It’s closing day folks! I am excited about the future and petrified at the same time. This is our new home. It is 3300 square feet. Hickory street is 1100 square feet.
Looks like there is a lot of furniture buying in the future!
I am a huge Dave Letterman fan, so since I am still in the honey moon phase with this home, I would like to propose a top 10 list.
10. It is a ranch. I love a good ranch! Ranches remind me of my grandparent’s old home in the country, where I shared loads of happy memories with my family. I love that the living spaces are separated from the bedroom “wing”. I love that there are no stairs.
A. Because stairs add to my fatigue and I cannot imagine living in a home where I have to climb them multiple times a day.
B. I work in the hardwood flooring industry and stair treads are my arch nemesis because there are always problems with stair treads! So, that, my friends, is why I love a ranch!
9. Fewell Estates enough said. This neighborhood is awesome. I love the mixed architecture of the homes and the sidewalks. It has a park in the middle of the neighborhood. And last but certainly not least, I am surrounded by family.
8. History. My Dad grew up around the corner where he spent time in the backyard playing basketball with family and neighborhood friends. There are stories that involve his late father in that home and my entire family has an affinity for the area. My new home is actually built where the neighborhood kids used to play baseball.
7. Beams and vaulted ceilings. There are beams in the master and beams in the den. In both of these rooms, there are also vaulted ceilings. It is rare to find a ranch that also has higher ceilings. Check… check.
6. 3 1/2 Baths. For our entire married life, we have only had one bathroom. That’s right. 7 years of bliss with one bathroom my friends. This home has 3 1/2 baths. 3 1/2 baths! One of the baths is in the MASTER SUITE! I’m not even going to know what to do with myself. I’m going from this (which is great in its own right):
To This :
I have an entire Blog about renovating and changing houses, and I am not doing a thing to this room. I cannot wait to use it!
5. Not entirely open concept, but just open enough. Don’t get me wrong, I love an open space just as much as the next person. Parties are hard to host without an open space and for that reason, I do love open concept. However, I also LOVE personal space and alone time. I also really appreciate doors. This house has a good mix of open space, but it also has doors. Win Win.
4. A Play Room for my little boy. I cannot wait to create a space where Forrest can learn and discover. It is one of the first spaces I want to design. Here is an inspiration pic. [houzz=http://www.houzz.com/photos/49441428/Modern-Home-in-London-traditional-kids-other]
3. Entertaining. I am looking forward to having family and friends at my house. It is hard to entertain with a small house. It is also hard to entertain when your family lives 3 hours away and all of them live in the same town. I am looking forward to having my own space where we can have people over. I think Seth is just excited about grilling on a cement slab. It’s the little things.
2. Driving in the country. Sometimes living close to a city and the beach makes me feel a little claustrophobic. I grew up driving to and from my grandparent’s house in the country. What I didn’t realize is that I don’t really relax at the beach. This is where I relax. I can’t wait to drive my grandfather around and listen to his stories and hear him sing in the car. I cannot wait to expose my son to this same small joy.
- The angsty teenager in me is rolling her eyes surrounded by dark black eye liner, but I cannot wait to be surrounded by the people I grew up with. I am very inspired by Vivian Howard’s story. I love that she went away from her home town and later discovered that was where she truly belonged. I recently told a friend I was moving back and she said, “Rock Hill is so special. It is so wonderful to have a sphere of influence that loves you.” So, there you go. What wise words… a “sphere of influence”. I am going to miss my network in Charleston. I will miss my work and work family, the terrific food that I crave daily, my wonderful friends who have shown me so much support and love over the years. I do feel that we are making the right move for our family. We will get to spend time with my devoted, loyal and truly crazy family and I am jumping head first.
