June 11, 2007
Outside In
Like I'm really going to show you the exterior. Especially since there's no security gate or bars on the windows to keep the lot of you crazies from tracking us down, sneaking through our windows, and then rubbing your faces on our delicious hardwood floors with Craftsman-detailed inlays.
Oh, hey, I have some pictures of that stuff!
Peeping through the windows:
Hardwood inlays:
Enough Craftsman charm to kill you dead:
Somewhere along the line, I must have said something to give people the impression that this house is a fixer. (Was it that one time I mentioned termites and a crumbling foundation? Or was it the months of talking about how outrageous the Bay Area housing market is and how all we could afford was a van down by the river, which would run us $250,000 and the blood of our first-born child?) Anyway, as you can probably tell from the above picture, this house is not a fixer in the traditional sense. The kitchen and bathroom are probably five or six years old; we're talking stainless steel appliances, travertine tile floors and backsplash, granite countertops, modern cabinetry with brushed metal hardware, a jetted tub--basically everything I make fun of when watching home renovation shows on cable because it's what everyone does. Bah, I say, except now I'm saying it with my cheek pressed lovingly against the baseboards while I tongue-kiss the bathroom floor.
I don't think I'm ready to show you more than just that one wide-angle view of the place, so instead I'm going to give you some more details, since those are the things that are making us fall more and more in love at every turn. When we visited on Sunday, I walked through the front door prepared for the realization that everything was much smaller and crappier than we'd remembered--I was sure I'd romanticized everything in the week that had passed since we'd first laid eyes on the place--but I have to tell you that it was even better than we'd built it up to be in our minds. In a previously unexplored corner of the backyard, for instance, we found rosebushes encircling a stone birdbath. This would be just to the right of the rusty old wheelbarrow being used as a planter. See what I mean?
But let's save the garden for another day because that's a whole different can of beans. For now, some interior details to whet your appetite.
I could go on forever. This is just the beginning.
Wheeeeeee!!!!!!
Posted by: Angella at June 11, 2007 03:32 PMUnbefreakinglievable. OMG. Holy moly. I could go on and on. It is stupendous! STUPENDOUS. I am drooling and writing with envy. Plantation shutters? Inlaid hardwood floors? AAAAAHHHH! Can we move in? Please???
Can't wait to see how your furniture fits in.
Posted by: gimmy at June 11, 2007 03:36 PMThe place looks amazing!
Posted by: Crystal at June 11, 2007 03:38 PMYes, our Victorian furniture. Doh!
Posted by: Leah at June 11, 2007 03:41 PMThe mix of the two could be very interesting!
Posted by: gimmy at June 11, 2007 03:43 PMI can't wait to sneak in at night and touch all of your stuff with my filthy hands. Of course when I say "filthy hands" I mean "my wiener".
Posted by: will at June 11, 2007 03:53 PMIt's beyond amazing. Holy crap, you guys found a gem!
Posted by: Amanda at June 11, 2007 04:29 PMYeah, my house will NEVER look like that! OIt's amazing! I do have a pretty sweet new deck coming along, though.. stop by to check it out tomorrow evening (should be done, then).
Posted by: Elizabeth at June 11, 2007 05:45 PMJust let me know when you're ready for visitors. So that I may make out with your hardwood floors.
Posted by: Heather B. at June 11, 2007 08:29 PMWhat the? Fixer upper my ass. (By ass I mean Will's weiner.)
Posted by: justJENN at June 11, 2007 08:41 PMOh. my. good. lord. You lucky ducks.
Posted by: beck at June 11, 2007 10:52 PMOh wow! It looks absolutely fantastic. I love the breakfast nook and the floors and the panoramic windows. Congrats again, this one's a keeper!
Posted by: Cath at June 11, 2007 11:20 PMBeautiful! Also here I was feeling all sorry for you thinking you needed to have a donate button on your blog..puleeezeee. Did a rich aunt die or what?!!
Posted by: Michele at June 12, 2007 01:36 AMWait another thing...is that a ring on your finger????? Like the finger you'd put an engagement ring on ?
Posted by: Michele at June 12, 2007 01:37 AMOhmygod. Too beautiful. Can't wait to see more pictures! Congratulations, and can I put my name on the guest list??
Posted by: Super-S at June 12, 2007 01:46 AMWow it looks gorgeous! I love the Craftsman style.
Posted by: Teej at June 12, 2007 04:39 AMUnbelievably beautiful! So flippin' happy for you guys! Can't wait to see more.
Posted by: Missy at June 12, 2007 04:40 AMand when do t and i move in with you and we open the commune?
Posted by: jeorg at June 12, 2007 05:36 AMsooooo envious... I'll bet it even has a porch... *sigh*
Posted by: El at June 12, 2007 05:44 AMYou had me at "rusty wheelbarrow being used as a planter."
Posted by: Texas T-bone at June 12, 2007 07:20 AMLooks lovely!!
Posted by: felicity at June 12, 2007 07:21 AMBeautiful pictures! I keep wanting to look at the one with the basket of fruit. I don't know why anyone would want to part with such a beautiful house, but lucky for you two it will be all yours soon. Congratulations!
Posted by: Green Eyes at June 12, 2007 08:31 AMFabulous!!! I just wet my pants in excitement for you both!!!
Posted by: jenB at June 12, 2007 10:33 AMokay, house is awesome...no doubts about that at all. but i'm definately intrigued by the ring on your finger that would typicall represent being engaged (unless you are like me and wear a ring there to keep people from thinking i'm single and actually want to hear their slimy pick up line). please, do tell :)
Posted by: stephanie brown at June 12, 2007 10:34 AMAbout the ring, folks... please note that the word "Canon" is backwards.
-Simon.
Posted by: Simon at June 12, 2007 10:42 AMThe photo of me was taken into a mirror, so the ring is actually on my RIGHT hand. It's engraved "To thine own self be true) (Hamlet). I got three--one for me and one for each of my best friends--when we graduated high school and went off into the world.
Posted by: Leah at June 12, 2007 10:45 AMMichele--I'm still trying to figure out why the house was being sold for a price we could afford. It's worth way more than we're paying for it. Hopefully it's not haunted or anything...
El--It has a front porch and two back porches. I'm still trying to digest that.
Green Eyes--The sellers had to relocate for work. They were only in the house for six months. I bet they were heartbroken to have to leave it.
Posted by: Leah at June 12, 2007 10:48 AMThat's what happened to my parents with their current house. The sellers needed to relocate very very fast. The *only* thing wrong with it is that behind their land (an acre's worth) there's a small local highway. Sellers needed to sell fast to go back to India and everyone else was hemming and hawing debating the highway on the resale value.
My parents made a "take it or leave it but our financing history is impeccable and we can close in two weeks" offer and they took it and ran. House's market value was evaluated A LOT over what they paid for it.
They later moved back and were kind of pissed about it, actually.
Enjoy it...sometimes Fortuna just decides to stick her tongue in your ear...or blow on you or whatever the hell the fickle bitch does.
Posted by: monkey at June 12, 2007 11:03 AMOh Leah - it's just incredible!! I'm so happy for you guys!
Posted by: carrster at June 12, 2007 11:04 AMit's absolutely gorgeous...can't wait to see more. :)
Posted by: zay at June 12, 2007 11:28 AMSigh. Lovely, absolutely lovely.
Can I move in? I'm great at baking! And very clean! And I have all the Gilmore Girl DVDs!
Seriously, congrats. I can't wait to witness your homeowning adventure.
Posted by: Clink at June 12, 2007 11:41 AMWe're still cool on the you adopting me thing, right? Sweet. I'll even take the chance of touching something with Will cooties.
Man, I am so excited for you guys! Still jumping around in my cube over here.
Posted by: Emily at June 12, 2007 12:32 PMWhat a great little house with so many amazing features! Congratulations!
Posted by: andrea at June 12, 2007 12:49 PMDay-um! That house is awesome.
Posted by: Rachel at June 12, 2007 01:11 PMOh, Leah. I'm so incredibly happy for you and Simon. It's even more beautiful than houses featured in magazines.
Posted by: Jennie at June 12, 2007 01:18 PMI want to mate with your floors. (and the rest looks pretty amazing too!)
Posted by: Myra at June 12, 2007 02:09 PMOk, I am dying to know where this house is!
Posted by: Nicole at June 12, 2007 09:41 PMWow, awesome place. I just moved into a 2BR/2bath in Ames that I'm loving for the price I got it at too. :)
Posted by: Gretyl at June 12, 2007 11:58 PMCongratulations. It looks amazing and be so happy it's not a fixer. Mine was 10 years ago and seems to be crumbling again.
Posted by: Jodi at June 13, 2007 10:52 AMThere looks like you have Flinger space, too! There's room for a family of four, right? I mean, you know, y'all just WANT us to share your kickass house. Obviously.
Because it DOES kickass.
Posted by: Mrs. Flinger at June 13, 2007 01:53 PM
