In the beginning...

 


This is what I started with.


Lovely, isn't it? Curb appeal galore.

Most people would have stepped on the accelerator, but not me. 
1. It was in a neighborhood where I would feel safe.
2. There was a pool that I didn't have to take care of.
3. I would be able to do a little flower gardening without having to do any mowing or edging. 

And it had a garage.

The Living Room

The inside wasn't anything to write home about. I think it was probably overwhelming to my friends who viewed it just before I moved in. Many were speechless. Quite possibly they were just plain appalled.

The carpet looked like some one had changed the oil from a motorcycle without using a catch pan.

The Dining Room Area

Dining area on the left, "No Man's Land" on the right

The dining area would be just right for my round table and having an escape hatch into the kitchen was a bonus. Truthfully, I believe it was listed as a "pass through."

 

 



Who puts a pink upholstered wing chair and foot stool on an outdoor patio?

"No Man's Land" will be addressed sometime in the future.  It is the bane of my existence.

Kitchen - left

The kitchen was white! 
It was the size of a postage stamp.
But it was white! 

Maybe this is what really sold me.

This and the garage.

Kitchen - right

 

There was one small problem. Or maybe a big problem. It had a huge honkin' refrigerator that stuck way out past the cabinets. This baby would have to go. Even if I got groceries every day I couldn't have kept the thing filled with food. 

View of dining area from kitchen

Here is a view from the kitchen into the dining area.

It appears that the only route into the rest of the house is by climbing through the escape hatch/pass-through, but actually just to the right of that opening is a doorway leading into the entry hall.

I am sorry I don't have pictures of the original entry hall. You are missing out. Oh, wait--there's a glimpse below.

View of lots of bead board

I am a sucker for bead board and this place had it in spades.

I like built in shelves for display items, but not when they are lining the entry hall, the dining area, the "den," and the stair landing. Not sure what the former owners collected, but there must have been a lot of it.

And then there was the light fixture that made me think it should be hanging over a pool table. As a bonus there was a matching one in the front hall. Lucky me.

Ten by Ten Den

Just off the entry hall was a ten-by-ten den with a half-bath.
And a wobbly loo. 
And a rotted out vanity, but we'll get to that later.

A sewing/craft/computer room!!

Yes! This was the third reason I wanted this place.

Up to the second floor we go. 

First half of the stairs to the second floor.

While I do love bead board there can be too much of a good thing.

I realize that many people hate small spaces, especially trying to live in small spaces. I am not one of those people. I equate small spaces with cozy. Cozy makes me smile.



Berber carpet does not make me smile. I would like to find the person who invented Berber carpet. I have a few choice words for him. Or her.


 

Master Bedroom

The Master Bedroom or "My Room."

It had a cute little balcony. I love sitting out there in the spring, fall, and winter when the weather is pleasant.

Don't ask about the summer. I hibernate.

This room also had a nice size walk in closet and a tiny bathroom. They are both about the same size.

I will discuss the walls later.

"Spare 'Oom"

The two other bedrooms are the same. Just look at this one, then mentally flip the photo and you will know what the other one looked like.

Also upstairs was a main bathroom. Not sure why I didn't get a picture of it or the master bathroom before I moved in. They were a sight to behold.

So, there's the house tour. I will try to post the renovations in the order they happened. Not sure how successful that will be as I was often flitting from one project to another.

You know how that goes.

G'nite and God Bless,

Nora