Garden Drive

It's all about the story, and those things with the best stories usually come with at least a little bit of character...

My sister Lisa and her husband Christian recently bought their first house. Yay! This particular house came with much more than it's fair share of character.

Let's start in the front yard. If you're really into weeds, this is the yard for you.


And if weeds don't float your boat, how about bushes that overtake the driveway?


Ok, ok, I know that weeds and overgrown bushes aren't really a sign of character. How about handprints on the fence?


Is that red paint? or maybe...

And venturing inside, we come upon the living room. Half tile, half carpet, with lovely red and yellow paint


to compliment the authentic Chinese characters adorning the window treatments.



The hallway first brings a view of this door: any guess what room is behind it?


And the winner is...

Did you guess right?

The bathroom looks an awful lot like a bathroom, but don't overlook those small touches that give it a homey feel.



There are two bedrooms: the black and blue bedroom that belongs to Dalton,


and the black and brown (yes, brown) bedroom that belongs to Lisa and Christian.


I don't know that black and brown would have been my first choice, but the colors to compliment the linoleum nicely.


If you look closely, you can see the quality paint job that is characteristic of the previous owners.


Moving on, we see the kitchen


and if you turn around quickly without blinking, you'll see the dining room.


Continue walking past the cork wall,


and you'll enter the family room, complete with family


and its own walk-in closet.


It's always nice to have your own laundry room.


And who doesn't want that extra... ... ...room? I believe the current intention is to use this room as a shop/storage room.


In case you're in there and you get lonely, just look up and you'll find a friend.


And if you need a shower but the bathroom is just too far away, grab the curtain from the window


and head out through the sliding glass doors. You're all set to take a shower!


While you're there, take a moment to soak in all the grandeur that is the backyard.


There's the deck,


the shed,


the permanently locked brick something building,


the irrigation ditch,


the sprinkler control box,


and the traffic cone, just in case.


And if you get hungry, take your pick:







Now, I know that I've poked fun a bit at the house and all its character, but I am excited that Lisa and Christian found a fun house to fix up and make their own. While it's not the most appealing at first blush, it definitely has a lot of potential. I'm excited for the follow-up post when I can show how they've redone everything.

I think Dalton is excited, too.