a room with a view...

I did a post a couple of weeks ago about a historic house that I fell in love with while visiting my mom in her recovery center. She is starting to joke that I am coming to visit her just so I can see these houses! The one I am showing you today is right across the street from the one in my first post...and it has made me an all out-stalker.

Seriously.

I have pinned down that the owners appear to be in their 60s. She has gorgeous silver hair in the cutest little bob haircut...and always wears a short mink coat. He also has a full head of thick silver hair, they drive away together in a beautiful black Mercedes SUV.

See. Told you I was a stalker.

Actually, I have just been spending waaaay to much time staring out that window. You can't help but notice these things, right? Over the last month I have seen these people so much, and have imagined for hours on end what their house must look like inside...that I almost have the nerve to ring the bell and ask if I can see inside!

But I think that would be crossing the lines into all-out-stalker...as in call the police, honey - there is a crazy lady at the door with a camera!

Here are a few photos...tell me you wouldn't go a just a tiny bit insane of this beauty!? Oh, and sorry they are a little crooked...and not the best photos...click on them to get a much better view. I had to dart in and out of the intersection between school buses and kids in the crosswalk. This baby is a block from a school.


View from the street. And yes, the house is an octagon shape...and solid brick! That was some serious money back in the day.

Isn't she gorgeous!??

I want sooo bad to get into that room at the top! Do you see it?? Now that is the place for a sunroom! Actually, I would put my office up there. This house sits on top of a hill in the neighborhood, so the view would be fantastic! I would get to see all the beautiful homes in the neighborhood with a birds-eye-view!

This is the door next to their garage. I am in love with that screen door.

From the front you would never guess this house is so HUGE! Looks like it may have had a couple of additions, but in person it is very authentic. All the brick matches, and it looks old and full of character.

Who knows...maybe I will get up the nerve to knock this week. They may be flattered I asked, right? I hear they are on a historic house tour during Christmas time, so they should be used to strangers snooping around their house. I just want a personal tour, is that too much to ask??

it's not nice to stare...

But, I can't help it! I am house obsessed. Always have been.

I have fond memories of being a child...and peeking in peoples windows.

No... its not what you are thinking.

Living out in the country it was a long drive to anywhere...so I had a lot of staring-out-the-window-time. I vividly remember driving home from church on Saturday nights...we had to pass through 3 small towns before we made it to our farm. I would be in awe staring through the windows of the houses where the drapes were open and the lights were on.

Is that weird?? Probably...but it was nuturing my early love of decor and architecture. I didn't want to spy on the people...just see their house. My favorites were always the big old houses with staircases. They always look pretty through a front window.

If you have been reading my blog the last few weeks, you know my mom had surgery...and it didn't go as well as planned. Anyhoo...she is getting better day by day...but is recovering at a "rehab center." I don't particularly love it there...and she spends a lot of time sleeping or at physical therapy...so I spend a lot of time staring out the window. But with eye candy like this...who can blame me??

This is the house across the street from her room...I have to see it every time I visit.
And it is painful.
Because I want to buy it and live there!

Can a person be in love with an portico? If so...I am.
I want to walk through this entry every.single.day.

Oh, and I have to interrupt house photos with my faaaaavorite part. This would be where I have my office-slash-furniture painting studio. It has an authentic carriage house. And this one is H-U-G-E! I swear, my whole house could fit in this building.

I confess...I used to live in an old house...and I loved calling my old wood garage a carriage house. It was not...but I like to call it that because it sounded cool. A true carriage house is big...and tall. See the hay door up top? Love it. The two huge glass windows on the bottom right would be where the horses and carriages were kept. Too bad they didn't keep the sliding doors that would have been there. I have a love affair with old sliding barn doors, too.

I about died when I saw it had not just one...but TWO sleeping porches. I love the idea of sleeping on a covered porch in the summer months. They have built these in to make it more practial for the Iowa weather...but now they are so much less romantic!

Ahhh...so pretty. I can't wait to go back Sunday. You should see the old beauty next door to this one!

Am I alone in this....or does anyone else covet old houses?
And dream about old architecture?
Do you take random pictures of stranger's houses?

Seriously, am I the only one that will admit I look in people's windows at night!?

packin' my bags...

I love County Living Magzine.

And I love architecture...and houses...and renovations.
And I love it even MORE when the two worlds collide and Country Living showcases a few homes around the US that are for sale!

 I look forward to the "real estate sampler", as they call it, each and every month. But in all the years I have been a subscriber, I have never actually gone further and checked out one of these houses. I do wonder how in the heck these big old houses sometimes come with such tiny price tags.

This one caught my eye this month, so for the first time I decided to check out the realtor's website and get the scoop on this old beauty. That is where I stumbled on these pics...and fell in love. I think I am packin' my bags and heading South!

This lovely Antebellum home is in Brunswick, Missouri and is on the market for only $99,000. Around here...that would be a steal! It has 4,400 square feet with a smoke-house and a barn...and sits on 2.6 acres. It has 6 chimneys and a widow's walk.

I think I just may pass out. $99,000?? Really?? It is my dream to live here. I just hope I would also find the closets stuffed with the cash I would need to fund the enormous renovation this old girl needs!

Just look at her. So majestic. So beautiful. So in need of a little TLC.

Look at that profile...gorgeous! I think for the rest of this post, I am going to dream that she is mine. She could be so much more than she is right now.

Ok, so the trim needs a little "work done"...a little nip...a little tuck...nothing I can't handle. Here is my trim-repair tip of the day...for those of you working on an old house...get a pen and paper...I'll wait.

Use Bondo to repair the wood. It is magic in a can, I swear. Oh, and if you don't know what Bondo is, visit your friendly neighborhood auto-body shop. It is what they use on rusted out old cars when they are restoring the body. Works magic on old rotten wood so you don't have to replace it. 

So lets start the inside tour. It only took me about 20 seconds to reno this home in my head.

I am crazy-obsessed with this foyer. I have dreams of refinishing the hardwood floors and painting all the trim and bannister white. I would love to take down the wallpaper, give the walls fresh paint and a lovely jute runner up the stairs. Oh, and of course a vintage chandelier needs to live here, too.

~sigh~

I love it so.

Now, the next picture is a bad one...so look very close. See the middle of the photo? That gorgeous curving staircase winds up to a third story and you can see all the way down the middle to the first floor.

I love the sound of a slamming screen door. And check out how wide this one is. And yes, that wallpaper and those sconces would have to go. A couple of lovely vintage metal and crytal ones would suit me nicely. Oh, and of couse more white woodwork.

I can't live without natural light. It is essential to my being. These floor to ceiling windows would make me a happy girl!

Oooh...that mantel! This house has 3 fireplaces, all with hand-carved, large mantels. They are all begging for fresh white paint...but I have to leave that old mirror just like it is. Have I ever told you how much I like weathered mirrors?

I saved my favorite for last...I have no idea what this little shed is currently used for...maybe this is the old smokehouse...but I see my office here. A perfect little get-away. A new window. A new roof. A pretty paint color with white trim. I would wake up early just so I could get out there and do some work!

Ok, I am back to reality. Back to my house built in the 50s. Back to 8' ceilings and a 2 car attached garage.

A long way from my Antebellum fantasy...but I have to admit, it was so nice to dream.