Homes w/Soul

Thank you for the comments on my last post. 

The Dog's Mother - Kudos to your daughter! I am discovering more and more of her generation truly appreciate the craftsmanship which went into the old houses.

Mittens - I love to hear stories about people who have lovingly restored these glorious homes. Hubby and I have always been on the 'other end' of the house restoration - we restore the house and then end up selling it and moving on to the next one. This is the first time we have owned a house which has already been restored (at least 95%). There are some things we wish to do to give it that "POP". We want to restore the gingerbread around the front eave, upgrade the front porch light, new picket fence. 
All minor details. But then, The Devil is in the Details......

Soul-less Houses

There's a saying, "The Devil is in the Details". 
This couldn't be more accurate when it comes to the Victorian Houses found in small towns across the globe. It used to be main-stream thinking to demolish these old beauties and put up some under-engineered stick built dwelling. In many locales, these houses are seen as a boon to the community and they have been lovingly restored. In some towns, developers have gotten hold of these homes and have kept the exterior but have completely 'modernized' the interior. Tearing out and not replacing beautiful woodwork, ornate doorknobs, or other details which add to the charm, the Soul of the House. 
Those are the Soul-less Houses.

A house in Cripple Creek that was recently sold

The interior of the above house could be an apartment
or small condo located in Anywhere, USA

When gaming was established in Colorado. There was a new kind of land rush to the state. People focused on making a quick buck swooped in, bought up real estate (both commercial and private), and then did their darnedest to turn a quick profit. I understand that the commercial establishments had to do a fair amount of remodeling in order to bring old buildings up to the modern building safety codes. But I think that a little more care could have been taken in designing the brand new buildings so they blended in with the old ones a wee bit better.

Proposed expansion for a local casino

To me, the details say it all about a house. And all the people, who over the years, have left their mark on that house. Our house was purchased, along with several others, by a retired gentleman in the 1990's, not long after gaming was established. This man did his best to modernize these houses and yet retain as much of the old charm as he could. I commend this guy! And it is because of his attention to detail that we have a home with a Soul.

Original light fixtures (modernized) with embossed wallpaper on ceiling and walls, crown molding, chair rails all add to the original ambiance of the house