Hi everyone! The good news is that we have finally bought a house in CT and will be moving in around the middle of April 2007.  We've been having some work done on it since the closing in late February and I'll post various photos as the work is being completed.  Here are photos of the house when the previous owners lived there and it was on the market - Our new house is a 3 bedroom/2 bath house in West Hartford.  The 3rd bedroom is on the first floor and we'll be using it as a family room/guest room.  The house is within walking distance of the elementary school and a park with a swimming pool.  The neighborhood has sidewalks and lots of kids, and although the backyard is pretty small, it's got enough room for various kid toys which is really all we need. Living Room Lots of changes are happening in this room.  Carpet is being removed and the hardwood floors are being refinished.  All paneling and wallpaper is being removed.  The walls are going to be painted cream and the trim will be white.  We're having a new slate hearth installed in front of the fireplace and a slightly smaller mantel installed.  Those two windows on either side are being replaced with larger double-hung windows that look less "port hole" like.  Downstairs Bathroom Well, the glorious foil wall paper is coming down along with the Broadway lighting system to the left.  The formica desk is going along with the shower door.  We're replacing the toilet, top of the vanity, sink fixtures and the medicine cabinet.  We're also installing ceramic tile on the floor. Dining Room Not much is happening in this room.  Wallpaper is being removed and the walls and trim will be painted the cream/white combination that is going throughout most of the house.  We're removing the corner cabinet since I don't find them very useful.  There is a big debate going on about the possibility of reusing the cabinet somewhere else in the house.  I thought about painting it white and using it in the boys room to store nice toys or books that we don't want to get damaged.  Both David and the contractor think that's goofy and it will just look like a china cabinet in a bedroom.  Feel free to voice your opinion on this issue by sending an email to - victoria at branning dot org. Master Bedroom Replacing carpets and repainting the walls are the main things happening in this room Boys Room Ditto in this room - replacing carpets and repainting the walls.  I know, I know, you guys love this blood red color and think it's perfect for a toddlers bedroom.  Well, maybe for Satan's children, but the Branning boys are going to have something a little less....dramatic. LIVING ROOM IN PROGRESS Carpets gone...yippie!!! Paneling replaced by drywall and wallpaper gone This is the wallpaper that was behind the living room paneling.  They had already removed it when I arrived at the house, so I propped a piece up on the wall to give you all a good view of the horror.  Can you imagine relaxing in a room with that all over the walls? FAMILY ROOM DOWNSTAIRS BATHROOM Wallpaper is gone! Pretty much everything is gone (or soon will be). DINING ROOM MASTER BEDROOM The space above will be cut out for Dave's new "COMIC BOOK CUBBIES"...OH YEAH!!!  He can then have a nice neat place to store his comic book boxes. New exciting "Comic Book Cubbies". Dave lovin' on his cubbies. Cubbies with carpet. THE BOYS ROOM UPSTAIRS BATHROOM Ultimately, we want to replace the shower with a bath tub and add a window to this tomb-like bathroom...all in good time. Until then, we'll tile the floor and replace the toilet and vanity.