In early 2008 Michael and I were thinking of moving back to the East Coast from California, as part of the decision making process I started looking at houses for sale in the areas we wanted to move to, one of which was the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania. I don't remember if the house we ended up with was for sale at the time, but it was this kind of house (and the prices compared to CA) that sold me on moving to this area.
We first came to see this house in late January 2009. It wasn't actively on the market at the time, but it had been over the summer when we were getting started on our house hunt, well mentally started. We had only moved back to PA in July 2008. Our agent spoke to the owner and he was still interested in selling so we came to see it. It was the third house we saw that day, out of I think nine, but I am pretty sure it was one of my favorites from the start. We came back to see it again a week later, still loved it and by the end of the month (February) we had put in an offer! On April 30, 2009 we signed the papers and the house was ours!
Somewhere in the in that time through some random googling I was doing to try to figure out how we could lay out furniture in the living room (one of Michael's major reservations on the house) I came across an ad for The Verona by Honor Bilt that was sold in the 1923 Sears Catalog. The layout was nearly identical to the house, and the house was built in 1924. We asked the current owners and they confirmed that it is a kit house.
Ironically I had been adamant that I didn't want a "cookie-cutter" house. What could be more cookie cutter than a house bought from a catalog?
Though I didn't need more confirmation while doing some work on the house shortly after we closed I found the following label on the back of a piece of baseboard:
Before and After Tour
(as of April 2013, before images are from when we toured the house before we bought)
Office
Before
After
Source List: Desk, chair, storage units, shelves - Ikea, carpet tiles - Flor
To Do: Art on the walls
Living Room
Before
After
Source List: Couches - Crate and Barrel, White chair and ottoman, bookshelf - ikea, TV Unit and sofa table - local furniture store, Lamps - ikea and home goods, Rug - amy butler, ikat ottoman - west elm
To Do:
Entry
Before
After
Source List: console - ballard, stools - ikea, carpet tiles - Flor
To Do:
Dining Room
Before
After
Source List: rug - shades of light
To Do: new table and chairs
Kitchen
Before
After
Source List:
To Do: new rug, new light, paint cabinets, paint island, new counters, new backsplash
Nook
Before
After
Source List:
To Do: everything
Half Bath
Before
After
Source List:
To Do:
Upstairs Hall
Before
After
Source List:
To Do: New light, refresh railing
Bedroom 1
Before
After
Source List:
To Do: furniture, new light
Bedroom 2
Before
After
Source List: nightstand - ikea, light - shades of light
To Do: furniture
Bedroom 3
Before
After
Source List: rug - one king's lane
To Do:
Master Bedroom
Before
After
Source List: bed - west elm, bedding - west elm, my nightstand and lamp - home goods
To Do: new dresser for me, new nightstand and lamp for Mike, paint my nightstand
Full Bathroom
Before
After
Source List: shower curtain - target
To Do: re tile floor
Front of house
Before
After
Source List:
To Do:
Links To Annual House Tours
2009 Tour
2010 Tour
2011 Tour
2012 Tour
All house posts
