A new chapter of my life is beginning. After a long hard winter, spring has arrived. In the form of not only flowers, and leaves on trees, but a new home and a return to my job as an Architectural Intern at Ware Bonsall Architects. It will be hard to leave my nanny job with Devin, but as he and I have discussed, Miss Nicole went to school for 6 (often grueling) years for something quite different - a career about which she is fiercely passionate.
I have looked at four different properties on the very short Kirkwood Avenue in Dilworth. Saturday I got a call from a realtor that was having an open house at one of her rental properties, a 1930's duplex in Dilworth, on the very street I have been eyeing for the past year or so. Would I like to stop by? Of course! I had been trying to find a place with a roommate but he hadn't been in touch with me, so why not check out this option.
I walked in the door and immediately it felt like home. Actually, I didn't even make it in the door. Just walking up to it, I could already see myself sitting on its front porch with morning coffee or a glass of wine in the evenings, greeting neighbors as they walked by. I walked into the bright living room, could see my furniture there, and not crammed in either, it's quite spacious. The dining room is pretty large - I already look forward to its dinner parties, something I've wanted to do on a weekly basis ever since I first thought about moving to this part of town, over a year ago. I'm hoping that it will be known that Sunday evenings are for dinner at Nicole's house. Haven't decided if it will be an open invitation or cycling through a guest list that I already have in mind. Either way, it will be wonderful. Also downstairs is a kitchen of decent size, a half-bathroom, and a laundry room that opens to the back yard. Traveling upstairs, I could not resist the bright large master bedroom. I was sold. It isn't east-facing, but there are 4 windows in the room, two on the south wall and two on the west wall (front of the house). I cannot wait to wake up in this room every day.
The other two bedrooms are upstairs as well. Although both are tiny, they have good light and one is large enough to be rented out to a roommate in the future. The other will be my studio. The floor slopes considerably there, but I'm going to remain optimistic and hopeful that it won't be going any further. I consider myself to be pretty talented at making the most of small spaces, so I'm actually looking forward to solving the problems these two rooms, and the tiny bathroom present.
After the open house I rushed home to figure out how I could afford the initial move-in cost and after a phone call to mom, was back on the phone with the landlord informing her that I was on my way to fill out the application and write her a check for the first month's rent and security deposit. She gave me access to the lockbox and essentially, the place is mine as soon as I want it. I can start measuring, bringing things over, etc. The lease will officially start April 1st though and I plan to have a big move-in weekend. Mom is coming down from Cary to help.
The blogs I've been hunting through recently as well as the images that have best captured my attention surprisingly have not been very modern minded. I'm looking forward to decorating this home with my eclectic style, introducing family heirlooms to its walls and floors, juxtaposing them with some modern touches as well. Some of these pieces I have never had in my home before. Aunt Bess offered me the corner cupboard my Great-Great Grandfather made, I will pick up Nana's cherry dresser and matching highboy for use in my room, possibly one of the cherry twin beds for my guest room. My Great Grandmother's sewing machine will fit nicely as well. Perhaps as a vanity in my room, or as a table in the living room.
The phrase "open floorplan" does not apply to this house at all, but I kind of like that all the spaces are separated, and that there are so many different spaces. In my apartment at Oak Pointe, I had a living room, office, dining room, and kitchen all in the same space. The layout of my new home gives room for things to breathe, rather than being crammed atop one another. The dining room is free to be just that, a dining room, not an office/studio as well. The books will find their way onto shelves around the home and once again, I will not have a desk in my bedroom - something I enjoyed about the Oak Pointe apartment.
The new home is not without its anxieties though - it's an 80 year old house, so it has some issues. The worst is probably the laundry room - it smells like there could be some serious mold in there from a water problem. Everything else seems manageable - just settling and sagging as old homes do.
The other anxiety is that 6 days after filling out the application and writing checks for the first month's rent and security deposit, I still have not received the lease. At least the money is still in the bank though. I know, patience, patience, but I really just want to get everything squared away. I have access to the house via knowing the code to its lockbox and can make a copy of the key at any time, but I'm hesitant to buy anything for the house or move anything in until that lease is signed.
Already I have lots of people that want to see the place, and I really do look forward to some large family-style dinners there :) One big event will be Heather's baby shower May 7th. We're having the guys come too, so I'm thinking it will be more like a cookout than anything. Another event will be having my family over the weekend of May 20th. Aunt Sara and my cousin Jim will be in town, so I want to have everyone come over. At some point, probably in April, there will be a housewarming/retirement party. Retirement from my short career as a nanny. I'll still do it on the side, but I am so relieved to finally be going back to work in the field for which I endured 6 years of education.
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