1908 Loved

…and here she is…restored to the beauty a 1908 home deserves. Walls left, walls torn down, floors replaced, floors restored all while retaining her original charm. It was a dream to do a bare bone remodel of a vintage home as this, and boy what they say is correct….it always takes longer and costs more than you expect! The things you find behind the old walls are not only comical but also reveals the soul of a home….the families that lived here in the past. Probably a couple of the most random things we discovered were little toy trucks, what appears to be military patches and the funniest, a marijuana pipe that was quite vintage in itself. There was a coal window in the basement as well as different writings/autographs on the wood beams. AND as always a sign from the Universe….when I was tearing up the floor which turned into the primary, there was newspaper spread out on the floor. The year of this paper was 1957, the year my deceased husband was born. Definitely a thumbs up from Scott on my renovation.

Yes, the 8 months had a lot of stress but the stress was easily suppressed with the beauty of the renovation and knowing that this home was given an abundant amount of love. I enjoyed a year embraced in her walls and enjoying the downtown lifestyle but she also exposed something to me about myself. As I was sitting in the living room one morning, enjoying my lovely fireplace and journaling I thought….now what??? Was I comfortable, did my home bring me joy….absolutely two big yeses! BUT….what my home revealed to me is that I was uncomfortable being too comfortable…I want more. Now this does not mean I was not grateful for this beautiful home I created and the basic comforts I am privileged to have such as a roof over my head, heat, clean water etc. I was over the moon grateful for all I had but that doesn’t mean I can’t want more. My more was jumping all in on my dream of traveling. I didn’t just want a weeks trip, I wanted to live as a nomad…truly to be not only a vacationer but a resident of the world. Now with any big dream that you are brave enough to pursue….it takes a bit of sacrifice. Obviously this is different for everyone and mine was engulfed in many dueling emotions. Top of my list was I was going to have to move away from the man I love and secondly I could not afford to maintain a house hold financially and galavant around the world for a year. Of course I could have rented my home and that would cover some of my expense but as the Zac Brown song goes…”there is no price tag on peace of mind”. After talking to dear friends I trust that have had rentals , they opened my eyes to things I would have a hard time not being stressed about ESPECIALLY with a home I adored so much. So I chose to not only sell my house but most of my belongings in it. Yes, both were a large sacrifice but my soul was telling me to take that leap of faith and jump all in on yet another dream. None of us know what tomorrow brings and through my journey I am acutely aware of how delicate life is….I was healthy and now was the time! I accomplished not only my dream with this 1908 home, I left something beautiful to be enjoyed by future generations. That filled me with satisfaction and happiness. Enjoy the pictures below and my apology for not being too technically savvy as I had big aspirations to do side by sides of my last post of the ‘before’ pictures but that didn’t happen. I have had quite a few people ask for the after pictures so wanted to get them out there before another year goes by….Cheers!

View from front door…all new wood floors installed on main level

I love this picture so much!

Removed the wood stove and built a brick fireplace with gas insert. Mantel was reclaimed wood from a salvage company in Idaho.

Kept the original banister

That built in dresser was one of my absolute favorite things in the house. It is all original, we just painted it. It was great for storing towels and sheets.

I kept the original floors from 1908 upstairs and refinished. Light fixture was lugged all the way back from Dubai and I just love it!!! Well worth the inconvenience…and yes, it came with me when I sold the house.

Moved laundry upstairs in a space that was a closet…it was cozy but probably the most efficient use of space I’ve seen in any laundry room twice the size.

Front guest room that I used as work out room and office. The closet is new and if you open it the little door to a storage place that we discovered was where they were growing marijuana. Hoping it is used as a little kid’s play area at some point…it would be so cute!

Main guest room….I just loved this room to welcome guests into. Not too much done other than floors being refinished, painted and new light fixtures. Every light fixture in the home was replaced.

My very large Aspen picture we bought when we moved to Idaho.

Kept the original plumbing positions to do bath remodel but everything is new….I loved my new bath tub even though it wasn’t attached to the master. I was shocked how big and deep of a tub we could fit in this spot.

This kitchen remodel was by far the most challenging of the remodel….when walls started coming down it was a nightmare. We were able to repair around the skylights so we could keep and they are much appreciated in the Idaho winters. The door to basement was moved to a different location to allow more kitchen cupboard space. French doors took the place of the window. This room was absolutely taken down to the studs…ceiling and all.

I was obsessed with the backsplash I picked and the open raw wood shelves. I can’t wait to have a coffee bar again in my next home.

New door to the scary basement :)

New stairs to the basement

We even were able to squeeze a pantry in that was such a great use of space and had a counter to put my microwave on.

The only regret I have is selling this table and chairs. I know I can always get another big table but I simply loved this one.

Sunset from my kitchen window

This is Sally the squirrel that became my pet. I named her after Joe’s mom as she was such an animal lover!

Small but efficient master bedroom. I combined two rooms downstairs to create first floor master with ensuite and walk in closet

Loved my shower finishes in the master bath

Created a half bath for guests. It did require shrinking the master but I believe it was necessary decision, and I know just a little guest bath but it had a big window and I just loved it :)

One of the two lights I kept and will go in my next home. I saw this light at a little boutique in a small town (the name escapes me) in Idaho and was obsessed.

Didn’t have any shots of my ensuite but here is the pocket door leading into it :). Notice the molding around the door…when we added new door ways they kept the same original vintage charm as on the original doors and windows around the house.

My little baby magnolia tree I planted. My first home in Virginia and where my kid’s were born had a HUGE magnolia tree that I absolutely loved. Hopefully this little guy will grow up big and strong!