Flooring, Cabinets, Backsplash, Oh My!

So, we decided to move into a two bedroom furnished rental right around the corner from our house while waiting for our new house to be completed.  We had movers come for all of our furniture and non-essentials and are keeping everything in storage until we’re ready to move in.   It's not ideal with a 2-year old, but it will work for the short term.    We thought our little house was small until we moved into this tiny condo!  We also might have over thought the “essentials” too, as we’re busting at the seams.

The house is nearly finished, with the rest of the flooring going in and then the appliances are being delivered, and the home will be pretty much complete.   Since this house was mostly complete by the time we decided to purchase it, all of the interior selections were already made.  We love everything that was selected.   I really wanted hardwood in our new home and low and behold, its going in the dining room.  Not only is it wood, but its the same color as I’ve been lusting after for some time now, a nice, dark, hand scraped wood.  The tile has already been laid and it’s a large ceramic tile that looks like travertine.  Perfect for families with small children, who are likely to spill.  Carpet will be going in the bedrooms and the playroom which will be nice since our son adores carpet like it's his long lost love.  No more need to dive bomb other people’s carpet (including the floor of the airport) any longer, as ours will be plenty plush for his little knees.  I threw together some samples that look pretty similar to the flooring to give a better picture of how it will all look once its installed.

The kitchen has a nice big granite island where I can see the kid(s) doing their homework or making cookies.  They also put in this very cool backsplash that looks like a basket weave.  One of the most exciting things about the kitchen is it has a great pantry, which will be a nice upgrade from our last kitchen where our pantry was just a built-in cabinet with pull out drawers.  Its amazing how much I can find to store in the pantry.   Here’s a close approximation of the granite with the countertops and then some stainless steel to represent the appliances.  The backsplash example isn’t quite that white, but its close enough. I can’t wait to move in, especially after living in this tiny rental!  All in all, finding an inventory home I think will work really well for us.  We only have to wait a couple of weeks for the house and we liked everything in it so win – win!  It's not for everyone as some people like to personalize their homes more than others, but I plan on making ours more personal in the smaller touches like lighting and furnishings.   How do you think about it?  Prefer to personalize your home with unique finishes that are more permanent?