Hello sweet friends! With so many new people reading Whimsical Blue Living and several exciting home improvement projects over the past few months I wanted to share an updated tour of our little castle. Living in our home is an absolute dream come true! I’ve always loved this house. I would drive past it and marvel at the architecture and beauty, and I secretly wondered what it looked like on the inside. I never actually thought I’d see the inside of it, let alone live here! As fate would have it, we moved back to Ohio to be closer to our families right as the castle went to auction. We bought it for a fantastic price and have been busy fixing it up for the last few years. Restoring our historical home while raising three young kiddos is an adventure, and I’m so happy that you get to share the experience with us here at Whimsical Blue Living!
Family photo by M. Shaner Photography
I love all things vintage, whimsical, and blue. Using my creativity to add beauty to life has always been a passion of mine. Since I stay at home with our kids I am on a mission to renovate our house on a serious budget while respecting the original character and history of our castle. My husband and I love working on projects together and do much of the work ourselves along with the help of incredibly talented family and friends. We are so lucky to be living our dream come true!
Our home was built in 1927. The “roaring twenties” was a prosperous time and no expense was spared when building this home. The construction was solid and it was designed to last for generations. The front door is stunning! I do a happy dance every time I walk through the door! The copper gutters have a beautiful patina and the stone is gorgeous. We recently had the wood trim and stucco painted and I love how the new colors on the tudor style of the home compliments the stone walls.
The house sits on almost two acres and has a beautiful garden with a pergola in the backyard. The view of the river in the front is so peaceful. Someday I want to build a little dock and float down the river in a canoe. Until that day I’ll admire the splendid view!
The inside of the house is full of original details. The arched doorways, textured plaster walls, and stone floor are so unique! I’m on a mission to replace all of the modern light fixtures with sparkling vintage crystal chandeliers. I love the romance and beauty of the crystal and brass fixtures and I’m constantly on the lookout for vintage lighting at my favorite antique stores and on Craigslist.
The living room is one of my favorite rooms in the whole house. The ceiling beams are solid wood and the stone fireplace is massive! I found an old iron gate at an antique store and my incredibly talented father-in-law welded it into a screen for our fireplace. The metal stays cool to the touch and the kiddos can roast marshmallows through the slats!
The textured plaster walls and original leaded glass windows add so much charm to the home. There are four designs in the plaster around the fireplace windows and they are so pretty! A previous owner installed interior storm windows that can be added in the colder months to keep the house toasty and warm. I’m so grateful to the families that preserved the character of the home over the years!
The kitchen has been quite the project! For some incredible “before” pictures and an inspiring kitchen transformation read here and here. I love our sunny kitchen and am enjoying taking my time searching for the perfect vintage pieces for our future renovation!
The sweet little breakfast nook right off the kitchen works perfectly for our family meals. We turned the formal dining room into a play room since we have such young kids. We spend so much time in the play room and I can watch the kiddos playing while I’m working in the kitchen. I love the woodwork and gorgeous windows with a view of the river!
The house is full of so many interesting details that add to the castle feeling of the home. There is such a sense of history here and we are honored to be filling this beautiful home with so much love and life.
Thanks so much for taking a little tour of our castle today! Be sure to sign up for our newsletter to receive an email every Sunday with all the posts from the week. We have some exciting projects planned in the next few months that you don’t want to miss! Also, you can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for even more pictures of life in our little castle!
Have a beautiful day!
Sandy
I love your home! This is most certainly a forever home!
Thanks! It’s a dream come true to live here!