Old House Charm

Upon arrival, we were offered a great summer cocktail, a watermelon cucumber mint gin cooler!
  love this pretty display in the butlers pantry!

Is this not gorgeous?

Notice the German silver sink in the butlers pantry- a little jewel of a pretty sink!

Love the stained wood floors in the  living room.

The house is filled with interesting windows such as this leaded tall one in the living room.

Collection of old boxes look great with the stained wooden floor in this room.

Fabulous iron chandelier in the foyer.  Note the detail of the old iron handrail at the top of the stairs.

One of four cozy dens in the old historical home.

Dining room - take note of the fabulous ceiling.

close up of the dining room ceiling.

Wall fountain in the courtyard

another pretty feature in the garden

Love the pitched roof line of this old Tudor home - looks like it belongs in a fairytale.

There's just something about old houses that you can't create in new construction. It is as though they have a soul - a sense of always being there and knowing all the families secrets that have dwelled within their walls.  Last night, we were at our friend's - Debbie and Jim's home for dinner.    The home is one of my favorites - so charming and cozy.  With a newly renovated  gourmet kitchen and butlers pantry, the house is quite livable.  But it is the old details that really give it charm- the leaded windows, the stained wooden floors, the terrazzo floors in the foyer and the ceiling details.  The gardens are beautifully manicured and mimic the essence of a European garden.  I love  the way the ivy covers the home in the summer.  Only  a few steps from Lake Michigan,  the home is located   in a secluded  lovely neighborhood of historic homes.