The journey you take when you embark in renovating a fixer upper is bittersweet. They eventually become what you dream about, but the journey to get there is long. I’ll be the first to admit that fixer uppers are hard work. But the stories these walls could tell, well, it makes all that hard work worth the effort. Just imagining the history gets me all nostalgic inside.
It’s almost been two years since we purchased our fixer upper. It’s our first one and although it has it’s challenges, I wouldn’t change it for the world. We were meant for this house, and this house was meant for us.
She (because this house is a she) was built in 1956. Dwight D. Eisenhower was president and Nixon served as Vice President when the original owners built her for only $15,000. Yup, that’s right. Only $15,000. And let me tell ya, they made quite a profit. Ha! But the renovations have proved to be an adventure. We’ve found treasures under the floor and deep inside cabinets. So far we’ve found an old letter mailed all the way from Amsterdam, a puzzle from the 50’s, original retro packaging for the tile used in the bathroom, and the original blueprints for the home.
I can’t help but imagine the couple who first had this house built. She must have loved the beams in the ceiling, and that pink bathroom must have been incredibly chic in her day. I imagine her choosing the wallpaper and getting all giddy when she saw the finished look. And that retro car wallpaper!! Y’all, the man of the house had style.
As my husband and I do the grunt work and slowly begin to change what the original owners took so much pride in making, it reminds me to be thankful. Life is short and only God knows the number our days. Someday, sooner than I realize, a couple will move in after us. They’ll change the paint, maybe remodel the basement. And as they move in, we’ll move on. Time stops for no one.
But until then, I’m excited to share our fixer upper journey with you. We’ll be sharing a little bit of everything. Painting the fireplace, tiling the kitchen back splash, and removing some walls are just a few projects that are coming soon. Can’t wait to show them to you!