One Man's Trash...

You won't miss the brightly decorated warehouse at 4300 Harrisburg Blvd.

I have always liked looking through people's trash in search of treasure--not literally, but at flea markets and the like. And since becoming an old house owner in 2008 (Ours was built in 1920.), the salvage yard is somewhat of a new discovery to me.

When we added a family room onto our home, I was very particular about using whatever old house parts I could to make the addition look as seamless as possible. Even though the vaulted ceiling might give it away, the doors and floors and most hardware are all the real deal, salvaged from some little old house that met its sad fate to the wrecking ball.

I found two of my doors at a salvage warehouse in Houston that I did not realize at the time was co-founded by my next door neighbor, now a locally famous photographer. Soon after I bought my doors, the Montrose warehouse went out of business, and my project completed.

Now a few years later, the Historic Houston Salvage Warehouse is back up and running, temporarily I think, in Houston's East End, near the up-and-coming "EaDo" section of our city. Last Saturday I took a gander. It is gigantic and--something I didn't expect--dark. But it is chock full of good finds for your home renovation projects or old house repairs.

I ran into a friend who purchased an ornate mantle to add some charm to a blah addition on her house. I like her thinking! While I didn't pick anything up for myself this time, I will be back as my plans to renovate my kitchen percolate.

Historic Houston's Salvage Warehouse is currently open the first Sunday of every month from 10AM-4PM, and membership is $40+. Everything for sale has been donated, rather than sent to the landfills. So keep that in mind, too, when your contractor plans to haul your old stuff away. Don't forget your flashlight, or download an app for that on your smartphone! Now, a few photos to inspire you...

Cool cast iron sinks

My camera's flash disguises how dark it was in this back corner.

I think this is part of an old bathtub fixture.

Great door with transom window and antique hardware

Antique bricks, perfect for a small patio project

These solid wood boards were super heavy! I think they'd make cool shelves.

Tons of reclaimed hardwood floors and windows

Sublime clawfoot tub hiding in the darkness

Divided light window

And finally, a shout out to the kitty lover in me!

Adding On

Photo progression of den addition

For the greater part of this year, I was busy working on a home remodeling project. It took a lot of time and energy, but I really enjoyed the process and learning about how homes are built.

We tore down a much-loved covered porch and built a den in its place. This addition expanded our home's square footage by about a third, which when starting at 1,200 square feet may not seem like much, but it has done wonders!

Our goals were to:

1. Create a new laundry space, which would free up the former laundry space for much needed closet space
2. Create a space for brooms, instead of having them permanently on display in the kitchen
3. Create a space for our cat's litter box, previously located in the guest bathroom, which was less than attractive when entertaining, especially for the feline-averse
4. Create a coat/storage closet
5. Create a dedicated home office space, so as not to take over the kitchen table
6. Create an additional place for watching TV and doing yoga/exercise videos
7. Keep the feeling of the outdoors, since we would be losing the majority of what we had
8. Create a covered walkway from the garage to the house
9. Reuse our French doors
10. Respect the style and character of our 1920s bungalow, including matching the trim work and using reclaimed hardwood flooring, antique doors and hardware

All in all, I would say that we were successful, not only in meeting all of these goals, but also in keeping to our budget and timing. We owe many thanks to my sister, a talented interior designer, and to our builders, Steve, Marvin and Trey, of Morris Hullinger Design Build (MHDB).

The idea started with some plans that the former owners gave us when we bought the house, although we did not end up doing what they had planned exactly. From there, I began to visualize the space with our needs in mind using a nifty website called floorplanner.com. (Online, you can see the designs in 3D, which is really fun, but they don't copy well to the blog.)

Below is the concept design, the one that I showed the builders when we first met in February, followed by two more as needs changed and ideas solidified. (The backyard is still a work-in-progress, however.)

Floorplan 2-20-11

Floorplan 3-24-11

Floorplan 7-20-11

While we have been enjoying our new space since Labor Day, this blog post is actually well timed. Why? Because in sharing this addition with you, we are now also able to share with you that we will be welcoming another new addition to our family in the spring. A baby!

Expected completion date: 4.15.12. We are thrilled!

My Top Ten Magnolia City Happiness Hotspots Now!

My husband, Chad, has been in London on business for the past week. Given enough notice, I would have tagged along for my dream trip of antiquing and flea marketing between London and Paris. Ahhh, next time, I am hoping... What with hearing about all the city things he is doing in his free time, I don't blame myself for longing to be in a city myself.

You might say to me, "Houston is a city, the fourth largest in the U.S., in fact!?"

But to me, being big doesn't make you a city. A city has:

1. A public transit system worthy of getting you places you want to go. 
2. The ability to walk out your front door (whether you live there or are visiting) and walk a couple of doors down or--at most--a few blocks to a coffee shop, food market or book store and not fear for your life when crossing the street. 
3. More Mom-and-Pop stores and restaurants than Big-Box stores and chain restaurants. 
4. The freedom to explore by foot for as long as you desire, always returning having discovered something interesting that you had never seen before.

By no means does this mean that I do not like Houston. I do! And there's much to discover here. It just takes a little more work and usually [grunt] getting into your car.

Below is a list of 10 places that--right now--make me happy in Houston, all of which you might find something similar in a great city, a few of which I patronized this weekend in Chad's absence, and all of which I try to frequent to bring me the happiness that I find in cities. In no particular order...

1. The Menil Collection and grounds
Just the exterior of the museum brings me a zen-like sense of peace. I don't know if it's the horizontal siding or the grey color or the perfectly green lawns. I consider myself lucky to be within walking distance of it. I often just make a loop around it by foot or on my bike for a quick exercise fix or sense of calm. Today there was a bevy of hippies dancing around a bongo-playing fellow. I was glad to catch it at that moment. And you can't beat a world-class art museum that does not charge an entry fee!

Photo: George Hixson

2. Memorial Park jogging trail
I rented a dog (one of my mom and stepdad's three) and took her with me there yesterday. I usually go with Chad, a friend or alone. Having a dog makes it a bit of a different experience because everyone seems to acknowledge its cuteness. Plus it's added work. But with canine or not, going to the Park to exercise is always invigorating. People are out and about being healthy. The state of the trees right now is really sad though. It looks like fall, but they are just dying--literally--of thirst.

Photo: Wikipedia

3. Brasil
It just smells good (because it smells like coffee)! There are a few other coffee shops I frequent and one in particular that my husband is obsessed with (I'll let him tell you about it), but for me, Brasil is yummy and close (Remember, walkability is key to my happiness hotspots.). There's always a good crowd of people in there and sometimes live music, too. I got more reading done there this morning than I had in many nights before falling asleep. Coffee shops are just better places for me to read. 

Photo: Katrina Kelly

4. 19th Street in the Heights
If you read my blog with any regularity, which isn't much because my blog isn't very regular, you will know that I have a penchant for antiquing and old buildings. 19th Street has both. It is a place in Houston where you do not feel like you are in Houston at all. I can spend an entire afternoon walking in and out of all its little stores and cafes. There's even an animal shelter to visit.

Photo: Vintage Modern Quilts

5. Tiny Boxwood's/Indulge
As far as I know, they are not related, but you can walk to and fro. The ambiance of this restaurant is just as perfect as the food is delicious. And next door at Indulge, my "wanter" tends to turn on as all the home decor merchandise is, well, wantable! And I noticed the most beautiful birds there the other day that I really wanted, but I don't think our cat, Luci, would be the best companion for them. They were Blue-Capped Cordon Bleu finches.

Photo: Vintage Modern Quilts

6. River Oaks Theatre
This isn't the first time I've mentioned my preference for this architecturally significant theater. It's small [read: easy to get in and out of] and the movies are always good. Plus, you can enjoy a glass of wine while watching!

Photo: Jim Parsons

7. Eastside Farmers Market
Urban Harvest has a good thing going. I've blogged about it before as well. There's not a better place to get your produce for the week than a farmers' market. I wish I went every weekend, not just to buy fresh food, but to enjoy the healthy environment. Plus, now they have fun food trucks there, too!

Photo: Loop Hole

8. Brazos Bookstore
Today I finished reading Tina Fey's Bossypants. The book was a birthday gift, and I was glad to see the Brazos Bookstore bookmark tucked inside. Hands down it's Houston's best bookstore. I've seen a few readings by authors there, including one by a college friend, which of course was fun. Although I admittedly rely heavily on the Kindle app these days, whenever I need to buy a book or more often than that, want to peruse a bookstore, this is the go-to place.

Photo: Houston Chronicle, Karen Warren

9. Rice University and its jogging loop
The old oaks that make a canopy around Rice University provide a serene place to jog or walk. And gazing in at the school's architecture is always easy on the eyes. I especially enjoy seeing the light rail whiz by on the Med Center side. It gives me hope for that transit system I mentioned earlier.

Photo: Houston Under $25

10. Ecclesia/Xnihilo Gallery/Taft St. Coffee
This is a new one on my list to frequent. It's the church that we've been attending for the past few months. To describe it in one word: unique. In another: convenient, which is key for me on a Sunday morning as I am notoriously slow! Located in East Montrose (for now), this church/art gallery/coffee shop is diverse, creative and comfortable. Chad learned about it when he heard the pastor, Chris Seay, speak at TEDx Houston. It's definitely a city church. We're happy to have found it and that it found Houston.

Photo: Ecclesia

I'd love to hear from my readers about places that make them happy here in Houston. Please share in the comments section so that others may enjoy as well!

Fancying the Flea Market

A child watches the traffic on Elgin from inside the Urban Market.

Flea markets have been one of my favorite pastimes for some time now, at least all of my adult life. Chad sent me this New York Times article last weekend about the explosion of flea markets in New York City. I love this line: "In a city that thrums with opportunity and a veritable buffet of wonderful things to do--theaters! museums! parks!--flea markets have somehow emerged as many people's first choice of a way to spend the weekend." When I lived in New York, there weren't as many as there are now, but I visited the ones in Chelsea and on the Upper West Side as often as I could. I almost always found myself coming home with some thing that I didn't know I needed.

A dream of mine is to travel to London and take the Chunnel to Paris with the sole purpose of shopping all the flea markets. I walked down Portobello Road when I was in London once before, but unfortunately I wasn't there on a Saturday for the big market, so will have to go back. For now, my flea market passion is satiated with Houston's Urban Market and when I can swing it, Round Top, just an hour away. 

While technically an antiques market and not a flea market per se, the Urban Market is held three times a year. Last weekend, the weather could not have been more ideal for it. Now in its new location in Midtown, it truly is more of an "urban" market. Before it was in the grassy fields north of the Heights, which was fun, but probably a pain for the vendors in inclement weather. I wish we had a market that was every weekend though, or at least once a month.

Last weekend I was on the hunt for an old wine bottle, and as is usually the case when you have a goal in mind at these markets, I successfully found my treasure--an old Bordeaux wine bottle circa 1886. I learned that these old blown glass bottles are referred to as "carboys." My plan is to make mine into a lamp for the new room we are currently adding on to our house. (More on that in a later post.) 

My carboy, ca. 1886

There is a mini-farmers market also happening at Urban Market. A friend from my Houston Magazine days, Janice, of Words & Food, was offering a special "Urban Market Sandwich," which my mom and I split after tasting many samples of olive oil and balsamic at the booth next door. The sandwich was delicious with Janice's famous pimento cheese, plus turkey, bacon and cole slaw, if I remember correctly.

I ran into a lot of people whom I knew. Funny enough, almost every single one of them was in the real estate business. Must have something to do with our mutual interest in homes.

The next Urban Market will take place October 22-23. I have already marked my calendar and am looking forward to it. Maybe I will even see you there!

The Anthropologie in Real Estate

 This is a test.

Rorschach Card 1

It is intended to be like the Rorschach inkblot test. Remember that from Psych 101?

I am asking that you look at the following five spreads from the new Anthropologie catalog. You may look at each spread as long as you like. 

Print it,

rotate it, 

look at it however you wish!

What do you see?

What do you see?

What do you see?

What do you see?

 

What do you see?

Did you see what I saw? The paper doll cat dressed in Victorian clothes wearing a bonnet? (Because I love cats and old stuff, I cut this out of the real catalog and put it on my fridge!) Did you see the black-and-white spotted llama? Did you see the owl? The cat wearing a dog sweater?

I thought this catalog was so creative. But, I missed the clothes! I missed the boots on the sheep. I missed the Christmas ornaments hanging from the white parrot's beak. And I missed the feather-boa pillows under the Papillion.

I bring this up because Anthropologie is only trying to do what home sellers everywhere are trying to do: move product. If you can't see the product, it makes it quite a bit harder to sell.

Eliminating clutter is so important in getting a house ready to sell. If you are selling, remember that buyers are there to look at the house, not your wedding photos, your kid's honor roll ribbons or your rare collection of ostrich eggs. For a quicker sale, clean out 2/3 of your belongings. You will be amazed at the difference it will make!

To Stage or Not to Stage?

In December of last year, I earned my first designation: Certified Home Marketing Specialist (CHMS) created by Martha Webb. This designation means that I now have the tools of knowledge to stage a home and get it ready to sell. I am more prepared to advise sellers on how to de-clutter and de-personalize their homes. I can tell them about sight lines and the rule of three. The designation doesn't, however, make me a professional home stager with an inventory of furniture and props.

One of my listings, 6017 Riverview Way in Tanglewood, which is vacant, needed more than my designation to get it staged. My client called on Staged Right, and I think they did a great job making the home more appealing to the masses. Having been vacant for a while, it was lacking the warmth of home. Below are the Before and After shots. Truly transforming!

The Family Room before...

and after...

 

The Dining Room before...

and after...

 

The Master Bedroom before...

 and after...

One of the secondary Bedrooms before...

and after...

Last but not least, the Kitchen before...

 

 and after...

The difference is amazing both in pictures and in person. I invite anyone who has seen this listing before to come back and take a look at it again. With the furniture in place, and the palette neutralized, it is much easier to picture oneself living here. And that is the point of staging. Plus, it has just been reduced $25K!

6017 Riverview Way will be held open during John Daugherty, Realtors' annual Spring Celebration of Homes (March 7, 2-5PM), held simultaneously with the Azalea Trail, a home and garden tour put on by the River Oaks Garden Club when the azaleas in Houston are at their very best. Hope to see you then!

["After" photos by Jaron Hall]

Round Top Round Up

Last Friday, on my way from Houston to Austin, I made a detour through Round Top, Texas, a town with a population of 77 located smack dab in the middle of my points A and B. I didn't go for the pie at Royers, but for the antiquities which draw in the masses from all over the country during the area's bi-annual antiques fair.

While many people lean toward new home decor items that are crisp and clean, I tend toward those with a little history. Our house, to begin with, was built in 1920, which is about as old of a home you will find in this country. As a child, I always loved going to my grandmother's house and seeing all the things from the olden days, like the butter churn and wooden wall phone. Reminders of a simpler time, I guess.

I can effectively call myself an avid antiques market goer, having regularly visited them in the places I have lived, including the monthly Alameda Point Antiques and Collectibles Faire outside of San Francisco. (Best buys are just as the day breaks there. My friend Kirsten used to remind me to bring a flashlight!) In New York City, I loved to hit the West 25th Street Market, open every Saturday and Sunday. But Round Top takes antiques markets to a new level. However, I have never been to the markets in London or Paris, but hear they are the best. One day...

While it is fun to peruse the markets in a carefree manner, it's better to have in mind what you are looking for. This lets your eyes and mind work coherently, as these markets can be quite overwhelming. A few tips before you go: take measurements of the space you have to fill, bring a tape measure with you and don't forget your checkbook or wads of cash.

So, last Friday, I knew the general lay of the land, having been to Round Top once before for the fair and another time for the pie! But, on this day I only had two hours to kill before I was needed in Austin. Two hours is not nearly enough time to cover but a small fraction of the approximately 300 acres of tents and tables.

My goal was to find a container for an herb garden. I had watched this video on YouTube earlier in the week, so was looking for something that was 1. "pretty" and 2. had "good drainage." I happened upon a Hungarian baby bath early in my two hours. I wasn't convinced on the initial price I was quoted, so decided to move on down the road.

I spent most of my time at Marburger Farm looking inside the tents. I loved this circus tent, but knew I needed nothing from there.

The clock was ticking. I was beginning to kick myself for not having purchased it at the first place because I didn't want to back-track and be late. So, I narrowed in on the garden items, which are mostly kept just outside of the tents for a garden-like effect.

And then, lo and behold, at literally the last booth, 10 minutes past my departure time, I came across another Hungarian baby bath! But, uh-oh, the price was higher. I explained my situation to the dealer, my time crunch and the fact that there was an exact item up the road for less. As it turned out, that booth up the road happened to be his son's. He knew I wasn't making up the price, and he honored it. (He said he had just raised the price to compensate for the fact that they only had two left.)

So there she is, my Hungarian baby bath, formerly used in an orphanage or hospital to wash babies and now the future home of my herb garden. I will save my attempt at following Rita's how-to steps for a later post, but instead will put in a plug for one of my John Daugherty, Realtors colleague's listings. This farm in Round Top would be a serene second home for any flea market junkie. If interested, please feel free to contact me for more information.

Perhaps the simpler times are just an hour and a half outside of Houston.