The beginning...

Here it is. The house we just bought. Built in 1966, and only one owner. Isn't she a beauty? Not the sort of house I ever pictured myself in, but the low price and Madmen-ish possibilities won us over. Now the fun begins: Restoring this home to its original glory. Unfortunately, we don't have a bottomless bank account at our disposal so we have to be choosy. First and foremost: A pool. This house SCREAMS for a pool. That's a big chunk of our budget. Then, the kitchen. It still has the original push-button electric cooktop. The master bedroom is very 1966, aka 'small.' The bathroom is ridiculous. Who puts a toilet in the center of the room? All of it has to go, too. So first things first. We find a builder. Then we find out we have to submit plans to the city if we're doing a room addition, and that requires an architect. Then there's the pool builder. Of course, the front yard needs some serious help, so enter the landscape designer and landscaper. Are we done yet? No no. Just beginning.

Have I mentioned the basement yet? Ah, well that was the icing on the cake. 1600 sq feet of playroom/media room/guest room. Plus a full bath. What's not to love? Maybe the way it looks right now. Wood paneling, orange linoleum and get a load of the bar with the red shag carpet. This room is truly frozen in time. There are also a few peculiar decorative elements that I need to photograph for your viewing enjoyment before they are ripped out.