Amelia Creates: Renovation House

As far back as I can remember, I've been fascinated with any kind of home design. How houses are built, different eras of construction, and just anything home-related. One of our favorite things to do is just drive around & look at houses, especially in our neighborhood. Most of the houses around here are at least 100 years old (Ours is 95 this year!) which means most of them could use some TLC. About a year ago we noticed an abandoned house that was right in the middle of a street full of beautiful renovated houses, so I couldn't help but want to at least look inside! It was snowing though, and covered in vines...so we decided to just keep driving.

Over the next few months, I couldn't help noticing the home. Everything around it was blooming, but it seemed that house was getting swallowed up and camouflaged in vines and trees.

In June I spotted a tiny for sale sign in the yard and immediately called just to get some information on the house...and hopefully a peek inside. The owner said that the house hadn't been lived in for about 8 years, and that it was falling apart. He said he would call me back to set up a day to go over there & check it out. A week went by, and the for sale sign was gone. I called him back, and after a few days of phone tag he finally agreed to meet me over here he next morning at 10. Andy would be working, so our friend & contractor Henry (He renovated our house & we bought it from him. He also lives in our neighborhood) agreed to meet us over there so I wasn't alone. Trust me when I say this house was SKETCHY! We went and looked at the house, and it was way worse than I had expected. Dark, extremely hot and stuffy, just beyond full of junk, animals, poop, TONS of nuts, vines up the walls, and just a bad smell. That's just what happens when a house is left alone for so long. After we left, I knew I wanted to go back though. It took a couple of weeks of calling the owner and his wife, and I finally got to go back over there a few times. After speaking with Henry, Andy, my aunt Brandy, and my grandad we all decided that the house could be saved with ALOT of love and ALOT of work. Another few weeks went by, and after a difficult closing on August 21 we finally got the house!!! I later learned from the neighbors that they had been trying to buy that house for years to tear it down, and have the extra lot. I know it had to be hard for the owners to let go of the house. It had been in their family for years, and they renovated it themselves about 25 years ago. They are elderly though, and told me that that they had a hard time for years going up and down the stairs. When they couldn't deal with it any longer, they just took some stuff and moved to a new house leaving a mess behind. I think they realized that I really did care about the house, and trusted that we would make something beautiful out of the house rather than tear it down. Ultimately, I think it was just meant to be.

This house was built in 1900. It was originally the servant's quarters to the home next door. It has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a study, dining room, kitchen, laundry room, loft, 2 staircases, a huge garage, back patio, and a giant 2 story living room. I can't wait to share how much the house has already changed, and what are plans for it are!!

Here is what the house looked like the first few times we went in: