Big News Outside the Crooked House
First off, did you miss me? Some of you may wonder what happened. Basically, I had some techinical difficulties, and with the pandemic, work, and spending half of 2020 with Tito’s family in north central Florida, I just… abandoned it. I’m still having more trouble uploading images than I used to, but hopefully I’m back. Especially because… I have a lot of material now.
Because… we bought another house! And we moved into it!
So, here’s how it happened: South Philly is a super convenient location for almost everywhere except where my office is. Then in 2019 half the ways home from work were closed. And so, what was always a long commute became grueling and made me hate everyone. That’s been a non-issue lately though – I’ve only been to the office twice since the pandemic started, and one of those times was after hours. But then there were other things. Tito bought a monstrosity of a standing desk. And he put it on the dining room table. I moved my work setup into a corner of our bedroom and knocked paint off the radiator with my chair. And when my social life started shrinking, I never missed it. But you know what I did miss? Gardening.
So, we looked at a lot of houses, but during the pandemic we didn’t get any of them. Then this house came on the market. Tito was visiting his mom in Florida, so it didn’t make sense to buy this place, but there was an open house so I went.
And… well there was a lot to gasp over. Tito asked me, “So, are we buying this house?”
I wasn’t going to go there. Really, I wasn’t. But this sounded like an invitation. So I said, “Well, it’s really nice.”
And he wanted to make an offer! To make up for how crazy this was, our offer was on the low side. But we got it anyway. Tito was back for the inspection, so he did get to see the house while the offer was still contingent. So, tell me if we actually are crazy. Here’s what we got. (Be aware that these photos were taken in various stages of moving in and we’ve done pretty much no permanent decorating yet. Considering all that I think it’s looking good!)
A slate roof! (And little knowledge of what condition it was in. We’re supposed to receive our first estimate next week – pray for us!)
All the original windows but one! (But half of them need work pretty badly and the other half need it, too.)
A huge pocket door! (And evidence there might have been more.)
2 fireplaces! (That made the house smell a bit like a camp fire.)
Inlaid floors! And in better condition than in the Crooked House
Original cabinets in the kitchen and butler’s pantry! (But we frantically scraped peeling paint out of them to move in.)
A basement I can stand up in! An octagonal dining room! A clawfoot tub! (In a bathroom that’s otherwise pretty awful. And I’ll get back to the dining room. It’s too full of tools and boxes tonight.)
Even the upstairs hall is cool – we have this curved wall at the top of the stairs. Of course that means building all my own closet shelves to fit inside it but totally worth it.
FANCY cast iron radiators and high velocity air conditioning! (With a broken compressor – but the fan works! Also, seeking advice for how to tone down this very bright silver paint.)
Bright sunlight almost the whole time the sun is up, and some good long views. I think we can see all the way to the suburbs from up here! Also, parking is a little different than in South Philly.
Speaking of “up here,” the third floor is a great place for that monstrosity of a standing desk. Also, cool angles under the Mansard roof.
And there’s a large (for the city) garden that needs me.
And here we are in front of the place – with the only Christmas decorating we did this year.
15 Responses
Congrats to you & Tito, wishing you happiness. Aunt Floss & Uncle Ollie
Yes, you were missed! Welcome back. Are you working from home? Or change jobs? Did you sell the row house? Your new house is really neat! Looking forward to more posts. Good luck!
Hah! Didn’t expect any of this but how exciting for you – and for us, too, if you continue to post. Sure hope so.
This looks like such a cool house! Congrats!
YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Totally missed you!!! Love the new house – OMG!!! how fantastic! i would paint the silver radiator(s) linen white (with radiator/high heat paint of course!) to match the trim. A slate roof – that sounds adventurous! Love everything about your new house – so happy for you guys!!! Can’t wait to see the improvements you make, as you make it your own 🙂
It’s great to hear from you again and I love the house. Don’t see anything wrong with the silver radiator. Looking forward to your next posting.
So happy for you both! I missed reading your blog. The house looks fantastic, and once our snow melts, I hope you will be happy in your garden. Have you thought of a gilding wax or a rub n buff for the radiator? I think they are beautiful as they are, but understand if you want them a little darker.
Congratulations! Please keep us posted. It’s a beautiful house.
I’m so excited for you guys!
First of all, you are both totally crazy, but the house with two fireplaces reminds me of my old home–down to the claw foot tub–and I would have been sucked into making an offer on the spot if it were for sale here. It is definitely roomier for two people. About the slate roof–I have been on two church vestries (councils, boards of elders for those in other denominations) that had slate roofs, and you should know two things. One, there are only a few firms in the country that specialize in slate roofs, and although they are pricey, sometimes you can get a grant to restore them. Consult with the local historical commission. Two, if the entire roof needs to be replaced, there are new roofing materials that look like slate and will satisfy some historical commissions/societies. One of the churches I helped manage needed one section of the roof replaced, and it was done with the new materials. And yes, we missed you–a lot–and are glad you are back on board with a new retro-renovation project. Happy searching!
Congratulations! Your new house is a beauty!
Not crazy! This house has a lot going for it and seems to be a good fit for both of you. Looking forward to reading about your future adventures in it… congratulations!
Hey, congratulations! Love the photos and love the house. Can’t wait for the ‘in person’ someday. Wish you guys many happy years there.
SQUEE!!!!!!!!
So glad to see you back & North Philly looks great! But what ever happened to the beloved crooked house? Is it sold?
Any final shots after all those years? Would love to see the final “after” pictures!