A Really Big House

Last weekend I volunteered to take photos at a fundraising event for the station's new music fund. It was at one of the largest homes in town, built in 1926.

I grew up a few blocks away from this house and two of my best friends lived in houses across the street from it. At that time it was owned by the Diocese for the bishop's residence. Needless to say, we didn't walk on the lawn! We were afraid we might be roped into confession. I wasn't Catholic but it didn't sound fun.

But I walked BY it many times, en route to Lisa's or Mary's houses. And I always wanted to go inside! Who wouldn't?

So, while working a Friday night doesn't always seem like a good idea, this time I volunteered!

The two guys who bought this place around 15 years ago have restored it, quite faithfully. And, it was stunning.

Most of my photos don't really show it off well (partly because I was sneaking them in with my crummy little camera in-between taking nice little head shots of mostly-people I don't know with the station camera and trying to be charming, when I really wanted to peek in the closets.)

But you get the idea -- like this little fireplace in the sunroom with Pewabic pottery tiles. Pretty much everything in this house was authentic.

My photo of the grand drawing room was so bad, I won't put it up -- the light was stinky. So this is from our publicity materials.


This one looking out is a pretty terrible photo, but you can see the windows -- all the windows were like this. Lots of tiny little panes. How'd you like to do those windows? There isn't enough Windex in the Shop-Rite for that!

There were lots of bedrooms. Some of these may pop up again some Pink Saturday eons from now!

Most either had their own bath or one between the two.


This is the master bedroom (it's weird, taking pictures of someone's bedroom)...

(And I have to say, that part of the room with the bed was the small part. It was at least three times larger, maybe more -- with a full sofa, two oversized chairs, a fireplace, and plenty of room for a party.) And, a very large study adjacent.

And here is their bathroom (Now that's really weird -- sitting on the toilet shooting pictures of a bathroom!)

I loved these old radiators and fans in the bathrooms. They were in all of them.


And I think this is a hip bath. I don't really know what that is, except there's a line in a song from "A Little Night Music" -- "How could he slip and trip into a hip bath" (that seems wrong.)

Here's the bar. I think it might have been the chapel in its previous life. Or maybe a pool. Doesn't that part of the floor look like a pool that is covered? But rather "altar-like" in the back. Hmmm.

The kitchen photo was lousy. But at least you get the gist of the desserts. There were even staging areas in the kitchen. Now that's my dream kitchen!

Many of the rooms had oak paneling, as did the corridors -- and it was polished to a shine. The long corridor on the second floor was filled with nude drawings of one of the hosts. Must have done life modeling to get him through music school. Who knows?

Anyway, lest you should wonder if I asked if I could take these pix, the answer is yes. The only thing he didn't want photographed were the nude charcoals (about 15 of them). That was fine by me, but to be perfectly honest and not just proud of our art-kid Greg's work, Greg's life drawings are much better. More style and individuality. More depth and personality. I didn't mention that to our host, though. That'd be tacky. And he might take it personally, given he was the subject.

On the third floor was a ballroom which the host uses as a recording studio.

He has his own label, recording many of the artists performing that evening.

Our GM, the music school dean and LSO conductor (who is very cute -- I asked him who cut his hair, because I bug Rick about this every time we go to a concert. He gave me his wife's card!)

He also introduced his young daughter, who said a few words about music and was charming.

Then came the concert -- piano, viola, cello, voice, more piano. All wonderful.

Oh, I didn't mention the food. First sushi (being the sushi strumpet that I am, my world isn't big enough for too much sushi!), huge shrimp, marinated roasted asparagus, really fabulous baked brie with raspberry -- I've got to experiment with that one -- beef on bread rounds, much more. And desserts to die for.

So, now I can say I've been in that house. And it was amazing.

And I'm very glad I don't have to heat or clean it.

When I left, I looked back -- the lights were on throughout and it looked so very beautiful, magical, regal, like a fairy castle or a grand country home somewhere in England where Elton John and Prince Charles might hang out for a gig.

And all I could think is I bet they don't have a cat.