This House Has Character!

Well, it’s been a while since my first post about the house that we purchased. There has been a lot work done on it and I meant to post along the way, but life has been busy. I actually wrote this blog post several weeks ago and I am just getting around to putting it on now.

There were so many little things about this house that I loved. If I could, I would’ve kept every single little quirky aspect that gave her so much character. Unfortunately, some things have to change. In this post I will pay homage to all of these things and give them the respect and attention that they deserve.

1.  In the entryway there is a window composed of thick glass blocks that allow light but are not see-through. Translucent? I think that’s what it’s called. I realize that this type of blocks can be bought anywhere today, but these are special. In my previous blog I mentioned that a tornado had destroyed the home that sat on the property prior to this home. The tornado destroyed much of the southside of our town back in 1958. 13 people were killed, 80 injured, and many homes were destroyed. Also destroyed was Skelly elementary school. These particular glass blocks were found in the rubble of Skelly elementary and used to make this window when the house was built a year later . This window was non-negotiable. It will be staying as is in the home for as long as I live here.

2. When we purchased the home, there was a unique black and white tile floor in the entryway in the hallway. I love this floor so much. To me, it just screams 50s style. Although I initially stated that I wanted to keep this at all costs, I have resigned myself to the fact that it just won’t work with the flooring and remodel plans. I had asked if it may be possible to keep even a small portion, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. I am comforted by the fact that this floor will remain underneath the new flooring, so it will always be there. Sidenote…. I am one of the few people that actually likes these floors, ha ha!

3. Retro bathrooms. You’ve all seen the tiles and old bathrooms like this. One bathroom is totally pink with pink tiles, and the other is a bluish gray. Although I love them, they are in very very bad shape. We will be redoing the bathrooms, but I have already saved some tiles for a project to keep their memory alive in the home.

4. There are built-in shelves in the hallway. In our contractor’s  initial plans, he intended on taking the shelves out to utilize more space for the bathroom remodel. Because I feel like they add so much to the character of the house, they are staying. Yay!

5. Sitting openly in the large unfinished basement is one single working toilet. I’ll post a picture of this toilet just to show you a before, but it’s a little bit embarrassing! I’m not sure what the purpose was, but it’s staying. Well, it is not staying  but we are replacing it with another new toilet in the same spot! Hey, who knows,  we may need to use it from time to time!

6. There were some adorable wooden cabinets in the kitchen. Because the kitchen is being totally reconfigured and remodeled, and because these cabinets aren’t in great shape, they won’t be staying. I do believe they are keeping a few of the drawers and I have some ideas for some projects to do with those.

These are just a few of the things that helped make this home so special. Although I love retro and preserving a homes history, I know that the changes we are making are going to be great and I am still doing all I can to somehow keep or incorporate these bits of character into the home. They were a part of this homes history, and I hope that they continue to be so for a long time, one way or another.

More updates to come!