My House

Today I would like to start out by introducing everyone to my new house. Well, it’s new to me. Built 88 years ago, this house is a real gem in the rough. Unfortunate renovations over the years have remodeled the house into a strange mish-mosh of drop ceilings, ugly light fixtures, and demolitions that removed some of the original woodwork.

On the upside, the original fireplace & mantle, staircase, and other woodwork (such as wide window sills) are still intact. The original light fixture from the dining room is in the attic – a real gem in art deco metal and carnival glass shades. And although it’s not original, one of the previous owners did put some pretty sweet blue and white tile in the entry foyer. I wish they had done something similar in the kitchen, where they put ugly modern wide-plank white laminate flooring in.

Here are some pictures of the place:

This is the staircase, which we have begun to refinish. It was in the midst of being redone when we bought the place - in fact there were lots of unfinished projects in the house. It was like the owners just gave up. I hope I don't get that way. Below is a picture of the foyer - notice the tile. Oh, and the crutches aren't mine. They were the previous' owners.

Below is the living room, with its big bay window. I inherited the rug and the chair too, which I kept. I'm using the chair in my new home office, and the rug hasn't moved since we moved in. Notice the ugly drop ceiling and fan. It will disappear eventually - I want the house to go back to its historically accurate roots. Well, with a few new conveniences.

Below is a closeup of the fireplace mantle, which has been stripped back to reveal the golden oak beneath the three or so layers of varnish.

This is the bathroom, which was formerly a hallway leading to the attic. The house originally had an outhouse:

This is the new home office, painted guacamole green. The floors are white oak hardwood, not laminate, grown, milled, and sold right here in WV!

The other bedrooms are finished, but look stark and bare by comparison. I'm now working on number 2 of three. Rather bleak looking, eh?
I also relish in the idea of having a real garden for the first time in years, since the yard is gigantic (for Morgantown - 2 city lots). It also has old growth trees!


Thanks for taking the time to check out my house. Look for updates on how the construction is going. One thing's for sure - it's going to be a long adventure!