My Home on Apartment Therapy!

Hi Everyone, I want to share some exciting news with you...

my home was featured as a House Tour on Apartment Therapy!

As some of you know, Josh and I designed and built a loft in the Jack London District of Oakland. We had never owned a home together, never mind BUILT a home together! I remember so many little moments during the construction phase, that now seem so perfectly sweet to me... At the end of a long day of building, we'd always take a step back and stand in the same spot, near what is now the entryway, and admire our day's work. I wasn't always happy to spend every weekend on a ladder sanding drywall, or insulating pipes, or installing can lighting, but now that it's said and done, I'm happy to say that I can do all of those things (with the proper guidance, of course!) We shared so many mini-milestones along the way, and as with any big project, each accomplishment is something in which to revel.

I remember our first Thanksgiving at the Loft. We were still in the rough construction phase. The only rooms finished were the laundry room, and one shiny white bathroom. We spent Thanksgiving in our cold and dusty home-in-progress, just the two of us. I'm sure both of us would have much preferred to be with the rest of our family, enjoying a super feast and pie in a clean and cozy home, but we persevered. In perhaps my first attempt to really claim this old warehouse as our new home, I set up the crockpot on our laundry room counter, and made our first Thanksgiving dinner -- a deliciously warm pot of soup. No turkey, no fire in the fireplace, no naps after lunch -- Just us two, a bowl of soup, crackers and cheese, and the dedication we shared in creating our home.

I share all of this with you, in truth, because five years have passed since that Thanksgiving, and we've recently sold our home. Apartment Therapy graciously offered to feature our Loft months ago, and the timing is funny simply because the Loft is now being featured, and we no longer live there.

When I view Apartment Therapy's photographs of our loft, I feel an immense amount of comfort and pride. For the past few months, we have been drifting from one friend's house to the next, while we look for our next home or project. My belongings are scattered throughout Northern and Southern California, one box here, another box there, and don't forget the basket of shoes in the trunk! I feel adrift without my own home. This time of transition as been very difficult for me, because I love playing house, baking cookies, and taking care of my home. I'm thankful to have such wonderful friends and family, who are kindly hosting us during these months (they even seem to be excited about hosting us! Aren't we lucky?) I'm really trying to go with the flow, reminding myself that this is an exciting and adventurous time, but sometimes in the middle of it all, I just want to return to that lovely place featured in the House Tour and start where we left off.

When I look at the home featured in the Apartment Therapy tour, it is indeed the home we created -- fun, happy, and spirited (says me.) We could have been happy there forever, but we knew we had to give it up in order to discover the "what's next" in our lives. Josh is a Designer and a Builder, and I can't wait to see what he designs and builds for us next. When we bought the loft it was an empty shell -- no walls, no plumbing, no nothing, except for some concrete columns and windows. I learned so much about my husband by working with him to help bring this loft to life. He'd describe his ideas and design plans, (like the arched ceiling, for example) but it wasn't until an idea was fully executed that I really understood what he meant. I didn't have the vision, he did....

I'd love to share so many stories and photos with you, and maybe I will as time unfolds. For now, I hope you enjoy the Apartment Therapy House Tour -- photos #38 and #39 are the "Before" shots -- how the loft looked when we bought it.

You can visit Josh's blog (www.ableandbakerdesign.blogspot.com) to see some photos of the ceiling being framed.

photo via Apartment Therapy

Well, Happy Sunday everyone... It's been really nice sharing this snippet of my life with you. I'll let you know when we've found the perfect spot for our next home... I can hardly wait.