Superflossy Superfly Supergraphic

I'm taking a breather from publicly flipping out over the house hunt today, but that doesn't mean I'm not feverishly searching for inspiration just in case we do sign on the dotted line. It's a safe bet that whatever we buy will need renovation. Most houses we like were built in the 70s and have remained in museum like condition -- carpet, faux wood paneling, and drop down ceilings included. I found this sweet little apartment in AD and first glommed on to the walls, then moved on to the floors.

It would be really helpful if I read cyrillic so I could tell you who is responsible for this hottie, but I'm a romance language only kind of a girl. When I see all those squiggly lines, I just want to bust out my calculator and solve for X.

Damn you, American language skills! Who are you people? In completely unrelated news, I think I spy her underpants. Ok, enough with the non sequiturs. Back to the apartment.

Check out those floors! They look like cerused oak, but I'm guessing not since ceruse is apparently some kind of toxic lead based chemical. A two step stain and wax, maybe? Whatever the case, I adore them. Dark and sexy, but not overpowering. Plus I think they would hide dust fairly well. Bonus!

Those chairs... sucker punch to the love gut. I also like how there's no molding in the space -- everything is super crisp and clean, and the paint heightens the arty architectural feel. The floor provides the perfect textural foil.

So good. The color palette is uber unique.

Sorry this picture is wee (and that there's a weird cutoff letter at the bottom of the frame), but check out the spacey bathroom. So awesome.

What do you think about the floors? Do you think an ordinary house could handle this kind of wall treatment? Do you think you could be comfortable in a space like this?

Why isn't this place for sale?

Non Committal

Yesterday I may have come across as a little... wound up. Well I still am, but I'm also trying to relax so we can make a clear headed decision. This weekend it seemed we may have two houses to choose from, and then we had one. And then we flip flopped back to the other one. And now we have neither? Who knows... maybe tomorrow we'll be back to considering both. The problem is that Austin is suffering from growing pains. Excellent schools are probably being closed due to budgetary constraints. New schools may be built elsewhere.

Traffic has been rerouted to flow through neighborhoods we like, and a giant highway flyover may be constructed right behind one of the houses we fell in love with. Or maybe it won't. Should we gamble?

Thanks for listening, dudes. And for chiming in with your comments. Can I just tell you that I'm emotionally drained?

Right now this is all I dream of. Curling up in a fluffy white cloud and reading a classic novel -- perhaps some Anna Karenina -- would definitely put things into perspective for me.

At least none of the houses we're considering are near a train.

[Head Over Heels]

I'm Going for a Ride on the Crazy Train

How was your weekend? Ok, let me be honest: I'm not going to hear a single word you say in response to my question, because I am going insane. I did not have a sleepy, relaxing weekend. I did not take trapeze lessons. I did not even do the laundry. We did look at houses every single second of the day. While at first I felt confident that we may have a winner, with every second that separates me from the promising property my doubts double. Did I mention that I'm going insane? Why can't we just afford a house like this?

Honestly, as much as I like stuff n things I'm not an incredibly materialistic person. I don't actually require a house of this scope and grandeur (require being the operative word, here). We like our current house and love our neighbors, but we need a place that can grow with our family (jeebus, I am old). Here's a checklist of our priorities.

Needs: Good schools, another bedroom, within our budget, not crazy far from town.

Wants: Awesome architecture, lots more space, closer to town than we are now (hahahahaha!), financial comfort.

People who live in desirable urban areas, you know what I'm talking about when I say that the chances of all these things coming together in one affordable package is about as likely as a winged unicorn taking me for a ride over a rainbow and serenading me with a Foreigner song. In other words, it's an awesome dream, but it ain't gonna happen.

Let me summarize, thusly. Dream:

Reality:

$400,000 for a dilapidated disaster, wherein the roof has leaked all over the joint, the floor is rotting, the sunken bathtup is a death trap, the floorplan is a tragedy, the structure is built too close to the property line, and we are selling all our possessions to move into a house where will be forced to eat ramen for the next decade.

Great schools and fantastic location near town, though! Don't cry -- this isn't the house we're considering.

The state of close-in Austin real estate is abysmal. Remember this unforgettable house, one of the first we looked at back in 200freaking9, aka forever ago? (PS: that dent is still in our bumper). Those were the days.

Possibly maybe more news tomorrow. Right now I'm curious as to how you dudes prioritize your housing needs. What's most important to you? Please distract me from this hideously depressing downward spiral.