The living room and dining area. We had the old aluminum windows replaced. From these windows we had a view of San Francisco Bay and the Oakland Coliseum on the other side.
Soon after I took these shots of what I call the "great room," that is, the living room, dining room, and kitchen, we engaged the real estate agents who advised us how to get the place ready for showing. Their advice was simple: get most of the stuff out and empty the corners. Empty corners make a room look bigger, apparently. We obliged, of course.
The living room with the fireplace just outside the photo on the left. No flat-screen tv back then!
I don't have photos of the rest of the place, or maybe I do, but I don't know where they are. We lived in this house for almost eight years. We transformed it, and the investment was well worth it. We made a tidy profit from the sale and that allowed us to move to France.
The dining area and the kitchen, which we had remodeled. The kitchen was originally enclosed. We had it gutted and the walls removed to open it up to the rest of the room.
I really liked this house, even though it had its problems. I suppose all houses have problems and that's just the nature of home ownership. Looking back, I'm glad we did what we did to improve the place. We did it mostly for us and our comfort, but it paid off when we sold the place.
The new kitchen seen from the living room. I'm convinced that the kitchen remodel really sold the house.
The one thing I don't miss is the house's location up a very steep hill from the local subway station. I was younger then and the exercise was good, but I can't fathom having to climb that hill every day now. Thank goodness for retirement! And just for fun, here I am in the kitchen at Christmas in 2002.
My hair is a lot greyer now.
Yeah, but you have HAIR!!! Beautiful home and very San Francisco. Could you see our house from there? (Or did the cliff that will eventually fall on it block the view?)
ReplyDeleteYou made me smile as I read on with this post, culminating with a photo of you in your younger years. We all had them. Your home does look lived in and cosy. Your kitchen was so well set up, but I don't think it would be a selling point in 2020.
ReplyDeleteAndrew, I can't imagine why that kitchen would not be a selling point in 2020?
ReplyDeleteJudy - neither can I. Perhaps he’s referring to the fact that so many people today want everything to be some shade of grey?
ReplyDeleteWalt, your SF house was lovely!
And you told me that you have no selfies taken in younger days! No wonder Ken fell for you! Roderick
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with you (Judith and Betty)! I would love to work in that kitchen. What an improvement and how clever to take out those two walls to open the area up! Gas-top range, beautifully crafted tile design behind stove and I much prefer those cabinets with silver handles to white or oak! (I know, oak is really dated - thank goodness I've never had to live with it!)
ReplyDeleteThat looks like a very comfortable and welcoming house. I didn't know about empty corners being a visual selling-point. Useful info.
ReplyDeletemitch, I don't think we could see it from the living room. But I remember it well because I walked by it every day to and from the BART station.
ReplyDeleteandrew, well, then, I'm glad we sold it when we did!
judy bettyann, I agree, but I think that the style is a little dated. Have you seen the funky backsplash tiles that are trendy right now? I think they're a little too busy/weird. And I've heard rumblings that stainless steel appliances are going out of style, too. Avocado may make a comeback! Ugh...
roderick, that's not a selfie... it was take by somebody else! ;)
mary, it was a great kitchen with an enormous amount of storage space, a serious improvement over the way it was (picture red tile countertops with a pink tile backsplash, yellow appliances, and a yellow-ish vinyl floor).
emm, thanks, we liked it. But, as they say, you can never go back. Thank goodness for photo memories.
"it was take[n] by somebody else!" Excuses, excuses! What about a photo of you in your 20's taken by somebody else? "Thank goodness for photo memories" Roderick
ReplyDeleteroderick, click on "throwback thursday" in the labels and you'll find some.
DeleteThanks for the guidance - I am clueless in such matters. Interesting that some men look their handsomest after reaching their thirties! Very good series of photos. Roderick
ReplyDelete