Architectural detail love

I must say I do love architectural detail. If I'm driving and I spy a really ornate house I have to either stop the car to get a better look or I make note of the street for a future visit.

The other day I took a little walking tour of Winchester, it's not too far from where I live but oh so much more affluent.

This house caught my eye because of it's color and the beautiful detail at it's entrance.

Here's a closer look at the porch railing.. Love the colors.

And the trim is just magnificent. So elegant and historic looking.

This is called dental work I think and it adds some interest to the roof line.

I love a nice balcony.  This one is obviously more for show than function. Aren't those cool windows?

I've always wanted a home with turrets. It must be so beautiful on the inside too.  Maybe it has a curved window seat.

I'm into archways too. They add such grace to an entrance or porch. I would love to add some archways to my condo.

Oh yeah, another turret. Can you believe all these homes are within walking distance of each other?
What a neighborhood!

The front of the houses is pretty terrific too!

More lovely windows and cool architectural details. I like the color too.

Don't you adore stained glass windows? This home was obviously restored. I am glad they kept the stained glass windows.

As I walked around the neighborhood,  I was being watched! Can you see a little face in the window?

Ooh, more interesting mouldings and fab windows. What a joy to see so many gorgeous homes!

Again, my little kitty friend's home. Tudor style.

A rooftop deck and a solarium? Some people are so lucky, aren't they?

And lots going on here. Pillars, gables, color. I love it all.

A closeup of the entryway.

Interesting mini roof. Love the bay windows on the second floor too. Or do they call them bump outs?

Whatever they're called. They certainly caught my eye. My kitties would love sitting there looking out at the world below.

Gee we went from a Tudor style home a few photos back to a Spanish influence. That's what I love about New England, the older homes have variety and character. No cookie cutter homes in this neighborhood.

I don't even mind the pink color on this house. It kinds of suits it.

I know you wanted to see what the front looked like.

And this home reminds me of homes in Salem that are centuries old.

A chimney surrounding a stained glass window.  I am glad they didn't cover it up.

I love this porch, pretty detail and colors.

Same house but looking at the second floor. Cool scroll work, huh?

A bit of a chalet look to this one. I like the little window in the roof and the snow effect.

Here it is in close up.

This is one of my favorite houses.  Not wild about the color though.

This is one of the houses I would definitely stop the car to view.

Don't you love that cupola?

All the homes in the neighborhood were well kept.  As I walked around, I saw lots of houses getting some TLC.

I think this is one of my favorites as it reminds me of my beloved Gothic cottages in Martha's Vineyard.

It certainly looks like a gingerbread cottage.

Stained glass windows and scroll work, divine!

Here's the last home I viewed.  Love the architectural detail around the doorway. So pretty against the red door. This home was very old but well preserved

I hope you enjoyed your walking tour of Winchester.  Do you have a favorite home?

Linens and things

Wow, it's been so long since I attended an estate sale but recently, I received an email from the staff of one of my favorite antique stores.  They were hosting an estate sale in Malden. I marked my calendar, I wasn't going to miss it.

I love attending their estate sales since they are organixed and always well staffed.  I have been to estate sales that have been pure mayhem but Essex Street Antiques does a great job with crowd control.

I bought only linens at this sale.  The photo above is of an oval tablecloth I purchased. The embroidery is so delicate and beautiful.

I am thinking it will look lovely on my table this Summer. It would also be beautiful as the table covering for an afternoon tea event.

I like that it is not overly ornate, The embroidery is simple and I love the ecru backdrop.

The napkins have the simple embroidery too. Perfect! Maybe I will use the set for Easter.

Here's the second tablecloth I purchased. I was told it's from the 50's. I was drawn to this one at first because of the color.

It is a lovely pink color. The blooms are so pretty. It is the perfect tablecloth for Spring.

I like the splash of blue against the pink and the white border. It gives it a fresh look.

My final purchase came in this vintage box.  It was in pristine condition.

It looks like it was never used.  The tag states it was fine linen made in Portugal.

This set contains 4 placemats and napkins.  I absolutely adore the edges of the napkins. I love the elegant look of this set.

As I paid for my purchases, one of the staffers said I had good taste. Or maybe just a good eye!

What the appraiser saw

An appraiser came out to do an evaluation of my condo today. I am trying to refinance my mortgage to a lower rate. It all depends on the value. If the value comes in high enough I'll save more than $150  a month. with the new loan.

He was almost clinical in his approach. "I'm going to walk around and do a sketch of the property and then take some notes" he said. He also took some photos and asked a few questions like when was the unit renovated and are there any major projects coming up?

What he thinks is valuable is not what I value the most. Like the souvenir from a trip with my sister in Kennebunkport that sits on that bookcase or the poster on the wall from my friend Pauline.

He looked at the dining room which was a living room for the previous owner. I look at the room and see my grandmother's china cabinet and all the teacups I've collected over the years.

He snapped a shot of the bathroom.

He looked at the hallway and I pointed out a closet.

He looked around the kitchen and the ceramic tile floor.  He didn't notice the bistro set my parents bought me as a birthday gift a few years before my mother's stroke.

He made note of the granite countertops, the maple cabinets and stainless steel appliances.
He did not notice the tea towel, a gift frrom my friend Karen or the antique label I had framed that hangs over the sink.

He noted that there was a pantry and in unit laundry. He did not know the calamity of the washer/dryer installation.

Snapping the photo of the bedroom, he definitely did not notice the Rachel Ashwell comforter from Target. Or the bed that I've had for 17 years which was originally assembled by my friend Joanne's husband Roy. Joanne died in 2006.

I doubt he took a photo of these military chests, I bought the top one at an Estate Sale and the bottom one I found at the side of the road.

I don't even think he noticed the cats.  Molly was hiding under the nesting tables in the living room.

Percy was hiding behind the birdcage.  Oh Percy, we can see you! Percy does not like strangers in the house.

Oscar was hiding on a chair under the dining room table.

Later, Molly decided a cat nap was in order after all the excitement. She settled in on a chair in the living room which used to be a bedroom.

Percy was tired too and he sprawled on the cool hardwood floor in the dining room.

I sure hope the appraiser gives my condo a proper value to make the loan work.

I've only lived here 3 1/2 years but to me this condo is more than granite countertops and hardwood floors.  I don't really think I can put a value on it.

Not a lot to talk about

Since I had dinner at the lighthouse, I haven't done much of anything.  Certainly nothing of interest and especially nothing blogworthy.  I am making some plans and making some changes in my life. Nothing  I can divulge yet but I am excited about it.

I've been putting in long hours at work, it's been so busy. Not leaving much time for play.

Except for the occasional cappuccino with friends.