Starting Over
New Year, New House?
Friday Jan. 2
On the Market
Three Houses from the Roaring 20s
100 S Ridge Street - a four bedroom, four bathroom former artist’s cottage tucked amongst trees, and full of charming arches, brick details, and beautifully preserved wood floors.
260 N Ridge Street - I’m not sure what it is about this house, but it seems the perfect backdrop for long, loud family dinners, decade old traditions, and tearful reunions. I love the wooden shaker cabinets in the kitchen, the beadboard paneled dining room, and the brick fireplace. (I’m also a sucker for a gambrel roof).
1101 N Market Street - well-appointed rooms, great natural light, stunning built-ins, and original fireplaces. The bathrooms have been very gently updated, and the kitchen is just to the point where you could add a bit more charm and personality to really make it your own.
Show Study: Mountain House ep. 3
A little recap of week 3 of Fixer Upper: Mountain House
Last week was the final week of The Mountain House, so let’s talk about it. Here are my thoughts on episode 3:
→ Do a furniture plan. Taping out a floorplan to figure out furniture is genius if it’s something you have the ability to do (like Jo and Ella did). Even better if you can stage the furniture ahead of time to see how everything works together—you always need to consider the relationships between your items.
→ Focus on flooring and wall treatments. I’ve said it before, and I will say it again: focusing on flooring and wall treatments can completely transform a place and change how it feels.
→ Watch out for last minute changes. Both Chip and Jo were changing things last minute, what the show didn’t tell us was what this added to their budget or exactly how new these changes were. If you think you’re going to want to change the scope of work halfway through then be prepared for delays and greater expenses.
→ Add charm where you need it. Arches, scallops, curves, window seats, nooks, tongue and groove and beadboard details…these are all things that can be added for interest and coziness.
Overall, there were a lot of design choices I loved, and some I might have done differently (would love to hear your thoughts on this!) but it’s one I’d be honored to get to stay in (and Ella’s cottage was so precious!).
One Good Thing
After the holidays, you’ve probably recognized all the ways your furniture doesn’t work for your home. This was a huge driver for us in flipping our living and dining rooms last year, so with that, here’s some advice for choosing the right size and dining table for the room you’re in.
Leave at least 3 feet (36 inches) of clearance on all sides of the table so you can pull dining chairs out or walk behind anyone who might be seated at the table. If there’s furniture in the room (like a buffet or curio cabinet), make sure to have 3 feet between the table and those pieces so people can walk comfortably behind.
Pictured: A magazine cutout of a cozy dining room in Britain, featuring a round red lacquered table, and five chairs placed on a rectangular rug (which works!).
Signing off for this week! If you’re looking for more, check out the blog, the podcast, or find us on Instagram and Pinterest.