We purchased our first home, now what?

My husband and I recently jumped into the real estate market with hopes of finding our dream home. Our dream home turned out to be a 1980 post and beam home that was in foreclosure. So here we are, young newlyweds, expecting our first child in April, becoming experts on DIY renovation. We certainly do not have a bunch of money to put into our home right away so we are taking on one project at a time and being patient. Thank goodness that Dave (my husband) is such a talented guy, he's been able to tackle most of the major work himself, with the help of lots of family and friends. I have to admit that I haven't been much help when it comes to the physical work. I am simply the one behind the curtain, directing and scouring thrift stores, craft fairs and the web to find the best deals on whatever it is that we need. Here are some of the before pictures. 

Gross, isn't it? All dark wood paneling, a huge divider separating the kitchen from the living/dining room. The cabinets were disgusting, covered in grease and other mysterious goo. The counter tops and back splash was all a bright orange Formica. Oh and the appliances were unusable, the fridge actually made me almost vomit when I opened it. Definitely our dream home, haha.

The living room. Purple carpet, interesting choice. Actually it wouldn't have been that bad if it wasn't for the pet stains. The brick wall is amazing, it is actually one of my favorite elements of the home, and something I don't have to change! The wood paneling, once again, must go. Although I find it beautiful, it is in pretty bad condition and it covers 98% of the walls in the home. The wood stove is wonderful, I used to have one in my childhood home and there is nothing like coming home to a fire after a long day. I also love the windows, they are in great condition and are fairly efficient when it comes to heat. There are also 3 large skylights directly above the windows. Now, here are some of the changes being made.

Sometimes it's better to start over.

New flooring

Some new cabinets and appliances.  I found the appliances on craigslist and got the fridge, stove and dishwasher for $250.00! Eventually we'll upgrade to stainless, but I think it will be sometime before I have my dream kitchen.

Things are starting to come together. We are now moved in, there is furniture crowding that floor and dishes piling up in the sink. The kitchen is now green instead of orange. I will upload more recent pictures soon.