The happy bungalow has been under renovations. I imagine that if these walls could talk they would say that construction has never stopped here. This house is over 100 years old, a story and a half with more stories than we could ever have time to hear. Rumor has it that it was built in a neighboring small town, along a block of houses just like it, whose street was destined to be razed 60 years ago. A developer bought some land in Marion township, new lots subdivided off and platted for single family living. Instead of the new little ranches that others were designing, a bit of ingenuity brought a handful of older homes into the neighborhood and transplanted them on full basements, juxtaposed every other amid the perfectly proportioned patio homes and ramblers. I'll tell you that mine is the cutest on the block by far, having maintained its leaded glass windows and open front porch with hipped roofline and Crasftsman style pillars, its original character makes it stand out. From the street it has a classic sillouhette, though if you look a bit askance you will certainly see the modifications and seams. When it was first settled in, it was given a hefty addition to the backside, extra square footage that made it a unique footprint. And I've added on to it as well, a measly 250 square feet, though creatively opening it up and making it feel larger.
We'd never win ribbons in any architecture contests and we'll certainly never be invited to be in a Parade of Homes tour, but the renovations have improved on the good bones that we were blessed with, and we continue to put in the work to improve our home every day.
I say that and get to reflect on the sentiment of putting in the work. Because this home is more than the mix of materials and design. My kids will tell you that we make the home, the mix of us together as a family, converts it from being "just a house" into the haven that we love. They committed with me to making it that way as well, to dedicating themselves to the necessary and difficult tasks that need to be accomplished to call this place our own. Together we assigned rooms and redefined spaces, both inside and out, to have enough individuality and yet to be a whole. Read into it as much as you like because it is a figurative and a literal explanation for how we are living here. I could not be more proud of the exertions of myself and my family this year as we take these walls, this plat, this life and make it work for us as much as we are re-working it.
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