Monday, June 20, 2016

My New Home: the Exterior

I've been living in Phil's house for about 6 weeks now and am finally ready to share some photos. It may be a "new home" to me, but it's far from being a new home as his house is 101 years old! One of his neighbors told us that it was the first house in the area and was originally a farm house as the area where we live was a farm back in the early 1900s. A lot of work has been done to the house over the years, though, so it does not look or feel like a 100+ year old home. A lot of changes have been made, but we think that part of the living room has the original wood flooring, which I love!

I'm always curious about what others' homes look like, so I thought I'd share some photos of ours. We still have some projects to do on the interior so I am holding off on sharing any photos of the inside until those are done, but I thought I'd share some photos of what it looks like from the outside.

Here is our house from the front. Truth be told, I do NOT like the bright yellow doors (the back door is yellow, too) but I don't know if I dislike them enough to do something about it! Phil doesn't mind the color and thinks we should just leave them as they are. We'll see what we decide to do.


This is the back of the house. We live on a small city lot, so our yard is small, but I really like the space we have, especially the deck. I have already spent a lot of time out there reading and we eat a lot of meals out there in the summer and fall.

We also have a small paved area in the back yard, which is where our newest purchase resides! I'm so excited to finally have a gas grill! We also have a charcoal grill (not pictured). I'm looking forward to eating lots of grilled meals this summer!


The house is small as we have about 1,150 square feet, but it's big enough for us at this stage of our life. We also have a detached 2-car garage behind the house. A lot of homes in the area only have 1-car garages so I am so glad that ours has 2, especially since our winters are pretty brutal!

Hopefully I'll be able to share some interior photos later this summer. I'm crossing one project off the list tonight as 3 of my college girlfriends are coming over to hang photos in exchange for a meal made by me. This has become an annual event as this is the 3rd year in a row that I have moved, but hopefully we'll be in this house for several years!

20 comments:

Charbelle said...

I like the yellow door, because it gives you an easy way to identify the house, it's the house with the yellow door... Honestly though, it's not hard to paint a door so you could fairly easily change it up. That's fantastic that there is a 2 car garage! We don't get the same winters but it's really nice to have the car parked in the garage in the winter time here! I've had to do snow and ice removal a few times and it's not my favorite! I am looking forward to seeing the inside project! It's such a great neighborhood where y'all are!

katielookingforward said...

I'm with you on the yellow, but I've never had a bright colored door. Its awesome that you guys are getting settled, and what a great way to have your girlfriends over and see the new place!

Nora said...

Your backyard area is gorgeous! Love the green, the shade, the deck. Spending time in our backyard or my dad's is one of my favorite spring/summer/winter things :)

Erin said...

Such a cute house with a lot of charm! I love seeing where people live so thanks for sharing with us :) We are currently spending the week at a little lake cottage that is two small bedrooms, a bathroom, and then a combined kitchen/dining/living room area. It's SUPER tiny compared to our house. We were laying in bed last night talking about what if this was our actual home. We'd have to get rid of so much of our "stuff." I told Jason it was somewhat appealing to me. It isn't a possibility for our family right now, but it was fun to think of living in a little house :). It's amazing how my perspective has changed on things over the years. Not that long ago I longed to live a big home on a nice cul de sac (like many of my friends), but now I am happy in our older home on a street in town (instead of a housing plan), and look at me today--saying a small little home on a lake would be so much fun :)

I'm very happy for you and can't wait to see some inside glimpses soon!

Emilie said...

I love that the house is two-toned! I agree, I'm not a fan of the yellow doors but it does give some character. Your yard is cute! Ours is a mess right now but in a few weeks should be much better. We decided to invest some money into a landscaper because the extent of overgrowth is too far beyond our capabilities! I have been meaning to do house photos for over a year. I have to wait another month because my good camera is on loan to my siblings who are both taking big trips over the next few weeks. I love older homes. Ours isn't that old, built in 1957, but I do love the hardwood floors in our living room and the three smaller bedrooms. My parents was built in the 1880s and they are constantly doing work to keep it up but in my opinion it's worth it because the bones are better than most modern homes.

San said...

Oh, I love your house... and I don't mind the yellow door at all. It gives your house some character!
Our door is red (which I love!).

Your backyard is really cute (and your grass is so green - ours is brown right now because of the heat LOL).
I am happy to hear you're settling in!!

Raquelita said...

Your house and yard are great! I like the yellow door! It seems bright and inviting. Hooray for settling in and for friends to take part in such a lovely tradition that makes your house your home!

Kelly (She Wears a Red Sox Cap) said...

I love your house! Your yard looks really big to me ha ha, but I've had two houses now with very small yards so it's probably just what I'm used to. All you really need is that nice deck!
I actually like the yellow door, but I'm not sure I love it with the other colors of your house. Hard to tell from the pic though! I actually have a yellow door now. It's lighter in color than yours but I think overall I like yellow doors :) It was harder than you'd think to come up with a color for a door ha ha!

Amber said...

Super super cute house! It does not look 100 years old AT ALL!! Wow, I'm actually surprised it's that old by looking at the photos. Love the backyard area where it's paved for your new grill too. Such a great little space to hang out and dine al fresco. Can't wait for your interior tour :)

Carolina John said...

How cute! I'm not a huge fan of those yellow doors either, red or something would stand out a little more. But having any yard at all must be fun for you. I bet you're going to have a nice garden plot next year.

Stevie said...

It is so lovely! Totally the type of house my husband and I have been looking at. Unfortunately in our neighborhood, houses of that style and size are being listed at 600-700k, and selling for well over the asking price. So frustrating :-/

I love the yard! It looks like a great size for you two, and for some nice summertime entertaining. There is nothing like outdoor grilling/eating season!

Gracie said...

The style is so cute! And I actually like the yellow doors - but then, many houses in New Orleans are very bright, so I'm used to seeing lots of color on houses.

Stephany said...

Oh my goodness, your house is so cute! I kinda love the yellow door, too! Your yard looks so lovely. The only thing that makes me want to live in a house is for a backyard, haha. Grilling out and relaxing outside with a book... THE BEST!

Abby said...

I love your house!! The back yard area with the pavers is like a little oasis. I cannot wait to see interior pictures. I love older homes - the history and character is so neat!

I kind of like the yellow doors - it's a nice accent. We did orange doors in our old house (we live in the southwest, so it actually looked really neat against the other colors)

Unknown said...

I think I would love a yellow door, but for some reason it doesn't look quite right with the other colors on your house.... Hmm. I can't believe your house is as old as it is! The previous owners must have kept it in really good condition!

Jeanie said...

This is wonderful, Lisa! I love that you have room for a grill and a nice yard where you can just relax! I'll look forward to the interior.

The door. I like a bright door. As Alison said, it might not be quite right with the other colors and maybe the top and door should be similar? Who knows. Any yellow door makes me smile -- it says the people who live there are happy!

The Many Thoughts of a Reader said...

Cute! I love the outside!

Jolene - EverydayFoodie said...

Super cute house!! I am not sure about the door ... hmmm, maybe it would look better in the same colour as the darker (brown?) on the house ... or perhaps white. Our house is small too, 820 square feet, but our basement is finished which gives us a third bedroom, second bathroom, and large living space which basically never get used (basements aren't counted in square footage here; not sure if they are where you are).

Elizabeth said...

Adorable and I LOVE that outdoor patio space where the grill resides. It'd make a great fire pit area or spot for a hammock under those trees too :) The house colors remind me of my high school as we were brown & gold. What about a blue door?? It'd still pop out and contrast in a pretty way.... Sounds like he's okay with what is there though-ha!

Troy Fleming said...

The two-tone color of the house stands out and makes this house look original. I love the idea of a one hundred-year-old home. They have interiors that are unique and not cookie cutter like many homes built today. I grew up in a farmhouse built in the late 1700's and it was filled with originality like yours.

Troy Fleming @ Don Mills Builders