I have always loved older houses. Not decrepit, but old. Houses that make you think of character….history…. craftsmanship. Yes, I know my husband and I just last year finished building our brand spanking new house. We made sure to have the character and the craftsmanship….just not the history. Oh well, two out of three isn’t too bad.
A friend of mine from Facebook got me started on this site about houses. It’s called Old House Dreams. I’m warning you not to click on it unless you are willing to become addicted. The owner of the blog finds houses all over the country…and some international…that have my three qualifying characteristics. Last night she had a house in Bozeman, MT. It is gorgeous. Almost all the houses on her site are for sale, which makes for better dreaming about living there. Thanks to Google, one can also view the street or country road that the property is on—you know to get a feel for the place. Last night I pretended, in my mind, that I lived in Bozeman, Montana. In the red foursquare house. I’ve “pretend lived” in a house in most states of this country through this blog. Hey, some people have some horrible vices. Not me. I just am addicted to sweet tea and real estate…….and I don’t even really buy the real estate. So, it’s all good.
I do love old houses. When we were first looking at buying a house a couple of years ago, my husband kept saying, ” Old houses need work, electrical and plumbing need updated, the rooms are small, not enough closet space…..” That is true. Everything he said was valid. I just like the old house vibe. The detail, the woodwork, the hardwood floors, the porcelain or glass door knobs, transom windows……stuff one doesn’t see in new houses very often. Sigh.
Our new house is beautiful. We chose colored concrete floors with radiant heat, all hard wood trim, solid paneled doors, pocket doors, and doors with glass panes in them. We have tons of closet space (which believe me, I do use) and a long side deck and front porch. We had local craftsmen work on our house. It sets in the middle of what once was a corn/soybean field. It is a country home “with a twist”. At least that is how I describe it. Some of our friends say on the outside it looks like a cross between a church building and a barn. That’s all good. I like to be different:)
So, anyway, I’m loving the Old House site. Check it out. It really is interesting. Even if you are not a lover of all things old…it’s still interesting to do a little looking at how other people live in houses all across this country of ours. Enjoy!
It Just Dawned On Me 