How’s that for a sensational headline? It’s a little Star Magazine, a little dramatic—but really this post grew out of a simple idea: John and I realized there were lots of little corners of the house we’d never shown, and even a few bigger spaces we’d somehow skipped. That felt odd coming from two habitual over-sharers, so consider that fixed. Here’s the first one: our pantry.
We’ve mentioned the pantry-style cabinet beside the wall oven before, but we’d never opened it wide and photographed the inside. The kitchen cabinets were replaced about 25 years ago, and the clever swing-out doors and that middle compartment that swings, too, must have been cutting edge at the time. We still appreciate all the small shelves for stashing things—though sometimes we forget where we put something and spend ten minutes opening every cabinet in a little search party.
On another note, we have an in-ground irrigation system in the yard—fancy, right? I call them sprinklers. They don’t cover the whole nearly-acre lot, just the front yard and the small grassy part of the backyard. We’re conservative with water, so we only use it after a dry spell (and never during water restrictions). The system is handy—it’s much easier than wrestling a hose—and Burger always bolts to the window whenever they come on. He loves watching the sprinklers do their thing, and it’s endlessly entertaining.
Next is an update we finally got around to sharing. Remember the pen-and-ink portrait I mentioned getting for John for Father’s Day? I framed it at last. The artist included a lovely portrait done in pen and Prisma marker, plus the initial sketch tucked in the envelope, which was a fun bonus.
We added the framed portrait to our ever-changing hallway gallery, hanging it low on the wall using an affixed, baby-safe method since Clara likes to call the house “ohh hou”—her adorable bean-talk for “old house.” Above the portrait we placed a cutout page from a hand-me-down catalog that reads like a playful take on “seize the day.” I trimmed it to the imperfect background rectangle and popped it in a frame. It sits at Clara’s level so she’ll see it as she learns to read.
Here’s a slightly spooky-yet-true detail: the leafy green mass climbing the trunk next to our upper patio is a vine. It’s essentially hugging a tall, healthy oak; we had someone inspect it to make sure it wasn’t a threat. For now it’s not invasive at the base, but if it gets heavy or the tree starts to struggle, we’ll address it right away.
One small disappointment we hadn’t pointed out is the condition of the wide reclaimed pine floors in our bedroom. We love their character, but they need attention. There’s a faded square in front of our dresser—probably where a piece of furniture sat so long the surrounding floor faded around it. That area appears to have lost its seal, and something brown may have stained the wood. Because sealer was likely missing, the stain soaked in. Refinishing that patch and several other damaged spots throughout the house is on the someday-to-do list.
We also realized we often photograph the same angles repeatedly and neglect other viewpoints. For example, we didn’t show this more mundane shot of the den looking into the kitchen and laundry nook until moving day when everything was packed. That makes us want to share those everyday shots more often, like this hallway photo that links Clara’s room, the playroom, guest room, and hall bathroom to the central part of the house—our gallery, kitchen, dining room, and living room.
See that oversized intake vent near the floor? I’m tempted to add wainscoting in the hall, but I’m not sure how to do it around that beast. Maybe we’ll design it to work around the vent and paint it glossy white so it looks cohesive.
Finally, here’s one thing that surprises people: the south-west corner of the house is oddly pointy. The sunroom roof actually slopes upward, which was surprising during our walkthrough because the rest of the house reads mid-century ranch. The sunroom was added in the 1990s, so that may explain the different profile. Inside it feels airy and full of light thanks to the lofted ceiling, and we like having the space. We’ve discussed ideas for integrating its exterior into the rest of the house down the road, but nothing is decided yet—of course we’ll share whatever we end up doing, probably in our usual over-sharing style.
Anyone shocked? Probably not—but I wish we had wilder secrets. I do keep dreaming about finding a hidden room someday. Wouldn’t that be fun?
P.S. I even dreamed about Beyoncé last night—yes, Beyoncé. In the dream we bought a tiny horseshoe necklace together and split the cost. I offered a bargain $40 while she covered the rest, which of course was embarrassingly cheap of me, but she was fine with it. The oddest part was imagining how we’d share the necklace back and forth—so strange.