FRESH BRICK: DESPERATELY SEEKING ADAM

We have moved five times in our early lives so it
is unlikely a surprise that we are on to our next home, but I swear we were not intending to move this time.

Photo by Tom Vogel, www.vogel-creative.com

In fact, we just had this sweet forest clubhouse built for our kids by Flamborough Patio Furniture.

Photo by Tom Vogel, www.vogel-creative.com

To top it all off, we’ve been through two bathroom renovations -- main floor and bedroom level -- and just last year we built this stunning new kitchen for ourselves (not your typical flip finishes). Case and point: Black does not appeal to the masses but we absolutely loved the final results!

Photo by Tom Vogel, www.vogel-creative.com

So you must be thinking, why the heck are we moving after all this? Well, beyond changing family dynamics and the need for a proper in-law suite, we found a place that tugged at our emotional heartstrings.

“They say buy with your head and not your heart, but I feel you always end up much happier if you buy with your heart (and that is what we did).”

House No. 4 at 250 James Street South. Photo by Tom Vogel, www.vogel-creative.com

As a bonus, the new house offered the most incredible backyard oasis with an in-ground pool. We hummed and hawed but after visiting an open house we HAD TO HAVE IT.

From sight to capture, it was a nearly 5-month physiological roller coaster. I had mixed feelings, as it was not an old home. In fact, the age of the house was 1983. A vintage that made me sick. Lol.

However, it did not feel like 1983. The place was extremely custom with designer finishes and unique architectural features including a winding steel staircase and floor to ceiling wood framed windows.

In my journey as a homeowner, I always thought I would only buy old.

We have lived in homes from 1880s to 1960s and my favourites have been the oldest. All that said our recent move was not about any frustrations around restoration and maintenance. It was, and has always been, about finding something that connects with us emotionally.

House No. 2

I have realized age does not matter. Its character that counts. My heart still belongs to old houses but I want to empower others (and myself) to realize it is not being a traitor to your core if character happens to come in a newer package.

Therefore, my new mantra is, “I will never buy cookie cutter.”

Below are memories of our old (old) home and glimpses into the other homes we considered but did not settle on.

We will miss you 4 Freeman Place!