(Editor's note:This is the first piece in a series of articles Pohl has written about his recent experiences with downsizing.)
Lexington, KY -
We pulled the trigger. We'd been thinking about this for a long time, and now we've done it. We bought our next house. The home we've enjoyed for 15 years was perfect for our large family. Our two boys have 30 first cousins, most within easy driving distance, and we've had some huge gatherings, including weddings and receptions and sit-down dinners for 40.
While envisioning our next home, we listed the spaces we wanted and we calculated the area. We figured we'd need to accommodate the kids when they visit, but we wouldn't need the space in which they've grown up. When we're done with it, the new place will be half the size of the old one.
We imagined building new, and we considered buying a condo. But we ended up with a sleeper just a few hundred yards away, in the same Ashland neighborhood that's been nurturing us for over 20 years.
This will be our fifth house in 30 years, all of them built in the 1920s. We're attracted to the quality of construction and the healthy urban design that characterized the early 20th century.
The new house is a Tudor Revival. Elegant proportions, generous windows and careful detailing suggest that the design was thoroughly considered. Since one of my passions is authenticity in architecture, it's ironic that we have selected a house that imitates a 17th century style, but Tudor Revival houses have always intrigued us because of their strong expressive qualities. They are the yin to the Federal Revival yang.
As soon as we looked at the house I took a tape measure to it. We drew the floor plan and sketched potential changes that made us comfortable about proceeding with an offer to purchase. The purchase negotiations were no fun, but to keep the story short, we now own the house, and our designs are much further along. And they are not what we'd anticipated.
Once we were confident of the purchase, we computer-modeled the house to expedite design explorations. We determined that the defining characteristic of those initial sketches - a ground floor bedroom suite - would force us to remodel too much of the original first floor, much of which is worth preserving. We are not averse to climbing stairs so our design has evolved. We've discovered how the second floor can lend itself beautifully to how we envisioned our most private spaces.
Challenges have become opportunities, and we are getting very excited about how this property is showing us ways in which it can become even more magical. But first things first. I called the house a sleeper for a reason: it is a huge project. The single pane steel windows are beyond salvaging. The house is virtually un-insulated, has never had central air conditioning, and still uses hot water radiators dating from 1929. Our goal is to transform the guts of this Tudor into a cutting edge, 21st-century green house - all while respecting the integrity of the original. Next month I'll delve into our studies for renovations and improvements, and share some secrets and surprises.