Brown Bungalow!

This lovely brown bungalow is located on 820 N. in Provo.  It stands out from the other smaller houses around it and I don't know if it is a remodel or a completely new home.  (There are seemingly NO county records for this address!) See end of post for new information!

The shingled exterior is rustic and lovely in it rich brown stain.

Instead of a traditional lawn, this house is surrounded by lovely gardens.  The plants are just starting to come out for the spring, but in the summer, this yard is stunning!

There is detail work above the windows and on the various trim.  It give the house a warm, craftsman feel.

But what REALLY sets this house apart is the chimney.  It is a nice heavy shape and has an earthy feel to the battered brick.  But look closer.  There is a message inlaid in the brick.  Something so important that the owners want the world to know it.  Profound words of wisdom.....

What do you think?  Would you inlay a message like this into the side of your house?  


(All I could think of was the report a few years back that said more women in Utah were on anti-depressants than in any other state in the union....."cheerful 'til it kills you", I'm sure!  If I were to inlay a message in my house, it would say,  "Feel 'til you Heal."  And forget the forced cheerfulness.  But that is just me.)


P.S.  Using a slightly different address than is on the front door, I found out more information for this home.  Maybe it is divided into two residences and the original number is for the back door.  I'm not sure.  But this is how it used to look:





Just like all of its neighbors!  A cute little box.  In 2003, they remade the whole house into what it is today. 2646 sq ft. 3 bedrooms. 2.5 baths.  And a whole different look!





Pretty amazing transformation!  Good job "cheerful" owners!

Church House

I call this house "The Church House."  It looks like it should have a steeple on top and a parking lot to the side.  And maybe those front windows should be stained glass.

But this is not a church house.  It is a private home.  A very durable-looking private home.  Industrial.  But not in a pleasing way.  At least not to me.

I do like its asymmetry.  And I'm a sucker for any hanging globe light.  What do you think?  Would you live here?  Does this architecture speak to your home heart?

Charming Blue Victorian

In the 100 E block of 200 N in Provo, you can find this charming old Victorian. It is in need of a little sprucing up, but the details on this house are impressive!

Three soaring chimneys rise high above the roof.  One is so particularly high, it has a cable attached for safe keeping.  

And look at the detailing in the trim work!  Gingerbread siding.  Very unique gable boards.  You can't see very well in this photo, but the space above this top window bows outward in a sort of curved overhang above the window.  

Even the brickwork has detailing.  

Check out the leaded glass work above the windows!

So charming with lace curtains in the window and nice plantings all around the foundation.

And stone lintels above every window.

I'm not sure what is on the tip of the roof.  Maybe some sort of lightning protection?

And the front porch is just DIVINE!

As I was leaving, I noticed a matching play house in the backyard! Could anything get sweeter?

Wowsers! Jack-in-the-Box!

When I saw this peeking from around a tree, I just about leapt out of my car!  A square box!

Look at how nice this boxy house looks with the soft natural trees and lilacs around it.  I couldn't tell if it was a new remodel or if it had originally been a square box of a home.  The siding looked brand new.  The owners were putting in a new retaining wall and had a beautiful garden started.

Another angle.  How lovely!  Way to go "Squaresters!"  (You can find this home in the 1200 block of Apple Ave., Provo.)




P.S. Found some old photos in government records.  It used to be a BLUE box!  Built in 1959. 1390 sq ft.  Plus more in the basement.  5 bedrooms.  2.75 baths.

And the oldest photo:







(I think they did a GREAT job on the remodel.  I love the new siding and neutral color.  Updated, but still true to the original architecture!)

Earthquake Proof?

Doesn't this house just make you giggle?  There doesn't seem to be a straight line on it!  It looks as if "the big earthquake" has already hit here in Utah.

The truth is that this house is built on quite a steep hill.  And then it has some very funky angles of it's own that kind of counterbalance the angle of the hill.  Aren't the skinny little horizontal windows great?  I love their use of bright yellow trim against the dark gray house color.  But I would like to see some pretty plantings to cover the foundation cement....especially over here on the right.  And maybe a bunch of daffodils to match the yellow trim!

 This house is located in the 1100 block of Aspen Ave, Provo.  


P.S.  Old photos found:

It's had quite a facelift recently!  It used to be a red color and had overgrown bushes.  Built in 1951.  6 bedrooms.  2263 sq. ft.  No information on baths.


Great color remodel owners!  Now for some new bushes.  ; )

A-frame of Wonders!

I LOVE this little A-frame house.  It is located in the 800 N block of 1200 E in Provo, UT.  Don't you just love how the large tree in the front frames the house from above?  Everything is asymmetrical in a pleasing way.  The A shape itself isn't even even.  Nor are the windows that reside under it.  But wait, it gets MORE interesting still!

Do you see those funny dots on the shingles of the sharpest side of the A-line roof?  They are WINDOWS!!  Tiny little roof-shingle-shaped windows.  And at the back, a sort of square bay-window pokes out!

Come around to the front door and you will find a gorgeous stone chimney.  And look again!  Little tiny square windows by the front door and over another big window on the right.

Their garden is just starting to pop out some color for spring.

 How beautiful!  What do you think?  Could you ever live in a home this unique? 






P.S.  I found some government records online that showed this house back in the day.  It was apparently built in 1952, has 2385 square feet, 6 bedrooms, and 2 baths!  It used to have a shake roof and that beautiful tree in front was just starting out!

My House First

This is MY house!  It was built in 1963.  Two additions were added in the 70's.  One over the garage on the right and a dining room on the left back of the house.  It is filled with built ins and has great 4x6 construction.  I love the mid-century details.  But I wasn't sold on the curb appeal when we first saw it.

The bushes were all overgrown.  Some as tall as the roof.  I wasn't sure I liked the very obvious boxy 60's vibe.

By our first spring, some of the roof-high bushes had been trimmed down.  But then a weird planting of yarrow had taken over most of the flower beds.  A rustic swing that came with the house was still on the front porch.

We cleared away most of the overgrown plantings.  Then we painted the front door red.  Something all of our neighbors loved.  And put new modern numbers on the house and a sleek black rocker bench.  We are happy with our improvements so far.  And they seem to match the character of the house.


I chose to feature my own house first.  Mostly because it was the closest house to photograph.  But also because if I'm going to examine, critique, and expose other people's homes, I better allow the same for mine.  I don't think my home is terribly unique.  But it does represent an era of building.  An era I have come to love and respect.




P.S.  I was surprised to find a photo of my house back when it was new!  We knew there had once been a deck above the garage that a second story was built onto---but getting to see it before all the giant pine trees had been planted and grown up is very fun!  No shutters yet or anything!