sunshiny day in my house

[velvetpage]

I remembered this morning what it is that I love most about my house.

Early in the morning, starting at dawn and lasting for about one and a half hours, my main floor is flooded with natural sunlight. The leaded glass on the front door and two panel windows breaks it into a thousand tiny rainbows. The African Violets and the Wandering Jew in my front window drink it up. The lovely golden rays turn my yellow walls into true reflections of themselves. Reaching all the way to the back of the living room-dining room, they highlight in my piano and china cabinet the warm, glowing tones of brown and red that they were meant to be. My wood floors gleam, and the inlaid walnut-coloured patterns around the perimeter have more contrast to them than at any other time. Even the poorly-hung wallpaper in the hallway shines.

When I got downstairs this morning in time to enjoy this, I took the opportunity to orange-oil my piano and china cabinet. So now they smell nice, they gleam in all lights, and they're somewhat less dusty.

If I get downstairs early tomorrow morning as well, I might just dust the rest of my furniture. In that light, I can see every single dust mote in the room.

Elizabeth enjoyed watching me spritz the piano, but shied away from helping me rub. That wood really needs more than orange oil Pledge. One of these days, I'll get some mineral oil and steel wool and really bring out the grain and the etching pattern in it. It's gorgeous wood - knarled walnut, with a wonderful, sinuous pattern in the grain. The red overtones are the kind you decorate a room around. (In fact, I did - the yellow was chosen in part because it reflects nicely off all the dark wood, and in part because other than right at dawn, that room gets no real sunlight. Also, it works with all my blue accessories.)

In any case, I did not put on the dining room chandelier, I did put on an Itzak Perlman CD that I hadn't listened to in years, and I watered my plants with yesterday's tea. It was a nice start to a Saturday.

Comments

[lousy-timing.livejournal.com]

It's sounds just lovely. The house, the interaction, the day, all of it. :)

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

I think you and I probably have similar tastes in houses. Anytime you want to come visit, just let us know. We couldn't put you up (lack of space) but we could show you around.

And yes, it was a lovely morning.

[lousy-timing.livejournal.com]

It does sound like we have similar tastes in houses. I just wasn't happy with the new house in Texas, but we never could have afforded an old one. We did what we could, and it did have some character, but it had no soul.

We'd love to say "hello" and be shown around if we get up that way. The offer is open to you and your family if you're ever in our neck of the woods, as well. We probably won't have space for lodging yet, either, but someday we will and you'd be welcome.

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

In Hamilton, the 80-year-old, arts-and-crafts homes are usually half the price of the new ones on the Mountain. (That's what we call the Niagara Escarpment where it goes by us. People who've lived out West tend to laugh at us for it.) Ours is quite small, three bedrooms, and cost us $100 000, though it's worth more than that now. There are lots of houses a few blocks from here built on the same basic floor plan, but wider and deeper and with a usable attic. That's what we're going to upgrade to. Mind you, they don't have much in the way of gardens usually, but we make do.

I'll be looking forward to planning an eventual visit, in either direction. :)

[lousy-timing.livejournal.com]

I'll look forward to it, too. :)

Our plan is to expand the roof height on the existing attic so that we can add a couple of rooms up there. Our lot is large, but broken up in such a way that adding on in any significant way would be difficult. Part of the problem is that the lot is narrow.

Currently, we have 3 bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms. If the house can be expanded the way we'd like, we'd have 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, a den, and a sitting room or game room type area between the two attic rooms.

Small gardens can still be very nice and functional if you find the right place.

I know what you mean about prices- NJ is very expensive regardless, but our house was $180,000 versus buying a new one in this area at probably $250,000 minimum when we moved here.