A lovely surprise

I love older houses. That used to apply to homes built only before 1940, but I've expanded my definition of "older" to include houses built in the 1960s. (And for the right 1970s house, such as the one friend Tammy is eyeing, I could be convinced.)

I love the "character" that abounds in these pre-war homes, though I'm not quite sure how one defines "character." For me, it's the woodwork, hardwood floors, built-ins, and staircases; I love the feeling of warmth and life that exudes from the beautiful moldings and quirky spaces.

Im this house, I am loving the front staircase, the little room that is my office, and the three fireplaces, all with oak mantlepieces. I love the built-in bookcases on either side of the living room fireplace; I love the leaded glass windows above them. I love the oak pillars that separate the living room from the family room (what was probably originally the dining room). I love the hardwood floors, the laundry chute. And I really, really love my little dressing room off the master bedroom.

Unfortunately, someone carpeted over the two main rooms downstairs. The foyer, office, and dining room all have wood floors. But they are new - they've been replaced. We've been keeping our fingers crossed that the living and family rooms have beautiful floors hidden under the dingy taupe wall-to-wall carpet.

And tonight, we decided to find out. The girls and I pulled up the grates and started tearing. We were not disappointed: The floors are gorgeous. They lack quarter round trim, and the threshhold between the rooms will need to be repaired to adjust for the transition between the old and new floors.

But we will have our dream: And old house with stunning oak floors. That's on our agenda tomorrow: Demolition. We'll be pulling up all the downstairs carpet.

I can hardly wait to do it upstairs ...