this brief paragraph is the only whining i'll do about how busy my december has been. i felt great about this blog when i started it in november and then, thanks to the new friends, old friends, lots of cocktails and parties-for-them, and a couple of holidays i dropped the ball. but now its january and time to get back on the horse.
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early in the month, matthew and i had a very interesting offer extended to us. some friends, ML and SR invited us over for long anticipated cocktails (see above, re: procrastination) and to take a look at their house. which they were hoping to sell - quickly. side note: ML is quickly becoming the go to bartender for classy/classic cocktails in turners falls. any excuse to drink with him is one worth taking. but back to the facts . . .
these friends had found a beyond ridiculous-good deal-omg-apartment right on prospect park south in good old brooklyn that they were hoping to buy. and it just happens that SR and i had been originally introduced because they've been thinking about selling this house for a while. and its just my kind of house. bungalow, full of charm, and they've spent the past five + years or so doing the clean up that so many houses in TF need. and what a house! SR has done a great job documenting their time there in her thoroughly readable blog so i'll only include some my personal favorites.
front of house. things that would sell it for me, just from this photo include that incredible tree and the retaining wall (which i probably asked too many questions about but is so sweet). also notice if you can, the driveway to right, which has a strip of grass between the pavement tracks for the wheels of your car.
PORCH! this porch, i mean, it was good enough to be featured on design*sponge. it is more than good enough for me. i can just imagine the solid three seasons matthew and i would spend out here. the photos here don't really do it justice, but the windows are beautiful old beasts that swing out and lock into place. i haven't really been able to shut up about this house and it turns out my mother grew up with a porch just like this. all the more reason for me to love it.
here's a quick shot of SR's excellent use of the #1 trend of 2011: chevron.
a kitchen with space. 'nough said. maybe not. let me count the ways i love the non-existence of travertine, or fake marble, or terra cota, or "tuscan design elements". lordy. for the record, ML and SR added the cut out above the stove and it clearly makes the space feel bigger and brighter. the picture above of the bar and chevron is just on the other side, in the dining room. and from the stove you can see not only into that room but the living room as well - solving the age old problem of entertaining: how to be attentive to your guests without them being underfoot in the kitchen.
and there's a whole 2nd floor i won't even get into. not to mention the detached garage and yard. (really, check out the blog, its worth your time and you'll be completely inspired.)
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so of course we want this house. it may have been the drinks but after we left and came home, we squealed and fantasized for over an hour, talking about what walls to knock down so we could put in a wood stove (seriously the only drawback we could see was that there wasn't a fireplace or wood stove, which we thought would be a deal breaker.) but after some serious discussion, it was clear that matthew and i couldn't marshal our resources to buy this gem on such short notice. ML and SR may have been jumping the gun as well, it seems like there are still some pieces in their lives that need to fall into place before they're truly ready to leave TF. so for now, matthew and i are still looking. and holding up every house we see against this one. and come late spring we'll revisit the idea of spending the rest of our foreseeable lives in a bungalow just below the hill. retaining wall and all.
