LA Transplant Finds Love in a Powderhorn Bungalow
Simona! A vibrant should-be reality star found love in an unexpected place: a 1924 craftsman bungalow.
She came to RF looking for something very different from the house she fell for:
“As a transplant from Los Angeles, I’ve had a tough time feeling connected to Minneapolis and as part of my adjustment / reaction I’ve been a bit stubborn / allergic / obnoxious / homesick. When I began the house hunting process, I was dead set on a tudor or finding the rare Spanish style bungalow in Minneapolis. I dreamt of arched doorways and original tiled bathrooms. I wanted something that reminded me of classic houses back home and had no resemblance to the more typical craftsman bungalows with lots of dark woodwork that are common around here.”
Well lo and behold, a perfectly preserved craftsman bungalow in the heart of Powderhorn stole her heart. The previous owners had kept originality in tact throughout the home and even uncovered the piano windows buried beneath drywall. Upon entering her future home, Simona was struck by the condition of the woodwork - the front porch greets you with its wood swinging windows, and all of the doors and trim in the house look as if they were recently finished by a master of millwork. The feeling of admiration she had took her by surprise. The original 1924 sconces flanking the dining room built-in, restored woodwork, double linen closets, and hardwoods throughout hold a history you can’t help but want to be a part of.
“As Georgi and I walked through, I saw a level of quality in the details that had been missing in other spots I had looked at online and in person - everything was so well cared for and then I saw a walk in closet, hardwood floors upstairs, an upstairs master bath, and two washers and dryers!! My attitude about craftsmans simply vanished. Georgi and I were taken in by the house and I felt a rare calm that told me - this is it.”
Embracing her constraints and leaning in to the steep but swift learning curve that is investing in a home, Simona shifted her mindset and quickly landed a gem in a tough market, seeing the value in a home that had been cared for many years by the previous owners. When the bones are good & the major systems are solid, it becomes all about the fun stuff, and that’s exactly what Simona is up for!!!
The kitchen of her new home is ideal: no pricey renovations driving up the home value. We even found the original kitchen cabinets repurposed down in the laundry room, ready and able to be brought back up to their first home in the kitchen. While perfectly functional in the meantime, the kitchen is a blank slate waiting to be reimagined. That’s the Rare Form way; sweat equity is the best equity, make it your own!
The main floor bath has an original tile floor, a surprisingly “cute” toilet, and a tub that could use a refinishing. Simona sees pink wall tile and gold fixtures, a nod to the tudor-era she originally set out for.
“I see the home as a metaphor for my relationship with Minnesota - I will inject my style and take up space as myself. I will fill the spaces with my beloved big, 80s post modern furniture (think Golden Girls and Pee-Wee’s Playhouse,) paint everything pink, fill that walk in closet to the brim, toss in two loads of laundry and somehow this will all go great with that big, dark wood, craftsman built in buffet. Perhaps the contrasts are a harmony.”
At her final walkthrough, Simona commented on how the stairs on the carpet was going to go - we swiftly peeled back a bit, starting with a corner and soon revealing perfectly preserved hardwood stairs underneath: a closing day gift for a happy new steward.
Simona plans on doing a future primary suite bath rejuvenation: the additional washer/dryer up here will go to make space for a soaking tub and the 90’s McMansion vibe will be updated with “terrazzo everything”. Adjacent to the bath is a walk-in closet, which she plans on outfitting with leopard print carpet & a chair shaped like a high heel shoe.
“What’s shocked me most about the house is how I’ve learned about myself. I’ve always defined myself by my aesthetics and am genuinely shocked to feel a connection to a home that sat so far outside of the constraints I had put on myself. Or perhaps, I’ve done the unthinkable and made a practical decision.”
While the rest of the house is ripe for decorating with her post-modern furniture and pastel-pink palette she plans on painting throughout - Simona’s basement was made for dance parties. From an already existing dance floor (complete with spot lights) and a generous ceiling height, she envisions mirrors on the walls and the freedom to move! Enter: final walkthrough dance session.
“After years of consulting therapists, energy healers, astrologers and tarot readers, who knew that a fabulous realtor would be the one to help me uncover happiness.”
Congrats Simona on landing such a fabulous home, we’re staying tuned for the next season of your reality show!
Simona is excited about the exterior possibilities; testing her green thumb and painting the blue trim her signature pink.