What were they thinking??....:)

That's exactly what I said to myself the day we bought this house! It was love at first sight believe it or not. But during the entire restoration process I often thought of what all the people who had added their "personal touch" to the house were thinking! I thought maybe it went something like this: Ooooh Larry! Look at that beauty! I know it's a 1916 bungalow, but I'm thinking with my brains, and your cool set of tools we could hack away and turn this thing into the Victorianesque looking house of my dreams!!

Yeah Carol, we could "enclose" that wrap around porch ( I mean, what a waste of space!) and make it into your laundry room!

After :)

After :)

Oh Carol! Your choice of color is just spot on!! It's like Christmastime....all year long!!

After :)

Hun? I'm thinking we should rip out that old original kitchen and put in that u shaped, highly functional, never been seen before kitchen you designed? Oooh Larry, YES!!

After :)

And hey Larry? Could you build me that wine rack I've been wanting for my Charles Shaw collection? I've got the perfect shade of aubergine in mind...

After :)

Ooooh, and over here? We could bust out the wall (load bearing? who cares!) to that bedroom, remove the original staircase and I could have my dream dining room!! Oh Carol! You're a genius!

After :)

And the master bedroom....Larry? Could you add some massive structure to the front of the house so I could have a balcony where I could relax on our old couch from 20 years ago?

After :)

Carol, you really know your stuff! Honey oak, brass and emerald green and white tile! Oh well thank you Larry! And thank you for reminding me to put CARPET in the entire bathroom!

After :)

Hey Larry? Since you work alone, I'm thinking plastic columns would be so much easier on your back.

After :)

Carol? Since we already relocated the original staircase and have it so elegantly cascading into the dining room, I'm thinking we should relocate the original fireplace too! Oooh Larry! That sounds fantastic! Then I could use that pink tile I've been dying over!!

After :)

I know how much you love yourself some skylight Carol, so I thought I'll just tear into the wall above the bathroom!

After :)

Carol, your color choice for this front bedroom is sooo soothing, sooo inviting! And hey Larry my love? Could you please replace that original diamond shaped glass in the window for some pink plastic instead? Thanks!

After :)

I'm thinking if we "enclose" that back porch Larry, you could build us a massive brick fireplace that would come in handy for, you know, all those chilly Arizona winter nights!!

After :)

Oh Carol!! Come see!! I've totally disguised that chimney to look like your favorite- a Christmas tree! Oh Larry! Think how excited all the neighbors will be when I decorate it with lights this year!!

After :)

I just picked up the disc with all the before pics from our architect last week, and was reminded of the horrendous state my sweet old house was in! I only wish that Willy Wonka really did invent smellovision. It would have really made those kitchen before pics come to life!!!

"There's nothing half so pleasant as coming home again." ~ Margaret Elizabeth Sangster

Linking up to the before and after party at Thrifty Decor Chick!

And Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch !