My Old House

By Theresa Grant Real Estate Columnist I have always loved old houses. I don’t know exactly what it is that attracts me to them. Maybe it’s the uniqueness of them, how every room is a bit different than the next. I love the little quirks that you find as you walk through a century home. It could be a little step up here or there. An odd shaped door or window, and don’t even get me going on the moldings. Things from yester year, that make walking through some houses just like stepping back in time. I remember when I bought the old semi on Celina St. My daughter walked in and said, “oh wow, look at the doorknobs on the bedroom doors”. They were the old-fashioned glass doorknobs that you just don’t see anymore. They actually reminded me of my grandparents’ farmhouse doors when I was a child. There are so many wonderful old houses here in Oshawa that I would love to fix up. Keep some of the original charm and update the rest of the house, making it a perfect blend of old and new. Alas, I can only fix up the one I live in at the moment, so that is exactly what I am doing. I will take you along with me as I complete the renovations on my old house. I bought this house in 2020. Just before Covid-19 sent the real estate market into a frenzy of activity. It will actually be a combination of renovation and interior decoration. I have decided that I want to change the entire colour scheme of the house, on both floors. There is a finished basement but that has just been redone, and I quite like it. When I bought the house, I had the main floor painted a cocoa beige kind of colour, very earthy. I really liked it. I still like it, but I got it into my head that I wanted to go with a beach theme. I really want to lighten the rooms up, and I’ve always loved bright pops of colour. So, on the main floor there is only the kitchen, living room and hallway that are being redone. There is a bedroom on the main floor, however I use that as an office. It’s done in the earthy colour and because the door is closed to that room most of the time, I will leave it for now. So, stay tuned weekly for progress updates on my old house. As always, if you have questions about anything you read in my column just drop me a line and I’ll be sure to answer them..