On The Market

One of my "hobbies" (read: time-killing strategies) is browsing real estate listings. I typically restrain myself to areas that I have actually lived in, but not always. This morning, while looking through some listings near where I grew up, I came across a house that I had the opportunity to work on as a college intern. My "work" on the house was no more involved than spray painting some temporary window hardware so that the house could be presentable for a party the client was throwing. There was a backorder on some finials or holdbacks, so we made a quick fix for them by spray painting similar items from a discount store. We had to stuff the correct rods with newspaper and bind the finials to them with rubber bands, but the "fix" looked fairly good.

The house always stood out in my mind because it was unusual. Set on a small lot in the South Hills of Charleston, WV, the exterior would have been right at home as a townhouse in a large city. Three floors above grade, and a tall, symmetrical facade.

The main floor was home to the kitchen, formal dining, and perhaps some laundry and utility spaces. I remember thinking at the time that the owners must not be much for cooking, because the kitchen was small and ancient (though well-kept.) That space has obviously been renovated in the years since I was last in the house. I love the black and white stripes they've done in the room:

The second floor was home to a large formal living room that spanned the depth of the house, and if memory serves, the master suite. The third floor housed the family bedrooms. I was delighted to see that the drapes I helped install over a decade ago are still there, and while I notice a few changes in the room, the space is much as it was then, and still has a timeless Dorothy Draper-esque quality to it.

I presume the correct hardware is now holding up those red silk panels.