The renovation begins.

I've spent the week debating with myself on whether to keep this house or build a new one from scratch.  Would this house give me the warm contemporary look I'm going for, how do I solve the problem of not enough windows to fill the holes and is the neighborhood good.  Should I renovate or should I build a new one from scratch? Well, the neighborhood is a great one and with the open floor plan I can get my kitchen island, but the window problem.  I am short some windows and trying to keep costs down I don't want to order any more. My first thought was to custom build the windows from the lumber yard.  Then I thought, why not just close in one of the windows.  At the same time, I closed in the big window at the front of the house to make wall space for the kitchen.

Making a plug to put in place of the front window, now a kitchen wall and the front entrance now becoming the back door.

Here's the view from outside, with the bottom and one upper window filled.  This window on the second floor was the one giving me the most grief, as there were 5 cutouts and I only have 4 windows.  I'm not sure if I've thrown it off balance now.  Possibly turning the existing window into a door and adding a balcony might look better. Which would leave me then with an extra window.

With the front door now becoming the back door, I needed a new front door.  I didn't have a window for this side so I closed in the door and cut the existing window out for the new door with sidelights.

What's the next step?  I'm actually not really sure.

A new house

Today I inherited a house.  Not a real house, but a miniature house.  Not really a miniature house, but a store/house to convert to a house.  It was originally built to contain a small corner store with living space above but my thoughts are to turn it into a house.  Will this be a starter home or will it end up being the house of my dreams?  Not sure how it will develop and only time will tell.

The plans for this miniature shop, Les Shoppes Store are still available online at many shops.  Manchester Wood Works seems to have the best photo of the book.  Cute, but my style is a little different.  Here's photos of the house, as it was brought home and as it sits now in the dining room.

Front view from the street.

Side view from the street, with a separate entrance to a possible store up a level or private entrance to the residence.

Views of the interior.

  

Time for the renovations to start.