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The House My Parents Downsized To

I don’t usually write these House Crashing posts, but this home in particular is very special to me. Well, at least it will be over time – it’s my parents’ new house here in Richmond. Since we literally crashed their pad for a few days post-Hurricane Irene (when our house had no power) and have spent many an evening hanging out over there, we figured it was high time we snapped some pics to share with you guys.

Parents Exterior

That’s Dad and Mom right after moving day back in May (they’ve since painted the lavender door bright red). I’ve mentioned before how they sold their house of 32 years in Northern Virginia (aka, my childhood home) and relocated two hours south in Richmond to be closer to some of their kids/grandkids and downsize to an easier-to-maintain home (part of my mom’s retirement goals was to never have to mulch again). They landed in a beautiful new-ish community of duplexes about 15 minutes from our place and, despite it being smidge smaller, in many ways it feels quite grand in comparison to their previous digs. Just take their half bath as an example.

Parents Bathroom From Hall

A lot of the design of the house is courtesy of the previous owners (my parents have been there less than 4 months) and when house hunting, my parents feared their style was a bit too formal for their tastes (their last bathrooms were more of the bold paint variety, not the floral wallpaper type). But somewhere along the way they figured “I’m retired, so who says I can’t have an ornate gold mirror in my half bath?”

Parents Bathroom Mirror

We totally dig it. Maybe it’s partially just the pleasure of seeing my parents embrace a new style, but it’s also just fun to go into a house that takes risks or makes decisions you wouldn’t necessary think of for yourself. You know, it helps you stretch a little. And clearly my Mom is learning to love her new look, as she purchased this light fixture from Ballard Designs to replace what the previous owners had taken with them. She said she “never thought that she’d purchase something like this in a million years” but it’s really playful and goes perfectly in there.

Parents Bathroom Light Clos

Even at just four months in, my parents are making the place their own. For instance, the previous owners left them the great drapes and large ceiling medallion… but no chandelier. So my parents actually moved this slightly-too-large-for-the-space fixture from their breakfast nook into the dining room, where it’s much better suited. Three cheers for working with what you got.

Parents Dining Room

While they’ve definitely had to purchase some new furniture to better fit the space, they’re also have fun mixing in their existing pieces – like this awesome wicker chair scored at Pottery Barn a few years ago. The side table is a new on-sale find from Ballard Design. Sherry has said it’s her favorite thing in the whole house. It has little clawed feet clutching a ball on the bottom, and it is of course her favorite finish (ORB).

Parents Wicker Chair

That chair sits in the large open living room, which has great lofted ceilings, some sweet built-ins and a cozy electric fireplace.

Parents Living Room

Of course, the most popular conversation piece in their new home is this custom cabinet. Most of the houses in the development have a little builder-basic white closet here, but the previous owners went all out and had a piece designed using reclaimed wood and ironwork from Caravati’s (a local architectural salvage place).  The old owners used it as a liquor cabinet, but my non-drinking parents display frames & dinnerware on its top shelves (those top doors flip open and slide into the piece so they’re invisible) and store photo albums and games in the bottom drawers which are hidden behind the two doors on the bottom.

Parents Liquor Bar

The cabinet sits beside their kitchen, which has an awesome island in the middle (it houses the sink and dishwasher) as well as a killer pantry cabinet at the far right. Not to mention another pantry closet that’s not pictured (it’s on the far left beyond the magnet board on the wall).

Parents Kitchen Arch

We’re jealous of a lot of things in here – awesome black-but-still-subtly-flecky granite, extra-hight ceilings, stainless appliances, etc, etc. Good thing we get to come over for dinner regularly.

Parents Kitchen

Oh, and here’s that breakfast nook I mentioned that once housed the much-bigger dining room chandelier, which they replaced with a more modestly-sized one from Ballard Designs. And see those colorful chairs? They’re from Pier 1. My mom called us up and said “come see the chairs I got for the breakfast nook, they’re unlike anything I would ever have chosen even a year ago – I’m so in love with them.” It’s so fun to watch them have fun with new things for their new house.

Parents Kitchen Nook

Just beyond those big bright windows in the kitchen is their patio. It’s perfectly sized for them… and the fence is great for keeping the grandkids from running away! We’ve already broken in a plastic baby pool out there (Clara didn’t want to leave).

Parents Patio

The second story of the house features a large landing that acts as my dad’s office and a play area when grandkids are visiting, plus two guest bedrooms – including this one that we stayed in during the whole no-power-for-three-days-after-Huricane-Irene thing. It was already painted that warm color (wish we knew the name to share it, but my parents inherited already-painted walls in every room, so they don’t have a clue). Oh but the bed frame is from Ballard Design (my mom likes to wait for sales and use coupon codes).

Parents Guest Bedroom

We didn’t get pics of the other guest room (Clara was napping in it) or the main bedroom (that’s still sort of a work in progress) but maybe someday we’ll snap those for you to complete the tour when my parents have had a bit more time to settle in (they’re such good sports for letting us crash a house they’ve lived in for, oh, 380 fewer months than their last place).

Oh, and I can’t forget one of our favorite features of the house. This is a brick from our old house (removed during our first home’s kitchen doorway widening project) that we gave to them a few years ago. I can’t remember the exact occasion (maybe there wasn’t one) but they’ve had it out on their new doorstep since day 1.

Parents Brick

Oh, and in related news, we heard the new owners of my parents’ old home are having a great time there. They’re a family with young kids that are having a blast befriending other kids in the neighborhood, so it seems that the ol’ cul de sac is once again seeing some of the action it had back in the ’80s when my generation was there. Though I did hear that my sister’s old bedroom is now Baltimore Ravens purple. Wow.

Psst- Check out a ton of other House Crashing adventures here, or search through individual rooms for inspiration (by color or type of room) here.

Comments

  3. Suzanne Supplee says

    I love your house crashing posts. Must be the peep-tom in me. Not sure how to spell peeping-tom. Caps or what? I digress. Anyhow, I love your parents home, and those chairs from Pier One are fabulous! Thanks for sharing. Y’all are so lucky to have parents close by—for so many reasons!

    Reply

  8. Kristen @ Popcorn on the Stove says

    Okay, I LOVE that hall bathroom – gold mirror and all. Something about the pattern on the walls, the mirror, and that light work so well that it would be silly not to. I’m not sure I could do a whole room like that, but I love it in such a small space. And that custom cabinet is amazing! It makes the space so interesting.

    John, your parents have great taste in decor!

    Reply

    • Reenie says

      So do I!! I love that half bath….with the almost “gawdy” looking mirror and wallpaper to the light fixture. I wouldn’t change a thing.

      LOVE that built-in cabinet too….her new breakfast nook chairs. Love the front of the house too…but would love to see how it looks now with the red door.

      All of it is so cute and homey looking =)

  12. Sarah says

    Love that half bath wallpaper, and I’ve had my eye on Pottery Barn’s natural arm chair options for a good year now. Nice to see how one actually looks in someone’s home!

    Reply

  13. sarah says

    That color in the guest room is very much like the color on our office walls: Benjamin Moore Green Tea. It is such a cozy soft color, especially in a flat finish.

    Reply

  14. Manda says

    This is such a sweet Crash, to see how your parents are discovering new styles and really enjoying a new house in retirement. I know the feeling — my mom has recently been helping me with some of my DIY projects, even though my style has always been a little more eclectic than hers, and she’s really gotten into it.

    Reply

  15. JennyB says

    The house is terrific. And they’re so lucky that it came with so many cool features!

    Last fall, we bought a house on the street where my husband grew up. We’re 2 houses up from his parents (whom I ADORE) and the best thing of all is that our 2-year-old can see them all the time! I know Clara will love having her grandparents so close as well:)

    Reply

  18. tricia says

    i love this house!! your parents must be thrilled!! i love that your mom is getting so excited about buying chairs…no wonder her and Sherry get along so well…lol!! best of luck to them…i hope they have many happy years in their new home!

    Reply

  20. Martina says

    What a great house! The kitchen is fabulous and that custom cabinet seriously has me drooling!

    The brick is also so-so sweet; love that it has substance, sentimentality & that the message is hand written :)

    Reply

  22. Allyn says

    Holy cow,I LOVE that cabinet.
    Though we would probably turn it back to a liquor cabinet. Ha.
    Your mom seems to be just as addicted to Ballard as my sister is. I laugh at her all the time, but they really do have some great stuff.

    Reply

  23. Chrissie says

    That is a really beautiful home! That’s something I could see myself doing in, oh, 50 years time – moving in somewhere different and trying out a new style for a change!

    Reply

  24. Melissa @ HOUSEography says

    I’ve also noticed my mom’s style changing as they get older – more modern which is surprising. I guess I expected them to get more “grandma” but it’s not that way. They downsized to a townhouse in upstate NY but then got bored once my dad retired and bought a bigger house than where we grew up (crazy people!). The also have a place in Florida which I wrote about on my blog a few months ago – definitely not granny style! http://houseography.blogspot.com/2011/04/meet-parents-beach-condo.html

    Reply

    • Cait @ Hernando House says

      My mom is going more modern with their house, too. She jumped on the ORB trend a few years go, and recently she has been picking up a lot of West-Elm-ish furniture. So funny to see, but I love it.

  26. JacqueL says

    I love this house!! They have fabulous taste, and the things they’ve added definitely give it a unique kind of sophistication and charm! After checking out the guest room, I am guessing we may have that same paint color in our master bedroom. It’s called Military Tan from BM…definitely greenish undertones. We love it!

    Reply

  30. Victoria R says

    Frist of all, such a cute house. It looks loved and lived in, even though they haven’t been there long.

    But there’s one thing I’m dying to know. In the picture of the guest bedroom, behind the shelf/nightstand with the great storage, there is a tiny little door… I’m dying to know why! Does it link the two guest bedrooms? Is there attic access or storage or something?

    In my parent’s house, my brother and decided that we wanted a secret passage, so my dad cut a hole that linked our closets and put a little door there… That picture just reminded me of it.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yup, attic storage! You have a good eye. I wondered if anyone would notice that. Since they don’t go in there very often Kathy just put that shelf right in front of it.

      xo,
      s

    • threadbndr says

      My parent’s house has two of the under eaves “hobbit holes” like that. Good thing, since the attic is pretty inaccessable. There was one in the master, which was actually my bedroom growing up (the folks wanted a downstairs bedroom) that I “furnished” with rug scraps and a bean bag chair and “papered” with rock and roll posters – it was my own little hideout.

  32. angel p says

    That built-in cabinet is freaking amazing!!!!!!!!! I want one just like it. Where oh where could I do a built-in in my house?! :)

    Reply

  33. Jen Adair says

    As a HUGE Baltimore Ravens fan, I HIGHLY APPROVE of the color choice. It’s better than Redskin Maroon any day of the week!! :)

    Reply

  34. mary says

    Hi…Quick question. I recently bought the same (exact) cane rocking chair at a yard sale for $10! The cane is in perfect condition but there are quite a few deep scratchs on one arm. Thinking of using wood filler and priming and spray painting the entire thing white. It’s currently the same stain as your folks. Any thoughts?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I bet that could work! I would just read the directions on the wood filler can and follow those to the T. And use high quality spray paint (like the Rustoleum All-Surface Universal stuff). Good luck!

      xo,
      s

  35. Misty says

    I would never have chosen anything (wallpaper, mirror, light) in that 1/2 bath, but when I see it all together…I love it! Like, seriously love it. I’m trying to decide if I can pull of that look in my own house for cheap. (or if I even have the personality to pull off a look like that) I wish them many happy memories in their new (BEAUTIFUL) home.

    Reply

  37. mary says

    I must have grandma taste because I love everything about their pad and would take all of it in a heartbeat! Nice job on all the selections. Pier One is really outshining the competition as far as furniture goes. We just had a Home Decorators store open in Atlanta area–no comparison with Pier One.

    Reply

  42. Stephanie says

    Your parents’ new place is awesome!! I’m totally in love with the light fixture your mom got for the half bath.

    Not gonna lie though, wallpaper gives me heart palpitations. When my husband and I moved into our house, we tore down 5 rooms’ worth of HIDEOUS wallpaper. I had shooting pain from my pinky to my elbow for MONTHS after that. Once in a great while I’ll see a pattern I kinda-sorta like, but then I remember how AWFUL tearing it down is and it’s right back to heart palpitations and cold sweats. :-P

    Reply

    • Krystal says

      It was probably very old wallpaper with the brushed on glue. That stuff is a you-know-what to get down. I know because my parents used to pay me to do it for them due to their hating wallpaper removal so much. There is actually a new application technique that allows you to tear down the wallpaper in a full sheet with the glue included…nothing gets left on the wall! If I ever do wallpaper, I’d definitely go that route.

    • Stephanie says

      Thanks for the advice, Krystal!! Maybe one day I’ll get brave and try wallpaper on a small area. (Baby steps!)

      And yeah, our house was build in 1959 and there was only one layer of wallpaper in every room except the kitchen (which had many layers, and we eventually gave up and hired someone to put up drywall over the original walls!), so I’m sure most of it had been there for decades.

  45. Amy L. says

    Is the master on the main floor? Not asking for a floor plan, just wondering given it’s in a retirement community. Both of my in laws opt for houses with a master on the main and all of the guest space on the second floor.

    Reply

  46. Krystal says

    When I found out that Sherwin Williams was getting the NFL paint line, I begged and pleaded for a Jacksonville Teal bedroom…no slice. Those new home owners just earned awesome points in my book, despite their being Ravens fans.

    Reply

  47. heather says

    I can’t explain it, and I don’t often love gold things for housing – but I *looo-hhooovveee* the gold mirror in the bathroom. Really love it. Can’t help it. Just do.

    Reply

  49. ErinEvelyn says

    Mom & Dad Petersik’s attitude toward their new place is totally inspiring me to embrace some of the things about my own “new” house (a 1949 Colonial, in which we have resided for a whopping 3 months) that I immediately put on the gotta-change-that list. My immediate reaction was to tear out all things that are still in the former owners’ style. Instead, maybe I should see if I can bridge the gap between the remnants of their style and what I THINK mine is. It could be totally new and exciting! Cool ‘rents, John! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

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