My Affair With a House

Shamelessly, I took the title from one of Bunny Williams books for I, too, have had an affair with a house -- this house, Linderhof. It's a brick four square with a wide screened in front porch, a portico from which to hang plants in the summer, roses growing up one side and ivy up the other.
The only structural change ever made in it's 88 years has been the breakfast room which we added on last fall. We did it with a sympathetic eye to the house and most of our visitors think it is our back porch which we have enclosed.


We took the 1985 kitchen which we inherited when we bought the house and made it a kitchen with 1920's flavor. Ours is it's third incarnation after the original 1920's kitchen. It was updated in 1948 and then again in 1985 and in 1995 we took the center panels out of the upper cabinets, added glass and painted ALL of the cabinets. This from a person who thinks it a sin to paint wood! But by doing that, the kitchen seemed part of the house rather than something tacked on.

A house is constantly changing and although the living room has been a dark green ever since we lived here, new furnishings have replaced old and by changing window treatments or upholstery, rooms have a different perspective.

I love this old house and she is a grand lady.