currently, i'm quarantined with a virus that usually effects small children and its making me prone to act like one. in that spirit, today you'll get visit some dream houses in the area that i'll never be able to buy but sure wish i could.
home number 1, downton abbey meets arts and crafts magic.
i've driven by this house many times. the neighborhood is a plethora of mansions and victorian throwbacks. this gem is stuck back from the road, high up on a hill overlooking greenfield. its completely out of place with its mediterranean tile roof and portico but the charm is undeniable.
two views! this amazing office would be a retreat to be sure. i can imagine sitting here, incredibly rich and working on the final volume of the first trilogy of books i want to write. i'll totter over to the fireplace, burn old rejection letters from editors who are now begging to publish my work, smoking my sherlock pipe. you know that sort of thing. also, i'd share it with matt.
original details! just my find of stained glass. that shield at the top is the heraldry of alsace, just as a fun fact. makes me wonder who built the house...
invalid's porch! especially today, when i can't really leave the house this kind of porch demands that i have a gin and tonic, heavy on the quinine while i boss around the help. ah, help.
finally, i'll be hosting our annual costume christmas brunch where you all come dressed as 18th century french aristocrats in the striped receiving room this year. please arrive on time. yours truly, lady grantham.
home number 2, quaker dreams in leyden.
matt adores leyden. its a bit too rural for me so this is probably the closest we'll ever get to thinking about buying a property there. this beauty is almost enough to make me change my mind. that little fenced in space in the back would be perfect for our chickens, don't you think so?
this is quintessentially matt. clean, new england historical charm. the previous owners did a fantastic job working in this idiom with modern updates that don't feel like a slap dash HGTV "vintage" update. more This Old House, really. and i love it. i have no idea what i'd use this room for. hanging my brooms?
do yourself a favor and click on the listing link to see all the photos. this is one of many fire-driven heating options. that built in is too sweet and just around the corner is the spartan, shaker kitchen. i can imagine LIVING in this room through the whole winter. probably not the best for our social lives, but hey, its leyden!
black floor. white molding. antique bricks. i love the feeling of this room. another option for above mentioned holiday brunch.
kitchen action! this property has at least three fully furnished buildings, so looking through the photos at Cohn & Company is a little misleading. i'm pretty sure this is "main house" kitchen. but you never know. the luxury of having multiple buildings kinda baffles me. do you rent them? just hang on to them until visitors come over and then, instead of giving them the guest room give them the guest house?
why can't i have these houses?!
i mean frankly, i can't think of anyone who deserves them more.
