On the auction block: Beacon Hill Row House

Yesterday, the Boston Globe real estate section featured an 1860s Beacon Hill Row House that developers paid $2.25 million for four years ago. It's city living, but with five bedrooms, four baths, three powder rooms, and seven fireplaces, space is not really an issue for this property.

The article notes that the couple did not cut any corners in their $4 million dollar renovation. The luxury market was still booming!

Hence the marble bath

(which you get to by way of this hallway, lined with mirrored closet doors),

the gorgeous (albeit poorly photographed) kitchen,

the wine cellar,

the green house,

and the library with the adjoining wet bar (because every library needs a wet bar).

It obviously needs a little decor, but doesn't this space make you dream of all the possibilities?

To give an idea of the layout, the desk on the left in the picture above is seen in the picture below, on the right.

The property is just sitting there, and it seems the developers are ready to move on. So, to the auction block it goes, with a minimum starting bid of $5 million. Do you need a little more convincing? OK, here's a view of the street from the window.

I lived in Beacon Hill for a couple of years and loved it, even though my studio was the size of the marble bathroom pictured above. It really is one of the prettiest neighborhoods in Boston, so quaint and filled with character.

It's an added bonus to have a roof deck from which to enjoy the view!

Connecticut farmhouse, Round 2

Marc and I spent the long weekend in Connecticut and NYC. On our way back to Boston, we drove through Newtown, which is something I've been wanting to do since I discovered this farmhouse during my Trulia searches.

For as long as I can remember, I've had a thing for old houses. I grew up in Colorado, so "old" to me was 1940. I thought I was looking at a typo the first time I saw a house listed with a date from the 1700s ... how can something so old still be standing? And people living in it? Amazing. Lucky for me, New England is filled with old homes.

So, back to Newtown. We entered the address of the original farmhouse into our GPS, which gave us the opportunity to see a neighborhood with houses in our range (size and price). This type of exercise is mostly fantasy. We have no idea where we'll actually move to when Marc's residency is done. But it's fun to dream, especially when the setting is this beautiful.

When we were back in Boston, I continued my Newtown house tour online. This is my new current favorite: 1 Jeremiah Road.

The house is filled with things that make my heart flutter, like the vaulted ceilings in the kitchen

with wooden beams, of course.

The wooden door is amazing. I wonder if it's a main entrance?

I think the house would lend itself very well to a Tom Scheerer type of decor. Everything is so cozy and small-proportioned. Except for the fireplaces - nothing small about those.

But really ... I could see a room like the one above, and like the dining room below,

filled with comfortable furniture like this Tom Scheerer living room.

One of the things I like about Tom Scheerer is that he doesn't fill old houses with old things. In the next picture, for example, the coffee table and side table keep the room from feeling like a museum. And those lamps!

The real estate websites only show one of the four bedrooms in the house

and two of the four fireplaces.

It's an eyesore now, but I love to stare at every detail and imagine how I would change it.

If you're still with me, things are about to get more fun. That's because this house has a party barn!!

The barn is a "rare find," featuring a stone fireplace and plenty of space.

I imagine it being used as a three-season gathering spot, with a long rustic table and mismatched chairs that can fit more people than the small proportioned house probably can. The fireplace looks big enough to keep the barn warm even on a crisp fall night. Mmm, when my daydreams take a turn like this, I never want to wake up.

Vignettes or clutter? A real estate question

OK, readers, I need your opinions on this. My friend Colleen rents a cute little house in Boulder, Colorado.

A couple of days before Christmas (when she was out of town), her landlord informed her that he was putting the house on the market. Totally out of the blue, but she has a month-to-month lease, so it's all legal. Anyway, Colleen returned from her holiday travels and had about 24 hours to straighten up before the real estate agent arrived to take pictures. I think she did a great job.

Wouldn't you want to live in a house like this?

I know I'd be happy.

Check out the shelves in the kitchen. Colleen installed those this fall when she was holed up with H1N1. It set her recovery back a couple of days, but I think it was worth it, don't you?

Speaking of H1N1, you know what gives me fever? Attic bedrooms. I've mentioned it before on this blog, here. Aren't these two cute rooms?

OK, so here's where I'd like to hear opinions. Colleen's landlord (who owns the house) received an e-mail from an agent who showed the house (not the listing agent). This is what it said:

Thank you for letting me preview, I have buyers in this area in this price range.
OK, sorry to brutally honest here but the home did not show well at all.
Very cluttered and dirty/messy. Seems overpriced.
Thank you, X

First of all, I have been in her house. It's lovely, especially when you consider the fact that it's a rental. And the agent who is selling the house has been inside multiple times and has said it looks "beautiful." But "very cluttered and dirty/messy"?! Ouch. It is a small house to begin with. It will never feel big and open because it's not. But I definitely don't think it looks dirty or messy.

Colleen spent New Year's Eve day "decluttering." She moved tons of stuff to a storage locker, which is probably time well spent since she will be moving soon anyway. But tell us, please. Does the house look messy to you?

More broadly, Colleen (like me) puts time and energy into her house. It's very "her" - the artwork on the walls, the comfortable furniture, the attention to details. Do you think that the agent's criticism of the house was because the decor wasn't his style? Does a vignette that we think is lovely really look like messy clutter to someone else? Even if something is nicely decorated, it will never be in every person's taste. Is this purely a house-selling point, or does it go beyond that? No, you don't need to please everyone when it comes to decorating your house. Some people might love your style, others might not care for it at all. But "cluttered" and "messy"? Are we being too sensitive? Should we just let it go? Or should we take a closer look at our homes and maybe do some early spring cleaning?

Connecticut farmhouse

Meet 121 Walnut Tree Hill Road, located in Newtown, Conn.

The farmhouse was built in 1873 and sits on a grassy meadow

with a spacious backyard (vegetable garden included):

There's even a pond that you access with this bridge:

The windows at the front of the house make my heart flutter. Here's what is currently in the room:

But with windows like that, I'd want to be in the front room all the time. Some upholstered or slipcovered chairs would make the room feel cozier.

(From the Wheat's house, as blogged on Cote de Texas)

Here's the kitchen in the main house. Some see a set-up that looks more like camping conditions, but all I see is possibility. What color would you paint the door?

Did you notice the window on the left side? Maybe you didn't, because the cabinets are blocking them. I'd tear cupboards out and substitute them with shelves to display pretty white dishes.

On the right side of the galley, how about floor to ceiling built-ins to maximize storage space? Kind of like this:

(From the Dec./Jan. issue of House Beautiful)

Here's the living room:

I wonder how much light comes through those windows? Do you think it could look something like this with some new paint and different furniture?

The bedrooms upstairs are small but have lots of character.

Ahhh, I love wallpaper in rooms with slanted ceilings, especially when paired with painted floors:

Did I mention the guest cottage that sits across the meadow?

While we're tearing down cupboards and hanging wallpaper in the main house, we could stay here. Look, the kitchen is ready! I don't really like the green that much, but I'll let it stay for a while because clearly there are other priorities on this property.

The main house is 1,542 square feet and is listed for $425,000. Here is the description from Keller-Williams:

Peace, tranquility and the charm yesteryear best describe this 1873 Antique Farmhouse with 2-Bedroom Guest Cottage overlooking meadows and a secluded pond. The main house was built in 1873 and boasts chestnut 12” hardwood planking and a central fireplace. The guest cottage was built in 1900 and sits on nearly 5+/- acres of unspoiled prime New England Land in historic Newtown, CT. Antique lovers and those who wish to have their horses close by should see this property before it is too late.

Horses! I'm in heaven.