Just humor me for a minute while I explain.
Below is the view from the new house.
My father unbeknownst to me had always dreamed of moving back to the small town where he is from in Oklahoma. When he and my mom finally bought the farm, I wondered why on earth he would possibly want to leave Dallas for a farm in the middle of nowhere. But there it was. He loved the fresh air and the small town pace of life. He said he was tired of looking at the back of someone else’s fence. When I saw his cranky personality turn downright giddy as he talked about the farm, I began to understand. The sad thing is that he never got to live at his dream farm. I think for years he wanted to move, but my mom did not. He bought it too late. The week before they were to move, he died of a massive heart attack.
Then I think of my father in law who loved the mountains so dearly. He and my mother in law had a place in the mountains of NC for about 40 years. He too had a dream. He dreamed of living there in the summers, but that too never happened. They would stay there for a few weeks each summer, but my mother in law just couldn’t get on board with the extended stay he dreamed of. Below is a photo of the deck on at their house.
Mr. CH too has had a dream as long as I have known him. He has always wanted to live in the mountains of NC during the summers and then winter in Texas. I knew that going into this marriage 33 years ago.
When he inherited his parents’ place in NC, we looked at it long and hard. Do we keep it or sell it? It seemed like too much for me to take care of. It was crazy expensive to own a house we barely used. I told Mr. CH I would make it work if he wanted to keep it, but it wasn’t something I was excited about. I was fine with the idea of living there in the summers after retirement, but not so crazy about that house. The kitchen is shown below. You can see it was not a fancy place.
He said that he didn’t care to keep that house, so we sold it. I think he had too many memories there of his parents. But I knew we would buy another house one day. I kept a lot of the kitchen supplies, just in case. Most of the furniture we just gave to the new owners. (Not sure if they appreciated it!) I decided we could figure it out later, much later. I got busy with my life. I thought maybe he had changed his mind, and in some ways hoped he had, because I just didn’t have the time to deal with it. But then I began to think about how this man has supported me as I have followed my dream and my passion of interior design. This blog, the social media, my online shop, the book, have all taken up so much of my time. I began to think of my dad and his dad, and how they never realized their dreams. I know how happy I am to be living my dream every day, and so how can I deny him of his dream? I began to think about what I wanted in life.
I began to be honest with myself. What do I want in life? Am I happy with my day to day life? It just is too hectic for me to enjoy right now. What do I want? I want more time with family and friends and less time on my computer. I have done some serious soul searching in the last few months. Where do I want to be when Mr. CH retires? I decided that I also want to live at least part of the year in NC, even if that means giving up our current city house at some point. I’m not sure what all this means, but I’ll figure that out later. I don’t want to wake up one day only to realize I kept my husband from realizing his dream. I also don’t want to wake up and realize I have accomplished a big business goal, but have no time to enjoy life.
I just don’t want my tombstone to read,
She didn’t have time for family or friends, but she had a million pageviews a month.
And the scary thing is my life has been headed in that direction.
And so I began keeping my eyes open for homes in Black Mountain, NC, where his family place was. I just couldn’t find anything that I liked in our budget.
And then we found this house. It’s close to town and has stunning views. Inside pretty much nothing is to my tastes. We won’t be there much of the year right now, but we figure we can use it as a vacation rental to mitigate much of the expenses. There is a fabulous property management company in town that takes care of vacation rental homes and we will probably use them. That will take most of the burden off my shoulders.
Is the house my dream house? Well let’s say it’s a blank canvas. It’s pretty much a plain vanilla house. It has the views and closeness to town we adore. But otherwise, it is nothing fancy. But the views….
Do we have a well thought out plan for the future. Not really. I expect we will figure out where we want to be when the time comes and we will know what to keep and what to sell.
Did I mention the views?
I have learned to have a high tolerance for the unknowns in life. I trust God, and then step out in faith. I have found that God sometimes knows what He is doing. Okay, He ALWAYS knows what He is doing. So when I felt it was time to buy this place we did. It honestly doesn’t seem to make complete sense to me, but I know it will work out.
So what’s in this for you?
I know we bloggers say ‘Big exciting news’ and the big news is… we bought a new sofa or table, and you think
‘Really?’
‘Why exactly do I care?’
Well, I’ll be sharing the process and hopefully as I learn things you’ll find something informational here. I will be decorating a house someone else designed. It has golden oak cabinets, carpet, Formica counter-tops, a coil top electric stove, and light fixtures I didn’t select. I know that many of you are faced with the same decorating challenges. We will be doing everything on a budget. Here is the kitchen as it currently is. Pretty standard issue, right?
How will I figure out what to put in the house? How will I get it there? What am I going to do with that kitchen? How will I find good contractors? What is it going to be like handling most of this from out of state? How is it going to be dealing having renters in the house? How much is all of this going to cost? How much renovation should I do now? How much should I put off until later? Should I do much renovation while we are renting it? Will it be worth all of the hassle? How am I going to find furniture I like that will hold up to kids, dogs and guests that aren’t as careful as I am? Will I regret this decision? How do you put a plan together to decorate a house start to finish? Don’t you wonder how it is going to work out? I know I do.
Here’s the master bath. I guess the good news for me is that brass is back in style, ha!
So to summarize, I will have a limited budget and massive work to do. I can’t do much of the work myself, since I will be out of state. Do I have faith it will work out.
I do!
Although I have NO IDEA how that will happen. See? FAITH in action.
I’ll be sharing all of my mistakes and discoveries with you. From furniture selection to remodeling, dealing with contractors, finding artwork, upholstering furniture, selecting mattresses, you name it. And I have to have it ready to go for rentals this summer. I think I need a nap.
I have been following for quite some time now, so here goes.
Congrets with the purchase of the new house. I know the feeling of not living out the dream. Our dream would be to live in the South of France, but choosing not to move. We instead created our own piece of the dream, in Denmark, and then spending four vacations in France every year. The views are stunning, yes sounds like a cliche but, Mountains we dont have here in Denmark, so to me they are somewhat hypnotic. Anyway, It is in reality much more rewarding to create something from limited funds and resources, and very french by the way. Buying at once it a thrill,but the feeling doesn´t last.
Really a fabulous place you have acquired.
Cheers
Henrik
Thank you Henrik. Your place in Denmark sounds lovely.
I love Black Mountain ! North Carolina. It is a beautiful place. We visit there often as we live in Tennessee. Asheville and Hendersonville are close by. Asheville is a wonderful artistic and beautiful City. There is a bakery in Hendersonville that has the best eclairs I have ever had better to me than ones we had in Parris. I will enjoy seeing what you do with your house.
One of the most fun things in life is seeing someone achieve their dreams.
Cyndee I love it too!!!
That’s so exciting, Anita! Black Mountain is the neatest place. Hopefully, we can get together when you’re there sometime – it’s only about 3 hours from me.
Ha! Welcome to North Carolina in advance. I’m a native Charlottean and would love to be able to move up to the mountains. I would probably live like Grizzly Adams though, if I could. If you are only going to be living in the house during the Summer months, I think I would keep things pretty simple so that things do not get trashed by your renters during the rainy, snowy Winters. But, that is just my take on things. I would also just let my hair down and ENJOY THAT VIEW! LOL
Excellent point Richard. I do want it to be nice, but yeah I can’t count on them to use coasters like I do.
So excited for you….I can’t wait to see what you ‘create’ in that canvas! We too are thinking of life post retirement….although I’m not ready to give up the house I just spent 2 years renovating in our lovely (sarcasm?) ‘Garden State’. I am so interested in following along re: your rental plans for the house…I love the idea and am considering it down the road for the small home we own at the shore. I’ll let you go first, lol! We are more beach than mountains, but we have friends in the mountains of NC…those views are to die for!!! I am assuming you have already bought some paint…had a nice chuckle over your commentary re: the brass, lol! (If we have the patience to wait long enough, renovations will never be needed as it all comes back in style 😉 ) Most importantly….we all need to live the dreams we have inside of us…they can’t be taken with us when we go. Enjoy this new journey….I can’t wait to come along for the ride! Congratulations….oxoxo
Anita,
This is a wonderful post in so many ways! What a great reminder that life doesn’t always wait for us to be “ready”–often times we just need to seize the day. 🙂 Best wishes on this new adventure!
Thank you Mimi. Yes waiting for better timing isn’t always the best idea.
It’s going to be beautiful! It’s under 2 hours from me. I adore Black Mountain. Let me know when ready for rent. I’d be interested! What a fun project. Just think of all the new memories. Just think, you might decide you love it there all the time.
Congratulations! Can’t wait to see your progress.
Congrats Anita. How wonderful to have a home in such a beautiful area..
Thank you Katc.
Hi Anita We have a place in the NC mountians near Highlands and we are renovating also. The cool summers are so wonderful you will love it! Will you decorate in mountain style or will you go french? Can’t wait to see. Congrats on your mountain home!
Cathy
Congrats!!! I have done that conversion 3 times in Sarasota, Florida, our dream town! Our full time home is in NJ. My hubbies dream was a place by the beach. First place was a one bedroom condo (all we could afford, even with the rent coming in.) So with 3 women in the house (our two young daughters and me) and my hubby, we converted that one bedroom into a two bedroom (enclosed the lanai and made a bedroom) and we had so much fun there! Then we sold it and bought a beautiful, big beast of a house that was so unloved. Again, I went in and redecorated and changed out rugs, walls, appliances, heating equipment, etc and it became a beautiful family home to visit and rent to guests. Now we are selling that and we purchases a foreclosure which,luckily, the bank basically remodeled nicely, so I have redecorated this one and we are again so happy – living out our dream in Sarasota, Florid part of the time. My hubby is happy. What more can I want than that? You are doing the right thing. Our men sacrifice a lot for us and they deserve to have their happiness, too. Kudos to you!!! I wish you the best!!!
Thank you Clare! Living your dream, it sounds so wonderful.
How exciting for you and yours Anita, congrats! My in-laws used to have a mountain retreat up that way and I love the area. Looking forward to seeing your transformation.
Oh, Anita, how exciting! Yes, you are so right, follow those dreams now! I can’t wait to follow along on this new journey!
Congratulations! I can’t wait to see the transformation! What an exciting adventure!
You definitely have a heavenly view. You’ll do fine, you’ll make it yours and have many happy memories. I’ll be anxious to see the personality you bring to your cabin in the woods!
How exciting for you! It will be a lot of work but at the end of the day I just bet you will be so happy with your decision. Think of all the fun you’ll have, using all of your decorating skills to make this your happy summer place. You are already doing a wonderful thing, sharing and declaring your “Faith” to make a decision that you know will make your husband so happy….
Thanks for sharing your story…..
How wonderful Anita! I love Black Mountain. Such a quaint town and near Asheville. It will be fun watching you work your magic!
I give you all the credit in the world – it is not easy to have the courage to follow our dream, or to join in and follow along with another’s dream. Congratulations – this is going to be very exciting and very informative. We are also thinking ahead to retirement and about purchasing a second home to rent out until we permanently move into it , so learning from you will be invaluable. Thank you for taking us along on this wonderful journey.
Oh how wonderful! I had a dream for many years to have a home in the mountains once retirement. Serious medical issues for my other half prevented that. But, here you go–so I can live vicariously thru you as you remodel and make those changes!! 😉 And, who knows…maybe one day I can rent it for a week. I love Black Mountain and that whole area. Congrats to you and what a great wife you are to help your hubby now follow his dream. That is very special!
Anita – that is so exciting! I use to live in Asheville and love the area! I am currently renovating a non descript house on Hilton Head Island to use as our winter retreat and then use as a rental in the summer months. Am facing your dilemma as to how to make it wonderful for me, yet suitable for renters! I will definitely be tagging along on your journey! Congratulations!
Still figuring that out myself Barb. Thanks!
Very exciting and I am sure you made your husband very happy! Those views really are unbelievable! I am looking forward to seeing what kind of personal touch you add to the place. Luckily it looks to be in good shape and the kitchen is definitely workable. Even if you did nothing in there for awhile, you could still use it. Congrats and your newest adventure!
Shelley
I think this is great. One never knows knows how life works I’ll change. Slowing down and make dreams come true is important. I wish luck and joy. Have fun
Cindy
If anyone can put together a rental that can double as something you and Mr. CH will enjoy, it’s you! I have complete faith that it will be awesome, and I think it’s pretty exciting too.
I love this post so much. For so many reasons. It hits so close to home. We are at the “thinking of slowing down” age. We live on a ranch in the Texas Panhandle. 16 miles from the closest town. I dream of town. I get tired of dirty vehicles, dusty roads, etc. Over the last few years we talked about moving to town. I knew my husband would be miserable. About a year ago, he told me he wanted to build a new horse barn. I knew right then, if we did, we would never leave the place. My husband got hurt in October. The new barn was finished at Thanksgiving. I bought my husband a new pool table for Christmas to put in the barn. He is recuperated and so very happy right now. Such a faithful God to see us through health issues and decisions. I’m so thankful that I acted happy about all the money spent on the new barn. 🙂 My dream, though, is a place in the mountains of New Mexico to relax during the summer with our family. I’m hoping to realize that dream soon. You will never regret the decision to make your husband’s dream come true. The decorating will come and I can’t wait to follow along.
Congratulations! We just bought a summer home too. It’s on Lake Michigan. It’s at the very tip of the pinky! I am excited to see what you do with you blank canvas!
Congrats to you MarBeth!!
What an adventure. I had a similar experience at our lake house. The house was horrible. We sold it before I was ready and it was a huge mistake. That said, I have searched the last couple years for another property in the same area but totally changed my mind. I decided rather than be tied to one area I wanted to see the country. As much of it as possible. Instead I bought a huge motor home. It is a condo on wheels. It has everything I need to live in it but now I can take it with me. No hotels, no bedbugs, no inferior cleaning crew. We have had it for a year now. It has been wonderful. I do miss the lake house, wish I could have completed everything I wanted to do but I will follow your journey carefully. I still may opt for the mountain view too!
I’ve thought of that too. But we like to stay put, so for us, I think this is best. Enjoy your travels.
So happy for you! You will love love it. The NC mountains are wonderful. I have a place in Banner Elk, N C. I gad all the same questions you are are having. Everything will fall into place. Get to know some local people and they will point you in the right direction. Your place is pretty good, there are so many on the market that are terrible. Enjoy your journey, you’ll be glad you did this.?
Debbie
pS So many great decorating ideas for mountain cabins on Pinterest, I have a big Secret Board so pleople will not get tired of all my pins.
Debbie, I already have a mountain house board!!
Ohhh you will love it more everytime you go there. Rely on your rental agency for advice and let them do repairs they know all the best people. Have fun and enjoy the fresh air and view. It will eventually feel like home.
Great advice June.
Congratulations on the new place…I think it will be a fun place of memory making! I;m looking forward to seeing your adventure!
My father had a dream similar to your father’s. When he retired at 62, he took a job as a live on property ranch caretaker. We helped mom and dad clear out and sell their home of 30 years. They moved to a tiny house on a 450 acre ranch. Dad spent his days driving an old truck around to check the fences and put out feed for the deer. He fished in the ponds and took naps in a hammock under a giant pecan tree. Dad got to live his dream for 1 perfect year. He passed away in his sleep at 63. I’m so grateful we encouraged them to take the leap and live the dream.
Smart man, your father.
I’m hoping to have those same challenges with our next home in a few years. I’m looking forward to purchasing an older home and making it my own. I’m limited to what I do in our current home, since I’ll be listing it in a few years. Have fun creating 🙂
Congratulations on filling in some pages on your book of dreams. Isn’t that what life is all about. The incredible vista will get you through the renovations, just think when it gets ugly (as reno’s do) you can sit out and catch a glimpse at the beautiful view.
Vanilla is a great base to start with, I know you’ll make it special.
Enjoy every moment of turning pages in your book of dreams.
I don’t think you’ll have trouble renting. I’m sure many of your readers will be excited to rent your new home, especially after watching you transform it. What a wonderful adventure. You’ll be glad you didn’t put it off.
Thanks Debbie. Yup, I just decided to take the leap of faith.
You are so wise. Wish I had your foresight and if anyone can make it work and be lovely it is YOU!!
Stay calm. Sounds like a great opportunity for your and your family. Never been to Black Mountains but maybe it will become a destination for me too. Best of luck… Go For It!!
Actually, it sounds like fun!! Enjoy the journey… 🙂
Anita, I am so happy for you and so inspired that you are soul searching and letting Mr. CH live out his dream too. I love, LOVE the mountains of NC so let me know when you are ready to rent the house out! I am wondering if you will do mountain style or French? I have always wanted SO bad to decorate a mountain home! Can’t wait to go on this journey with you. I also know what you mean about TOO MUCH TIME on the computer (said as I sit here at the darn computer:):) Congrats!!!!!
This is so exciting! I can’t wait to go on this journey with you!! P.S. My husband and I have just discussed doing something similar. Your leap of faith is very encouraging.
Yay Julie!!!
Congrats!!!!! My husband and I are building a retirement home in Pennsylvania, going off the grid, we hope, to save expenses, well water, etc. We will be out of the rat race. You will appreciate your new home, trust me.
Looks like the home is in great shape, just needs your expertise! Enjoy, looking forward to following your journey.
Thanks Maggie. Yes it is in great shape, just not to my taste.
Wow! I believe that God have a plan for your new journey. I believe that’ it’s awesome that you are open to the possibility of a new project . I
Am excited to see your progress from beginning to end.
Thanks Sandra.
I’m really looking forward to this as it gives me a chance to kind of walk the walk with you. My budget is tighter and my tenants (boys on the verge of teenagers) may be rougher, but I think I’m going to have fun watching you, using your book, and trying to figure my own stuff out.
Congratulations, Anita! It is going to be exciting to have a vacation home in such a beautiful spot.
I am very excited for you, congratulations. It will all work out and what a journey it will be,God is good!
I am so, so very happy that you made the decision to do this Anita…..as the story of your parents and in-laws, I know too many people who put off their dreams and never was able to realized them…A close colleague of mine and her hubby scrimped and saved and never traveled or did anything extravagant as when they retired they were going to build their big dream home…they retired and built their home, and as he was carrying boxes into his dream home, he collapsed and died of a massive heart attack…it was a total shock to us all…I can tell you many of these type of stories…So I say….good for you!!!…you need to sometimes get off that carousel of life…going round and round, never catching a breath….I look forward to seeing this part of your journey….We love it here in North Carolina and the mountains are just so beautiful…a place where your blood pressure is never high and the air is exhilarating!
Anita, the new place looks MORE than adequate to occupy/rent without much work. Go for his dream, you’ll work the wonders for yours. So wonderful that after all this time, you love each other so much and still making new dreams.
Seventeen years ago Hubs and I left our city home of 25 yrs, and BUILT a new house in a rural area, totally foreign to us. Our 1st new home and we got to help plan it. He had always dreamed of doing both – building and going country. CLOUDS in the dream. People thought we were odd, doing that … but after only 4 years there … we moved one more time. They really thought we were crazy then. To an existing new-build, even further out in the country. More land (grow-able), all one level and it just FELT BETTER (very important factor for both of us). It spoke to us immediately going in, even before the door was shut! Seems we’re rambler people (1 level living) who like clay over sandy soil. Oh, and the views here are MUCH BETTER!
So excited for you and happily await all the new posts to come!
Anita,
I am very happy for you and your husband and the approach and attitude that you have for this new chapter in your life.
Such beautiful country that you will be able to enjoy and share with us – as much as I love Texas-we do not have pretty scenery!
xo
Jemma
I m so excited for you! Ten years ago we took a leap of faith and built a summer home in Highlands and have loved every minute we get to spend there. There’s something magical abut the mountains. We love Houston and our friends here but it is no place to spend the summer. As for furniture your first stop needs to be Scott’s Antiques in Atlanta. It’s like Round Top with air conditioning. We bought almost all of our furniture there. It’s open the second weekend of every month. Google it and get a coupon. Good luck and have fun. Lynn
Thanks for the tip about Scott’s and we love Highlands.
Anytime you are in the neighborhood let us know, we’d love to have you come by for a visit!
For me the house was the easy part. The garden was the challenge. So much new to learn!
Lynn
How FUN! Congrat’s and I can’t wait to see what you do with this place!
Yes it will be expensive and yes it will be a hassle but what you really have, along with a beautiful view and a vacation home, is the realization that you have discovered the true meaning of life and selfless love. The stories of your Dads was very poignant and hit home. We have been struggling with the same questions and concerns about putting dreams off and maybe never realizing them, this brought on as we watch our best friend go into hospice and have his life end way too soon. I look forward to watching your progress and thanks for sharing such a personal story.
What fun, Anita! My sister and her husband are looking to retire to NC but I don’t really know what area. I’ll check and if it’s near you, I’ll be sure to give you a shout when I come visit them! (And until they buy, they may be looking to rent, so we’ll keep your place in mind).
I would LOVE to see you Sharon!!
Congrats! To the both of you, what a new adventure you both have ahead. What an awsome post .
My the Lord Bless you and keep you.
Thank you Pamela.
How exciting! I will look forward to following along. Our summer cottage is just over an hour from Black Mountain on a small lake in the foothills. There are several great bargain shopping places in Asheville which you may already be aware of: the Tobacco Barn, the Screen Door, and the Habitat Restore come to mind immediately.
Oh exciting!!
I am looking forward to following your journey with your new home! I am interested in possibly renting your home in the fall of 2016 or spring of 2017. Will you make available to your readers contact information when you have completed your work and have a rental management company? Thank you (in advance!); good luck as you proceed with your plans!
Yes! I don’t have a link yet, but I’ll be sharing it when we have it set up. It should be set up by April.
Congratulations on the new home in the mountains. I am happy your husband will live his dream. It will be fun watching you tackle a new home. We are fortunate to live just where we would want to be if we retired…now I just need more time to walk on the beach. There’s no reason to hurry through life…we all get to the same spot in the end anyway.
The Black Mountain area is beautiful, you will enjoy your summers there. Be sure to visit the Biltmore in Asheville while you are there (one of my favorite places). My husband and I had a rental cabin in the Gatlinburg area of Tennessee and we decided to furnish it simply because as you already suspect, guests are not as careful with your possessions as you are. There are several great antique malls in Asheville where you might find some of the furniture and accessories you’ll need. Also, Hendersonville is not far and has some good furniture and antique stores. If you have the time, furnishing a cabin can be lots of fun.
Yes excellent points and although we’ve been to Biltmore, it’s been years, so we do plan to go again.
How interesting this all is. My husband’s dream (and mine) for 40 yrs has been a second home on a MI lake where he spent his childhood summers. We just inherited a house there 2 years ago. The photos of your kitchen and bath could be twins to ours! Same finishes. So much needs to be redone! After all these years and many moves we live in a big dreamy watefront home in So FL and the problem is
I’ve gotten so comfortable in the big space and amenities. To really spend summers up north away from our business we need to downsize our FL home and I’ve been resisting giving up my lifestyle/friends/church because there is nothing reasonably priced in our area to downsize to so we will have to leave our town. Your post has given me much to think/pray about. Even though I follow your blog I do not share your design asthetic but I will be VERY interested in your house decorating since I’m leaning toward Lakehouse Cabin for mine. ?
Hooray, Anita! I have to say, I am really excited that you are taking a leap of faith -and fulfilling the dreams of your fathers. God planted the seeds in them, and now you are making it happen. I am so excited to see what you will do with this property. Truly. I cannot wait. French Country in the countryside of North Carolina, what joy! Take your time. Approach it as you did in your current home. You have outstanding taste and can take the time to mull things over. Allow yourself to be inspired again. You are also hearing the call to peace. This may be the very place where you find another quiet side of a writing life. That is my hope for you.
I loved meeting you and your husband at Marburger in Round Top. It’s so nice to meet someone that I read every day, as you become a friend. Congratulations on your new adventure!
Thank you so much Ginni!!! I appreciate your kind words and sentiment so much.
beautiful views Anita. I think the house is lovely. Knowing your wonderful talents this house will feel like a home before you know it. Many things in this post struck a cord with me. We have been living in our house for nearly 11 years now. That’s 9 years longer than we ever intended. We had originally built it to flip. Then the bottom fell out from under us all and we decided to stay. Hubby has an amazing veggie garden and often mentions how much he would like to have a veggie farm. I talk about a cottage by the sea. He built me a cottage shed a couple of years ago. I never want to be the reason people I love don’t realize their dreams. Life is to short. Enjoy make happy memories my friend xo
Anita,
Blessings upon you and Mr. CH as you step out in faith with the remodeling of your new house!!!
The view of Mr.CH’s knee speaks volumes to my soul, dear friend!!!
Let the process begin!!!
Cheers!!!
Fondly,
Pat
I think this is wonderful in so many ways. When our teenage daughters were both younger than two, Himself and I bought a lake cabin in Maine, his home state. I was worried that I would be committing myself to vacations in Maine. Turns out I was. It also turns out I love it! Our cabin (or “camp” as they call them) is not at all fancy; it’s fairly rustic, and even though I had design plans for it at one time, I find I’d rather relax, read, boat, kayak, swim, and visit with friends when I’m there. We’ve HAD to make some improvements over the years, such as raising it and building a crawl-space foundation, and it needs a new roof. But for us, it’s perfect for what it is: an entirely different lifestyle for a month or two out of the year. Enjoy your Carolina mountain views!
Sounds dreamy Ellen!!!
I am so excited for you Anita, Our dream is to move back to Europe. We have done a lot of soul searching before my son passed away and most certainly in the 6 months since. He had dreams that were never to be realized and he knew that.
Life is short and we don’t know what the future holds. God does however!
We visit as often as vacation allows. We know where we want to be and God willing it will happen after retirement. We truly believe!
Just wondering, when you say rental, do you mean like Airbnb or Vrbo type rental? Can’t wait to hear how this goes, it is a dream of ours. We’ve 6 kids and are only in our 30’s, but my 10-year vision is to have a down payment for a 2nd home. Time will tell if it will be a vacation/short term or just normal rental.
And….cannot say how loud your self-sacrificial love for your hubby speaks. It will come back to bless you in eternal rewards! Thanks for sharing your story!
Lea, yes it wil be a VRBO rental to pay for the expenses. I have a management company that will take care of the details for me, since we are out of state.
You are going to have sooooo much fun decorating and all. I can just see the changes in my mind. Oh, and it has some stone on outside. This is something you will never regret. Have fun. God knows what he is doing
Thanks and yes I agree!!!
Congratulations! I hope you love the mountains as much as I do. We sold our home in Florida and took a leap of faith, moving to upstate South Carolina. No regrets. Love it here.
Oh that’s a wonderful Molly!!
Dear precious Anita, how wise you are to love your husband in a way that he desires. Many women miss the opportunity. Whether or not any of his or, your dreams come to past, I am certain he feels the loving tenderness you offer him. To put your own ambitions aside in order to lift his dreams to the alter of God, is just wonderful and will build your bond together tighter and fuller than you recognize. You have truly shared love as Our Lord would want. Becoming one. Joining in the happiness of each others journey. What a lovely witness. Your children are watching your devotion to one another and that will be one of those unspoken generational lessons that the Lord will honor with a delicious fruit of marital joy. The house and renovations, while important, will never be as important. You have found within yourself a depth that will have eternal consequences. A living, breathing testament of spiritual and physical love. May God continue to bless you richly.
Thanks Cynthia. Relationships first, I so agree!!
Where was your father’s place In Oklahoma located? It looks wonderful!
Beth the place shown was my in-law’s place in Black Mountain, NC.
What an exciting adventure. I think dreams should always be followed… even when they seem scary and are based mainly on faith. Life is too short, so make sure you live for today. I look forward to watching this next phase of yours Anita.
Congratulations for taking the leap of faith. My mantra has been to not wait…what are we waiting for? It has been 3 years that we bought a second/vacation/income property home in Florida…we live, work, go to school in New Mexico. The “snowbirds” have lived in the Florida house longer (much longer) than we have. But I am so glad we bought the house. The market was right and yes, it’s tough paying for 2 homes, but we’re doing it. We only had $4,000 to furnish the 2 bed/2 bath home and my husband and I did all the renovations/painting…in ONE WEEK. Yikes! But it makes for great family stories! Enjoy the new home – can’t wait to watch the process.
http://doodlet.me/
Love the new place & views. We have the same type dream but is for a beach house, we live in Florida but not near the ocean. I think the place looks great, clean and newer. Suggest inexpensive update such as have an auto body shop paint the cabinet doors a color you like & you & hubby paint the built in cabinets to match, update cabinet hardware shop eBay or discount store for that & leave counter tops if you’re going to rent, they won’t care for it like you will so why spend the $. In bath remove the large mirror and put up smaller ones over the sinks and embrace the gold fixtures and use are part of the design. Buy used good quality furniture & paint it if needed so if & it gets ruined when it’s time to retire there you won’t care! So excited for you & may God continue to bless you!
OMG! The inside looks just like two rental houses we own. We bough each of them when they were new, way back when, lived in them for a few years then moved “up”. Now that retirement is approaching, we plan to sell our current dream house and move back into the one with VIEWS. You heard me, VIEWS! You can gut the inside of a house but it is very difficult to create views.
I have been planning this move for about 10 years so I have plenty of ideas about what I want to do to make the house into another dream house. Having lived in the house for 4 years I know what bugged me and why we moved. Funny, at the time, I had no idea how to make the changes which might have prevented our moves.
Older and wiser now! It will cost us about $100K but since the house is almost paid for, it will be worth it. Betsy Speert has an inspiring website where she shows what knocking out walls and adding fresh windows can do.
Good luck with your new house in NC. That is a beautiful state!
While we are renting it out I don’t plan to do much. I will get an idea of what works and what doesn’t. I don’t plan to remove walls, and stuff, really more minor stuff. Yes the views! Exactly what I said. I can fix this house up later. The house that was move in ready had NO VIEWS and I can’t add them later. You are SO WISE!!
Is your husband ok with the house the way it is now? If so, don’t be too eager to start ripping out the kitchen, etc. I wouldn’t be renovating while you are there to relax- that would defeat the whole purpose of being there. I think the kitchen looks very nice, better than 90% of most kitchens in the united states. I can see decorating in a cottage style or even cabin in the woods style. Remember, life is to short to be always wanting to update and remodel. Invest in comfortable deck furniture, outdoor fireplace, things like that, and enjoy those beautiful views you posted. Maybe I’m too conservative, but after reading your story about your father and father in law, just spend time with your family as much as you can. This old word is spinning way to fast for most of us. Make your new home a place of good memories that will last for years., not memories of plumbing and bathroom renovations, etc. Tell your hubbie that you want to make his dreams come true, too, just like he supported yours.
Vicky, no worries, we won’t be doing much until we actually start living there. Yes I want to enjoy today! Great advice. The views and the deck, that is why we bought this place and why we bought it now.
Congratulations to you AND Mr. CH! I am in the process of purchasing my pwn retirement home, also in NC. I will be leaving behind a three story, 3,200 sq. ft. house for a tiny, single story ranch. Can you say, ‘downsize?!’ I am embracing the challenges and hoping to enjoy this new adventure. ALL THE BEST!
Sounds like a wonderful adventure Bess!!
I have read your story and read all the comments and I am amazed that sooo many people have two homes! Hey! Why not! How wonderful to switch gears and have the best of both worlds! Life goes by faster and faster as we all know!!! My husband and. I too had a dream of living on a farm in Idaho outside of Boise! We are from Reno! Everyone thought we were crazy or they just did not understand ! We wanted space!! Animals! Country life! And this city girl turned country 2years ago at 56! I’ve got my chickens! Goats! Horses, a farm cat who stayed through the fields as a kitten who we adore and our dogs!! 26 acres ! Plowing the alfalfa fields, learning to can! A huge garden and orchard!!wow! Oh Wow! A dream came true! Built our farmhouse and still able to get to Reno every couple of months to visit friends and family! Only a 6hour drive! I’m doing things like walking my horses!! Really?!!! So exciting to LIVE LIFE to the fullest! Thanks be to God !! lOVED decorating my farmhouse!! My TRUE passion! Soooo GO FOR IT! Life is short!! Enjoy every moment!!!!!
Cindy I am so happy for you to be living your dream!! You Go Girl!!
Ha! You too!! Let’s just throw caution to the wind! And decorate! decorate!decorate! YaaaaaaH!
Dear Anita,
Reading about the purchase of your new home and your thoughts about family, time and dreams touches on my experience with a dream I had last night. In the midst of a “half asleep and half awake consciousness,” I was revisiting my childhood home on a “ranch” (as we called them in California) before the tech industry and the massive influx of people plowed over the orchards for state of the art buildings , 3 story condensed housing structures, shopping centers and giant home improvement stores. When I got out of bed this morning with the dream still vivid in my mind, I had a feeling of loss. Everything in the dream was so tangible that I could feel the dirt I had scooped up in my hands as a little girl playing in the orchard. All that natural beauty was gone, and with it the sense of connection to all that I had grown up with. I truly appreciate the gift I was given to have a childhood filled with beauty, and seeing the fruits of one’s labor. It is difficult to try and explain the loss to my 2 grown sons who were never able to truly see or experience it because the changes came about so rapidly. And that got me thinking about what I really wanted to do, and where I would really want to live now that the valley where I grew up is unrecognizable and not very satisfying for me at this stage. Thank you for expressing your own sincere thoughts because they remind me to keep the focus on the core message in my dream: to live life with love; to remember beauty; to strive to create and preserve both love and beauty; and to follow my heart.
Wow Kathleen, how well you expressed your sadness and feeling of loss. I hope you find your ranch with an orchard.
Thank you, Anita. It may be loss that I was contemplating today, but I have learned that it sometimes takes my experiences and remembrances to remind me to embrace the reality that change is inevitable and how I respond to change and my choices are what shape my experience in this lifetime. That realization is where the power lies, for acting on ones dreams brings them to life. As you mentioned, you would not want your husband to experience the loss of his dream. In this context the concept of “home” or a second home, becomes powerful. Our experience of home (or our desire or fantasy about it) is of learning, expectation, growth, and change. So when I read your comments about actuating dreams that may even seem irrational or impractical; and your comments about interior home renovations and decoration, I cannot help but translate them to our interior selves. That’s sort of where I was today. Thinking about beauty which seems to be what you aspire to, as well.
Congratulations Anita! I know you’ll make it work. This was such a great post in so many ways. It’s great that you are supporting the dream that Mr. CH has and trusting that it will all work out. I’m sure it all seems overwhelming right now. I loved your remark about have a million page views but where is time for family? You’ve achieved so many goals and dreams and I’m sure you will find direction in this new endeavor. Keeping up a blog and an interior design business is a lot of work plus writing a book. I have your book and absolutely love it! It will be so exciting to see what you do with the place.
Oh I forgot to mention that none of really knows how much time we have here on earth so we shouldn’t postpone all our dreams. Finding a nice balance between family, work, and relationships is what really feeds our souls.
congratulations! I am so excited to follow along. we love a sleepy little place along the Gulf Coast in FL and would love to find a place to rent out to pay for itself until we are ready to retire! Thank you for sharing your journey. I am excited to follow along!
Thank you Andrea.
Your new project sounds so exciting! Congratulations! I’m looking forward to following along as you update your mountain house. I think this is the second or third blog post I’ve read today about people leaping into second act, post-retirement projects. We are working on phase 1 of our retirement house a few states away (a tiny cabin), and all I can say is that in spite of all the hassle and stress, it’s so rewarding to see your dream take shape. Good luck and have fun!
Anita, I’m beyond excited for you an your family. We all will be waiting and watching with baited breath do you to work your magic. Have fun and enjoy the journey.
So excited for you and your husband! Our grandson was born in Black Mountain, and we live about 5 hours away. Can’t wait to see the transformation as you get it ready to rent. And you are a wise and loving wife to make your husband’s dream come true!
I am so excited to be able to “watch” you do your magic in this new house. I love renovation, French Country decorating, and I love your design work. I hope you post before and after pictures (lots of them). I can’t wait for you to get started! This will be so much fun! I wish you plenty of rest and lots of luck and help from our Lord above. I know it will be fantastic when you are done. Can’t wait!
We LOVE Black Mountain !!! Such a beautiful ‘artsy’ community. We have considered moving there for quite some time since discovering this wonderful place when my son worked and lived there. I’m sure you and hubby will find it a great adventure and make wonderful memories there. Blessings and best wishes. Who knows, we may bump into one another there sometime.
That would be fabulous Debra! We love the artsy feel of Black Mountain.
I believe God will honor your decision to prioritize what is best for your marriage (and for your life/work balance) and bless this next endeavor. Congrats and can’t wait to see some renovation posts!
Thank you R.
Congrats! Can’t wait to follow along for this adventure!
Thanks Abigail! We’re pretty excited.
Black Mountain is a very nice place.
Anita,
Was reading about the new home you bought and where it is, and all the reno and things you will be having to do and not sure how you are gonna do that from Texas, and just couldn’t help but think my daughter who lives in Asheville might be a good source for you. She is a realtor and she just finished up helping
one of her clients do things to her home, and the lady lives in Kentucky. The lady hired a $300 an hour decorator and my daughter. My daughter has managed and gotten all the work done and finished in early December……….the decorator has done nothing but get the outside of the house painted, and
that is still not completed, and nothing has been done inside yet by her people. They were commissioned to do the job back in september. So she has asked my daughter to help her do some other things in the house, so evidently she was very pleased with what she had done.
My daughter has had work done in her own home and uses only people she knows do a great job or
that come highly recommended from others in her agency. She is new to this, but it is something she
wants to persue as she loves managing the work. So just thought I would mention it just in case
you might be interested.
Congratulations on your new house, we absolutely love that area and love going to visit our daughter
up there………….we used to vacation there in the summers when the kids were younger. So think you
and your hubby will love living there………………..it will definitely be cooler than Texas Summers I think.
Blessings, Nellie
A new adventure, how exciting and to share it with us, well that’s a bonus xxx
Thank you Suzana.
I only started following you last week .but I love what I see.i am a lover of all
things French .I was a flight attendant for 35 years and Paris is my favorite city.
I can remember being there every Saturday for 2 1/2 years,while I attended Design
school during the week.i’m sure your new place will be wonderful whatever you do
My mom always said tomorrow is not promised live today.
Thanks Mary. Sounds so wonderful that you spent so much time in Paris.
Hi Anita,
I was very excited to read this post. My husband and I bought our dream house in Black Mountain almost 5 years ago. We are moving there (from Maryland) this summer. Our story has a lot of serendipity to it as well. I’m even thinking of starting a blog once we get there and we begin to renovate. Your site is an inspiration!
All the best,
Noelle
Hope I get to meet you Noelle!
Welcome, Friend!
As an East Tennesseean, my home faces the same views you will enjoy- just on the other side of the “hills”. At my retirement leap, I found that these ancient worn mountains were essential to my plan; so downsizing and redecorating serves well. Black Mountain, Asheville, Hendersonville, Brevard and more are great mosey and poking haunts for “finds”, food, art and music. Hike and paddle them thar hills and streams- so-o-o beautiful! Again, welcome!!!
Carol
PS NICE fabric store in BM that I often drive to for drapery and upholstery needs!!
Oh I need to check out that fabric store. Thanks Carol!
Great potential, in every way!
I’ve been coming to the mountains for about 52 years, and just moved here last Aug with my husband. We live just on the other side of Asheville, outside of Waynesville. I’ve been receiving your newsletter, and pinning your pics, for quite some time. I might be getting a chance soon to do some remodeling of a century-old inn if our purchase plans go through. Coincidentally, I have been studying your blogs for inspiration – and now you are buying in the area!! I feel like “great minds …”
It is stunningly beautiful up here all year. One day you may get to enjoy the entire year for yourself.
Best wishes
Congrats Terri! We LOVE the area!!
Dear Brave, Talented, Loving Wife and Mother Anita,
How very fortunate that you found such a treasure in such a gorgeous location. I feel you will work wonders on those kitchen cabinets with your favorite chalk paint.
My husband and I live in Houston and absolutely love N.C. Our daughters have lived in Winston Salem and in Charlotte. We have been talking about escaping the excruciating Summer heat this summer. Black Mountain sounds like a perfect location, since we have visited Asheville and loved it. I would like to contact your property management company if you think your home will be available to rent this summer.
Wishing you all the best with this new exciting “nest building” adventure.
Thank you Patricia!
OH ANITA!!!!! I am so so excited for you dear friend! What a wonderful faith-filled adventure! And you will be closer to me! Maybe I can visit you this summer! xo
Good for you! I would keep that house really simple since it will be a rental, don’t invest much, just make it clean and functional. If I were renting a place like that I’d be outside a lot more than inside! Good luck!!!
When I first read your opening I had to laugh and thought those were my exact words recently. My husband starting talking about downsizing last year, my first thoughts – no way, I’m not moving again. After getting over the initial blow and the realization that this was going to happen at some point I started to slowly turn the corner. I said that I would give it consideration if I could find something that we could both live with. Our new house is being completed and we are to go to settlement this Friday. It has been a fast 2 months of picking everything from floor to ceiling and quite a few sleep less nights until the lights were out of boxes and the tile was down on the floor. We did a few upgrades but still had to work within a budget as I was gently reminded a few times. We currently have our home on the market and hope that the weather breaks soon and we’ll be making plans to move. So take this time to see what’s available, what you can and can’t live without. I did a lot of leg work and research and found the majority of my lights online some at 50% off retail so that I could “add” in some of the other extras. So embrace this time and opportunity and don’t forget to have a good time and yes it can be overwhelming but lead with your heart. I’m sure our contractor is now convenience that I have lost my mind, but I bet they will be using some of my ideas in another new build. Good luck with you new project, in the end make it your own!
Hi Anita,
You will most likely fall in love with NC. Originally from San Francisco area , I lived 50 minutes outside Seattle for the past 15 yrs. I worked like crazy 7 days a week and had a huge mortgage and hated the nasty weather. As a single woman almost 60 I decided to completely change my life. I knew I wanted to downsize my 2400 sq. ft. home and acreage. I shopped online for a home under 700 sq feet to simplify and find sunshine and a slower pace of life. I bought a sweet 100 year old farmhouse online in a town I had never been in my life where I did not know a person but for my real-estate agent. I sold my WA state home and then I packed up my Vintage trailer and loaded up my Rottweiler, a Rott-Mastiff, two Husky cattle dog mixes, a Mini Aussie and an orange cat and drove 3200 miles to a small mountain town in NC not far from Highlands. I pulled into my driveway last April. It almost took the wind out of my sails but I am still afloat and have never regretted one minute of this huge life change. Only wish I would of relocated to these amazing mountains earlier in life. The view, the weather, the streams, lakes and oh the people – so sweet. And I also had my tiny home towed here to NC. It is sitting next to my farmhouse. And I have not blogged in over a year. And I feel GREAT.
A bit of advice. Do not be in a hurry to get things done when enlisting the help of so called professionals here in the mountains. They are definitely on ‘mountain time’. I have just had to go with the flow and slow myself down to get on mountain time. You will learn just what I mean soon enough. But don’t sweat the small stuff. Also – you can get a lot of ideas on Air B and B. and sites such as that. Just look for home rentals in and around your NC home. You can click on pictures and see that even the homes with black bears and fishes and skis as the focal point for décor still get great reviews. Those that want to rent your NC home are not looking to rent a French chateau. You can always re do the décor when the cash starts rolling in. Welcome to NC.
Good for you! We almost bought a place in SC but the timing wasn;t right. I still think about it sometimes. Beautiful views. You have made the place lovely and welcoming.
I love all of your posts, but since I have a cottage in Burton, I’m partial to the Round Top Farmhouse posts!