Introduction

Two years ago Jezzy and I bought a house.

It was the first house we saw. Everyone said, "Don't buy it! It's too small! It's not a good investment! You should never buy the first house you look at! Etc." Well, I've never really been one to care about what other people think. So we went with our gut instinct and plunked down a deposit.

It was everything I've ever wanted a house to be. A corner lot on a hill, with tons of light, a wraparound porch, great vibes and lots of possiblities. The house was built in 1912 and had a few hideous renovations in the 70s including a teeny miniscule tub. The previous owners had decorated it with gold iHop light fixtures, tacky wallpaper and other ugly accoutrements. The teenage girl who lived in the attic had painted Pink Floyd lyrics all over the walls and a picture of Donovan on the window frame. Gah. But it didn't deter us from purchasing it.

Thankfully, we got it fairly cheap considering the market values around here, as we're close to the train station and about 12 blocks from Long Island Sound. It seems the deterrent for other buyers was that it was small, and the house itself is built on a giant rock mound. Two of the big rocks are quite visible in the backyard, though I personally find them rather endearing.

About a year and a half ago, we decided to undergo a serious house renovation, essentially demolishing every floor until it was just a shell and it looked like a Cathedral from the porch step.

Okay, originally our plan was to just do the 2nd floor bathroom and the kitchen, and then all hell broke loose after the contractor tore down the first plaster wall. So as usual, we went with the flow and just did what seemed right, which was to replace every floor, wall, and electrical unit in the entire house from basement to attic. It took 9 months of hellish torture living at my office, but the end results are definitely worth it and now everything is level and up to code.

Our contractor Charlie had some interesting ideas about decoration. "How about pink and black marble tiles?" and "You need an etched glass door with swans, and we should stain all of your mouldings in mahogany." Needless to say, though he's an excellent contractor, he's not a designer. He wasn't understanding my desire to make everything white. So it took some convincing to explain to him that "Dutch Colonial" houses don't really use gold or etched glass.

Ultimately we had the last word, and though we were limited with our budget, we got almost everything we wanted from the brand of flooring, to the new windows,
and everything turned out all right.

Except for the rotting detached garage, which will have to wait until I win the lottery.

On the following pages you will find my photojournalistic essay on the final renovations and decorating style of Casa de Love.

Enjoy your visit!

Bobby the demolition guy and Charlie the contractor
standing in what we affectionately referred to as
"The Money Pit"