I have a very charming house to share with you today…
This beauty in Minnesota is one’s of my reader’s homes and it is ADORABLE!
Marcia shared these pictures with me of her circa 1910 American Foursquare. She and her family bought the house in 2001 and they were told that it was an old Sears catalog house.
Marcia’s home is amazing and it is in excellent condition (though she gets a lot of credit for this because she has put a lot of work into it!)
Let’s have a look:
The abundant lilacs just welcome you right in…
Check out the large, lush yard:
(handsome doggie too!)
Look at this screened-in porch – completely delightful!
Inside, Marcia has been working vigorously to remove the white paint on the original woodwork that the previous owners applied. The house apparently went decades and decades with the natural wood finish on all the trim and pillars until the last owners painted it all white.
You can see the beautiful natural wood grain coming through.
Marcia has been toiling to bring this house back to its historic state.
The staircase had a carpet runner that she removed, then refinished the wood on the treads:
After:
Looking good!
She also tackled an exterior door which she stripped and refinished:
I love the soft, vintage decor…
The stained and leaded glass inserts are just gorgeous…
Beads dripping from the chandelier:
Check out the vintage built-in china hutch:
The professional estimate to strip all the paint from the built-ins: $3,800!
“I’m staring to like the white“, says Marcia.
In some areas, she has been adding touches of color to the trim to make the intricate details stand-out:
They were also able to carve some space out of the family room for a new half-bath:
Hallway ceiling and medallion…
This whimsical, large-scale mural of a dancing Eiffel tower is in her daughter’s room:
Marcia hired artist Leslie Waddell to paint the mural; Marcia did the matching flowers on the ceiling herself.
Impressive!
Marcia says her house is a work-in-progress (lol – what old house isn’t?) so I am very thankful that she has allowed us to have a peek inside at all the work she has been doing.
But Marcia isn’t the only one at her house who has been busy in the nest… check out this family of robins that nested in one of her hanging plants:
At first I thought those were fake decorative eggs…
…but fake eggs don’t actually HATCH!
How spectacular is that?
I can see why mama bird chose this property to build her nest – it just exudes warmth and coziness! This house is clearly cherished.
