There is a buffer of trees around the perimeter of our property. Tulip Poplars, oaks, mostly hardwoods with some dogwoods thrown in. We have holly, boxwoods, and azaleas. Blackberries and raspberries loiter on the edges of the woods. The little driveway goes up a hill to a paved parking area.
There is a large garage to the right which DH is turning into his nest for making beer and (when he get a table) playing pool. It has air conditioning, heat, and phone lines!! Practically a separate house; something to keep in mind when we have teenagers.
To the left, built into the side of the hill is our home. The landscaping is quite nice but I look forward to putting my preferences in. The bulk of the clear (no trees/underbrush) land is behind the house but there is little "lawn". There are wavering strips of land interspersed with grasses and naturalized flower beds. There are daffodils all around the house right now! I cut into the underbrush every time I mow, reclaiming more yard. I've been informed that this is yard NOT lawn because we don't only have grass but we encourage dandelions and ground cover.
The house is white, with white painted wood siding on the above ground level (the lower level is cement painted greys).
There are three doors into the house. The back door into the kitchen, the formal front door (up the sidewalk and steps), and our welcoming door right at the parking level.
The welcoming door opens into a foyer space presently dominated by an upright piano that I want to get rid of . To the left is the door to our large coat closet/mud room (larger than some bedrooms I've had). Right now all our framed art is stacked against the wall in this closet waiting to be hung. We keep our bicycles, rollerskates, bookbags, and all kids shoes and mittens here. To the right of the foyer is the laundry/utility room.
Come further in! This rosy brown carpeted room with a ceiling fan is the family room. The walls are almond coloured. Our tv is here and our loveseat, a box of legos, a shelf or two of movies,and our computer which is waiting for the office to be finished.
Past the family room is DH's & my bedroom. I painted it green (Olympic slate green). We fnally bought a bed frame! WooHoo! It's the first non-futon frame I've ever bought. Was it only 11 years ago that we slept on a futon on the floor and believed frames were for sissies? DH and I each have a dresser (old, dark wood, his is Empire). The carpet is a lovely light-medium green. We have our own bathroom! It has a large closet with shelving, linoleum flooring, a large shower, sink, and toilet. Plenty of towel racks.
Just at the junction of our bedroom and the family room is the office. It has connecting doors to the bathroom and family room. Our stereo is here with all the CD's, records, and tapes. There is a nice small closet filled with craft items and cloth. A counter goes around 3/4s of the room. The same linoleum in here (tile look with light greens and red sandy colour). Too bad that the toilet persists in overflowing and water pours through the cieling and pools in the light fixture.
Oh, the upstairs is lovely! The steps are just at the edge of the linoleum foyer. The light from the kitchen door streams down and makes me happy. The kitchen is small with linoleum flooring. A light bright yellow (not as dark as daffodils) cheers the walls and there is a white chair rail.
Through the door into the dining room and living room. I love these rooms! Hardwood floors. The dining area is to the left, a long narrow area topped by a window overlooking the parking and trees. The wall between the dining and kitchen holds my plate rack with our lovely wedding pottery (cobalt blue with iron slip textured edging) plates, pasta bowls, cups and mugs, and on top the serving pieces. The opposite wall has built in cabinets below and glassed in shelves above. The rest of our dishes are displayed here (tupperware below) along with some sculptural pieces and vases. Our dining table was a wedding present made by our friend Jose. It has an oak top, beautifully pieced, and is long and narrow like the space.
The living room is our emptiest room so far. It has a large picture window with side panels looking through the trees, over the street, and onto the fields beyond. Narrow built-in bookcases flank the window. There is a little entrance cubby with a coat closet on the left for the formal front door. This is a nice space with a high ceiling (but not really high). There is a fireplace across from the window. I took the curtains down from the window. I love to sit and look out at the trees day and night! Groundhogs wander by and rabbits frolic around the lilac. Last month a doe and two fawns wandered through. During storms the trees whip against the sky and I shiver. There are no streetlights on our section of the road; at night the stars and moon light up the rooms so that we can walk through that sharp silver light with its accompanying shadows.
The right inside corner of the living area leads to the other 3 rooms and a bathroom. The largest room is the playroom. The children's computer and vcr are here. Against the walls are the toy containment (buckets that slide into upright columns). One column is art and craft materials. There is a lego table and one whole wall is books. There is a large closet where their craft kits are kept and all costumes are hung on hangers (or the tie rack for capes). The center of the floor is clear; my daughter and I are making a braided rug for it but it is slow going. There is a table for projects and the doll house. A daybed next to the bookcases was supposed to be for reading but usually hosts a field of action figures engaged in the epic battle between good and evil.
The medium room is the bedroom. It is a cheery yellow and has wonderful windows looking onto the yard. The children sleep on two twin beds bungee corded together at the frames. Please note the cheesy little bonneted maid that is the light switch plate and the goose and flower wallpaper trim - they came with the house.
Bathroom. Tile floor. Bathtub with shower. Dark green bath mat. The kids clean it themselves!
The last room is the library and guest room (when we put the futon in it). It has dark blue curtains, an odd little closet, and two windows looking onto the back yard and the playset. The sun streams in here in the afternoon making it a lovely place to read whilst the children are playing outside or dinner is simmering. The kitchen also gets afternoon light. The two 8 foot bookcases I made 14 years ago are against one wall. The one next to the windows contains (haha) general books I love and books I'm waiting to read. The second holds my science fiction and fantasy books by author.
In the little space bwteen all the rooms there are two small linen closets and the pull-down stairs to the attic. The attic is wonderful. Broad boards all nailed down, very clean, nice light. The air conditioning is in the attic.
That's my lovely house. Shall we sit at the dining table and have a cup of tea and some cookies while we chat?
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