Highlight on Houston-Wichita St.

2309 Wichita St. 5 Bedrooms. 4 Full & 1 Half Bath. 2 Car Garage. Automatic gate. 4861 sq. ft.

Charlie Fondow purchased his home on Wichita St. in 1980 for $35,000.00. Even his realtor thought he was crazy. The home is located in the 3rd Ward of Houston, an area that in 1980 was rough to say the least. "When I would go out and mow the lawn, I would find syringes," Charlie says. Since then Charlie has been steadily working on restoring & then expanding his home. Swamplot recently posted that the home is on the market.

The Houston Press has written a couple of articles on the home. I drove by years ago & have always been incredibly curious what the house looks like inside. It's surprisingly ordinary, I'm a little disappointed. I was hoping for rooms more eccentric. I can only hope that the realtor had Charlie "make the house sellable" thus removing all unique & interesting items.

It's speculated that home will probably sell as a tear down because..."it's one of the most unique structures in town, but the list of people who, a) could afford the $300K price tag, and b) would want to live in a house that looks like Castle Grayskull, is probably pretty short." It reminds me more of the Adams Family house, or Pollyanna's neighbors house (the old man, the one she gave crystals too). What do you think?

Either way it WOULD be a shame to see it torn down. The house, even from the unfinished photos, seems to have so much potential. I'd love to have the chance to restore it to it's former, but larger, glory. I think the roof decks & the turrets, while not accurate with the original style of the house, are a great eclectic addition. To add to your house as you dream is surely exciting & rare.

The home on Wichita St. is on the market for $325,000.00. It is still in need of extensive restoration, but possibly nicer than a lot of homes in the neighborhood even in it's current state. The area has yet to see the boom that was predicted years ago, nevertheless the homes are structurally & aesthetically fantastic. I think the area will continue to steadily rise in value even in out current depression that no one will even call a recession. Check out the listing here.

xx,

Jamie

Friday Back When.

"To be successful, a color scheme must be a source of pleasure for you and your family and at the same time be suited to the room and its uses. Consider the physical aspects of the room-it's function, size, exposure, and lighting-in your plans."

" Since the walls constitute the largest area of color in a room, choose this color first. Quiet colors for large areas live best, and are not so quickly tiring as bolder hues. You can often use a grayed tone of your favorite color for walls, and perhaps for the floor covering too."

"The second color, or colors, can be a bit brighter. Large upholstered pieces, and often draperies fall into this category. The sharp colors that accent the others normally make up a small percentage of the total color in the room. Reserve them for pillows, lamps, pictures, and other decorative accessories."

{image & expert from The Practical Encyclopedia of Good Decorating and Home Improvement Volume 1 A-AME}

Friday Back When.

This is my NEW weekly feature that I am so excited about! Each Friday I'll feature design inspiration from the past! I love looking through old design books, they can be so funny. I'm sure we'll say the same things about today's books in 40 years. A lot of the styles in the images aren't THAT much different than what is being done today. I think it's amusing.

"The homemaker who has confidence and enjoys tracking down exactly the right furnishings may decide to do all the decorating herself. Professional decorators (commonly know as interior designers) can give expert guidance that can save time and money. They are familiar with many lines, know how to find what you want; they have learned by experience how to select the longest lasting furnishing, know where to economize and where, in the long run, it's better to pay a little more for greater satisfaction.

If you use a decorator, decide first how much you want him to do. Determine what kind of services he offers. Some offer consultation only; others will help you shop, and some will help with everything from planning to actual purchasing. You will need to itemize this information before you can arrive at any kind of budget."

{image & expert from The Practical Encyclopedia of Good Decorating and Home Improvement Volume 1 A-AME}