous of your home. 😉

    • February 26, 2016

      There are six fireplaces! We’ve refinished two of them. Two or three of the others might eventually get the same treatment as the colors were…interesting. 😉

      And thank you for the super kind words, Melinda!

  • October 7, 2016

    Your house is really beautiful! Really spacious! My favorite is the bathroom. You also have a large yard… perfect play ground for your dogs. 🙂

  • November 21, 2017

    Very nice interior decoration.. I think you are professional ones or a person who loves art designs closely. Thanks for sharing the beautiful pics.

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