Starting Again

If you’d asked me in 1993, the year I bought my first house, if I’d ever consider living in a ranch house, I’d have laughed at such a ridiculous notion.  Twenty-two years later I have one that stole my heart about six months ago.

I’m originally from a suburb of Chicago and since 1993 I’ve lived in Ohio. Since moving here, I have lived in two houses. The first house was a 1911 classic American Foursquare and the second, a real departure from a vintage house, was a 1987 center hall colonial in a typical middle-America subdivision.  Both houses were ripe for renovation and I did it eagerly and happily, completely gutting and redoing two kitchens and four bathrooms. I’ve added wood floors here and there, finished a basement, added a bathroom, and more. Over the years I’ve fed my love of design with these two houses and have lovingly turned them each from house to home for my most important life venture, my two wonderful sons.

Five years ago my husband and I separated. Since then, my eldest son has moved on to college, my youngest one has grown from a tween to a teen, and last May my divorce became final. Life has changed and the years have brought incredible joy and also moments of terrific pain.

When we moved to Ohio I never imagined that after more than twenty years here I would still be itching to go back to Chicago to live. When my kids were young my home was wherever they were and it largely still is, but there hasn’t been a day since leaving Chicago that I haven’t felt it pulling me back.

When my divorce became final I realized that when my youngest son graduated from high school and went on to college that I would be able to move back to Chicago where my closest friends and family members were. Over the years I’d traveled back “home” many times and each time I did, I felt that Chicago was where I wanted to be.

When I calculated how long it would be until my youngest would be going off to college I realized that I could start looking for someplace to live in the Chicago area sooner than later. I knew myself well enough to know that I would doing renovations on whatever I found and so, I reasoned, I could begin my transition back to my hometown by purchasing and renovating a house.

That is what I am doing and here is where I’m going to share that journey with you.  This time, it’s a pretty typical 1958 ranch house in a suburb west of the city and it needs work pretty much from top to bottom.  I hope you’ll enjoy watching this house become a home, my “Coming Home House.”