Introduction & Exterior Facade
PREFACE
This column has taken me over a year to initiate. I just had not connected with our new house enough to write about it. The first home my husband and I purchased together was a fully restored Spanish Colonial historical mansion- a rarity of a gem in the Pacific Northwest. The California style resonated with both of our backgrounds and I knew the previous owners so I had many memories tied to it. In reality, though, that residence never felt like “our” home, as we were more like caretakers that were in charge of preserving it’s architectural integrity. We finally decided to sell because it had just grown too large with our blended family moving on to university and my husband’s desire for privacy. I knew we were making the correct decision, but as embarrassing as it is to admit, in full disclosure my ego was a little deflated. I had unknowingly tied a portion of my identity to that “residence.” My forties continue to be a period of maturation, to say the least, and I can finally say I am much happier with a home that meets the needs of our personal way of life.
THE SEARCH
We had very specific criteria for our property search that took into consideration the needs of both my husband and myself, many of which were items that were missing in our existing home:
1) A large private lot with city water (I had lived on a ranch- this was important to me!)
2) Running trails in close proximity
3) Close access to city amenities
4) An outbuilding for horse trailer and tack room, but no horse facilities
5) Well built and energy efficient
6) Personal office so that I would no longer have to rent space
7) Full master suite on a separate floor from the other bedrooms
8) An ensuite for guests
9) At least 3 more bedrooms for Tim's kids
10) NO MORTGAGE including any remodeling. We were both adamant about this!
When we first saw our new home online, it fit ALL of our criteria, except for the aesthetics. Before we walked through, I had a PowerPoint presentation of before and after pictures using images from HOUZZ.com so that I could envision the possibilities. My style and taste is uncluttered and architecturally consistent and the décor of this home was the exact opposite…but I could see it just needed an update. My initial description was that it had a vibe that was a cross between Holly Hobby and the Wizard of Oz.
I had a gut instinct that this was THE RIGHT HOUSE. The numbers crunched, it fit all of our criteria (and more!) and once the transaction started it went smoothly. After the house closed, my husband, Border Collie and I moved into an 800 sq. ft. loft for five months so that we could renovate. We lived within a mile of the project and we rented the adjacent condo for my stepdaughter. Her bedroom was physically closer to us than when we lived in our large downtown home. Not to mention, she was pretty excited that she could call the restaurant downstairs for dinner!
PHOTOS: THE CANVAS
START WITH A PLAN
I have remodeled a few of my previous homes and I was very comfortable with the process. I had already worked with the contractor we would be using and I like to coordinate my entire interior decor. Compared to projects of years past, I now had the advantage of online resources for inspiration, mainly HOUZZ.com. I also relied on the book, "The Great American Country House" and Architectural Digest's Country Home edition. I infused a “slight” equestrian influence, but my husband is not a horse person and it was important to be sensitive to his preferences. Our compromise was to integrate original vintage French wine posters collected in Europe that had resided in his father’s restaurant with pieces of equine art from the same period. My office is the only room that is heavy in equestrian décor, but it even flows with the balance of the hom
PHOTOS: PROJECT RESOURCES
STAY ON TASK
Before the project started, I created a document that clearly outlined the objective and before and after’s of each room and section of the exterior. A digital file was sent to the contractor and a hard copy was kept on site for each sub. Additionally, I visited the jobsite daily to check progress and I updated our financial spreadsheet each week to ensure we stayed on budget. Halfway through the project, we were in the most depressing and cold part of the winter so we would deliver doughnuts or pizza to everyone on the job each Friday to keep the positive energy going.
There are a few things I would have done slightly different, but hindsight is 20/20. When you are remodeling an entire residence at once, there is much continuity in design to orchestrate. Our home is still a work in a progress, but we were fortunate to complete the majority of the work before we moved in. I look forward to sharing the before and after images and some of the story behind them and hopefully it will inspire you to create a home that is ALL YOUR OWN!
SALUT!
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