Welcome To My New (Imaginary) Home

Oh – hi! I thought I heard the front door. Come on in.

You must be a friend of Julia’s, over at HOOKED ON HOUSES. She said you might be stopping by.

Welcome to the north-west part of Glendale, California, a neighborhood filled with a mixture of grand 1920s and 1930s Spanish Colonials and Tudors, as well as smaller bungalows and homes built in the 40’s and later. Luckily, many have been preserved to retain their original architectural details.

One example is my new home. (The home exists. But the fantasy that it’s mine is completely in my imagination.) The former owners still haven’t moved their furniture out. In fact, I was hoping you might be them! They’re fine with us showing the house as it is. They’ll be moving out soon and I can not wait to start decorating.

I absolutely love this house. It’s a 1930 Spanish Revival, and this exterior is so romantic and beautiful, with the balcony and the huge arched window. It’s the essence of California to me. This is the kind of home I’ve wanted for years, and now it’s actually mine! (In my dreams.)

Sorry – listen to me going on and on. Come in, come in. Here’s the entry, with the stairs to the second floor. I love the wrought iron railing. I can’t wait to have a party and make a grand entrance down those stairs. Check out the authentic floor tile. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?

Do you want some water? Is Pellegrino okay or do you prefer spring water? I have both. Come on into the kitchen. As you can see, they completely renovated and updated in here, but they kept the feeling and character of the period. I wasn’t sure about the green cabinets at first, but they’re growing on me. And the Marmoleum floors are a bit bold for my taste, but it’s all done so well I don’t think I’ll change a thing.

I absolutely LOVE breakfast nooks, don’t you? Look at all the light that comes in through these windows. I can’t wait to sit here, reading the morning paper, drinking my coffee, coming up with new ideas for articles, maybe even that second book my (imaginary) publisher keeps bugging me about. I’ll probably get a round table for here, don’t you think? And leave the windows uncovered to let all that fabulous California light in.

Let’s go into the living room – we’ll pass the dining room on the way. I can’t wait to get a huge carved dark wood Spanish Colonial table in here, and some chairs, maybe the ones with red leather seats. And I’ll probably change that chandelier. I’d love to see something a bit more rustic up there, or maybe a very Spanish looking round iron one. It’s going to be so much fun decorating this place (in my imagination.)

Anyway, here’s the living room, with that amazing arched window. I’m going to repaint in here, though – I’m not big on the red walls. I like pale walls, maybe ivory or a warm white. I think it really pops the dark furniture. Can you see the dark wood beams up there? Such a classic architectural detail for this style of house.

Isn’t the fireplace great?

And these original sconces on each side of the fireplace? This was Hollywood at its best – so romantic and full of fantasy. I think we all need a little fantasy in our lives, no? This is the type of house that inspires my imagination.

Come on – you have to see the backyard. It’s sooooo pretty. I do not have any talent for gardening, but this space back here is a great motivator to learn.

And what about this pergola?

What a pretty spot to sit and have a meal with good friends. That’s the best part about living in California, being outside practically all year. When I’m not away on my (imaginary) book tour, that is. And I can’t wait to jump into that inviting pool.

The bathroom? Sure. Use the yellow one, right upstairs. While you’re in there take a look at the original built-ins. Such character.

Well, thanks so much for stopping by. I should be getting back to the computer now. I’ve got to work on that (imaginary) new chapter for my (imaginary) book. It’s a struggle not to get too distracted dreaming about all the random acts of home decor I’ll be performing in my new (imaginary) house.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this tour. I found this house through a local realtor, Gerri Cragnotti, who specializes in these types of older character homes. She’s got a great website it you want to look at other amazing houses, or if you want more detailed info about this particular house.

Have fun seeing all the other houses on Julia’s open house blog tour!