Saturday, March 12, 2011

On the Inside

When we moved from British Columbia to Prince Edward Island we packed our possessions into our truck and trailer and drove across the country.  Unfortunately there wasn't a lot of room and many items had to be sold or given away.  When we arrived at our new house I'm a little embarassed to admit that we had but two lawn chairs in our possession for furniture.  For the past year we've lived a little bit like college kids camped out in a rental house.  Our furnishings have been sparse and there were rooms that were completely empty.  For that reason I don't often show photos of inside our home.  But slowly we have begun to renovate this old house and fill it with the necessities for living.  I looked around recently and realized, hey, this is starting to look like a home.  In light of this realization I thought I would share a few happy photos of a home, that now looks like it might be lived in.






A happy cat is a sign of a happy home.

14 comments:

Masha said...

Your house looks very elegant. Good luck with settling in. We moved 7 times in 10 years, and I hope this one was the last...

Jane said...

So pretty - quaint and comfortable. Love the high baseboards! You should see our furniture at Crofters Lane - well, very similar to what you started with no doubt! Lawn furniture also, a heavy 1950's kitchen table, air mattress, bar fridge, coffee maker, some linens and dishes mostly provided by the previous owners. It's like camping out - I love it! Complete with a firepit Michael made last summer and several flat rocks to sit on:)

Bub said...

It's surprising, given a little time, how quickly a house becomes a home.

I've lived here for five years now and there's still quite a bit of work to be done. But when I actually think about the differences between then and now, I realise it's becoming more my home than the previous owners. It just takes time.

Gardeningbren said...

Your settling in)))...and wow what a fine home you have. I can tell by the moldings ..someone took great care not to paint them over or rip them out. Your staircase is beautiful. This summer, there should be lots of "garage" sales around your area and what fun you can have sourcing new treasures!

HolleyGarden said...

Looks like you have a beautiful older home. I bet it's built solidly. Once I lived in a home built in 1900 - I loved it. So much character and grace in older homes. And you couldn't hear through the walls! I hope you enjoy the process of making your house uniquely yours.

Unknown said...

Definitely a happy home...indoors and out. Nothing like a contented kitty to really make us feel like all is well. I have one hinting that I should go to bed now, so I'm going to take his advice and do just that. Spring IS coming, Marguerite, slowly but surely...

Janet/Plantaliscious said...

Looks as if you are putting together a rather lovely home - I love that chair.

Karin / Southern Meadows said...

I have moved so many times so I can completely relate to your situation. Every time I would start to paint our house we would move so in this last house I waited 3 years before I painted and we are still here! The photos of your home are lovely! I also think adding a few plants even with the lack of furniture changes the entire feel of the home.

Marguerite said...

Masha - I hope you get to stay put in your new home too. Moving is hard work!

Jane - a 1950's kitchen table.. . don't let my husband hear you say that, he'll want to buy it off you! He's recently been taking those tables and making them into desks. (look at the link at left that says Modern Revision). The re-store is his favourite haunt.

Bub - I think sometimes we don't realize how many changes have happened. It's like watching your hair grow, when you see it everyday it doesn't appear like much but after a time the change is quite obvious.

Bren -Thanks for the compliments! Although I love my home I have to admit that pictures can lie. That staircase is the bane of our existence. What you can't see is how narrow it is and the sharp corner in it. When we first moved in we couldn't get our bed up the stairs!

HolleyGarden - one thing about these old homes is they used some very sturdy materials. The beams holding up the main floor and in the attic are absolutely massive. After 100+ years I'd say this house is pretty solid.

jodi - It is! It is! several feet of snow has melted out of our yard already. I can actually go outside without snoeshoes. oh glory day. oh course I am slightly worried about what you describe as "farch".

Plantaliscious - me too! that chair was great find at an auction sale. not only is it pretty but it's actually quite comfortable.

Karin - how true. I'm trying to grow on some of my spider plant babies right now so that I've got more plants to spread around the house. I also just recently bought that plant stand in the second picture so I had another place to sit a plant besides my bay window.

Island Threads said...

Marguerite it looks like you are creating a beautiful home, I'm pleased to read your snow has decreased a lot, spring hopefully won't be long now, I couldn't resist being nosey and seeing what your husband did with old furniture and was blown away, such beautiful pieces, Frances

Marguerite said...

Frances, we went for a long walk today and it was blissful. Sunshine and warm temperatures are finally here! I'll pass on the compliments. I think his work is great but it's nice for him to hear it from a third party. ;-)

wiseacre said...

a napping cat is a joy to poke. pester me while I'm using my laptop will ya.

Michelle said...

Hi Marguerite! Thanks for visiting my blog.

I'm SO relating to your furniture (or lack thereof) dilemma. We did keep a kitchen table and chairs plus some treasured vintage pieces but we arrived here with no bed or living room furniture.

We acquired a vintage living room set with hopes of seeing it all reupholstered. One wing back chair was done and resides in the master bedroom. In the end, I was sorry I had bought the set and embarrassed at the sorry sight of them. So uncomfortable! Hubs said "you wanted this stuff so bad, you're stuck with them." Then a miracle! My blind guy rubbed his skunked nose all over the couch just before we were to have company so new furniture was in order. Bless his heart!

I LOVE your chair and I'm eyeing the beautiful woodwork in your home. I hope you will share more of the interior of your home soon. Perhaps you're like me, I tend to see what needs doing more than what's been done. We are in great need of some reno work and have been stopped in our tracks with my hub's chronic pain, which isn't isolated to just one part of his body.

Hub loves to garden so I must direct him to your site. He just might get some inspiration here. Our property and location is a bit difficult to plan and the winds can be pretty harsh.

Michelle

Marguerite said...

wiseacre - devious minds think alike! My first inclination is always to pick him up and cuddle him, which he hates. Pay back for jumping on my bladder at 5am.

Michelle - Hello and welcome! I don't know if I can offer your hubby any ideas about gardening but I'm always willing to lend some support! Boy do I ever hear you on making a wrong purchase. We have a number of items that were purchased in desperation. No money to get what we wanted so we bought an old couch set that is rather uncomfortable and frankly not all that attractive but cheap. The idea was eventually we would have enough to get something we really wanted but I'm wondering how many years that will be! As the house progresses I'm planning to include more photos on the blog. We're working on finishing the entrance right now and next up will be the roof.