Hooked on Houses

Star Wars princess Natalie Portman is selling her modest, 7-room Long Island home for $2.2 million. She has lived on Long Island since she was a child, and in this home for the past five years. I love when celeb houses hit the market because then we all get to peek inside and see how they live!

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Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. -Marcel Proust

The end of the month seems to be a good time to stop and say thanks. And I find that I have a lot to be thankful for–number one being my wonderful, fun, loyal, and creative readers. I love hearing from you every day. Without you, this blog would just be me talking to myself. I think we can probably all agree– that would just be sad.

To read who Julia is most thankful for this month, click “more” below:

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I spent my childhood in Clifton, Ohio, near the University of Cincinnati where my dad worked at the time. (You can see the photo of my first love house on the About page.) The area is well known for ginormous old mansions like the one shown here (note: we did not live in one of them!).

Unfortunately, the neighborhood has changed since they were built, and now a lot of the old beauties have been turned into frat houses or apartment buildings. In this case, they have apartment buildings as neighbors, as you can see in the background.

I frequently check the MLS listings for Clifton to scope out the fabulous older homes on the market. Today I ran across this new listing on Telford Avenue that is pretty marvelous inside. However, as I was scrolling through the photos, I suddenly hit one room that stopped me in my tracks. Whoa. Where did that come from? It didn’t look like it belonged in the same house.

There’s a game they play on “Sesame Street,” where they show four photos to a child and then sing:

“One of these things is not like the other. One of these things just doesn’t belong! Can you tell which thing is not like the others by the time I finish my song?”

Just for fun, why don’t you take a look for yourself and see if you can tell which of these rooms is not like the other. Which of these rooms just doesn’t belong….

To look inside, click “more” below:

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Today is my birthday. I know at my age I should just sort of sweep birthdays under the rug and pretend they’re not happening, but they still make me happy. Anything that involves cake, in my book, is a good thing (dark chocolate cake with cream-cheese frosting, to be exact).

I’m lucky to have a Spring birthday because the weather almost always accommodates me. One of my favorite things is eating outdoors, so for my birthday dinner I chose a restaurant with “patio seating.” Unfortunately, we went from sunny in the 70s last week to rainy and low 50s today, so it looks like I won’t be eating alfresco after all.

Since I can’t have it in real life, I decided to post photos of the outdoor tables I wish I could sit at today, including the one above. I’m also going to go “off topic” a little, for a meme I was tagged for, and regale you with ”6 Uninteresting Things About Me.” Normally I wouldn’t bore you by talking about myself, but I am the Birthday Queen, and you will just have to suffer through.

To see more examples of alfresco dining, click “more” below:

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For those of you who loved my recent post about Sears Modern Home Kits, which were sold through catalogs between 1908 and 1940, I thought you’d like to see some interior photos of one. This Model Home Design #3309 was sold in the Sears catalog in the 1930s as part of the Honor-Bilt line and was called the Lynnhaven. According to the original catalog:

All “Honor Bilt” homes are thoroughly tested to be sure that they are architecturally correct and economical, also durable and convenient.

In presenting the Lynnhaven, we feel that we are offering a home which will solve a problem for many home builders. The graceful way in which the front projection ties itself the main building and the attractive entrance makes this home one that will be admired by many.

To see interior photos of the Lynnhaven:

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The winner of the New Cottage Style decorating book is…

Janet of Housepeepers!

Congratulations, Janet! She’s a long-time reader who has been visiting Hooked on Houses since the beginning. Thanks to everyone who entered–all 135 of you. I wish I could send a copy to everyone!

This week was a lot of fun. It was great to meet so many of you who stopped by for the giveaway, and even better to hear from long-time lurkers who left comments for the first time. I also enjoyed checking out all of your blogs and have bookmarked lots of new favorites.

I can hardly wait for the next Bloggy Giveaway Carnival (in July)! It’s a great way to make new friends in the blogosphere.

On the HGTV show Kitchen Trends they featured this newly remodeled kitchen in a segment called “Pretty in Pink.” I thought it would be perfect to kick off a new feature here at Hooked on Houses that we’ll call (drumroll) Hooked or Hate It?

In this game, we’ll look at rooms and vote that we’re either 1) Hooked or 2) Hate It! Easy enough, right? I think this pink kitchen is one that could go either way. You’d either really love it, or really not.

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Country music star Kenny Chesney purchased a Mediterranean-style compound in Malibu, California, for $7.4 million in February. And now, according to reports, he has already put it back on the market for $7.5. I wonder why he changed his mind? It looks like a great place to hang your hat!

According to the MLS listing, it has 5 bedrooms and 5 baths, but upon closer inspection it appears that only 2 of those bedrooms are in the main house. There are also two guest houses on the property.

Here’s the agent’s description of the home:

“Spectacular Mediterranean compound, private and gated, panoramic views of Santa Monica Bay, Catalina Island, and Malibu Point. Voluminous main house and two detached guest houses, enormous flat grassy yard, beautiful fruit trees and gardens, tiled pool, outdoor oven and barbecue. La Costa Beach rights and tennis membership included.”

I love that the main house is “voluminous.” I’ve never heard real estate described that way, have you? Berg Properties reports that in this case, voluminous means 3,723 square feet, to be exact.

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Take a long drive down this wooded lane with me today to Pheasant Hill Farm. It’s an historic property on 47 acres in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and it’s on the market for $6 million. The MLS listing notes its age as 250 years. You don’t see many properties that old in America, that’s for sure.

The main home has 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths, but there are also a series of frame and stone buildings that represent one of the earliest settlements in Pennsylvania. This is truly a rare property. 

To take a tour of Pheasant Hill Farm, click “more” below:

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“I am in love with the green earth.” -Charles Lamb

“I think it annoys God if you walk by the color purple in a field and don’t notice.” Alice Walker (or in this case, yellow)

“To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon the verdant green hills is the most perfect refreshment.” -Jane Austen

Can you imagine being able to flip through a SEARS, ROEBUCK AND CO. catalog full of house plans, choose one like this charming “Puritan” model, and buy it for as little as $1,500?  

Sears sold Modern Homes kits like this one between 1908-1940. Each kit contained between 10,000-30,000 pieces with which you could build your house. They were shipped on boxcars, so you’d go to the railroad station to pick it up. Blueprints were drawn so that novice homebuilders could understand them and came with a 75-page instruction book explaining how to put everything together.

The catalogs assured customers that “a man of average abilities could assemble a Sears kit home in about 90 days.” About half of the kit homes were built by professional homebuilders, but those who did it themselves saved about 30% off the cost of a conventionally built home. In 1908, a contractor charged about $450 to put a kit together. Even then it was considered a bargain.

To see photos of Sears Kit Houses then and now, click “more” below:

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Better Homes and Gardens’ book New Cottage Style ($19.95) seems like just the thing to read for Spring, so I’m giving a copy away this week as a part of the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival (read about the giveaway here). 

Today also happens to be my 3-month “Blogiversary,” so this is a great way to celebrate all of the fun we’ve had since January. I’ve been amazed by the warm response my site has received from the blogosphere! Clearly, I’m not the only one who’s hooked on houses. Thanks to all of my readers, both new and old. I appreciate every single one of you!

New Cottage Living is perfect if you’re looking for:

• Decorating ideas to achieve a look that’s clean, simple, and light.
• Photos of new and remodeled homes that add style with architectural features.
• Secrets to creating harmony with paint, furniture, fabrics, and accessories.
• Examples for decorating in the country, suburbia, and oceanfront locations.
• Practical ideas to create the comfortable getaway look of your dreams.
• Effective color schemes that achieve a clear, serene palette.

If you’d like to win a copy of New Cottage Style, simply leave a comment on this post between now and Friday, April 25 at midnight (EST), and I’ll draw a name at random on Saturday. Check back then to see if you’re the winner! (Giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada.) If you have a blog, be sure to leave your URL so I can visit you in return!

BONUS: click the button at the bottom right-hand corner of this page that says ”ADD TO MY TECHNORATI FAVORITES,” and I’ll add your name to the drawing twice. If you don’t already have a Technorati account, you’ll have to fill out some basic information about yourself to get one. So for non-Technorati’s who don’t want to join, you can mention in the comments why this site is one of your faves and get entered twice that way.

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Today my husband Handy Dave and I set out to shop for dining room furniture with high hopes that we were going to find exactly what we needed. We spent the afternoon wading through four different national home furnishings stores and found nothing but fugly (furniture that was, you know, ugly).

I found myself asking, out loud, “They still make this kind of thing?” The answer: yes. They make things in styles you thought were gone forever by 1985. What’s more, they charge you real money for them. This red velvet and chrome-armed couch, for example, was $499–on sale. Crazy.

I became increasingly discouraged as I trudged through aisle after aisle of full-on fugliness. But then I remembered–I had brought my camera to photograph anything with potential. Since there wasn’t anything that fit that bill, why not get pictures of the fugly stuff to show you instead? (Don’t you love how I’m always thinking of you?)

Each piece of furniture in the post is numbered (the velvet and chrome sofa being #1). In the comments, let me know which piece you think should be permanently voted off the island. Which is the absolute worst offender?

I also want to know which one you think should be saved. Which is the least offensive? You might actually like some of these, so feel free to plead their case. I admit some of it may just be my personal taste. Please don’t take it personally if I show something that you’ve got sitting in your living room! You have the right to like what you want.

To see more fugly furniture, click “more,” below:

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“A tree house should never overpower the tree in which it is built.  It should sit lightly in the branches.” –Jeanie Stiles

Have you ever dreamed of having a treehouse in your backyard? Jeanie Stiles and her husband David designed a charming one for their children, beginning with the sketch you see above. Now I wish they’d design one for me!

They say it was inspired by The Lord of the Rings, but this picture makes me think more of Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin in the Hundred Acre Wood than Hobbits. Can’t you just imagine Owl peeking out from one of those windows?

Click “more” below to see how the treehouse turned out:

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Billy Joel released his first hit single, “The Piano Man,” in 1973. He has since become a six-time Grammy winner with 33 top 40 hits and more than 150 million records sold worldwide. Joel announced that he was “retiring” from pop music in 1993 but has continued to tour, sometimes with Elton John.

Today he is married to cookbook author Katie Lee Joel, and the couple owns an $18.75 million hideaway in the Hamptons.

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Can you imagine a mall in America without a Linens ‘n Things in it? A world in which Bed, Bath & Beyond doesn’t have to issue coupons in the Sunday papers because they have no real competition to worry about?

Well, it could be a reality someday. Apparently Linens ‘n Things is in serious financial quicksand and sinking fast.

On April 15 the beleaguered home furnishings retailer announced that it would defer payment on its $16.1 million in interest payments and instead work with its creditors, bond holders and vendors in an attempt to avoid filing for bankruptcy.

According to the New York Times:

Since last fall, eight retailers — mostly midsize chains like the electronics retailer Sharper Image — have filed for bankruptcy. But a filing by Linens ’n Things, which has more than 500 stores in 47 states, would be the largest yet.

The payment that was due Tuesday applied to a $650 million issue of debt, comprising several senior notes due in 2014. But the terms of that debt include a 30-day grace period for payment of that interest. Linens ’n Things posted a $242 million loss for 2007 on sales of $2.79 billion.

If you or someone you know works for Linens ‘n Things, the prospect of some or all of their stores closing must be a scary thing.

What does it mean for shoppers? Well, there may be some major “Everything Must Go!” sales on the horizon. But for now, if you’re holding onto any gift cards from Linens ‘n Things, you may want to go ahead and use them. If the retailer ends up filing for bankruptcy, they won’t be legally required to honor them any more, as customers found out when Sharper Image closed abruptly in February. (Thanks to SavvySugar for pointing this out!)

Let’s hope they’re able to keep their doors open despite the odds. Looks like they’re trying to work it out and avoid bankruptcy. Even though Linens ‘n Things has never been my favorite store–I never liked the way it was set up and rarely found what I was searching for in it–I am all for having as many home furnishings retailers to shop in as possible! We need to have options, and Bed Bath & Beyond needs to have some competition, don’t you think?

MAY 2 UPDATE: According to Smart Money:

Linens Holding Co., the operator of Linens ‘n Things home furnishings retail chain, said Friday it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with plans to shut 120 underperforming stores, becoming the latest retailer to fall under the weight of declining housing markets and other economic worries. The chain, which private equity firm Apollo Management LP bought for $1.3 billion in February 2006, will continue to operate without interruption. It also expects to be well stocked ahead of the back-to-school and holiday selling seasons as it secures $700 million in debtor in possession financing from General Electric Capital Corp.

You can click here to see the list of LNT stores that are closing.

UPDATE MAY 8: Is Bed Bath & Beyond next? Lots of people have been landing on this post after searching for “Bed Bath & Beyond Bankruptcy.” After doing some sleuthing, I’ve learned that there’s an e-mail being forwarded around that says BB&B filed for bankruptcy. As far as I can tell, there’s nothing to back this rumor up. If anyone has heard differently, please fill us in! Go to the Chronic Consumer to read more about this rumor.

If you’re new here: Hooked on Houses is a website that features decorating ideas, celebrity house tours, inspiring before and afters, and more fun stuff. To see what we’re talking about today, click here.

I first noticed this story at InsideSoCal. Mall storefront photo via Davison International. In-store photo via Build Your Own House.

If You’re Hooked on Shopping:

• Shop for a Good Cause at the Nest Boutique
• Read about my Adventures in Shopping as a Newbie at IKEA
• Shop for Handpainted Children’s Furniture
• Shop for Strange Stuff for Your Home, Including Toilet Tank Decor

Did you watch the first season of Bravo TV’s reality show “Top Design” last year? Todd Oldham was the host, with designers Jonathan Adler and Kelly Wearstler acting as judges alongside Elle Decor’s Editor-in-Chief Margaret Russell.

Bravo has just announced that it is “demoting” Todd Oldham to the role of “mentor” for the next season (I assume this means he’ll be the Tim Gunn of “Top Design”?), and they’ve named a new host.

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Yesterday we talked about the difference a framed mirror can make in a bathroom. Today I’m going to show you the difference it made in one of ours.

This is what my 5-year old daughter Lily’s bathroom looked like when we moved into our house in 2003 (in the days before we had a digital camera, as you can tell by the grainy picture shown above).

Among the things I hated: the cheapo plate-glass mirror that ran not only behind the sink, but on across the wall above the toilet, as well. No idea what the builder was thinking with that one. To add insult to injury, they had those round “Hollywood” light bulbs in a brass vanity fixture centered over the long mirror.

Everything was white and bo-ring. It looked out of date even though the house was brand new.

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Have you got a flat, lifeless, plate-glass type of mirror like this in your bathroom? Have you ever wondered what it would look like with a nicer framed mirror over your sink instead? Then check out these bathroom mirror makeovers, starting with this one. I think you’ll be amazed by what a difference a new mirror can make!

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I just want to thank all of you for hanging in with me through this brutal WordPress upgrade. For those of you who don’t know, or haven’t noticed, WordPress changed a bunch of things around on us at the beginning of April, and my poor blog went a little berserk.

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