Leaving Michigan . . . .
It was a blustery summer day and finally all signs of city life were now behind us. I was at the wheel. Bruce seemed to be aimlessly flicking through his phone. Lush green trees and fields dotted with red barns, farmhouses and haystacks lay before me. This was pure Michigan at its best! We were headed due south for a welcome break in Florida and planned to make camp for the night in German Village, Columbus. We had promised ourselves a nice hotel and I was dreaming about the hot tub that awaited us. . .
Suddenly, the idyllic silence was broken. “I found it!” exclaimed Bruce excitedly. “It’s just been listed – it’s the house we’ve been looking for!” We had already decided that we would be moving to St. Louis MO but with a robust and competitive market we were planning on tackling the house search nightmare in future weeks. But Bruce was on fire! I glanced at images of the home on his iPad and agreed, it was the perfect place. We called our realtor and took a sharp turn to the west. Our relaxing evening turned into a long night drive. The next morning we toured this 1911 immaculately renovated home and fell in love. By the afternoon we had made an offer and the next day it was accepted, despite the fact there was a higher bidder!
Some things are meant to be. . . .
Following our St. Louis two-day foray, we proceeded on our Florida route. By mid-August — after the usual grueling paperwork and inspections — we became proud homeowners! Our home is in the St. Louis neighborhood of Benton Park, one of the oldest areas of the city. Many of the early settlers to the area were German immigrants. Skilled in the art of masonry, they swiftly erected homes and other structure (including large breweries) that were built to last. The beautiful architecture in Benton Park today is testament to this.
Here is a jaunty little video that tells the story and gives you a tour of the house and my new sunroom studio!
If you have a few minutes and want to see some more photos and descriptions, here you go!
Moving in. . .
Coffee break in the middle of the chaos!
The living room area. We love how the ground floor is one big open space. . .
I adore all the shelving and a chance to display favorite books and nick knacks from our travels over the years.
The dining area and kitchen follow
And it’s a nice big kitchen. . .
Bruce’s favorite part of the house. . .
The previous owners build a beautiful sunroom onto the back of the house that looks out onto a nice garden . . .
Welcome to my sunroom studio!
The kitchen has so much space it accommodates my art storage needs. Plus our clean well-lit basement helps.
The kitchen island also serves as a great work bench, especially for packing and shipping paintings.
Here is the portrait of our home that I just finished!
I hope you have enjoyed this little tour. If you are local, get in touch and set up a time to drop by. I’d love to see you. Meanwhile I am working on my new St. Louis series of paintings!
Ciao for now and Cheers!
