What Makes our House a Home
We hunted for a while. For a house that would become a home in a neighborhood that would become our community.
We also wanted a project. We wanted a home that we could create, and given the specific area we wanted to live in, it was almost a given we’d have to tear down some things and build some things to get what we wanted. To make a house our home.
The first project kept us living with my in-laws for almost six months and I’m still here to tell about it. We opened up a kitchen, turned the old master bath into additional kitchen space and pantry, and added on more master bedroom space with a master bath and closet.
Sweat Equity
I painted every square inch of the place with some big help from my mom and aunt. We replaced the upstairs carpet- a housewarming gift from my parents. We redid the landscaping in the front- a housewarming gift from my in-laws. And what we hoped would be funds to redo a crumbling porch outside got sucked up to replace the AC and all the duct work.
Always a work in Progress
Seven years later and expecting our third child, we went back to tackling the idea of outdoor space. We hired an architect- thank you Bill Nauck! We can’t say enough good things about working with him. He turned our vision into reality by allowing us space to gather outside with friends and family and to replace things on the facade that had passed their lifespan. We pulled the whole exterior of the house together cohesively.
A Neighborhood that's Like Family
We love our neighborhood. It’s a mixture of generations. It’s a neighborhood where kids run around unsupervised but are always close to the watchful eye of an adult that has full permission to parent a child that is not theirs just as much as one that is. I can’t tell you how many children come in and out of our pantry on a given weekend. A run to Costco to restock the pantry on a Friday can be gone by Monday. A trip to the mailbox to gather the days mail can lead to a thirty minute conversation with a neighbor. We have neighbors that greet our youngest child with popsicles every day after school, and others that make it a tradition to have the kids over every Christmas to read the Christmas story and exchange gifts. We truly are blessed to be in a neighborhood that is like family!
What Creates "Home"
Our house is a maze. It was added on to before us and we added to that maze. There is no good way to get from the kitchen to the outdoor spaces. The kitchen molding and cabinet style is pretty out of date now. They have my wife itching for another project (which probably means it’s only a matter of time before you read about a kitchen renovation on Spaces And Places).
But it is ours. It is our home in our community.
Spaces And Places is designed to help us all think about what creates home, and that is no better reflected than through the eyes of our children. For them, home has different favorites.
Our Children
Sam’s favorite is our dog- Lou- and all the other animals around. Like the baby birds growing rapidly in the nest perched on the downspout off one of our porches.
Andrew’s favorite is “all the space for activity”. Specifically, outdoor activity. The front yard is big enough for any game with or without a ball. And the parking pad with the basketball goal. He is currently plotting a “tiny house” outside to expand this space for “activity”.
Paige’s are the comfy beds. Thanks to Tammy Eddy’s, we have comfortable bedding in her room and ours. Check out Tammy’s shop on Bank Street for not only great bedding, but also for many great things that can make a house a home.
It's all about the Details
My wife’s favorites involve the little details. The vase by the bed that was a gift for hosting a neighbor’s child’s engagement party that reads “Happy Everything”, a candle from a co-worker and the books it sits on top of. For the flowers from the yard that fill that vase from April to October. For the houseplants she’s acquired mainly from House Plant Collective, which she helped mentor as a part of Alabama Launchpad. The comfy outdoor furniture from Summer Classics where her uncle works where she sits to watch all the animals with Sam and to read.
The Man Space
My favorite is our back porch space. The grill and the vent hood took some time to find, but it is just right. The craftsmanship of the stone fireplace and the craftsman who spent time showing our then nine year old son how to turn a bunch of rock into something magnificent. This may have been the first spark for the desire in him to build. For the table my buddy with JJGeorge built, and the surprise of it that almost caused World War III at our house (you can read more about that here on my wife’s company blog). It’s a space where I can do the things I enjoy whether that’s firing up the grill, or entertaining family and friends or building a fire and watching football on Saturdays in the fall.
What Makes Your House a Home
Each of our favorite things are windows into who we each are and what we each value. And they are what make our house a home. If you haven’t already, check out one of our featured post on “How to put the ‘Home’ in Office“.
We invite you to tell us what makes your house a home
Fill out the form below to be featured on Spaces And Places. We would love to tell your story of a recent renovation or what makes your house feel like home to you.
