The Tour
Exterior
Due to the brick veneer, very little is done to the actual building. The front yard has been modified to appear maintained and several bushes had to be pulled due to winter frost. Three flower pots had been added in the front porch to add flowers.
The backyard needed overdue maintenance. The grass is overtaken by weeds and the bushes and trees needed heavy pruning from frost and overgrowth. In 2014, Project Open Space took out most of the plants in the backyard and made it kid friendly. This included expanding the grass by 15′ on each side to turn majority of the backyard into grass. Then slowly added different plants along the back wall to give it coverage. The fruit trees, a plum, apple, and peach trees were left as is.
Interior
Coming through the front door, you are openly greeted with a great room. The open layout of just these two rooms make it easy to create more floor space for kids’ birthday parties. The great room has a common stained wood and khaki color theme. The off white 3 piece sitting set in the sitting room is perfect for quick visitors and brightens the room while the 8 seat dinning table is simple with straight cut lines yet functional with deep table room.
Moving deeper into the house you can go straight into the kitchen. The kitchen is somewhat skinny but long, this does give it a cramped feel but allows efficient use of available counter top real estate. Remodeled in 2015, a Culinary Refresh was prompted by an unfortunate water leak. This remodel upgraded the kitchen to granite counter tops, marble backsplash, a more standard standing range, and the beginning to modernize the kitchen to gain a stainless steel accent.
Sharing the same ceiling, the Living Room is sandwiched between the kitchen and the kids’ rooms and its focal point is the pony wall that divides it from the kitchen. The furniture and decor are a dark cappuccino color, which Dad is trying to step away with to a lighter dark wood color. Mom’s furniture are being used which includes a pull out sofa as a second guest bed and a love seat. A small fireplace with a grand brick hearth goes all the way to the ceiling. The Family painted it to give it a more neutral tone which help the sharp contrast it once had.
The master bedroom is easy to miss which was a feature dad liked. Tucked behind tall walls, a good sized bedroom gives amble space for any size bed and a rocking chair which is situated right near a jut out in the wall with tall open bay like windows.
Seasonal
Only two seasons are observed for decor. An autumn wreath is taken out for fall. Inside, the dining table has a center piece placed for Thanksgiving. For Christmas, lights and wreath is put on the door. Next season, more lights will be introduced to light up the plum tree and front porch lights. The dining table has a winter center piece and a red table cloth.
Architecture
The house is a ranch style house with a hip and gable roof and brick veneer exterior. Opel Jenkins always built their houses in brick veneer and so the brick matches the same material in the entire neighborhood.
The house was built by the Oppel Jenkins/Mesa Vista Homes Company in 1997: plan number 74. The interior was selected to have Oak Stain cabinets, Cream Sash walls, and 510 Moonmist Ceramic tile counter tops. The floors are 300 Rice Puff Tradewinds carpet and Natina 6248 White tiles in rooms with water hookups. The exterior is Old Mesilla Brick Veneer with an Old English Peuter shingled roof. Trim is done in gull white. The Family purchased the house on September 21st, 2011. There were two prior owners, which the last owner owned the house since 2006. The house has remained true to the original color scheme and plan. After Sister was born, the house began evolving to what the Family needs which can be perused in the House category.