Hidden Gem on Nobility Hill

A few Sundays ago I went to an open house at this home at 26 Chestnut St, Stoneham. The home was for sale by the owners and I wanted to go in and introduce myself as a mortgage lender. I figured the owners would probably need a mortgage for their next home.

I had a nice conversation with one of the owners, the husband is an electrician and he had done most of the work on the house himself. He encouraged me to look around. I'm glad I did because it is spectacular! The asking price is $599,000.

I asked the owner if I could take photos of his home and then blog about it.  It wouldbe a treat for my blog readers and it would help spread the word about this beautiful home for sale.  The next time I toured the home I met the wife and daughter.  The wife has exquisite taste and the home is decorated beautifully. I think I have a similar decorating style. In fact, I asked  the couple to call me before they sell any furniture or home items because I am definitely interested.

The home was built in 1902 in a section of Stoneham called Nobility Hill. The original owner was a lawyer and the home has had only three owners!

When you enter the home you will see a lovely foyer complete with a stained glass window and window seats that offer storage.

A view of the window seats. I've always wanted a window seat in my condo and it would be wonderful to have that amount of storage.

 

A different view of the foyer. I want that table!

Looking to the right of the entrance you will see pocket doors leading to the living room.

It is actually two rooms, one could be a music room and the other the living room.

 

This is the view of the kitchen from the dining room. Don't you love those french doors?

 

The kitchen is phenomenal. The island was built by the homeowner.

 

Another view of the kitchen.  I think this would be the biggest selling point of the house.

 

I love white cabinets in the kitchen. The stainless appliances were gleaming. I like the shiny finish.

 

Here's the view from the back door, check out the little white stove. It is staying with the home.

A half bath off the kitchen. It is so cute! There are plenty of bathrooms in this home.

 

I couldn't stop photographing this gorgeous kitchen!

 

Shall we head to the dining room? I like the rich color on the walls, very regal.

The chandelier is spectacular and so is the fireplace in the wall. It's a great room for entertaining.

A closer look at the fireplace. This room is cozy. I can see a lot of family parties in this room.

There was a charming little alcove off the dining room and it was made into an office. The purple is a perfect color choice in this small space.

Let's go upstairs, there's lots more to see. Look at the stained glass window.  It has been restored as has the window jam. As you can see, everything is in tip top shape.

We'll go this way towards the guest bedroom and the master bedroom.

 

Pretty window in the guest room.

 

 

Lovely mouldings around each door.

 

 

The master bedroom was sophisticated but warm.

 

 

This room has a fireplace too.

 

 

A view from the hallway.

Here's the piece de resistance. When I first walked by this room, I thought it was a bedroom and I was sure that the tub was a bed!

What a spectacular vanity! Look at all the storage. The floor is pretty special too.

 

Nice window treatments in here and throughout the home.

 

And here's the bath tub I mistook for a bed. Isn't it amazing? Wouldn't it be nice to take a nice long bubble bath here after a hard day at work?

 

The ceiling is navy blue and it looks great. I would never think of painting the ceiling a dark color but it really adds a designer touch to the shower.

 

 

I took this with my wide angle so I could capture the whole room.

 

 

Tell me that bathtub doesn't look like a bed! The wood accents add a high end touch.

Gleaming hardwood floors look fantastic in the hallway and throughout the house.

More of the details on the mouldings and doors.  It's a nice warm color.

The owner's 9 year old daughter showed the house to me and she said this was her mother's room. I dubbed it the "woman cave".

And this very exotic room is the daughter's bedroom.  The bureau was rescued from the side of the road and repainted.

The attic is partially finished. Just one room for now.  There is much more space for expansion up there.

The deck was surprisingly large and surrounded by trees. Another great spot for entertaining.

The trees were in full color when I snapped this photo. With a view like this, you don't need to take a trip to see great foliage.

One more view of the deck.  You can see how spacious it is.  It is right off the kitchen.

I didn't go down to the basement but I am sure it was nice as far as basements go.  I hope you enjoyed your house tour and if you knowof  anyone who may be interested in purchasing this house, please email me at chatelaine08@gmail.com.

Pottery Barn

I've been looking for a dresser for my bedroom for ages. I liked a few from Pottery Barn.  The Hudson Tallboy Dresser in the photo above was priced at $1,299. I was looking for a simple look and the piece needed to be in a darker wood.

I also liked this dresser from Pottery Barn. The model is Ashby and it was priced at $1,099. I liked this one better than the first one.  The size was more to my liking but it was more than I wanted to pay.

Recently, I went to an estate sale in Reading, Massachusetts and I spied this beauty in one of the second floor bedrooms. I didn't have a tape measure with me but the dresser looked like it would fit in the small corner of my bedroom.

The estate sale was packed and the house was filled with lots of people and treasures. After, I saw the dresser I bolted down the stairs to find someone to tell me the price. It was $200. I was thrilled and I paid cash for it.  It cost me another $70 for delivery but I was fine with that.

I love these two little drawers on the top of it.  I don't know what I will put in them but they sure are cute.

Here's a side view.  I really like the color and the style of the piece. And I like it better than the dressers at Pottery Barn. I had an antiques guy do a small repair to the back of it and he told me it is a great piece and probably from the 1840's.

I pulled this lamp out of my closet. I just started decorating for Fall. I got the lamp a few years ago from Victorian Trading Company. I actually think it is too small for the dresser but I am not done accessorizing the dresser. 

I think this lamp is adorable. Momma squirrel and babies on the base and an acorn lamp shade. It gives off a nice amber glow and it's a nice addition to my fall decor.

I went away to Kennebunkport, Maine last weekend.  Will do a post about it soon.

FOUND - A real Find

I had the day off from work today and after I had breakfast with my Sister, we parted ways and I headed to Somerville. First stop, the Goodwill store and then to an upscale consignment shop called Found.

I really liked the jackets and coats for sale. In a variety of fabrics and textures, there were some very high end designer clothes and others at a more reasonable price point. All of them lovingly cared for and beautifully displayed.

When I first enter a shop, I need to see something that intrigues me. Otherwise, I am not spending time in the store. I also like to be acknowledged right away. Found scored big on both points.

Eric, who was standing behind the counter, greeted me right away even though he had a customer at the register. I appreciate it when someone on staff recognizes me as a customer.

This man obviously found something that intrigued him too. His girlfriend had this equestrian hat on first then he decided to give it a try. They were having fun looking at all the fashions at Found.

A dress form is wrapped up with belts. Many of them were works of art. I would love to wear one of these but I think they look best on thinner people. Maybe if I continue to lose weight on Weoight Watchers I can reward myself with one of these beauties.

There were many lovely feminine blouses to look at.  I love this one.

Oh yeah, there's a men's section too.  A large selection of clothing for the fashionable male.

Previously, I mentioned the merchandising of the store.  Look at this cool spool used to display cuff bracelets.  Fun!!

Here's a view from the front of the store. Just look at that chandelier.  Spectacular, isn't it?

Eric told me this trolley was going to be thrown out and melted down but the store owners salvaged it. A rescue of sorts, don' t you think? I love the yellow wheels and the industrial chic decor in the store.

I really liked ths jacket, it definitely belonged in a high end boutique and perhaps it was in it's past life.

More jewelry presented beautifully.

Remember the wow chandelier? Take a closer look, it's made from eyeglass lenses!

Here's the checkout counter. I'm not sure what it's made of but it looked aluminum. The colors of the walls were very warm.

Here are the belts in detail. Aren't they fantastic? I love a chunky belt.

Here's another intruging display. Eric explained to me that this bike was formerly in a high end store window.The owners of Found found it at an auction.

These boots aren't my style but they sure are cute. I can see someone wearing them with skinny jeans.

I had a great time at Found and I appreciated Eric giving me free reign to photograph anything that struck my fancy.  If you are visting Somerville, check out Found at 255 Elm Street in Davis Square. I'm sure it will intrigue you too.

Special Reasons For Loving

I am linking to the Inspired Room's 20 ways to love Fall party.  All of us who love Fall are listing our own special reasons for loving the season.

Here are mine:

1.   afternoons spent photographing the fabulous New England foliage
2.   the smell of wood stoves burning
3.   hot spiced apple cider
4.   the sound of leaves crunching underneath my feet
5.   apple and cinnamon scented candles
6.   seeing pumpkins on everyone's doorstep
7.   bringing out the cashmere sweaters
8.   pumpkin spice lattes
9.   corduroy jackets in Fall colors
10. caramel apples
11. cool crisp air
12. using browns, golds, and burgundies in my Fall decor
13. cozy scarves
14. plush throws
15. my annual Harvest dinner
16. warm apple crisp
17. driving up North to see the foliage
18. lit fireplaces
19. hot chocolate
20. flannel sheets and down comforters

I wish I could give a photo credit for the photo above but I don;t know who took it. I saved the photo  on my computer a while ago and there wasn't a credit attached.

An Autumn Walk in the Neighborhood

Today's weather was damp and raw. In the morning, I went to a yard sale in Winchester and an outdoor farmer's market. Too bad it wasn't nice out, it would have been a little more enjoyable. In the afternoon, I decided to take a walk around my neighborhood.

I could see that Autumn had arrived. Right outside my back door there was a smattering of colorful leaves on the ground.  I thought it was a little early in the season for such brilliant color but then I realized it is almost October! It seems like just yesterday I was standing by the lighthouse in Maine but it was nearly a month ago.

My upstairs neighbor put a new autumnal plant outside the front door of our condominium.

The neighbors next door but the requisite pumpkins on the back stairway. Their hydrangea bush has turned a beautiful mauve color.

Even the flowers/weeds growing by the street looked pretty under a cloudy sky.

I walked down the street and spied a magnificient rose in someone's yard. The color caught my eye and I walked right across their lawn to get a better look. Luckily, they weren't home.

The rose was such a lovely shade I just had to snap a photo of it. Look, it has a companion.

My favorite trees have multi color leaves. The colors look so much nicer when the reds and oranges have a green backdrop.

I can't wait for all the trees to turn. I haven't seen many yellows yet.

Just one more leafy shot for the day. I should have taken some of the fallen leaves home to press. Did you press leaves as a child? Or jump in the piles of leaves your father had just raked?

Many of the homes in the neighborhood had a mum plant and a pumpkin on the front steps, but, this one had to be my favorite. The homeowners definitely gave their display more thought. I like the cornstalks framing the doorway and the use of color.  Very pretty!

 My last stop and I found another rosebush in a neighbor's yard. These look more like Summer roses to me.  I guess Autumn hasn't totally arrived yet. Some of us are still hanging on to Summer.