Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Porchlandia: Before - Downstairs

It's hard to take pictures in a house that's windows are covered with plywood and which has no electricity. I took these photos before we had the electricity turned on so it was so dark inside that even with a flash my camera was having trouble. So I apologize for the quality of these photos. 



When you enter through the front door the stairs are directly in front of you. Two beds and a bath are behind the door to the right. And just to the left is this glorious living room/dining room combo. You're falling in love, right? You're imagining a really comfortable couch and a fire in the fireplace, and a glass of wine in your hand.


I think that maybe the beams and fireplace were what I fell in love with first. Everything else was just a plus. 



The fireplace needs to be cleaned up a bit and restored to the glorious fireplace that I know is in there somewhere. Also, the linoleum floors will be torn up and wood floors installed. When it's finished, I feel like the house is going to give off a Vermont ski home vibe. 


This broken slider walks out onto the front porch, which spans the length of the living/dining room. I'm imagining it with an outdoor sectional and a grill or, per my father's suggestion, a hot tub. When in Rome.


Hopefully now you're getting the whole picture, looking up at the railing and walkway and into the master bedroom above. This house is actually quite similar to my childhood home, with the catwalk overlooking the open, two-floor downstairs. Maybe that's why I love it so.


On to the kitchen. I never liked galley kitchens until recently. A friend of mine has a gorgeous Charlestown condo with a galley kitchen and at first I thought it was small and totally not my style but then I realized the functionality of it and fell in love. Galleys can feel small, sure. But done right they can be really beautiful. Sure, I'd love a kitchen with a big island, but you work with what you're given. 


After we submitted our offer I started perusing galley kitchens online. HGTV is a wealth of ideas with the library photos. I found a similar size kitchen with cherry cabinets and white countertops and was like, okay, I can do this. But then fourth months passed while we waited and I changed my mind on the cabinets. This is a small space and it needs to be brightened up. So we're going with white shakers.


We did white shakers on the Ranch house and that brightened up what was such a dark space beforehand. So I have no doubt that white shakers will change Porchlandia's kitchen drastically. We're going to build a breakfast bar as well to amplify the space and then I'll have to be removed kicking and screaming from the house, never wanting to leave.


Around the corner from the kitchen is (was) a connected room that functions as the laundry room/closet and downstairs bath. It's a little weird that you could be in the tub or on the toilet and someone could walk in to do laundry so we've separated the space into two separate rooms with a wall between.


So here we have the downstairs bathroom which is a full bath. There's enough space for a single vanity, toilet and shower/tub. I also took a piece of this wallpaper and framed it. It's so weird that it's cool. Yup, it's people in the tub. But it's also cats!


My sister was a champ helping me remove all toilets and vanities last week. She weighs maybe 98 pounds soaking wet and yet she didn't complain too much when we had to haul heavy items out to the dumpster on her days off. She did, however, criticize my choice to keep a piece of this wallpaper. What can I say? She's not perfect.


Around the corner from the bathroom are two bedrooms. One that could comfortably fit a full size bed, or be an office, and one that could easily fit a California king and some.


I'm sure blue on blue can be done tastefully... This bedroom also had a slider in it. It has already been replaced with windows. And now that the carpet has been torn out the room is immensely brighter. It's amazing how color on the floor and walls can darken a room. I can't wait until it's painted.


If I were to buy Porchlandia I think I'd turn this room into the guest room, that way it would only need a bed and side tables in it, which would fit nicely. There'd be no need to stick any other furniture in there. 


This bedroom is the largest with a huge window that currently is partially smashed and therefore boarded up. It also had the most mouse poop in it. The posters in this room were interesting. Two of them stated that "Big Brother is watching you." I can't wait until the window pane is replaced so I can see how bright the room naturally is.


But back to this gorgeous view looking up from the fireplace... Are you ready to move in? When we eat lunch, drenched in sweat-soaked clothes, covered in dirt and sawdust and fiberglass (saws-all-ing the tub really was the bane of my existence), all I can think is how much I want to be sprawled out on a couch staring up at those beams. I cannot wait to stage it and then maybe move in. Kidding. Sort of.


Would it be weird to stage it and then hang around for an afternoon pretending it's my new home? That would be totally normal, right? Oh God, it's only week one and I'm already having sad thoughts about selling it and saying goodbye!

~Stephanie

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1 comment

  1. After seeing this third round of photos I completely understand why you want to move in! I love that you kept a swatch of the downstairs bathroom wallpaper, especially because it has cats! I am so excited to follow along with this flip. The potential at Porchlandia is endless! Is it weird if I want to entertain in it before you sell it?

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