Transformation begins

The galley kitchen is, by current standards, small. That is to say the kitchen is more than adequate for anyone whose task is to prepare a meal - what the kitchen lacks is all the excessive space for activities that neither belong in the kitchen nor have the remotest relationship to food preparation. It is a kitchen, not a lounge. But there was one appliance that loomed too large: the refrigerator. It has now been replaced with a true counter-depth refrigerator by Leibherr, and it makes all the difference in terms of enlarging the zone of circulation between the unit and the existing wall oven unit. It's installation has done much to convince us that the original kitchen footprint is perfect for our needs.

Puppy

This house will need another pup.

To begin...

Not unlike Goldilocks, we sampled Grand Rapids living in a tripartite manner: the first place (the condo at River House) was too small and too new, the second house (the 1849 classic in Heritage Hill) was too big and too old, and now the third house, a mid-century modern promises to be just right. This house has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms, a kitchen and breakfast area, living/dining area, two-car garage, family room, studio/den, and a furnace/utility room.

Here are the photos that caught our attention to begin with (click on each image to enlarge):

from Boston Street

the rear facade

rear and side facades

the living room looking forward

the living room looking back

again, the living room

the kitchen is behind the part-high partition

the fireplace

the kitchen

the breakfast area from the kitchen

the master bedroom

the master bedroom ceiling

the master bathroom

the guest bedroom

the study

the studio, lowest level

the hallway bathroom

the family room, second lowest level

more family room

more studio

bathroom, off family room

from the driveway to the rear deck

lower and upper decks

and it has a separate guest house!