The one house I sold was in Santa Barbara before I moved to the PNW--It sold in a weekend--thank the deities--I couldn't have lived through the process much longer than that. (Not only the clean part, but the "stick the cat in the back of your car and drive around listening to a howling cat for an hour" part. You have my sincere sympathy.
That happened to us in DC. We had the most wonderful kitchen -- prep and storage space galore. The woman who bought it couldn't wait to tear it out! It felt like she was tearing my heart out. Plus we lost $$$ when we sold. Buy high, sell low was our real estate karma too often.
I recently discovered The Law According to Lidia Poet. Set in Italy in the 1880s, a vividly imagined version of a real person, the first woman lawyer in Italy. She solves mysteries! Assaults the patriarchy! Wears gorgeous gowns! Is sexy and funny! I’m obsessed. On Netflix.
Most complaints about "The Odyssey," the film, is that it is "Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey': A Film," not Homer's in style, tone or meaning, and should have been so entitled, like "Joe Smith: A Biography." Given how people, and I won't get into generations, are both classically ignorant and duped by (a)social media postings on FB, IG, TT and now AI - even you mentioned the 3000-year-old poem this film is not - they are likely to think this film is "The Odyssey"...by Homer Simpson. Oh, and you couldn't get me out of your pictured home, not even with the help of the 10th Mountain Division in full assault gear.
I once fell in love with a breathtaking kitchen in Architectural Digest, the comfortably settled owners had put in a lot of time and love and thought into it, it was utterly wonderful (IMO.)
They brought in handpainted tiles from Spain, and had beautiful cabinetwork and lots of light and that lovely tile and had plenty of work space and thoughtful flow to the design and had created a cozy, warm, and yet an open and spacious vibe, it was just gorgeous....
About five years later in Architectural Digest they showed that same house, with the new young gauche owners gutting and entirely ripping out the whole "old dated kitchen" (with its warmth and charm that encouraged lingering and cooking and enjoying the area,) and quickly --and probably expensively, not least of which were all the priceless previous materials they destroyed in the process-- turned it into one of the typical unimaginative soulless boxy white and grey laboratory type spaces (where nobody ever really wants to cook or hang out in,) with the glaring bright lighting and spare design that all the home shows are touting. (And it instantly cheapened and degraded the space... plus reminded me of my dermatologist's office.)
It made me ill just to see the article (the photos were so graphic it was actually traumatic. I can't imagine what those earlier owners thought.)
People who have more money than taste make me just want to scream. !!!
We have handpainted tile from Mexico and Spain in our kitchen and our bathrooms, and I love it, too. It makes me feel good just looking at it. And I imagine that if we sell our house one day that a new owner may tear out the tile as well. Hopefully I'll never have to see that!
I just read the orchid article about the unusual fanatic man which the New Yorker published again today….such a great piece. One thing that was missing is that the word orchid comes from the Greek word for testicle which is orchis…possibly you know that now! So, botanists and scholars have been having a lot of laughs…as few folks seem to know….
"When I lived in Oregon, I held garage sales now and then, spreading my junk on the front lawn and expecting suckers to pay a few cents for things I was too lazy to throw away. I was the worst garage sale host. I took each customer’s behavior personally and with a ton of boiling resentment. If someone picked up an item, gave it a raking glance, and then put it back down, I was outraged: If it was good enough for me, why wasn’t it good enough for them? How dare they reject my slightly discolored plastic mixing bowl! It was all I could do not to confront my customers and demand apologies." -- I laughed out loud when I read this. I've had similar feelings at the few Berkeley garage sales we've had. In the south, where I'm from, people are more likey to linger, chat and laugh at yard sales, and the rather detached inspections of our well-loved stuff left me a little homesick.
I love your house! MidCentury Modern is my jam. But selling - ugh. When my parents moved and the house was for sale, we’d get the call from the realtor. Sometimes we had very little notice, so we developed the “1HR” aka “One Hell of a Rush,” where we tidied the house in record time and decamped with the dog. We still use 1HR to mean a fast clean before company comes.
OMG that Revenge Belt is everything. An the 5000 Studs one, too. Ugh... house sales and showings. I had to renovate my late ex-husband's home after he passed so the kids would get more for it. So many shades of greige and boring to get it to market. Luckily the gay dudes that bought it undid nearly everything I had done and made it cool.
Stunning, stunning photo 🤩. May I ask why you’re leaving and where you’re headed (general vicinity, if it’s not too personal)? Last time I sold my house was 20 years ago and I remember it vividly, as one tends to when an experience is painful. I downsized to a townhouse that was big enough for the progeny who no longer live here (one never did, but could have) and that is more than I need, and which, as homes do, grew full of stuff despite my assiduous donations to charities. I feel your pain but it looks like you’ve nailed the staging piece, so: brava. Please keep us posted on your progress and know we’re rooting for you.
What a gorgeous house! Seriously, who could say anything bad about it! I feel like all the stuff I don't want anymore should be housed in a Museum of Jim, so people can come and see it. Reasonable admission prices.
I wish I could travel back in time and go to one of your yard sales.
LOL. I sold some pretty good junk
The one house I sold was in Santa Barbara before I moved to the PNW--It sold in a weekend--thank the deities--I couldn't have lived through the process much longer than that. (Not only the clean part, but the "stick the cat in the back of your car and drive around listening to a howling cat for an hour" part. You have my sincere sympathy.
If you're house hunting, group showings will lower your opinion of humanity.
"Honey, this kitchen could be nice if we tear out all this crap."
That happened to us in DC. We had the most wonderful kitchen -- prep and storage space galore. The woman who bought it couldn't wait to tear it out! It felt like she was tearing my heart out. Plus we lost $$$ when we sold. Buy high, sell low was our real estate karma too often.
Painful!!!!!
I recently discovered The Law According to Lidia Poet. Set in Italy in the 1880s, a vividly imagined version of a real person, the first woman lawyer in Italy. She solves mysteries! Assaults the patriarchy! Wears gorgeous gowns! Is sexy and funny! I’m obsessed. On Netflix.
Ooo! Have to try this one...
Most complaints about "The Odyssey," the film, is that it is "Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey': A Film," not Homer's in style, tone or meaning, and should have been so entitled, like "Joe Smith: A Biography." Given how people, and I won't get into generations, are both classically ignorant and duped by (a)social media postings on FB, IG, TT and now AI - even you mentioned the 3000-year-old poem this film is not - they are likely to think this film is "The Odyssey"...by Homer Simpson. Oh, and you couldn't get me out of your pictured home, not even with the help of the 10th Mountain Division in full assault gear.
I once fell in love with a breathtaking kitchen in Architectural Digest, the comfortably settled owners had put in a lot of time and love and thought into it, it was utterly wonderful (IMO.)
They brought in handpainted tiles from Spain, and had beautiful cabinetwork and lots of light and that lovely tile and had plenty of work space and thoughtful flow to the design and had created a cozy, warm, and yet an open and spacious vibe, it was just gorgeous....
About five years later in Architectural Digest they showed that same house, with the new young gauche owners gutting and entirely ripping out the whole "old dated kitchen" (with its warmth and charm that encouraged lingering and cooking and enjoying the area,) and quickly --and probably expensively, not least of which were all the priceless previous materials they destroyed in the process-- turned it into one of the typical unimaginative soulless boxy white and grey laboratory type spaces (where nobody ever really wants to cook or hang out in,) with the glaring bright lighting and spare design that all the home shows are touting. (And it instantly cheapened and degraded the space... plus reminded me of my dermatologist's office.)
It made me ill just to see the article (the photos were so graphic it was actually traumatic. I can't imagine what those earlier owners thought.)
People who have more money than taste make me just want to scream. !!!
We have handpainted tile from Mexico and Spain in our kitchen and our bathrooms, and I love it, too. It makes me feel good just looking at it. And I imagine that if we sell our house one day that a new owner may tear out the tile as well. Hopefully I'll never have to see that!
That Revenge Belt is a lot of attitude!
I have a friend who watched all of the nest footage of potential buyers walking, and talking about her house. It was crazy.
I just read the orchid article about the unusual fanatic man which the New Yorker published again today….such a great piece. One thing that was missing is that the word orchid comes from the Greek word for testicle which is orchis…possibly you know that now! So, botanists and scholars have been having a lot of laughs…as few folks seem to know….
"When I lived in Oregon, I held garage sales now and then, spreading my junk on the front lawn and expecting suckers to pay a few cents for things I was too lazy to throw away. I was the worst garage sale host. I took each customer’s behavior personally and with a ton of boiling resentment. If someone picked up an item, gave it a raking glance, and then put it back down, I was outraged: If it was good enough for me, why wasn’t it good enough for them? How dare they reject my slightly discolored plastic mixing bowl! It was all I could do not to confront my customers and demand apologies." -- I laughed out loud when I read this. I've had similar feelings at the few Berkeley garage sales we've had. In the south, where I'm from, people are more likey to linger, chat and laugh at yard sales, and the rather detached inspections of our well-loved stuff left me a little homesick.
I love your house! MidCentury Modern is my jam. But selling - ugh. When my parents moved and the house was for sale, we’d get the call from the realtor. Sometimes we had very little notice, so we developed the “1HR” aka “One Hell of a Rush,” where we tidied the house in record time and decamped with the dog. We still use 1HR to mean a fast clean before company comes.
It’s no fun for sure!! You nailed it!
OMG that Revenge Belt is everything. An the 5000 Studs one, too. Ugh... house sales and showings. I had to renovate my late ex-husband's home after he passed so the kids would get more for it. So many shades of greige and boring to get it to market. Luckily the gay dudes that bought it undid nearly everything I had done and made it cool.
P.S. I love your Show Notes sections!
Thank you!!! I love doing that section!
Stunning, stunning photo 🤩. May I ask why you’re leaving and where you’re headed (general vicinity, if it’s not too personal)? Last time I sold my house was 20 years ago and I remember it vividly, as one tends to when an experience is painful. I downsized to a townhouse that was big enough for the progeny who no longer live here (one never did, but could have) and that is more than I need, and which, as homes do, grew full of stuff despite my assiduous donations to charities. I feel your pain but it looks like you’ve nailed the staging piece, so: brava. Please keep us posted on your progress and know we’re rooting for you.
Try the Baggy Dad jeans this fall… they’re great, not too too baggy but kind of just right.
What a gorgeous house! Seriously, who could say anything bad about it! I feel like all the stuff I don't want anymore should be housed in a Museum of Jim, so people can come and see it. Reasonable admission prices.