Little House Has Potential

Back in February 2006, we purchased this 2 bedroom 1 bath 1920 derelict home in Centralia on Magnolia street for a rental property. At my first walk-through, all I could do was shake my head in its run down state. But once my husband pursuaded me that it could cash flow even with the refurbishing costs, I began to envision what the place could be. The location wasn't bad, it bordered the much-desired Edison District. It also had high ceilings and a breakfast nook which added to its historic feel. That spring of '06, we worked on this "project," our diamond in the rough.

As you can see, it was quite a transformation. We put on a new roof, blew in insullation in the attic, replaced windows, replaced cedar shingles, painted and trimmed, installed a new front door, tore down the old broken-down garage, built a new carport with storage, fenced in the back yard, paved a driveway, constucted new front porch railing, and spruced up the landscaping. That was everything for the outside.

Inside, we layed down all new floorings, painted the walls, put in new crown moulding and baseboards, set up new bathub and surround, installed a new dishwasher, and mounted new light fixtures. We tried to pay attention to every detail.

We brought the house back to life. We knew it had "great bones." It's certainly a far cry from when I saw it for the first time. I'm glad we trusted our instincts and followed our hearts. It didn't turn into a money pit. We're pleased with the results. It has character and charm. We always say that if worse comes to worse, we can sell everything and live in it. Who knows what the future holds?

Fabulous Finds

It's been a while, but I love to browse through antique stores, flea markets, garage sales, and 2nd hand stores. It's the "thrill of the hunt" and the certainty of finding at least one very special item among the mass of stuff/junk. Sometimes it's totally worth the time. An old picture frame in a box of junk might catch my eye. Maybe I'm not quite fond of the artwork, but I know I could take the frame apart and replace the art with a piece more to my liking or perhaps I could "doctor up" the frame a little bit to make it more appealing. It's not that I do much buying, mind you, it's just that I love looking. Anything from delicate crystal to stuffed wild turkeys intrigues my interest and complels to to take a second look. I spot architectural pieces (old doors, stained glass windows, ironwork, columns...), furniture dating from the 1940s back to mid 1800s, old postcards, dishes (china, porcelain, pottery...), vintage linens (chenille bedspreads, doilies, quilts...), depression glass, oil paintings, furniture, silverware, lace (Battenberg, Irish, French), old magazines, baskets, doorknobs, cabinet hardware, light fixtures, old photographs, books, jewelry, hats, purses, and old signs. I like this type of shopping over "mall" shopping because you get to see so many unusual pieces, things you don't see every day. It has a different atmosphere, including much friendlier clerks. Funny how I sometimes have nothing in mind when I go shop, and yet I'll come home with something in hand. I'm really not a collector of anything, I just like to have maybe one item to represent what could be a collection. However, I do collect milk glass. Luckily, I live in a town known for its antique stores. Whenever I get the urge to stroll through shops, I don't have far to go. When you're traveling down Interstate 5, stop by our town of Centralia Washington. There are plenty of "must haves" to see.