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Dream House Tour – First Floor

OUR 2nd HOUSE

It’s finally here!  Time to show you guys why we are willing to pack up our home (our first home, our child’s first home, and our baby for the past four years that we poured blood, sweat, and tears into) and move to the country.  This is the house that we dreamed for, prayed for and are soo enamored with we want to write it love letters.  Hopefully you will understand after seeing these photos why this opportunity is too good to not chase down, tie up and brand with a red hot iron.  

 

Since this is only part 1 of the tour (it’s a big ole whale of a home so we broke it up so you wouldn’t end up watching a tour video longer than a American Idol Finale), we are only gonna show the first floor today.  But don’t worry – we have the whole week to share the other bits of the house.  You may remember the floor plan from this post…but just as a refresher, you may wanna look it over to make sense of the tour later. 

For all you non-video watchers here is the picture play-by-play. 

The exterior of the home is a bit of a mixture.  The backside has siding, while the front has stacked stone and brick.  Since they are similar colors, it mixes really well. 

When you walk up to the front, you will see that the patio is slate tiled and we LOVE that.  The color of the trim is NOT our cup of tea…or should I say flavor of dog vomit…it’s not good.  And we will change it eventually.  We also want to change the colors of the front doors…maybe to a dark crimsony red. 

Once you go inside, the first thing that strikes me is the size of the foyer.  It is two stories high…which is quite a different height than our current foyer (which is about 7 foot tall).  The stair way to the upper floor is right there in front – and beside it is the glass paneled door to the basement stairway.  The arched walkway to the right is the hallway to the kitchen, the half bath, the office, laundry room and garage. 

You may notice the color…I fondly named it the very tasteful hue called Toothpaste.  

Once you walk in, the dining room is immediately on the right.  On the upside, it has a tray ceiling, hardwood floors, beautiful moldings and paneling, and plenty of room for a great big table.  On the downside, it is quite red.   

The arched doorway back into the foyer is the larger of the two openings in this room.  The smaller archway is right next to it – yes, it’s a little odd but it does allow for even more natural light into the space which is never a bad thing.

If you step into the dining room and then turn around…here is your view.  You can see straight back into the other side of the house.  Directly across the foyer is the sitting room…we call it the reading room sometimes…and we have big plans for that space to be baby friendly room that has lots of colorful photos and a big comfy chair and lots of kiddy books.

The color isn’t so bad in here…but since the walls are dirty, we’ll probably have to repaint.  You can see in this photo where the electrical sconces are missing. 

Just past the french doors is the living room.  You may remember this teaser photo…and this room hands down made me fall in love with the home.  I absolutely love the natural light that pours in this room.  That same wall of windows is a crime scene.  About a year ago, Georgia experienced serious flooding and TONS of rain.  The gutter right above these windows could not handle the waterflow…and it caused a leak right next to the doors.  Since that time, the floors have been replaced that were damaged but they definitely need refinishing. 

They boards aren’t perfectly matched in color and some of them still need a better fit.  One day we’ll have them refinished…and hopefully stained to a dark chocolate color. 

When you turn around in the living room, you can see straight back into the reading room.  There are some arched nooks right next to the french doors and we have no idea what to do with them yet….we’ll figure it out.  Don’t worry your pretty little head.

In the back of the house is the kitchen.  We love the arched windows and the fact that there are two sinks.  We don’t like the groddy caulk and the brassy fixtures.   

From the kitchen you can see into the living room through the extra wide doorway.  You can also access the back deck here.  So dreamy…

The doorway in the back of the kitchen opens up to the barrel walkway that runs from the foyer to the garage.  Next to the doorway is the coat closet (it’s oh-so-spacious compared to our current one!) and across from there is the half bathroom. 

The half bathroom is going to be one of my favorite projects.  Why?  BECAUSE it is hideous.  It looks like some was killed in there and then the blood was shmeared all over.  Seriously who does this to a room?  Why would you?  What did that room ever do to you except alleviate you from your ‘burden’?!?

Seriously…that this is getting painted before you can say UGLY. 

Turn left coming out of the kitchen and you will see the little area that leads to the laundry room (left), the office (center) and the garage (right).

The laundry room is WONDERFUL.  One – because it is on the main floor.  Two – because it isn’t a bathroom.  And three – because it has one of those ever-so-helpful utility sinks.  I know I am a bit loco to get wild about a utility sink but I have a little boy.  Nuff said.

The office is an answer to prayer.  We always wanted a separate space for Jeremy to work (since he does work from home 99% of the time)…and this space is PRIME for a getaway for him to make the big bucks. 

It also has it’s own full bathroom…crazy, huh!? 

The garage is HUGE!  It is a three car garage and has PLENTY of space for our vehicles (while still leaving room for a possible second fridge or standup freezer – dude, when you coupon, it’s like a necessity!)

Okay – so that is the photo tour – now for the real goods…the video walk-through.  Sorry it took me so long…but here it is and I hope you guys see all the potential that we do in this home!

Untitled from Katie Bower on Vimeo.

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Comments

  1. Hi! I’m new to your blog (found ya through a link over at Young House Love) and stayed up a little bit later tonight just to catch a sneak peek of the dream home. I have a little jealousy for the beautes of the South since the cookie cutter Arizona homes don’t hold a candle to them! I think I speak for a lot of your readers when I say I can’t wait for the post when you explain how you paint those uber tall ceilings! I’ve got twenty footers and this is the first thing I said after they were done: “never again!” Thank goodness you found your forever home and once, with good paint, should be enough 🙂

  3. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G House!! Congratulations Bower family! SO many fun projects to tackle in this house! How exciting!!

  4. Your house is beautiful! Can’t wait to see the changes after you move in and start making it your own.

  5. Magnificent! What a home, it’s grand and amazing! Will must have been making all those noises because he feels so comfortable in his new space. Congratulations/Good Luck. Looking forward to February 14th to see those keys in the Bower Family’s hands =)

  6. Aren’t you starting to wonder who “they” are and why “they” took all the things “they” did?? I was starting to think this when you posted about the furnice, but now the lighting, the door and drawer pulls, and even the deadbolts?? This house seems like it has a major story to tell and I really wish I knew more, don’t you? Like who builds a house like this (I had pictured a wealthy family, dressed in their Gucci suits and Dolce & Gabbana shoes) and then leaves it in this shape? Why did they have to take all of the things that they did? Were they really hard up for that much money? So confusing? I picture teeny, tiny little houses with holes in the wall from where people punched through the drywall because they were mad when I think of foreclosed houses, not a beautiful mansion like this one. It seems like some of the stuff was picked out with such great taste and love and then it’s left like this??? Again, weird! I guess I’ve just never seen anything like this before and of course had a sterotype in my head for the house I was about to see, which was nothing like this one. I almost feel bad for the house:( I’m glad you are trying to “rescue” it Katie and I”m so, so, so very excited to watch along the way. PS: Don’t think you are weird for getting excited about the coat closet, I’m just as pumped for you as you are!! Oh, and it looks like you could ice skate on that deck, I’m in Wisconsin and can’t say that we can do the same, even around here with the weather we’ve been having!! Stay warm. Thanks for the post and thanks for the sound effects Will!!

  7. That is one ginormous house! Love love love the kitchen. And that blood schmeared bathroom… yikes! That’ll make for a dramatic and very satisfying before & after.

  10. Oh my gosh, I’m not usually one to swoon over large houses (yeah, I’m weird like that) but I am swooning like a pro right now That house is gorgeous. Oh, and the fancy-schmancy wood trim and molding everywhere – be still my heart! ( Except for that scary half bath. But I know you can rock it out once you’ve got the keys. )

  11. Amazing! I’m excited to see you transform this huge house into your home. I feel sorry for the house, being stripped and abandoned. It makes a person really curious about its history. I’m glad you’ll be able to give it the love it deserves.

  13. Seriously!!! You will have to label all the doors in this dang place in case someone gets lost.
    They will have to text you to come find them!! I am majorly JEALOUS!!!

  14. oh. my. god.

    OHMYGODAFAJKFLAFDK;LAJDF;LAJDKL;FJAK;FJA;DFJKA;KLFJA. I THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE “SACKED” OR SOMETHING BECAUSE IT WAS FORECLOSED! It’s a dream boat! Work is needed, but woahhhhhh. So awesome!

  16. WOW! Congratulations! It’s freakin ginormous! That is so much decorating and DIY potential ! Have a great time! It’s beautiful!

  17. Holy Freakin’ Moly! Where do you live cuz I’m moving there!! This would easily be a million dollar ++ house where I live in Canada. People don’t just get the chance to buy a home like this every day. WOW…I am so thrilled and excited for you. You say you are under contract…..does that mean it IS yours or could something happen to ruin that? Oh say it IS yours!!!!!

  20. Holy CRAP! I can’t believe how FREAKING AWESOME your house is.
    I’m so excited for you guys. It must have been heartbreaking for the previous owners to leave this place. Can you imagine? It must have been their dream home.
    Oh well, now it’s your dream home!!!!!

  21. amazing- it’s like the barbie dream house.
    and that red of the dining room- that is the color we painted ours and it was tough to live with.

  22. We bought our home from an investor, who had bought it foreclosed. The owners did the same thing… they took a lot of the things out, or as much as they could. Our Realtor told us it’s a pretty common occurrence for people to take everything [including light fixtures, door knobs… etc] out of the home before they have to leave, mainly for the fact that because the *bank* is taking *their* home, they want to leave with as much as they possibly can because the bank will have to go in and replace it all.

  23. That’s only the first floor?!? There’s soooo much room! And so many parts of it are in GREAT condition! What a lucky find and a lucky girl! It’s Gorgeous!

  24. Beautiful Home Katie! What a huge blessing to be able to purchase your dream home! Looks like a great place for entertaining and making wonderful family memories. Loving all the natural light and details!

  27. Beautiful home! Lots of potential indeed! What was the song you had playing in the background? 🙂

  28. Holy Cow (or pig, since you are quite the bacon lover)!!! That’s one massive house! I love it and am totally envious – what a lucky find that is in such great shape! Good luck and I cannot wait to see all the projects you tackle in this home!!!

  31. Absolutely Breathtaking! I am so happy for you!! I do believe this is my dream house too! 🙂

  33. Absolutely gorgeous! If that were my house, I would NEVER leave! What fun it will be to decorate and personalize everything! What a dream! I love the layout and all the natural light. It will be fun to have guests over and everyone will be able to access the outside thru almost every room! Congratulations! You are living out all of our dreams out here in blogland!

  34. So A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I especially love all of the moldings and trim work. So many beautiful details. And that half bath is going to make one heck of a Before & After.

    We bought our house last August and decided to rent our townhouse out instead of try to sell it in this market. We would have lost a lot of money, if it even sold. The rental market is actually pretty strong with all of the people displaced by foreclosures and we rented it within a week (Craigslist!). We aren’t making a profit off of it but it covers the townhome mortgage. Being a first time landlord can be stressful (they better be treatin’ my house right!) but the end result (your dream house) is well worth it.

  35. It’s actually a couple of songs that were on my labor playlist –
    Yiruma – River Flows in You &
    Music for Quiet Moments – Cristofori’s Dream
    xo – kb

  38. It must have been really painful…I think that is kinda what scares us….like what if that happened to us!?!? But like someone super famous said…it’s better to have love and lost than to never love at all.
    xo – kb

  39. We are under contract…which means that we could walk away at any time but the seller (the bank) is on the hook for whatever they agreed to in the contract.
    xo – kb

  42. Hi! First, let me say I LOVE your blog, def one I look forward to reading every day!!

    When you first posted the floor plan of your dream house, I realized it looked familiar to me and after seeing the photos today – yep! I have a client whose home is the exact same layout as yours!! Funny because I guess I realized that builders/artitects use the same/similar plans, but I just didn’t expect to see your dream home to also be my clients house! A lot of the details – like the moldings, windows, etc are different but the layout, size and vibe are totally the same.

    Thought you might find it interesting that my client’s home, here in good ol’ expensive New Jersey is only on about an acre of land, is in an upper middle class neighborhood and is conservatively valued over 1 million now (in this economy! Yes, I spied on it on Zillow.) Plus, their property taxes are probably around $20K/year. This probably makes you glad you live in Georgia : ) Makes me wished I lived there, too!

    Congrats on your house, hope everything works out with all the hoops you have to jump through!

  43. It’s gorgeous – great bones!! Congratulations!

    You guys are so blessed…I hope to one day have a family and dream home like yours!

  44. Fantastic house!! I can see a tall Christmas tree in that foyer area to the left of the door to the basement!! Good luck to you, can’t wait to see what you do with the place!

  45. This is happening all over in Phoenix and other cities that were hit hardest by the recession. When I was looking to buy a house a year ago, I toured so many houses that had things missing – fixtures, cabinetry, water heaters, etc. Some people even go so far as to trash the house before they leave – taking a sledge hammer to the walls, pulling up flooring, spray painting on the walls. It’s sad, but it almost seems like they feel like if they can’t enjoy it, no one should.

  46. Awesome house! I love all the mouldings and the doors out to the front porch from the dining room and the sitting/reading room are to die for. Just perfect!

  47. This house has AMAZING potential! Seriously, what amazing bones to work with!! Looking at it on your blog is the grown-up equivalent of playing with Barbie’s dream house as a child. I hope that made sense. If it doesn’t make sense, just know it was a compliment 🙂

  49. It’s stunning. And very large, and full of lots of lovely details and potential… But I guess I am put off by just how large it is. Sometimes I think the American Dream is just that– a dream to keep us busy so that we don’t do the things that we were meant to do on earth. A dream that keeps us so occupied and so tied to it that we don’t have the time or the resources left over for the great commission. That’s why I’m personally encouraged by the “small living/small house” mentality. Less house= less headaches, less time spent working and thinking about ways in which to FILL said house with more stuff.

    So I’m probably the only one who is going to come out to say that I’m going to miss your old “small” house.

    Gah, I hate how this is sounding judgmental. Please believe me when I say I’m not judging you. I realize that if we stop and think about it, a 500 sq. foot mobile home would probably seem like a mansion to over half the world’s population! So it’s all a matter of perspective.

    I guess I just feel a little sad because I feel like this blog is going be different from this point on. Maybe it’s just early in the day and my brain is a little fuzzy, or maybe it’s hormones! I just hope that this house doesn’t change you and your family [and this blog! 🙂 ]

  50. Hi Annaleece,
    Totally valid point…and we actually challenged ourselves to REALLY think about this issue before we even moved forward on day 1. We didn’t want this home to be OUR house…but GOD’s house that we live in…and that we use to serve others. I think that it will change us to a point…but hopefully in a good way. Right now we don’t feel like we have the space to provide a comfortable place for missionaries that are home on furlough…or friends that need a hand…or the kinda yard that can be used for youth group’s flag football or capture the flag. We want those things. We decided to make this a priority in the next house…not because we want an excuse to get a bigger home but because it won’t really belong to us anyway.
    xo – kb
    I hope this makes sense….and yes, it seems like a mansion to me too….

  53. a house doesn’t make the person, the people make the house a home. I am sure the bower’s will continue to be awesome, regardless of where they live!

  55. Katie- I am IN LOVE with the new house! It’s so gorgeous already and I can’t wait to see what ya’ll do with it. Call me officially jealous.

  56. Wow! This home is so palatial and grand. I love the character it already has and I can see the potential. I’m so excited to see the first projects you do!

  59. I totally understand what you mean, KB! We aren’t especially religious, but I get that you use/would use your house for more (like missionaries, flag football, etc), it’s not just for the three of y’all (and future babies). I tried to explain it to my husband when I was showing him your pictures last night, but he just said “it’s HUGE!” so I gave up.

  61. O…M….G…. your new house is STUNNING! Can’t wait to see how you put your mark on it 🙂 Congrats Bowers!

  62. I think there should be a federal law passed requiring home owner’s to document exactly were they thinking when they make any changes to a room. Maybe you can watch Dexter in your “kill” room!

  64. I know houses don’t have souls but sometimes when you see a house you can almost see it’s soul if it had one, you know? This house is an absolutely beautiful, wonderful, bright and warm house that almost seems like it’s sad because of what has happened and how much has been taken from it. I know it sounds kind of weird to say that but you can almost hear it asking to be rescued. I am so happy for you guys and can’t wait to see how your love changes this place.

  66. Your house is amazing! To be honest I would be completely intimidated as to how start painting and decorating this big of a house, but I’m sure you have plenty of ideas already. So excited for you and lucky for us that we get to share in this experience with you!

  68. Hey, thanks for replying, Katie! I hope my comment did not offend you (I should have added that I have a hard time letting go of things; can we say sentimental? Yes, I just admitted that I am sentimental over someone else’s house and blog.)

    Your comment reminded me of something that happened with our friends s few years back when they bought their first home. It had lots of extra bedrooms and everyone wondered what they were going to do with such a big house… well, they’ve kept it full with family, friends, missionaries, and even people down on their luck. Their doors are ALWAYS open, and it is so encouraging. And like you guys, they are always reminding each other and everyone else that the house is God’s, not theirs. I think that’s amazing stewardship, and very inspiring to other Christians.

    Anyway, I hope you give us all a proper goodbye to your “old” house before you hand the keys over 🙂

  70. Alyssa, what was done to this house is nothing! It is just a family that is really hurt that they had to leave there home because they could not afford it. I personally think that they are silly for taking things such as knobs and deadbolts, however, to them they are really upset with the bank and want to take things that they might think are valuable. People do much worse!!!! Look at this video of a neighbor of my parents:

    http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/trashed-home-trashed-12636180

    People get really angry. As far as the Bowers new home I do not think they need to wonder about “the story”. Beautiful house Katie! Gorgeous!

  71. Wow!!! Absolutely beautiful. I can see why you are so excited!! I have been following your blog but this is the first time I have left a comment (couldn’t resist).

  73. OMG!OMG!OMG! I’m so jealous! Especially knowning that you didn’t have to sell your first (and only) born in order to buy it! So excited to see what you do with the place!!!

  74. That’s awesome Katie!! Those moldings are AMAZING!!! I’m sure you’ll make it super pretty (no, not redneck!!) in a jiffy. Good luck with all of your hurdles before v-day and cannot wait to see the second floor!

  76. This house is AMAZING! You had me at the photo of the house from the outside– just beautiful! I can’t wait what y’all do with it!

  77. katie, it is so gorgeous… no wonder you call it the dream house. all that white wood work… to die for! congratulations!! i’m in birmingham (transplanted from all over, but most recently update ny) and i had to laugh when you mentioned the tray ceiling. i had never heard of that until i moved down to alabama, but it is a much coveted feature down here! and they certainly are pretty. can’t wait to see all your ideas for the house come to fruition.

  78. He works for Equifax. He’s been blessed to work from home for the past four years…but there is no guarantee that will continue forever.
    xo – kb

  79. It’s not in the same county…or the same town…it’s a bit more in the country (which is EXACTLY what we have always wanted!)…so to answer your question – kinda. It’s about twenty minutes away 🙂
    xo – kb

  80. We kinda feel the same way! Jeremy said that it’s hard to know that it is sitting there vacant and nobody wants to take care of it. The bank definitely isn’t. I can relate because that is how I feel about adopting kids. Hopefully one day we’ll be able to do that too and this will be their home 🙂
    xo – kb

  81. No – it didn’t offend me at all! In fact, I think more people should think that way! I am uber-sentimental over our current house too – it’s where Jer carried me over the threshold and where we called home to Will for the first time and where we feel happiest! I mean, we spend 24/7 together in this place so it’s definitely a little hard to let go…but we know that God has led us to this other home. We don’t know why right now…but we trust he will show us. We are just hoping it’s not because He is going to give us quintuplets or something crazy like that 🙂
    xo – kb

  82. Katie! O.M.G.!! Gorgeous! Seriously beautful house.

    I had no idea you were a couponeer? After using coupons for about 8 months there is no way I am paying more than .25 cents for toothpaste… lol. Half the time store pay me to take things off their shelves. I wonder why I never used coupons before. CVS, Walgreens, Publix, Target love them for have store coupons and allowing us to use manufacturers coupons as well.

    I also love that it gives me to opportunity to donate to those in need. My stockpile of shampoos, conditions, razors, cleaning products, medicine, is outta control… lol. You’ll have plenty of space for all your goodies!!

  83. Whoa. Cannot believe it. I’m thinking my husband and I need to move out of state. Where we are in CA, something like this would cost upwards of a million dollars, and unfortunately none of the homes in our area have such great architectural features. So excited for you. What a life you will get to create there! Lots of amazing memories for your kiddos, and a home that they will love to come back to. And that’s what its really all about. Congratulations!

  84. :0)
    Love to hear what you’ve said about adoption. I know I don’t know you guys but from what I see on your blog i think you would make awesome parents to an adopted child.
    God gives us the gifts we have so that we can use them to help others who desperately need it – especially children.

  85. Eek! that is so bad Mrs. S! Such a shame. But I can understand how people feel so abused by banks that they lash out. I don’t know what that feeling is like exactly…but I can imagine that you want to hurt the people that are hurting you 🙁
    As far as the story goes – I do wonder! I imagine that the P.O.’s knew that they were losing their home for a long time…and made arrangements somewhere else…and took the things they could use…like the water heater and the garage door openers and the cabinet hardware. It’s the only thing that made sense. And because they chose lots of gold and crazy finishes, we kinda picture this couple being a little bit older and having grandkids with their own rooms when they came to visit and they probably didn’t make a lot of great financial decisions…because they finished the basement but didn’t have a back up plan for their 600K mortgage. That’s kinda how we picture the story going…any other guesses?
    xo – kb

  87. Hi!
    Love the new DREAM HOUSE! Looks like lots of fun…can’t wait to see how you Bower it up. Not to change the subject of your post but I have a photography question. I am a beginner photographer, my aunt and uncle are amateur photographers. We are trying to come up with good poses and backgrounds for a four generation shot. One of the generations is an infant and two of the subjects are less than photogenic (sp?). I love all your photo tips and have put many to use! Do you have any creative ideas that come to mind for this one? We live on a cattle ranch and have lots of currently snow covered background. We did one little impromptu photo shot and were having a hard time keeping things from looking busy. We couldn’t blurr the back ground by lowering the f-stop with out losing focus on some subjects faces. Should we think black and white, what to have subjects wear?, maybe lining them up horizontally and vertically possibly?, maybe we want to have the oldest generation holding the houngest generation and let the middle two blurr a little?. HELP:)

  88. Isn’t it crazy?!?! I am nowhere near a pro couponer…but I’ve saved a bundle…and it will definitely help make this future home possible!
    xo – kb

  89. LOVE it! Wow…I always thought I wanted a ranch style house a la Jon and Sherry from YHL but your house may make me change my mind because it is totally awesome. I know you guys will spruce it up to make it look even better – congratulations!

  91. Four generations, hmm? How many individuals total? You could always do some creative lineups…like up against a barn or something with texture…and have them wear color…people always look better with jewel tones and lots of variation of color…and keep them close – have them hug on one another…hold each other…act like they like each other. And for heaven’s sake…DO NOT BLUR PEOPLE! Even if they think or you think they aren’t the typical attractive kinda person, it is YOUR JOB to make them FEEL like the best looking folks on the planet. They have personality – capture it! Every single person is beautiful in their own way and as a photographer, you are supposed to find that beauty and put it forever documented. This may be a challenge for you and sometimes the right angle, the right light, the right flare, the right joke, the right “thing” is what makes it possible. Just remember that proper exposure is never a bad thing…
    xo – the bow-wow

  92. I’ve been debating for a while now over whether I should comment, but since I’m typing here I go:

    You’ve made no mention of the square footage of that behemoth, but my guess is that it’s well over 3,000 square feet. My neighbor, 80 year old Miss Helen, raised 5 boys in a 1,200 square foot house and while I was remarking “Weren’t you crowded?” her response was “Gracious no! My mother raised six of us in a four room house!”

    The comments about missionaries laying their heads in one of the (several) bedrooms, flag football games in the back yard, it’s “God’s House”, etc. are kind of hollow. For a lot less you could have gotten a home that didn’t require you to buy more furniture or more “stuff” (because at the end of the days it’s just a bunch of stuff to make the house sound less cavernous and to fill that void you can’t quite put a finger on), and gone to the park for that game of football. Perhaps I’m a bit cynical, but I find a house this size to be depressing.

    Me? I’ll take my modest square footage, tuck my boys in at night under the quilts that I made with my own two hands (as opposed to some clearance rack Pottery Barn garbage that every other kid in America owns), put on a sweater I’ve had for a few years, and sit on the sofa in my living room that isn’t 15 feet away from the television.

    Crass consumerism at work y’all.

  93. I am SO EXCITED that you found a foreclosure and are blogging about the process. We are in the market for a house and I keep falling in love with houses that need a little extra lovin’. Our real estate agent doesn’t seem to be quite as excited about them, but there is just so much potential. I can’t wait to hear about the rest of your journey. I’d love to read more about the “behind the scenes” information…like how the FHA rehab loan came to be (or maybe everyone knows that but me… I’m new to the home buying process)

  94. Wow, it’s beautiful. I can’t wait to see the basement and 2nd floor 🙂
    I can already hear the echo from kids screaming ‘mom’ in your future!

  95. With a house like this, you need to go sign up for the Real Housewives of Atlanta! 🙂

    I am only kidding! I know you have way more class!

  96. Hahaha…I cant wait to see THAT! 🙂 This home is amazing Katie. Im so excited for you guys. And I have to say, I live in a super old house with amazing original woodwork and all but Ive also got friends in “high places” with million dollar homes and none of them have all the detail, moulding,etc… that yours does. Its wonderful!

  97. Holy Cow! This is now MY dream home too~!

    Congrats on finding such a beautiful home. I look forward to seeing how you will make it your own!

  99. thanks 4 the tips! I should clarify on the blurring people comment. There are four of us (grandma, daughter, grand-daughter, and great grand-daughter). I an the grand-daughter, my aunt and uncle are taking the pics, and we are collectively coming up with some ideas since all three of us photo takers like this stuff. Anywhoo, back 2 the blurring…it would be more of an artsy type picture (not because of how they look). I was thinking of your wedding pic that has your hubby in the slightly blurred background looking at you while u stood in the foreground in focus. I pictured my mom and I hugging in the background looking at my grandma holding my little girl. The two that are tough to get pictures of are my grandmother and mom…neither of them like their smiles and have a hard time relaxing their smiles which results in a strained half smile. Guess i better bring some jokes for taking pics!

  100. Your new home is beautiful! We also live in the burbs of Atlanta (northwest) and found a great deal on a home. But I think I like yours better! 🙂 You’re right, that powder room paint has to go, but I love the vanity! If you decide to get rid of it, call me- ha!!! Don’t ever feel guilty about God’s blessings- enjoy, thank Him, and use them for His glory! Love your blog, by the way (in case you haven’t figured that out).

  101. WOW. So much potential. When you put the floor plan up I thought it looked a bit closed off but it is really open. I can’t wait to see what you do with this. I’d also love to hear anything about couponing. I’ve totally gotten into it.

  102. Are you kidding me??!! That is a dream home! Incredible! Love the woodwork and oh so much space! It’s like a mini mansion! You all must be pinching yourselves! Congrats! I’m totally jealous!

  103. Sorry, have to make another comment. I am reminded of the criticism Mary received when anointing Jesus’ feet with costly perfume. Her extravagance was a reflection of her love for Jesus. I know that you will reflect the love of and for Jesus in what you do. God knows your heart and smiles.

  104. I am not a blogger…I only read 3 in fact…and I never comment…but every time I read a comment like this…I want to type in big bold letters…if you don’t like the Bower’s choices…their blog…their faith…or the way they live their life…then don’t read…click to another page…no one is forcing you to follow their story…the rest of us are here because we want to be…because we like fixing up stuff…because we respect other people’s opinions and choices…

    Depressing to me isn’t the size of this house…depressing is when someone goes out of their way to make others feel bad about themselves…you knew this comment would hurt Katie and her readers…and you posted anyways…again…freedom of choice…believe what you want…feel how you want…but don’t force your judgement on others

  105. Beautiful Katie!! Lots of potential! I can’t wait to see all the progress and after pics! Thanks for the tour!
    xo,
    Kelly

  106. I have to say, your house sure doesn’t look that torn up. When we bought our dream house 5 years ago (4000 sq ft daylight rancho on an acre) the previous owners had lived there for 13 years and belonged on an episode of “Hoarders”. The worst part? It was a bankruptcy auction so they just took what they wanted and left the rest. That’s right, a closet full of clothes and, I kid you not, rabbit droppings, skis, a wedding dress, a dining room table, a huge aquarium that housed who knows what plus a two car garage with heaping garbage bags as far as the eye could see. Oh, and cupboards FULL of rotten food. Also, they had “built” the house themselves, and never really got around to finishing it. Not one spec of trim on the walls, no vanity in the master bathroom, no doors on some of the rooms. It took five weeks just to move all their stuff out (mostly donated to the church yard sale) and we had to live with a lot of things for years. Now, five years later the house is dangerous close to being done.

  107. Gorgeous house! I love your blog (Ive read forever and just never comment ) But I had to tell you that I am so happy for you guys! What a fabulous place! I can’t wait to see what you do with it. I am sure you will put the extra space to good use!

  108. Now when people tell us they bought a “fixer” we say “Yeah, well if the previous owners moved out first consider yourselves leap years ahead of us!”

  111. Hi Naomi,
    I know this house isn’t for everyone. I know that it’s huge. I’ve said that over and over again. And I know that some people aren’t going to understand why we are getting such a big place. But just to stand up for myself a little (while not sounding too defensive!)….we don’t look at this house and feel a need to fill the void with things. We look at this house and want to fill it with PEOPLE. You may not like big houses or big backyards or Pottery Barn… but that doesn’t make our dreams hollow. We ask that people don’t judge us for the square footage of our home but for what we do with it. And enter here the Parable of the Talents 🙂
    xo – kb

  112. Oh I see! Well, then a properly placed ‘blur’ is okay 🙂 I think that the key to your relaxed smiles is to take more candid shots. It’s more difficult at times…but sometimes music can help 🙂
    xo – kb

  113. Congratulations on your new home – it is beautiful. You do not have to justify anything to anyone. Good grief! What possible difference could it make to someone what the square footage of your new house is…and what would motivate someone to be so incredibly unkind in a post?
    As your comments on the video tour indicate – you are ignoring/working around less-than-ok things with the house…am sure you will take the same approach with your blog. Hope you and your family enjoy your new place.

  114. I love it! Can one of the parts be a view of the backyard? I love yards. I would love to have a giant one when we buy our next house!

  115. Wow! The house is totally full of potential but it looks so sad in it’s current state :-(. I’m looking forward to seeing you bring some life back into it with all the love you’re sure to give it!

  116. Katie,

    You are so right and I completely respect your decision! It is not like the house is selling for full value – you are getting a big deal on it. You mentioned in one of your comments that the previous owners could not afford their 600k mortgage – well you aren’t paying 600k! That shouldn’t matter anyway if you were! But the way I see it, if a house like this were on the market in my price range as a foreclosure and the other houses were mediocre and modest but nothing better than what I currently had but I needed a change, what is wrong with buying the bigger one for a similar price? I don’t think you are being materialistic, but think you made a wise decision since you are getting a house for much less than it would cost to build it all over again. And you know what, nobody here is perfect! Sure, God may urge us all to do away with worldy things, but all your readers live in some kind of adequate housing, we all have things we don’t need, and we all make mistakes. You are going to put this large material object to great use and God will still love you because God loves us all, regardless of what house we live in.

    Man, I can’t believe people are making you feel bad. I love the house, I love what you will be doing with it, and I love that you continue to share your life with us even when people put you down.

    God bless,
    Sarah

  117. Your new home is just beautiful and cannot wait to see all the new projects! You have such a good heart and it’s great to see you are so humble with all the blessings you’ve been given 
    Side question… How do you become a couponer????

  118. Oh.my.goodness. LOVE it! I cannot wait to see the rest of this house and I also cannot wait to see what you all do with it!

  119. Oh. My. Gosh. It is BEAUTIFUL! I cannot wait to see what you do with it once you are in there!

  120. HOLY GINORMOUS HOUSE BATMAN.

    And a little gaudy too. Can’t wait till you all ‘redneck’ it up a bit as you say 🙂

    I hope you max that house out with missionaries, people in need, and lots and lots of beautiful things. May the love of Christ fill that home like no other!

    blessings to you guys

    xo
    -the other kb

  121. Wow, wow, wow… I love it!!! Congratulations on your beautiful new home. Can’t wait to see what you do with it. :o)

    Can you explain what couponing is? I know it’s using coupons obviously but is there a website you get them from or is it just Sunday paper coupons? I really need to cut back on my food bill!

  123. It’s amazing how much prices fluxuate across the country what 300K gets in your neck of the woods makes ours look like a shack. BUT, ours looks like a mansion compared to what that same amount could get in NY or LA!

    It’s shocking to me that such a freaking AMAZING house has some things that are so AWFUL! (We saw the same thing when looking). Some of the colors, fixtures, both bathrooms are no where near deserving of being in that house. And… I LOVE it! I love that we’ll get to continue to see you be creative and the ways that you change things up! YAY!

  124. I don’t get jealous too easily but wow I am so jealous!! It is breathtaking. Good for you guys.
    How many sq ft is this?

  125. holy. moly. this house is ah-mazing. i absolutely love all the moldings. and that barrel ceiling! i die. congrats to you three! it definitely looks like a dream home, and will look so fabulous when you’re done with it.

  127. Couponing is just using coupons…online coupons, from the paper, etc. I use Southernsavers.com to help me save time researching the good deals.
    xo – kb

  130. I was stunned at how large this home was, too – I’m totally in love with your current home, but this one is also a stunner, but in a totally different way! I just DIE over the molding. That alone would make me pull out my checkbook and see what could be done. 🙂 I love and appreciate your devotion to your roots and to your faith, and that you’re looking at this new venture as part of God’s plan for your family; thank you for being such an inspiration!

    Congratulations, Bowers – best wishes sent your way!

  131. Gorgeous! I love all the character – and so much space!

    We bought a foreclosed home a couple years ago and after we bought it, some teenagers snuck in and had a couple parties – it’s kind of a violating feeling 🙁

    Are you going to remove some of the front doors? there are so many!

  132. WOW!!!!!!!!!! Now that’s called a ‘mansion’…beautiful!
    Please don’t tell me this house is in t he best school district and i would hang myself out of jealousy..sigh!
    Cannot wait to see the make over of the house…keep us posted.
    Congrats yet again! you have great taste for things:)

  134. Katie, I LOVE it. I knew this was all going to work out for you. (And will continue to work out.) I think I too would take care of the murder scene first and the red in the dining room. It’s a toss-up between the two. Our dining room was traffic-light red when we moved in (the rest of the house was traffic light yellow) and my first thoughts of the house were of the whole thing about red making you eat more. Hello, I do not need a house that makes my hips bigger!

    This house makes me want to move away from the DC area and to the country where I can live like a king, or at least live like I don’t have to keep my shoes in boxes under the bed and only half of my sweaters out for the season ’cause my closets are so damn small.

  136. Amen again! Be nice people. If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all! Love your house!

  137. Hi Chitra,
    It’s not in the best one…but a good one. I mean, it’s all kind of relative…I think Georgia schools are like ranked in the bottom five of the USA so I don’t know that you can compare them to other states 🙁
    xo – kb

  138. The house is gorgeous, and I know that this wasn’t the point of this post but I think a post on couponing would be great in the future. I just started out and haven’t really gotten the hang of it yet. I’m sure many people would love to know your tips.

  139. katie…loving the house! i am sooo jealous :). it is beautiful and i think i am so excited because i can’t wait for you to decorate it. i know you will turn it into a masterpiece. now you need a maid to keep it clean. i am not jealous about that! yeah, i did hear all the body noises from will (haha) but he seems to be such a good baby. best with everything for you and your fam. sonia

  141. Congrats! I love the things you say, reminding me of how optimistic I can be with my new husband! I had been checking back all night and now I can’t wait to see more!

  142. Goodness gracious alive! It’s beautiful!!!!!!!!!!! Congratulations!!! I commented on your blog yesterday…I read daily but don’t always comment(shame on me) and mentioned that we were in the same situation kind of except we were selling our home ourselves…WEEELLLLL today a lady came to see our home(the VERY FIRST PERSON TO LOOK AT IT) and within 30 minutes she called back to say she wants it, she has cash and is willing to pay the full amount!!!!! She is signing the contract tomorrow. Problem is another offer has come in on the house we want. It hasn’t been accepted but it is there so we offered the bank full price. We discovered that the listing agent has the square footage wrong. We suspected this all along but weren’t positive. It’s WAY bigger than what they have listed. When we started this process we turned it completely over to God, just like ya’ll did, and it’s amazing to watch Him work. Can’t wait for ya’ll to close so you can start remodeling. Hopefully I will be doing the same thing and can get TONS of ideas from you.

  143. That house is BEAUTIFUL. I’m so jealous! It’s perfect and I can’t wait to see you guys move in and start to fix it up!

    P.S. the red dining room is traditional and I hope you keep it red! It sets the mood!

    In this photo: https://i554.photobucket.com/albums/jj424/allbowerpower/Moving/livingroomtosittingroom.jpg

    that looks like a really odd place for a wall, and I couldn’t understand the location on the floor plan of it. I think you should further specify lol and perhaps knock it down ;P

  144. WoW! Congrats! It’s so beautiful! I’m kind of surprised so many people have commented somewhat negatively about the size. I mean it’s big, obviously much larger than your current home, but I think it looks so massive right now mainly because it’s empty. Plus something about vaulted ceilings makes rooms look larger. Anywhoo- big or not big I’m glad to be following along with your sweet family to see how you all make this new place your home! Our house in not as large as your new one, but it’s a little larger than our last house because of the finished basement and we use it quite a bit for the youth group. It’s nice to have the extra space for things like that! I’m doing a happy dance for ya 🙂 BTW- I actually like the red dining room- but I’m a big old fat lover of the color red 🙂

  145. Katie,

    I think it’s great that you have such a wonderful opportunity! I have a large (and growing!) family with 4 siblings and 10 nieces/nephews spread all over the east coast. My dream is to one day have a home where we can all get together comfortably for reunions and holidays. I would also want a place to share with my church family and my friends, so I completely understand your thoughts on using it as God’s house rather than your own. I hope your closing goes smoothly and that things work out with your current home. I look forward to seeing what you do with the place!

    Thanks for making people’s lives a little bit brighter every day!

    Ashley

  146. Congrats KB, the house is beautiful! I seriously cannot wait until February 14 (is that a little pathetic of me?!) to see what you do to the house. I have used so many of your tips and techniques in our first house and can’t wait for more. And by the way…don’t let anyone’s comments make you feel bad about yourself…not even for a minute!

    GO STEELERS!!!!

  147. “Potential?!” Are you kidding me?! That is the understatement of the CENTURY! The house is stunning, and a dream home for ANYONE (except maybe a rapper, who already has 5 that look like it) — you guys are truly blessed!!!

    We also bought a foreclosure and through our neighbors have learned of the former owners marital downfall, which resulted in no one appreciating our home…. we like to say, “someone else’s sad story is our happy ending”

    It is stunning! Congrats!!!

  148. Just wanted to weigh in on the size issue.

    I share the concern expressed by other commenters about (a) having — and cleaning and heating/cooling — such a large house, and (b) this country’s general fascination with square footage. More just for the sake of more is a big part of what got this country into the mess it’s in. My husband and I recently finished building our dream home, and at about 2300 square feet, we still only use about a third to half of the space on a regular basis. However, we have a very different lifestyle than the Bowers, and I absolutely appreciate their commitment to family and community and believe they will make good use of the square footage. As a green building enthusiast, I am most bothered by the two-story spaces, which are a waste of heating energy, but since Katie and Jeremy didn’t choose the design, I can’t fault them for that. Likewise, since they didn’t build it, I can’t blame them for the traditional (non-green) construction (versus energy-efficiency features like spray foam insulation and a geothermal heat pump, which have kept our biggest electric bill down at about $60). But I would like to take this opportunity to nudge anyone who is building from the ground up to seek out methods and materials that are as easy on the planet as possible. I would also recommend Sarah Susanka’s book, The Not So Big House, for anyone who is interested in doing more with less square footage.

    Okay, off my soap box. Now go forth, you two, and use that space to do good (like I know you will).

  149. Absolutely, it’s 100% worth the risk. Most of the best things in life are scary. You just have to trust that you’ve made the right decision…which I think you have! It wouldn’t be all falling into place perfectly like it has been, unless it’s the the right path for you to be travelling.

  150. “We didn’t want this home to be OUR house…but GOD’s house that we live in…and that we use to serve others. I think that it will change us to a point…but hopefully in a good way. Right now we don’t feel like we have the space to provide a comfortable place for missionaries that are home on furlough…or friends that need a hand…or the kinda yard that can be used for youth group’s flag football or capture the flag. We want those things.”

    This COMPLETELY touched my heart. I’m so excited for your family and the new house! I hope everything goes super smoothly, so you can get to making this house the amazing home it sounds like it’s destined to be!

  152. It’s definitely not weird to look at. I think the weirder thing is the half wall between the stair way and the living room…but I am sure they did that to open things up. Either way…we aren’t picky about that…we just love the natural light!
    xo – kb

  153. Honestly Devon I really respect the entire Green movement when it comes to conservation of energy. And to be quite frank…we had not looked at houses this big before…we were more smitten with the acreage and the face that it is in a neighborhood than anything else. The size of the home is kinda like a bonus.
    xo – kb

  155. Love Love Love it!

    I envy you so much…..except for the fact….that you have to clean that beast! I can barely keep my own little rancher vacuumed regularly! I wish you luck with that 🙂

  157. That’s a pretty good sounding story and I’m happy that you’ve thought about it. I guess I’m g this way since I believe each house has a story, like the Petersik’s house….the stuff they found there and how they left a note for people down the road:) and my house has a story even though my husband and I just built it last year, now we have it up for sale which we don’t want to do, but are since my hubby got a job that is making our dream of moving to the south Possible(maybe we’ll rent your house, JK we want to go further, to Louisiana!!!) but young or old, a house has a story and I’m looking forward to reading the one about your new house Katie. To everyone else who commented, thanks for the eye-opening notes…but I still can’t believe it. I guess I just wouldn’t be living out of my means like that to begin with!!

  158. WOW it’s beautiful! so excited to see you transform the house! your family and well mostly you.. are amazing!

    I was just wondering (because I am an incredibly paranoid person) how you would protect the house from flooding and break ins (God forbid)? Would you use a security system (or maybe get a bunch of dogs lol). Hope this question isn’t too bothersome and would totally understand if you’ll tackle this question in a future post since you have a lot on your hands already!

  160. Just beautiful! Happy Will will have 5 acres to spread out with go carts and dirt bikes! My dad built our family a home on 5 acres as well in TN and I will never forget the fun and hard working memories keeping it up. Driving the mowing tractor and golf cart was one of my fav. I know you are like super duper ahead of me in craftyness, but I did notice the simple brass chandeliers in living and dining and wanted to share that I spraypainted ours with oil bronze color and they turned out great till we can get/afford what we want as our reno continues. It took probably 3 coats and shinyed up the lights and wha la….similair pottery barn effect for $2. Also I unscrewed all the door hinges piece by piece and oil bronze sprayed them as well saving $14 a door and just paying for new bronze handles. (the paint rubbed off the handles I tried to paint, Duh!) Anyhew, just thought Id share a temporary fix mabe. I so much enjoy your talented ideas, keeps me motivated with our reno. Im taking Lots of pics ill have to share when done. Keep up the great work! Praying all will go as smoothly as possible….because closings are unfortunatly never on time! May God continue to bring you Peace and Guidance!

  161. We currently have a security system and LOVE it. We actually never forget to turn it on…and even those moments when we think we may have forgotten, we run to do it. As for flooding…it is thankfully on a sloped lot – from front to back…and then the back acreage has a creek. So we believe that any water would naturally flow away from the house. Of course, we will probably end up watersealing the basement again…but this time it has a poured concrete foundation vs. stacked block (which tend to leak more!).
    xo – kb
    p.s. I think we eventually want some furbabies but we want that whole nostalgic box under the christmas tree with a bow on top that is wiggling for the kids 🙂

  162. oh Katie, it’s BEAUTIFUL. This would be anyone’s dream house!!! I’m just wondering where you’re going to find enough furniture to fill it up 🙂

  164. Hi Katie! I have been following for a couple months, and am a first time commenter. The house is AMAZING! The architectural details are unlike anything I have ever seen. I can’t wait to see you two get started making this your own. Thanks for letting us into your life. Congratulations!!

  167. OMG! Beautiful, simply stunning…that home would be WELL over a million dollars where I live on Long Island, NY. Maybe 2 million!! Hope you are very happy in your new space. 🙂

  169. thanks for the quick and informative reply!

    furbabies for christmas??? You are SUCH a cool mom. I’m already jealous of your kids ;P

  170. what kind of church do you belong to? I’m encouraged by your comment that it is God’s house and you are living in it, or watching after it for him. just like our bodies. we are a temple

  172. me too. Keep working it Bowers!
    Do you happen to know of anymore bible-believing blogs? I love yours & just wish I could stalk a few more! 🙂

  174. I know that Darby (in my blogroll) loves Jesus and there are quite a few crafty type ladies that blog and are bible-believin’ but I don’t know of many long time home reno type bloggers that talk about it. Then again, I could be just having one of those mommy-moments where my brain is fried.
    xo – kb

  175. I dig it! …and I’m a small house in the city kinda gal… but I totally dig it! Happy dance ensues!

    On an unrelated note, I would love to hear about “couponing”… you mentioned it when talking about your garage. I’m new to it, and picking it up alright, but would love to hear some of your experience. I love your thrifty ideas!

  176. I am going to be the lone ranger here and just remind everyone the the banks aren’t the all bad guys here. They’re not “abusing” home owners! You were correct to say that clearly these people got in over their head with their mortgage and made bad financial decisions. Big mistake–but I wish we weren’t all blaming the banks for other people’s lack of responsibility.

    Congrats on a truly amazing house. Can’t wait to see the after shots!
    abby

  177. love, love, love the house! it is fantastic! sure it needs a bit of work, but honestly what place doesn’t!?! we moved into our home about 1.5 yrs ago and have been non-stop fixing it up! when we first purchased our home, everyone remarked on how ‘turn-key’ and ‘move in ready’ it was. but to us, it was all about opertunities! since then, we have painted pretty much every surface, tour down walls, added wall (and closets!), demoed the kitchen and master bath, swaped flooring, etc! its all about seeing the potential and making the house your ‘home’!!! great find! love your blog (i have been reading it for well over a year, and this is my first post! sorry i am a total scaredy-cat!!!)!
    thanks for blogging!
    xoxo

  178. That’s the name of the game, right Anna?! Making it your own…it’s the best part of having a home…you get to personalize 🙂 And thanks for finally speaking up…I know cool peeps are out there…I just don’t hear from them all the time!
    xo – kb

  179. Agreed Abby. It’s not the banks fault all the time. I do think that a lot of loan officers are dishonest with people on what they can or can’t afford but when it comes down to it, peeps gotta do the math. I just think it’s sad that most people don’t even know how much they can afford comfortably. tsk tsk tsk.
    xo – kb

  181. This is happening all over, I live right outside of Miami and its happening here too. Before people are evicted from their soon to be foreclosed homes, they even have sales where people can go and take whatever they want from the house, doors, fixtures, lights, you name it. It’s the homeowners that do this, since they are losing the house, they try to get as much money out of it as they can before the bank forces them to leave.

    We just closed on a foreclosed home in October and that’s the condition that it was in. The banks sell foreclosed properties AS IS so they DO NOT replace anything. We’ve had to basically remodel the whole thing ourselves. It’s been this long and we are still not living in our house because of everything we’ve had to fix.

    We did however get a good deal on the house. 🙂 We haven’t had our own home in years due to the economy so its definitely worth it!!

  182. What a huge house! i am kind of a shocked this seems to be a normal familiy house size in America? Living in Europe I don’t know anybody living in house of that size.

    My way of living would be to buy much smaller house but for cash, I don’t sleep well with having any business with bank.
    This by side, it is very interesting and charming place and it will for sure be pleasure to make this/transform it to a home.

  183. Both of your homes are gorgeous and I can’t wait to see what you do with your newest addition to the family. I saw in an old post regarding your basement you have under-the-porch storage. We have this as well. I just wanted to make a suggestion regarding:

    Instead of putting an extra fridge or freezer in your garage, put it down in your storage room. Our power company actually offered us a reimbursement for making the change. It saves energy to keep it in the cool basement in the Summer instead of the hot garage. We’ve seen a difference in our power bill as well.

    Keep up the great work! And positive attitude!

  185. Hey Katie,

    Congratulations. I love the house and the detailing. We don’t have that in Southern California. What we get for in the 400’s(which I assume is what you will pay-ish) is NOTHING. I can’t even find a nice condo for under 350,000. I guess you give or take areas. I tried leaving LA after 16 years and I was miserable, so I learned that I will take my really small 1100 square foot house or ondo, so I can be in nice weather and the beach. It really shows that different people have different needs. AND DON’T listen to that jealous person who commented. That really reeked of jealousy. I can smell it a mile away.

  186. I think that you have purchased, moved into and decorated my dream house lol!! It is absolutely beautiful and I LOVE what you all have done with it.

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