Congratulations to Amy Hill and Cindy Friday — the two readers who won a “Love The House You’re In” collage — featuring them and their houses — specially created by collage artist laureate Mel Kolstad. Mel’s been doing a Love The House You’re Inn collage-a-month for the blog. ENTRIES NOW CLOSED. But, we thought we’d take it one step further by getting readers involved. On Tuesday night, I used the random number generator at random.org (I to select the two winners. Their numbers came up! (I did not try to “judge” the comments — everyone’s were great — I selected the winners randomly.) Mel has started working with them on their collages. Thanks to everyone who participated. Your comments — AMAZING! We love our houses, that’s for sure!
Here were the rules:
- Leave a comment below, answering the question, “Why do you love the house you’re in?”
- You must sign up for my weekly newsletter.
- Residents of U.S. and Canada only.
Additional details:
- I’ll pick two winners from among the comments with a random number generator at 8 p.m. on April 19. (I will cross-check that they are newsletter subscribers, and if they are not, I will pick again.)
- If you win, you will send up to three high-resolution images to Mel, she will create your collage and mail it to within a month. The collage is mounted on a 4″x4″ wood tile with a notch for hanging – it’s very cool!
- Pam will confirm with you whether you’d like it featured on the blog or not – your choice.
- If this all goes well, I’ll continue the contest every month.
What do you think? Wanna win? Why do you love the house you’re in?
Betsy Ward says
I love my 1957 split-level for so many reasons, here are a few; 1) a clean asymmetrically angled roof-line. 2) a turquoise blue AMF full-size pooltable that I’m sure they built the family room around. 3) a pink and gray bathroom. 4) especially, the very unpretentious neighborhood it sits in.
Julianna Verboort says
I love my house. I love its big, spacious rooms. I love that my dog and kids can RUN inside. I love that my house needs me so much! It was unwanted, neglected by the architect who lived here before. I “get” my house. I lived here for 2 years before I started renovating, absorbing the house and its environment, imagining and envisioning what I would do. In the past 3 years, I’ve touched every single surface. Sanded and re-stained trim, scraped 7 layers of wallpaper off the sad walls in the front room and retextured them to a beautiful smooth gleam, painted every ceiling and room, torn out walls and made discoveries. I discovered that where I wanted to put my sink, a sink had formerly lived! Where I wanted to put a wall, a wall had formerly been — there was a header hidden under the sheet rock. Where I wanted to paint gray, there had been gray and still was behind the molding, and where I thought a doorway should be added, guess what? A doorway was framed behind the plaster. I have not gutted, but carefully uplifted and refurbished. In exchange for my labors I have beautiful fresh rooms that feel as if they’ve always been this way. I watch the sun rise over Mt. Hood from my shower each morning, and I keep my eye on Mt. St. Helens throughout the day. At night, I enjoy the twinkling lights of Portland’s waterfront and downtown. During the holidays, I snuggle in the big chair with my children and watch the lighted boat parade on the river. Sketching ideas with my kids, shopping for tile, scraping old paint while sipping tea and talking, this is what we do in my family. This 1937 house is alive and well. It has taken continuous work, consumed my thoughts, inspired my imagination. Through living here and loving my house, I’ve become more skilled and more grounded. I know we belong here, and I know my old house loves me too!
Andi says
I LOVE my 1950s brick ranch house! I looked for months(!!) for THE house in my price range that was a fixer-upper but still solid. When I drove up to the house, with its purple shutters, white garden table with bird, blue and white awnings, and weird garden decorations, I KNEW it was the one for me. 2 years later and lots of hard work, she still is the one for me! And there is always work to be done!
Tara says
I love the house I’m in because it was worth every second of the home search…and now the renovating! My boyfriend and I are the recent owners of a 1952 California-style ranch…in small town, farmland Michigan (now you know why the search lasted so long!).
Green tile bathrooms, walls of windows, two fireplaces and the funky gold accented paneled walls in the basement are just a few of the reasons why we instantly fell in love with our find!
Currently working on getting it back to its original 1952 state for us to enjoy day in and day out, enjoying meals under our pull-down atomic chandelier and enjoying lots of sunshine in the living room while watching our Mad Man season dvds!
Every time I pull into my driveway to see my little time capsule, I’m all smiles!
leslie ryan says
well…the first thing i love about our house is that its OURS…my husband and I have always rented and finally, at 40 years old, we bought. yay! i had two requirements while we were house-hunting…hardwood floors and a gas stove. our hundred year-old bungalow in midtown Memphis has both and more. i love our gorgeous hardwood floors, our lushly flowered yard, our huge kitchen (with gas stove), our black and white and pink toile bath, i could go on and on…but what i really love that its a home. our home.
Rebecca Swanger says
I love the house I’m in because it was love at first sight. My husband, Michael, and I walked in and just knew this was the house for us. Our 1957 brick ranch was virtually untouched which is a blessing and a curse. You know the story, original light fixtures, hardwood floors, awesome bathroom with turquoise Formica and painted glass tiles, but plumbing and electrical needed updating among other things. It’s still a work in progress, but so worth it!
We are the second owners. We purchased our home four years ago from a nice lady who was selling it on her mother’s behalf since her mother had to go to a nursing home. We developed a friendship that has lasted since the day we met.
It’s a great home filled with love in a great neighborhood where we always plan to stay and raise our son, John.
Jeanne says
I love the house I’m in because it is the fourth “untouched time capsule” house I’ve bought during my adult life that was built between 1948-1952 and I’ve been the second owner in all cases. I love my house because it is the first and only house that my second husband and I bought TOGETHER, so the memories created in it will be of us and not of any former spouses. I love my house because we bought it to downsize, yet I don’t feel like I had to compromise anything except some space because I have good “bones” to work with in regards to bringing my 1952 story-and-a-half post war bungalow back to it’s glory days.
Richard says
I love the house I’m in because my husband lives there too 🙂
It is also a glorious 1962 ranch that suits my style sense to a T.
Thanks for the site, inspiration and all the resources Pam!
Richard in Repentigny
No. 17 Cherry Tree Lane says
I love my house for many reasons, but mostly because it is the first house my husband and I bought together and we were so proud the day we signed the papers. It was ours!
Thank you for this giveaway!!
Nancy Humphries says
I inherited my childhood home (built in 1949 with 4 bedrooms and 2 baths, one pink and blue) — many memories! We restored it last summer
and moved in this house in August. I love it not only because my parents loved it
and kept it in good shape, but because we do not have a mortgage! Yeah!!!