Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Other Telephone Information => Off Topic => Members Pictures, Homes, Offices & Workshops => Topic started by: Netdewt on March 16, 2010, 03:22:42 PM

Title: Your House - Pictures
Post by: Netdewt on March 16, 2010, 03:22:42 PM
I haven't seen a house thread. Since you guys love old stuff, maybe there are some cool houses out there.

We got ours last spring. 1955 modified Cape Cod type thing, there are a million of them in my neighborhood. We bought from the original owner.

(http://nate.twedten.com/new_house.jpg)
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: Dan/Panther on March 16, 2010, 04:04:41 PM
At Christmas it must look like a vintage post card.
I haven't owned an old house, but when I grew up in New York, The Erie canal was across my driveway, the house we lived in was a converted hotel for canal workers. Built in the 1850's.
Below is a photo of me at age 4 fishing in the Erie canal.
D/P
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: JorgeAmely on March 16, 2010, 04:16:26 PM
D/P:

After meeting you at the phone show, I can tell you one thing: you haven't changed a bit.  ;D
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: Dan/Panther on March 16, 2010, 04:27:44 PM
Jorge;
ROFLMAO, I almost died when I read that.
D/P
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: Doug Rose on March 16, 2010, 06:44:31 PM
Home Sweet Home
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: JorgeAmely on March 16, 2010, 06:46:14 PM
Some Home Sweet Home you have Doug. Very elegant.
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: Netdewt on March 16, 2010, 07:16:11 PM
Quote from: Dan/Panther on March 16, 2010, 04:04:41 PM
At Christmas it must look like a vintage post card.

Like this?
(http://nate.twedten.com/house_xmas.jpg)
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: bwanna on March 16, 2010, 07:19:53 PM
d/p..you were such an adorable little tyke.....what happened ;)
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: Dan/Panther on March 16, 2010, 07:45:59 PM
Bwanna;
Gravity, and too many evil women ! :o
D/P
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: McHeath on March 17, 2010, 01:23:07 AM
Nice house Netdewt, I like Cape Cods, they have a nice simple line and are pleasing looking.  There are a few around here, central California, but not that many.  Kidphones farmhouse is also very nice, another pleasing style.  

Mostly in my town we have home styles by decade:

pre 1900: four squares, queen annes, shotguns, farmhouse.

1900 to 1920ish:  shotguns, bungalows, craftsmans.

1920 to 1940ish:  shotguns, bungalows, spanish revivals, cape cods, tudors.

1940 to 1975ish:  ranches, cape cods.

1975 to now:  ranches early on, then neo-eclectics.

What is built now is pretty much neo-somethingerother, spanish, med, tudor, daub and wattle, colonial, etc, and very embellished and ornate and sometimes they are trying to be all of the above at the same time.  Interiors can be quite nicely done, but at times we stand out front and can only utter that "good God that house is ugly!"

Neo-eclectics can be done nice, don't get me wrong, and we have some good examples that settled on a style and did it well.  (my mom has a nice neo-eclectic Spanish style that was built in the mid 90s)  However a fair number here try to throw in a greek portico next to the oversized farmhouse dormers over the single story garage with carriage style doors above the bungalow columns beside the daub and wattle front lower wall next to the river rock fireplace with exposed log ends with the French provincial roofline and round stone turret in the corner.  You end up wondering if the house was built over a period of about 2000 years on three different continents.

Hopefully it's just California exuberance.  



Title: Re: Your House
Post by: AET on March 17, 2010, 06:02:49 AM
What better way for me to show you all my home than though the Real Estate listing.  We built it almost 3 years ago now. 

http://tinyurl.com/capxoe8
  ( dead link 06-01-21 )

Title: Re: Your House
Post by: JorgeAmely on March 17, 2010, 11:15:41 AM
Very nice Tom. You guys are selling it? Why?
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: jsowers on March 17, 2010, 11:41:23 AM
The first picture is the house where I grew up, built in 1953 by the home builder my dad worked for. My mom still lives there. It's two houses up the road from me. It's a 1950s ranch and it used to have a picture window in the front, until mom replaced the windows.  The big pile of dirt is a garden bed mom planted that replaced the stump of a maple tree that got hit by lightning and an ice storm (see below). She's an avid gardener still at 80 years old.

The second picture is my house, built in 1985. It's not old, but I thought Tom would like seeing my 1990 Mercury Colony Park wagon parked beside it. I still have the car, though it's not in daily use. The picture is from the 2002 ice storm that was the worst one we've had in ages. The redtip bush/tree at the left is gone now, but the house still looks the same. It's sort of a colonial with dentil work trim and inset columns around the front door. My dad supervised its construction and I am forever grateful for that. I have a full basement to store all my junk. :)
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: Netdewt on March 17, 2010, 12:48:50 PM
Neo-eclectic is a.k.a. McMansion, yes?
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: Doug Rose on March 17, 2010, 01:09:47 PM
Quote from: JorgeAmely on March 16, 2010, 06:46:14 PM
Some Home Sweet Home you have Doug. Very elegant.
thanks Jorge...I appreciate it.....Doug
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: AET on March 17, 2010, 02:02:30 PM
Love that  Colony Park, would love to have one.  5 Liter Fuel Injection?
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: McHeath on March 17, 2010, 11:41:47 PM
QuoteNeo-eclectic is a.k.a. McMansion, yes?

Not really.  It's just a modern house that borrows a historical style, usually not something like a ranch or cape cod.  Plenty of McMansions are neo-eclectic but in my area it's the dominant style and has been for a few decades now.  Most homes built here are small, 1200 and 1300 square feet is very common, and 2500 is a large house.  But they will try to look more grand and ornate with the historical details.  This house is a good example of a neo-eclectic, it's about 2500 square feet, has historical details from all over the place, is really busy, and the neighborhoods around here are filled with homes like this.





Title: Re: Your House
Post by: McHeath on March 17, 2010, 11:46:30 PM
Here's my house.  It's a 1966 ranch house style on a 1/2 acre lot.  When it was built it was out in the country and there is a water well and septic tank in the backyard, but we are deep in the city now and on city services.  Above ground construction, but no basement as is usual for California, stucco walls and wood shake roof.

Also included is a pic of the kitchen.

Title: Re: Your House
Post by: JorgeAmely on March 17, 2010, 11:58:10 PM
Nice wood floors Mc Heath, and the Oxford Gray 554 hanging on the wall looks very attractive.
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: Dennis Markham on March 18, 2010, 12:04:42 AM
All of the homes posted so far are very nice.  McHeath I really like your home and lawn.  Do you have a large mower?  How long does it take you to cut the grass?  I really like the style of the house.
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: AET on March 18, 2010, 05:33:17 AM
Long story.  so the house sits on 35 acres with a 5 acre pond.  Originally when we bought it, it was 60 acres, but we've been dividing it into lots and building a sub-division, called April Meadows, after my mother, April.  Well, this house we live in was built as an 'executive' home as an example of what would be the cream of the crop in the sub-division. 

My folks aren't much into cookie-cutter houses, so the house is wood-sided and has a rustic feel, very "us" I guess you would say.  But still has all the amenities.  4 bedrooms, 3 baths, whirlpool tub and television in master bath, large basement/gym, exposed lower level.  Very well layed out open floorplan.  It's a great house.  Not my taste but it's really beautiful.

So, the house has been on and off the market for awhile, and we just lowered the price to 499,900 to move it quick, and with that you get all 35 acres, which is divided and pre-approved for sub-division, and perked for well and septic, and approved for a road to go through if you so desire. 

Dad's decided to get out of the real-estate game, which he's been in on small scale from 91-2005, and then heavy into with this sub-division since.  He's going back into the gun business with Dixie LEW (Law Enforcement Warehouse) named after my sister, Dixie.  We will handle guns, ammo, police supplies, tactical gear, clothing, etc.  And also are looking into the possibility of a Microbrewery later on.  We're kinda like horse crap, all over the place.

Quote from: JorgeAmely on March 17, 2010, 11:15:41 AM
Very nice Tom. You guys are selling it? Why?
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: Netdewt on March 18, 2010, 10:45:43 AM
Quote from: McHeath on March 17, 2010, 11:46:30 PM
Here's my house.  It's a 1966 ranch house style on a 1/2 acre lot.  When it was built it was out in the country and there is a water well and septic tank in the backyard, but we are deep in the city now and on city services.  Above ground construction, but no basement as is usual for California, stucco walls and wood shake roof.

Also included is a pic of the kitchen.

I like this. I'm usually not a ranch fan, but this has some nice shape to it. Are the cabinets original?

We have a basement and our attic is finished with a dormer in back, so our little 800 sf footprint house has 1800 sf.
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: JorgeAmely on March 18, 2010, 11:35:09 AM
Tom:

How much are the property taxes in your neck of the woods?

Title: Re: Your House
Post by: jsowers on March 18, 2010, 12:03:51 PM
Quote from: AtomicEraTom on March 17, 2010, 02:02:30 PM
Love that  Colony Park, would love to have one.  5 Liter Fuel Injection?

Yes, and the trailer towing package, which means the engine has a bit more horsepower. It always has had plenty of oomph. It has a leather interior except for the driver's seat, that I had custom recovered in matching vinyl because the leather was sky high. It also has a 10-disc JVC AM-FM-CD changer I installed when the OEM AM Stereo-FM Stereo radio quit. Automatic level control that still works. Cigarette lighters in the rear seat ashtrays that have never been used (those were the days). And an airbag (it was the first year for those).

It has its problems, mainly a short that I can't find that drains the battery and none of the power windows work like they're supposed to. The AC needs a recharge. It's an old car. Tom, I wish you lived closer to NC and could just come and get it. I'd let you have it for almost nothing since it would go to someone who would appreciate it. Tom, if you are interested even though it's far away, send me a PM.

This is actually on topic, in case anyone cares, because I use the car for storing telephones! :) It's become part of my house. I have several awaiting refinishing stored in boxes in the back of the car. Below is how she looked in 2007 after a wash. The woodgrain has deteriorated a bit on the left side since then. It's painted alabaster with a light sandalwood leather interior. These wagons are fairly rare. I ordered mine new from Crescent Lincoln-Mercury in 1990 and it's the only new car I've ever owned. They stopped making them in 1991 and the 91s are even rarer. I've only seen one other one painted the same color--on a used car lot several years ago. I went back and asked and it was already sold.
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: AET on March 18, 2010, 02:21:39 PM
According to the listing, ours is 4,800 on the house and land.

Also, what's your 20 on the wagon?  It's a beaut and I'm assuming that it's the fuel-injected 5.0 motor in it?
Quote from: JorgeAmely on March 18, 2010, 11:35:09 AM
Tom:

How much are the property taxes in your neck of the woods?


Title: Re: Your House
Post by: jsowers on March 18, 2010, 03:31:45 PM
Quote from: AtomicEraTom on March 18, 2010, 02:21:39 PM
Also, what's your 20 on the wagon?  It's a beaut and I'm assuming that it's the fuel-injected 5.0 motor in it?

My 20? Tom, are you asking how much I'm asking for it? I've heard of watching my six, but I don't know what my 20 is.  :) I'm not hip to the jive. I drive station wagons and collect phones made in the 1950s, what can I say? Yes, it has the 5.0 liter fuel-injected V8, a 302 to old guys like me. Sorry, I didn't make that clear in my first reply. I do know that 20 is not the miles per gallon you get with this car. More like 16-18. However, 20 is exactly the number of years old it is. I bought it March 1, 1990.
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: Kenny C on March 18, 2010, 03:54:53 PM
six years and 18 days later I was born
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: Dennis Markham on March 18, 2010, 04:24:15 PM
Jonathan, I think he means what is the location of the car.  That's old fashioned ten-code radio talk.  It used to be CB talk but also in the police world, 10-20 translates to "What is your location"?........Good buddy.
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: jsowers on March 18, 2010, 04:29:32 PM
Ah, my 10-20. Thank you, good buddy. I'm in Lexington, NC in the middle of North Carolina. Off I-85. I think that's quite a stone's throw from Tom. I don't think the old girl could make it to Wisconsin, or wherever Tom is, on her own. I have to get it inspected this weekend and I'll consider myself lucky if she makes it to and from the service station.  ;)
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: Jim Stettler on March 18, 2010, 06:30:52 PM
Quote from: AtomicEraTom on March 18, 2010, 05:33:17 AM
  And also are looking into the possibility of a Microbrewery later on.  We're kinda like horse crap, all over the place.


I am a big fan and micro-brews. I like my Amber Ales and IPA's.
My current favorite Brewery is http://bristolbrewing.com/

  My favorite is "Il Vicino Wet mountain IPA" (brewed for Il Vicino restruants). They also have a very nice Compass IPA and Red Rocket Amber.
I don't make it to the brewery often. When I do I grab a "Growler" to go.

To keep this phone related, I should mention they have an old phonebooth in the tasting room.

Jim

Title: Re: Your House
Post by: McHeath on March 18, 2010, 07:00:28 PM
Dennis asks about the lawn, yes we have a riding tractor mower and it makes short work of the lawn.  In the old days before it, when we used a push mower, it was an easy 2 hour job.  But now it can be done in 40 minutes.

Netdewt asks about the kitchen cabinets.  They are all original, most of the kitchen is.  The appliances were mostly changed, not all, and floor is changed, and the overhead lights.  It had a super cool UFO lamp over the island that I threw away in a moment of pure stupidity when I first moved in.  The kitchen table is from the late 50's and the chrome rolley chairs are from the late 70's. 

I came real close to painting all the wood in the kitchen white when I first moved in, but a friend talked me out of using such comments as, "Are you freakin' nuts!??  That's high quality maple!"

I like your house Tom, it's a nice clean example of a modern day ranch and is true to the style.  If you could airlift it and the property here to central Calif you might get a cool 1.5 million for it. 
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: Steve on March 18, 2010, 10:03:40 PM

Nice kitchen McHeath!

We rented an apartment for 5-6 years with a similar kitchen. most places we have lived were older, but there is something about a well built 50's home that really speaks to me.

BTW are your knobs like these?

Title: Re: Your House
Post by: Phonesrfun on March 18, 2010, 10:27:18 PM
Speaking of kitchens, everyone goes gaga over my aqua 1950's oven that's like new.

Title: Re: Your House
Post by: McHeath on March 18, 2010, 10:58:26 PM
Steve, no the knobs are a common and simple flat chrome disk on a simple pedestal, you can still buy them even at places like Home Depot and Loews.  Those in your picture are very cool, and they go well with the nice color wood and the cute girl. ;)

Bill, Love that aqua oven! 

We will sometimes go to open houses when it's a nice mid century era home to see the inside and enjoy the time period details.  Kitchens and bathrooms can be pretty fun, especially in the custom homes.

Netdewt, thanks for the compliment on the ranch.  I really like a well done ranch style house, and luckily ours is I think.  The later ones, especially the boring plain janes from the 70's, are pretty unappealing and just sad.  I lived in one that was built in 78', it was dark with hardly and windows, no style remaining at all, just a cheap builder quality home.

The Cape Cod is a favorite of ours and there are some really nice ones in town.  Once had a friend back east who had a full basement under theirs that was finished out, that certainly made a little house quite large and livable. 
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: Steve on March 18, 2010, 11:32:42 PM

Our oven was in a cabinet just like that, only it was stainless. I had an agreement with my landlord and as the appliances went, I replaced them with black ones. it looked good with the birch cabinets.

as far as the cute girl, that's my wife of 26 years. aint she a doll? that pics from 1997 or so...
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: Netdewt on March 19, 2010, 01:24:05 AM
Nice oven! I have a friend with a working Frigidaire Flair (early '60's?).

(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/62/212772195_07badaaef0.jpg)
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: AET on March 19, 2010, 04:11:09 AM
Me and the Colony Park are close in age, I came about November 15, 1990.  It's cool that it's an original owner car, but I'm surprised that you're that worried about her mechanically.  How many miles?  And sorry you're not hip on the CB lingo.  I have a CB in my wagon and used it all the time. 

And you're not the only guy here who drives station wagons and collects phones fro the fifties ya know :)

And on the business plan.  My dad said he's going to let me sell some antiques, and if it works out, he may set me up with an antique shop.
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: GusHerb on March 19, 2010, 02:31:57 PM
Quote from: McHeath on March 17, 2010, 11:46:30 PM
Here's my house.  It's a 1966 ranch house style on a 1/2 acre lot.  When it was built it was out in the country and there is a water well and septic tank in the backyard, but we are deep in the city now and on city services.  Above ground construction, but no basement as is usual for California, stucco walls and wood shake roof.

Also included is a pic of the kitchen.



I love your kitchen! it's straight from a 1960s home magazine, you even got the right furniture in there too.
The only cool old house I know of is my grandma's house, it's a rather small looking ranch from the front but you go in and quickly realize it's a sprawling house. the main part was built in 1950, in a, at the time new developing neighborhood in the town where the people with money lived. Only stupid thing is they built the neighborhood on the river.... the neighborhood flooded in 1954 along with the house.
Needless to say it's undergone LOTS of renovations in it's life between the original owner's having plenty of money and the flood's it's gone through, and the family room addition being added on in 1960. But despite all that renovation the front bathroom still has it's original tile, bathtub, and vanity cabinet which all together make a pretty classy bathroom to this day still. The kitchen got re worked a bit to accomodate for the new doorway to the family room so it's a bit different from 1950 but all 1950 maple cabinets still, the appliances are from 1960 and were very high end. it even had a dishwasher.
The place was "70s-ified" before my grandma bought it in 1975. Mutations like PAINTING those nice cabinets were done along with a translucent plastic drop ceiling with fluorescent light's behind it... it looked horrifying.
fast forward to 2008 and the neighborhood flooded again and the house was flooded up to 1" before reaching the main level. So it was time for another renovation, EVERYTHING mechanical was re done from scratch, and the biggest eyesores were "fixed" the kitchen got a nice new paintjob, the drop ceiling is gone and it's got a new floor, and the severely worn out back bathroom got a mild reno as well. I would say it looks more original now than it did before the mild remodeling.

Now I would love to finish this post off with pictures of everything I described but sadly I don't have any and I have to go over there sometime to take pics.
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: LarryInMichigan on March 19, 2010, 03:18:11 PM
These posts started reminding me about an old record album, sponsored by Caloric, at my mother's house.  I wonder if it is still there.

Larry
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: jsowers on March 22, 2010, 04:49:31 PM
Quote from: AtomicEraTom on March 19, 2010, 04:11:09 AM
Me and the Colony Park are close in age, I came about November 15, 1990.  It's cool that it's an original owner car, but I'm surprised that you're that worried about her mechanically.  How many miles?  And sorry you're not hip on the CB lingo.  I have a CB in my wagon and used it all the time. 

And you're not the only guy here who drives station wagons and collects phones fro the fifties ya know :)

And on the business plan.  My dad said he's going to let me sell some antiques, and if it works out, he may set me up with an antique shop.

About 110,000 miles or so. I know it's turned over to 100,000 and I haven't driven it a lot after that. I started it up Saturday and she fired right up first try. The only oddity was something had actually chewed the negative post on the battery. I have to disconnect it to keep the battery from running down and some critter must have had a lead deficiency or something! Nothing else got gnawed and the post isn't all gone, so I could still connect the negative clamp and use the battery. But it's a bit shorter than it was before.

Tom, with your love of all things old, an antique shop would be great. You could specialize in old phones. As with the phones, books on antiques and collectibles are great to have to help you learn about all the stuff that's out there.

About the Frigidaire Flair stove, look at early B&W Bewitched episodes and you'll see Samantha has one of those in her kitchen. The eye-level oven doors lift up. Very odd. I need to take a picture of mom's 1953 kitchen, complete with her 40" 1953 GE stove that still works and gets daily use. It's somewhat dark in her kitchen, with Pickwick knotty pine paneling on the walls and cabinets.
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: Netdewt on March 22, 2010, 08:59:17 PM
Any more decor for the 50's? I'd love to see ideas of stuff I should get.
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: bingster on March 22, 2010, 10:53:10 PM
Here's all the decor you could ever want:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/americanvintagehome/collections/72157606545868245/
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: Steve on March 22, 2010, 11:50:02 PM

I should take some pictures and post them of my new abode..

I live in an apartment that has only had 2-3 tenants since we moved in. it was built in 1946.

there are only 2 coats of paint on the walls, and we are going to paint again. 3rd coat.

anyplace we scratch, green is the underlying color. cream color for the trim.

give me a few, and I will post pics, I am asking advice, from you members who are knowledgeable .
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: Netdewt on March 24, 2010, 11:11:45 AM
That Flickr collection is amazing!

I spy a 202:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/americanvintagehome/3252981915/in/set-72157608506908174/
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: bwanna on March 25, 2010, 06:46:58 PM
i am drooling over the photos on flicker! great resource for the renovations i have going on!
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: McHeath on March 25, 2010, 11:21:48 PM
Yeah those are great pictures!  Retrorenovations.com also has some great pictures of interiors. 

Our place is a bit of a compromise, I would go whole hog retro 60's if I could, while my esposita tones it down and prefers a milder mid century treatment that is not as obvious and mixes modern day stuff into the formula.
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: AET on March 26, 2010, 04:32:51 AM
One of the few benefits of being single, I do all the decorating.

Quote from: McHeath on March 25, 2010, 11:21:48 PM
Yeah those are great pictures!  Retrorenovations.com also has some great pictures of interiors. 

Our place is a bit of a compromise, I would go whole hog retro 60's if I could, while my esposita tones it down and prefers a milder mid century treatment that is not as obvious and mixes modern day stuff into the formula.
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: mienaichizu on March 29, 2010, 12:26:16 PM
this is the house I designed for my parents, the first photo is the complete facade of the house. the second one is the actual house. only half of the original plan was built because of budget constraints.
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: Nick in Manitou on December 31, 2012, 01:37:16 AM
Mienaichizu,

That is gorgeous!

Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: Nick in Manitou on December 31, 2012, 01:50:46 AM
Here is a photo of our place and a picture of a view out one direction of an early morning fog.

We were living in Denver and realized that we needed to lower the mortgage or we would never be able to retire.  When the real estate market crashed we looked around and found we could lower the monthly outlay by an appreciable amount and live HERE!  We jumped at the chance!

3 1/2 years and we love it!  Amazing views and very comfortable.  We have lived in A LOT of different places (around 20!) and this is one of our favorites!

(I should also mention that although most folks think we paid a lot more for this house, we actually paid significantly less than AtomicEraTom's place is listed for.  Our timing was right!)
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: George Knighton on December 31, 2012, 08:37:23 AM
Some of you are a lot braver than I am.

It's one thing to throw a few retro phones around or go on an Art Deco spree in the morning room, but I do not think I'd have the courage to rely on appliances manufactured in the 40's and 50's!!

Underwriters Laboratories has come a long, long way since then!

:-)
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: twocvbloke on January 02, 2013, 02:24:49 PM
A lot of vintage appliances can be surprisingly efficient despite their age, seeing as they were built in an era where quality over quantity was the thing, and putting the money into the parts they used rather than taking it out to make it cheap and nasty... :)

Looked after properly, they can continue to work safely for many more years... :)
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: Nick in Manitou on January 02, 2013, 02:43:01 PM
Between 2000 and 2007 we had a "ranch" north of Colorado Springs.  The buildings were some of the original farm/ranch buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s.  (Out here that is old!)

One of the buildings was an old one-room schoolhouse.  When we arrived it was just a shell of studs and siding that was slipping off its stacked stone foundation.  It was suggested that we just knock it down and get it over with, but we are suckers for old buildings and ended up finishing it up like an old schoolhouse complete with world map and a framed portrait of a stern looking schoolmarm.

We had picked up the telephone booth at an auction and needed someplace fun to put it...

(We made the flooring from a fence on the ranch that was falling down.  We re-milled the fence boards while trying to retain as much of the character that years of exposure to the elements had imparted as possible.)

Although we have never made enough money on our buying and selling of houses to make it worth the effort for the bucks, we have to admit that we have had a "house habit" for most of our lives.  We have had a great time...a jail house in Baltimore, a shack with an outhouse in a State Park in Maryland, being caretakers of another house (with 5 fireplaces) in another State Park in Maryland.  A converted mule barn in Colorado, a great ocean view in California...the list goes on... 
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: Doug Rose on January 02, 2013, 04:42:08 PM
Nick....your home is beautiful, your view is breath taking. Your pool room is just amazing. Great phone booth to top it off. Perfect!!.....Doug
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: Nick in Manitou on January 02, 2013, 07:28:57 PM
Thanks, Doug.
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: George Knighton on January 03, 2013, 08:27:31 AM
Quote from: bwanna on March 25, 2010, 06:46:58 PM
i am drooling over the photos on flicker! great resource for the renovations i have going on!

Much of what's shown could be adapted to a modern environment, and much of it is very attractive.  What worries me is retro-kitchen.  I don't think I would be much of a baker or holiday roaster with analogue dials and clockwork timers!  Too much of a chance for error!
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: twocvbloke on January 03, 2013, 08:39:55 AM
I find that using digital timers for an analogue cooking medium to be rather imprecise, as foodstuff is never as accurate as it appears to be on the labels, so just that little analogue "tweak" to the controls can be enough to make sure the roast is perfect and not under or overdone... :)

And thinking of food is making me hungry... :D
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: Dennis Markham on January 03, 2013, 11:18:03 AM
Very nice, Nick.  Love the phone booth in the corner.  Can you show a photo of the outside?

Those mountain views are beautiful. 
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: Nick in Manitou on January 03, 2013, 12:45:16 PM
Dennis,

Thanks for the compliments!

Here are three photos of the school house at our old ranch.

The first two show the building as it was before we renovated it.  We made a real attempt to preserve the weathered look of the outside while preserving the wood so that it would not continue to deteriorate in the weather.

Unfortunately the only photos we have of the outside with the new windows and salvaged antique door, have them in bright white primer.

The main house can be seen in the background of the 2nd photo and is off to the right in the third photo.

In the second photo, the black thing on the end of the school house is a bat box...this gave the bats a place to live after I tightened up the building.  They are great to have around - but not inside!
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: Dennis Markham on January 03, 2013, 01:06:05 PM
Thank you for the added photos, Nick.  Very nice.  It is very picturesque.  Do you know how long it's been since it was used as a school house?  I've never heard of a bat box.  Interesting.
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: Nick in Manitou on January 03, 2013, 02:15:42 PM
We went and visited the local historical society and they were very excited to hear that we had a school house on our property.  The lady actually reached for a camera, picked up her hat and said, "Let's go take a look."

They were trying to figure out what happened to a couple school houses that were sold off and removed after they were decommissioned.  Unfortunately our school house was not one that they were missing. 

They felt that ours had probably been purchased from another school authority some distance away and brought in.  An aerial photograph from 1937 shows the building standing where it is today, but where it was originally is still a mystery.

It has an odd feature that might help someone find its original home - it was framed with two windows on one side and only one window on the other...those who seem to know about such things say that perhaps that indicates something about the original location.

Bat boxes are designed with an open bottom and several narrow compartments inside that allow the bats to live comfortably so that they will stick around and do their important environmental work (eating bugs!) and not try to live in your house!  We were pretty successful in excluding them from the several buildings on the ranch and not having them leave the place altogether.  We have a soft spot for the critters as we were active cavers in the past.

Plans for bat boxes are available on the web and if one lives in an area where mosquitoes or other bugs are an issue, bats can be an enormous benefit.  Some bats can eat up to 50% of their body weight in bats in a night...up to 3000 insects! Despite all the press to the contrary, bats rarely bite people and rarely are they a real threat to our health.  Hey, mosquitoes carry some pretty scarey diseases themselves.  (OK, I'll get off my soapbox now.)

Nick
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: Nick in Manitou on March 08, 2013, 01:18:09 PM
We had some visitors at our house this morning.  Deer are very common around here and can often be seen several times a day - but these guys almost seemed to want to come inside!

I took the photo from inside a window on a staircase to the lower level, so I am looking across the front porch.

Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: cello973 on March 08, 2013, 09:35:50 PM
Nick,

The middle one looks annoyed...  :o
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: Nick in Manitou on March 11, 2013, 02:27:54 PM
It's kind of funny that an animal can look annoyed, but sometimes they do.

I agree that the one in the middle looked a little peeved that I was taking its photo without asking first.

In the photo of twins below, the one on the left (female, I believe), looks relaxed, but the one on the right (a very young male) looks a bit ticked.
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: Jim Stettler on March 11, 2013, 02:40:09 PM
I think they just wanted to use a phone.....
Jim
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: McHeath on March 18, 2013, 01:10:09 AM
Those three deer look like they are hoping you will toss out some viddles to munch on. 

We get no deer here, but we do have possums galore.  Along with stray cats. 
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: southernphoneman on March 18, 2013, 05:00:41 AM
Quote from: McHeath on March 17, 2010, 11:46:30 PM
Here's my house.  It's a 1966 ranch house style on a 1/2 acre lot.  When it was built it was out in the country and there is a water well and septic tank in the backyard, but we are deep in the city now and on city services.  Above ground construction, but no basement as is usual for California, stucco walls and wood shake roof.

Also included is a pic of the kitchen.


that is one nice house, looks very well taken care of.
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: Nick in Manitou on March 18, 2013, 12:56:15 PM
McHeath,

As a result of having the deer, we also have cats in the neighborhood, but they are of the mountain lion type!  Folks don't let their dogs run free because they might not make it home.  It is fun to have the wildlife around, but it makes one think a bit when you are out walking by your self.

From our house we have seen golden eagles, falcons, bears, foxes, coyotes and little 4" lizards.  In the neighborhood I once saw a lynx.  We have seen a mountain lion only once but several folks on our mountain see them on a relatively regular basis. 

The lions and bears are not much of a threat to adult humans, but one should be aware that they are out there.
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: AE_Collector on March 18, 2013, 07:30:41 PM
I'm surprised that you came outside for long enough to take the picture with all of those critters on the loose! We are used to the bears here in the Vancouver Cabada area though. As housing encroaches on their territory they sometimes take up residence in out area!

Terry
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: Nick in Manitou on March 18, 2013, 11:17:22 PM
SouthernPhoneMan,

I think that I would walk very carefully if there were venomous snakes and alligators in my yard!

We have to keep an eye out for rattlesnakes, but in reality I have only seen a couple in decades...and THEY make noise!  Your cottonmouths and copperheads, etc.  don't play fair and give you a heads-up before you step on them!!!

Looks like a quiet spot you have there.

We were in Winston Salem in February and appreciated the more reasonable temperatures that were prevailing there as compared to Colorado at that time!

Be careful when you are walking!

Nick
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: twocvbloke on March 19, 2013, 03:02:54 AM
I like the satellite dish just hiding in the trees to the left there, I guess you're near the equator for it's elevation to be so high... ;D

Good thing though as over here, with all those trees in the way, getting a signal from most satellites aimed at us would be a challenge, as the satellite are a lot lower in the sky here than they are over there... :D

That and snow can be a right PITA when you want to watch Nigella doing her thing in the kitchen and you didn't align it properly, like I did.... :D
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: southernphoneman on March 19, 2013, 04:44:49 AM
i noticed all the deer in one of the photos around the house,looked  like they were just hanging out. here in eastern north carolina you would never see that.the deer are very skiddish,probably because they have plenty of forrest andwe have a lengthy hunting season here,so i guess if i were a deer i would probably stay away from humans to if i were about to be shot with a high powered rifle.
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: southernphoneman on March 19, 2013, 05:54:41 PM
Quote from: Doug Rose on March 16, 2010, 06:44:31 PM
Home Sweet Home
doug rose, that is one beautiful place that you have,probably filled with vintage phones :)
Title: Re: Your House
Post by: Doug Rose on March 20, 2013, 07:49:27 PM
Quote from: southernphoneman on March 19, 2013, 05:54:41 PM
Quote from: Doug Rose on March 16, 2010, 06:44:31 PM
Home Sweet Home
doug rose, that is one beautiful place that you have,probably filled with vintage phones :)
thank you very much. We got dumped on by mother nature yet again on Monday, but Spring is on the calendar!
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: southernphoneman on March 30, 2013, 01:10:08 PM
 a little while ago I accidently deleted my house photo so here it is again. I live in eastern north carolina. it is about one and a half hours north of Jacksonville, nc.
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: countryford on June 19, 2014, 10:02:56 AM
Here is a picture of my house. The house was built in 1949. My partner and I bought it at the end of 2008. It was a foreclosed home. We had to do a lot of work to it. We remodeled it, but tried to keep the original feel of the house. All new wiring, including panel. New furnace, ac, and water heater.

This is what the place looked like when we first found it.
(http://i1274.photobucket.com/albums/y440/countryford83/1_zpsda1605fc.jpg) (http://s1274.photobucket.com/user/countryford83/media/1_zpsda1605fc.jpg.html)


This is what it looks like now.
(http://i1274.photobucket.com/albums/y440/countryford83/2_zpsddcb3e57.jpg) (http://s1274.photobucket.com/user/countryford83/media/2_zpsddcb3e57.jpg.html)


This is what the back side of the house looked like when we bought the place.
(http://i1274.photobucket.com/albums/y440/countryford83/3_zpse033338f.jpg) (http://s1274.photobucket.com/user/countryford83/media/3_zpse033338f.jpg.html)

This is a picture a couple years back. Since this picture the patio roof was extended all the way over to the left(above that door). And an outdoor kitchen was installed there.
(http://i1274.photobucket.com/albums/y440/countryford83/House/4_zpsd5a24fea.jpg) (http://s1274.photobucket.com/user/countryford83/media/House/4_zpsd5a24fea.jpg.html)

Close up of the area on the left.
(http://i1274.photobucket.com/albums/y440/countryford83/P3150010_zps021ae991.jpg) (http://s1274.photobucket.com/user/countryford83/media/P3150010_zps021ae991.jpg.html)
(http://i1274.photobucket.com/albums/y440/countryford83/P3150006_zps6efdd92b.jpg) (http://s1274.photobucket.com/user/countryford83/media/P3150006_zps6efdd92b.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: Nick in Manitou on June 19, 2014, 10:22:24 AM
That's one heck of a transformation!  Congratulations!
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: WesternElectricBen on June 19, 2014, 11:18:36 AM
Wow, very, very nice! Even the Arizona lawn is doing well.

Ben
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: Whitcrane76 on April 21, 2019, 08:58:05 PM
This is us in the snow. It was built in 1931.
Title: Re: Your House - Pictures
Post by: Haf on April 22, 2019, 10:21:49 AM
Whitcrane76,

that is indeed a nice home. Maybe you should take a picture of you and your wife in front of the arched windows part...in the summer...with a pitchfork in your hand ;)

Haf