04/12/2025
Hello! I've been lurking around here for the past few weeks, and on this day of giving thanks, I wanted to share something that I am so incredibly grateful for this year... the 1929 bungalow I purchased in August! I never thought I'd be able to own a home of my own, and not only did I achieve that, but it's pretty much my dream home!
I knew I wanted this brick beauty to be mine before I ever even stepped foot in her, and I felt like the luckiest girl in the world the day my offer was accepted.
The previous owners have done such an incredible job, in my opinion, of maintaining the original personality and integrity of the house. I wanted an older house, with history, charm, and character, but being a single lady in her 30s with not much DIY/homeowner know-how, or money (😅), I wasn't up for big projects. This home fit the bill for me perfectly. When I moved in, I didn't really have to do much. I deep-cleaned, painted all the bedrooms, entryway, and bathroom, and slapped a little Rejuvenate on the wood floors.
As far as I can tell, all the doors, trim, molding, and cabinets are original to the house. I fell in love with the built-in buffet in the dining room when I looked at it, and I am also in love with the picture molding downstairs, large heat registers, and crystal doorknobs and cabinet handles.The wood in the kitchen and bathroom was painted white at some point, which I'm sure will upset some of you wood purists 😅, but I am okay with the decision... I think it makes those rooms feel bigger, cleaner, and brighter. I think the bathroom floor tile is original, and I don't think the tile on the wall is, but I found a box of spare tiles in the bathroom cabinet, and the box is VERY old. I also think I found a linoleum rug in the crawlspace closet off the kitchen. Speaking of which, this home has an INCREDIBLE amount of storage for a home built in 1929. I have a coat closet in the entryway, a sizeable closet/pantry/crawlspace off the kitchen that goes underneath the stairs, a built-in buffet in the dining room, a built-in storage bench in the living room, a closet in each of the 3 bedrooms, a linen cabinet in the upstairs hallway, AND a walk-in closet, and a cabinet/drawer combo in the bathroom, along with the medicine cabinet. I have hardly even had to put any of my modern junk in the basement. 😅
My favorite part about moving in, was that as I went around cleaning before I painted and started moving things, I found the skeleton key for each door on top of its respective doorframe. It was like a treasure hunt. It made my heart full, and made me feel like somehow I was in just the right place. My other favorite part about moving in, was that I finally had a place for all the beautiful lace curtains from my grandmother's home, that I had kept in a box for years in anticipation of having windows to eventually hang them in.
I grew up in an old farmhouse, and it's made me so happy to give my son a home that is truly ours, but lived a full life of its own before us, just like the house I grew up in. We are so happy here, and I know that he loves it as much as I do, because he tells me as much.
Of course, not everything is perfect. I would like to do some work on the exterior trim and porches in spring, and the interior walls are starting to show a bit of cracking in some places. There are other little old house things that will need to be addressed in the coming years, especially relating to plumbing, electrical, and the basement... but overall, I count myself so INCREDIBLY lucky to score a basically move-in ready, beautiful older home such as this. I am so dang proud of it, and I am thankful for it every single day that I spend here... not just today. ☺️🦃
