It all started with a table...just a battered and scarred and water stained little end table, that had originally come from my parents home.  This little table had been used in a cabin and gotten a little beat up. Then, the table ended up in our son's room and got a little more worn out.

When people stop in for a visit the first time, the room that almost always brings the most comments is the Living Room. Comments like these are typical, "Look at all this woodwork!" or, "You sure don't see many houses like this anymore," and "This is truly a craftsman house." Even though this old house went through several remodels over the years, I'm so thankful that the woodwork and the windows were left in tact.

The heart of our home would definitely be the kitchen....the most used room in the house. From the time I push the brew button on the coffeemaker early in the morning 'till I turn the lights on above the stove at the close of the day, I am in and out of the kitchen many times in a day. Like the farm house where I lived the longest growing up, you walk right into the kitchen from the entry in this house. These old craftsman houses almost always positioned the kitchen at the back of the home, apart from the other living spaces. 

If you've been reading along with my posts, I guess you know by now that I love the sea! So, when we moved into this old house with five bedrooms upstairs, I knew I could have some fun with designing these rooms. When my boys were small, they shared a tiny bedroom in another old house we lived in that bordered the Pilchuck river. Loving all things nautical, that's the theme I went with.

One of my favorite places to connect with our family and friends is sitting around the dining room table. There's just something about sitting across the table from someone, sharing a meal, and sharing life that feels right. 

One of the things I love about this old house is the front porch....or is it the back porch? The porch is on the lake side of the house so we are never quite sure what to call it...front or back! I'm sure the porch was originally designed to be open and I can picture a grand staircase to the lawn below, but there are no photos of the house in the early 1900's. At some point, windows were added to enclose the porch as well as a deck to allow al fresco dining. 

Welcome to our home! I've been encouraged to do a tour of our home, so naturally, I think we should start with the entry. As you may recall, this home previously belonged to my mother and father-in-law. It was originally built in 1914, and was likely a summer home...as is true of many of the old homes on Lake Stevens. My "in-laws" purchased the home in 1976 and did a fairly extensive remodel to the kitchen and several other rooms, adding this front entry in the process. 

The original entry door was located next to an exposed set of concrete stairs leading to the basement. My husband said they were a slippery, mossy, dilapidated mess! In adding this entry, they enclosed a new stair case and created an arctic entry to shield the door into the kitchen from the rain and wind. The flooring they installed was slate...and it has held up very well over all these years. My mother in law was a very practical person and she used the entry for her recycling bins and shelves filled with umbrellas, boots, and her gardening tools. 

Last week a dear friend from Anchorage days called to say she and her husband would be coming to the Seattle area to visit with two of their sons for a few days. I asked, "Are you staying in the city or would you like to stay with us?" We so enjoy their company and were happy to hear her say, "We would love to stay with you!"

A little background...my husband and I moved to Anchorage as mid 20 somethings and knew no one. We found a great church and met this friend and her extended family, which included her parents and 4 brothers and sisters and spouses. They very quickly began to include us in their Sunday morning brunches and family holidays...truly treated us like "family." After five years, we moved back to Lake Stevens but have continued our friendship with this family and other dear friends from those Alaska years.