Home Sweet Home

I have always wanted an old house.  I love old homes. I love the style, the charm, the architectural details, the patina, the sense that this house has a history, that the voices of its owners still echo in the rooms.  So, I tried to find a house built before 1945.  I really did. 

This is the kind of house I wanted:

 Or this:

 Or this:

Or this:

I dream big, don't I?

This is what I could afford:

California is kind of funny in that the old homes are either in gang territory, or they’re in million dollar neighborhoods. There doesn’t seem to be a happy medium.  So, I needed an affordable home in a neighborhood where I felt safe.  The house I bought fulfilled these requirements.  What it didn’t fulfill is that desire for charm, architectural details and history.  1963 tract homes just aren’t that charming, there are few architectural details, and no sense of history. It’s up to me to create those things in my home.

When I toured my house, I fell in love with three things. One of them was NOT the roof. Heh, heh, heh.

I love the kitchen:

The living room fireplace:

 And the large backyard:

I have a lot of plans for the living room and the kitchen, not to mention the rest of the house, and will show some of them in later posts.  What I need are some ideas for the front and back yards. I’m pretty much a novice when it comes to landscaping and gardening.  I had a tiny garden when I was a little girl, but nothing on a large scale.  I want a large flower garden, and want a vegetable garden as well, perhaps a potager.  Any ideas, anyone? I’m open to suggestions.