Okay, walk up and go through the beloved Pagoda...
Here we are inside. To your left, just past the shoji screens (which I loved and still have saved in the garage for some future use) is the living room.
That's right friends, originial (I assume) yellow/gold shag carpet. I made Andrew Henry rip it all out before I would sleep there. There can be lots of things down inside 30 year old carpet. Lots of things I didn't want to spend the night with. You are standing in the dining room for this view. To your left is the kitchen.
Did I mention the kitchen? I think I may have teased you with it yesterday. It was my least favorite color on earth. Purple. Pale purple. Lavender. To be fair, I like the color in some things (flowers etc.) and in certain combinations but NOT, I repeat NOT in my kitchen. I know this was probably the previous owners idea of heaven and I totally respect that. I know my current kitchen (mostly white) is not everybody's cup of tea. I'm just saying, it was hard for me to be in this room prior to it being remodelled, and I'm a girl who spends MANY hours in the kitchen each day.
Do you like the light fixture? I do. I kept it - they just don't make them like that anymore. I'm not going to show you the finished house until the end of the saga, but you are so sweet and I do love you all so...
Yes, yes okay. I will give you just this one little snippet. That light fixture now lives in my powder room...
I think it's fantastic! Where were we? The Purple People Eater Kitchen. Now, turn around to see the family room.
Yesiree, more yellow shag carpet and now some horoscope wallpaper. That wall at the back will be coming down. This is now our dining room. Nothing in this photo remains.
Just to our left is a doorway that leads to an "Arizona Room". "Arizona Room" is what people here call an addition at the back of your house. Kind of like when people enclose a patio (I think). It's gone now. Andrew Henry tore it down, mostly by himself.
If you come over (you're all invited of course) and stand in this spot right now - you'll be outside. It's nice outside right now. You'd like it. You'd be standing by one of my fountains. You might see a hummingbird. Don't stand here in June, July or August. You will burn up and die.
Go back into the family room and walk through the doorway, turn right and walk down the long hallway and look back. Was that kind of confusing? I feel like it was. Anyway. This is the laundry room and long hallway. Behind you would be the garage.The garage (and an addition) is now our master bed/bath. The old master bed/bath looked like this.
More shiny gold wallpaper. I did kind of like those red curtains but they are gone now. Incidentally, those sinks....out of both sinks, only one facuet worked. The hot one on the left side and it got HOT. We had to wash our hands/faces and brush our teeth FAST or we'd get burned. Fun times people, such fun times. Good for water conservation I suppose. This is the desert after all. The first photo is now my office and the second is part of the powder room and master bedroom (I think).
I'll leave you with the original view out the living room window. That mountain is Camelback Mountain and it's the main reason we love living here. It speaks to us every day. It whispers........relax. What do you think of Pagoda. Can you see why I thought it was perfect and why we bought it? Or, do you see why Andrew Henry kept saying "perfect? what? are you sure? are you crazy?"?
Next week, we'll start tearing things down!
Next week, we'll start tearing things down!
11 comments:
I can't imagine what this looks like now. From that one photo, pretty sweet but I'll tell you. I would have NEVER seen past that purple kitchen.
You are a TRUE visionary! It takes talent to see past what is to what could be. You look for the potential in all things - and then seek to nurture it to come out. One of my favorite things about you - and your home is now a shining example of that quality in you!
I think perhaps in its' day the house was pretty cool, not sure the neighbors felt that way. Love the Shoji screens. It looks like the kitchen had once been that dark paneling (of the 70's) and perhaps they tried to brighten it up by painting it 'lovely' lavender. Looking forward to the 'rest of the story'.
That yellow shag took me right back to my childhood home. I loved that carpet. I might have voted with Andrew Henry on this one!
From that "snippet" picture I'm guessing you made the wiser choice but I'm still voting with Andrew Henry because I would have walked right out of that pagoda!!!!
I am a sucker for before and after shots and I really like how you showed the re-use of that single light fixture. Very cool. I forget how cool that looks in it's new place.
i've never seen a purple kitchen. i don't think i want to see another one! it looks like the outside all is red and yellow. those people werent afraid of color were they?
I can't even remember all of this... I trusted in your vision, but the practical Andrew Henry side of me was definitely skeptical.
I think I've just realized MJM is the "daughter". How sweet that she comments all the time. Cute photo in your bio - was curious what this "cast" looked like.
Yes Henley. You are correct. MJM IS the "daughter". Funny, she is indeed beautiful, but that photo doesn't look like her to me. Mom always sees the little girl I guess.
Like I stated in a previous comment, I could'nt figure out what you were thinkin' when I toured this home for the first time. You have done a remarkable job and my kids would love to track their footprints in now, J9
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