inspired by melissa’s drive-bys.
on our trip to chicago we drove through hinsdale.
craig used to work in this town.
he got to look at these absolutely beautiful homes everyday.
so much detail and creativity in architecture!
so much detail and creativity in architecture!
oh this one was so very perfect.
i love the garden.
loved the porch and colors.
loved their garage and play area (not pictured).
we took a bunch of pictures of this and even backed our car down the street.
we drove around quite a bit and filled our heads with ideas.
so beautiful.
so beautiful.
tara pollard pakosta - I absolutely LOVE HInsdale! could NOT afford to live there, but I LOVE older homes!!!!! You probably won’t get this since this is an older post and I am searching through and reading and looking at all your old pix! love your blog so much!
tara
Tom - Just read this blog, and had to comment, since I live in Hinsdale, 2 houses from no. 7 and 6 houses from no. 2 in your picture order. Great town, but I live here for the schools for the kids, and the quick train to Chicago. Unfortunately no. 4. the pretty grey and white one, was recently torn down after selling for 1.5 million. I like the way you say that you like the rebuilds, but would not photograph them. Glad your visit was nice, come back whenever !!
margo - I ran across your blog recently and LOVE IT! But one of my friends who also has become a fan of your blog told me I had to look back because, I grew up in Hinsdale. My parents also grew up there too and still live there. I love it more than anything in the world(although I love living in Birmingham,Al currently) But the best part of this post was that the third house was my mothers house growing and the last one was redesigned by my uncle who is an architect in Hinsdale. The best thing about Hinsdale is that it really is a small town family orientated person, I could name the people that live in everyone of the houses you pictured. So glad you enjoyed it and love your blog! Your house is just as beautiful and would fit in Hinsdale!
Natasha - No, these homes definitely come across as HUGE. I can’t imagine how unnecessarily big the other new ones are. Huge environmental footprint when people do that. I’d like a bigger home but the bigger it is the more stressed out I feel about cleaning it. Number 3 was probably my favourite because I love brick and stone but your favourite is one of mine too. Needs more texture or colour somehow, though.
Kari - Okay, I’ve read your blog several times and have finally decided to leave a message. I’m not quite sure how this blog message stuff works, so bear with me. I can relate to you in so many ways. I love antiques, although I don’t really have any. I have four kids (totally know about the piles of clothes) and I love crafty stuff. Your crack me up. I feel so good knowing that I’m not the only mom that loves their kids to pieces but is so glad school started again. I love, love, love old houses. I’m the “crazy” girl that stopped by your house about a month ago to tell you how absolutely gorgeous it is and to ask if it would be okay if I came back sometime and took some outside pictures of it. (Your husband told me there were pictures of it on your blog.) I felt like a complete nut ringing the doorbell and my kids all thought so too. However, after reading this blog I don’t feel so bad. I’m actually quite relieved to see that other people do the same thing I do. My husband is a builder and we are getting ready to build a house and since I can’t find an old house for sale in the small town we live in that’s big enough for my family we’ve decided to do the next best thing and that is build a new house that looks old. I know it’s not the same, but I’m gonna have to settle. I’ve been looking at late 1800 and early 1900 houseplans. I love old four squares. Your number four house picture is my favorite. Anyway, thanks for sharing.
Shanan - Oh my! I could move there tomorrow. Thanks for sharing those beautiful homes with us. Just gorgeous! I love the white one with the wicker furniture on the porch. I can just picture myself rocking and sipping lemonade!
Stephanie - I love these homes. California has very few places like this. I live near the “Fabulous 40’s homes in Land Park, Ca” – beautiful homes where even President Regan lived at one time. Still nothing compared to your pictures. Below is a website with some homes in Pasadena, Ca. Well, I enjoyed your pictures so much! Thanks!
http://www.historichighlands.org/Historic_Highands_Home_Tour.html
Lanny Stanard - Megan, these are a dream home for me maybe someday! LaNnY:o)
creole wisdom - I have died and gone to heaven. I love BIG old houses, and grew up in Mpls so that’s why ; ) I love Chicago, mostly Oak Park with all the Frank Lloyd Wright.
Oh, and I am new to your blog- found you through Redmittens- looks at your house album… I am in LOVE.
I’ll be dropping by from now on : )
xoxo
Katie
Queenie Bee - BEEutiful my friend! “There were no kids playing” makes me a little sad though. I love balance…A beautiful home that houses beautiful kiddos…you know…a Wally & Beaver neighborhood on a much grander scale. YEAH! That’s where I want to live!
THanks for taking us along on your ride!
chris - Totally unrelated but I am curious , do your children watch a show on the cartoon network called Total Dramam Island ?
Chris
Amber - Beautiful homes. Fun to look at and dream 🙂
Jen - Ahhhh the joy!!! Maybe all the women who live there are Stepford Wives and only come out when programmed too. 🙂 That just makes me feel better that I can’t live there.
nora - I love your blog. Your home is beautiful! Your family is gorgeous. Kansas seems like a great place to raise a family.
I wish I had 1/100th of your energy, enthusiasm and creativity!!!
Thanks for sharing your world with the world!
meg duerksen - guess i was wrong about some….
oh well.
i just figured they were updated.
it must be nice living in hinsdale. it’s so pretty and lush everywhere you look. beautiful.
erin {thevintage pearl} - thank you for visiting! I love your blogs and your pics are fab!!! So fun to look at! Your family is adorable 🙂
nora - Okay, so I came out of lurkdom to leave a comment because I live near here!!!!!
I used to think that you could not combine the charm and character of an older home with the modern convenience and layout of a new home. But. I was wrong. You can. It will just cost you a gajillion dollars.
I know for a fact that two of the homes are newer homes. I watched them go up. The are still teardowns, although not McMansions. Beautiful new homes with all the character and charm of an older home. I guess you can call it teardown done right!
And, one last comment on ‘where have all the children gone!?’ This is August in Hinsdale, everyone is on vacation, or at their lake house!! Just like Paris, Hinsdale is deserted in August!!
carissa - i have always wanted an old home with a big ‘ol front porch!
dream… i will dream!
sooooo pretty those homes!
traci - wow – those are gorgeous homes – i mean estates. i think the 4th one is my favorite.
Allikayes Mama - I love the old porches and eaves!! You could show your beautiful house too!
munchkinsandmusic - You crack me up! I haven’t heard of a tween-aged girl yet! Those houses are great by the way!
Jenn Thomas - those homes just make me drool! There are
several that I would take in a heart beat and to have a maid – even better. Great
pictures meg. Russ and I like to dream big about houses – inspiration.
amy d - I love the last picture, how they spelled out the address on the house, i may have to steal that idea, when….if, we ever get our porch done. hey, if i can’t add color, at least i can add character.
Liz - Wow… it might be heaven.
But seriously, all I could think about was the heating bills in a Chicago winter. Yikes.
katie - everyone is at work trying to pay for those big homes!
i still like yours the best. it has LIFE!
melissa @ the inspired room - Oh, Meg, you did a FABULOUS job on your drive by. Those houses are incredible! And as usual you did an amazing job of capturing the beauty in photos. BE STILL MY HEART.
But, you know, your house is to die for and I would pick it any day of the week. I only wish we had houses like yours to pick from here in the NW. No such luck.
Happy day to you.
xoxo
Staci - What a beautiful place! Those homes are absolutely incredible. The Money Pit—love it! Your house is every bit as beautiful and your family is way happier…I’m just sure of it 🙂 It’s cheaper in OK too…we wouldn’t be able to build our house anywhere else for this price! Gotta love the MidWest!
PamperingBeki - Those are beautiful! A few of them look like they could be in our own town. 🙂
And you’re so right, Kansas is much cheaper.
Suzanne - GORGEOUS!! In my opinion, from what I’ve seen what you have done with your home, you could go up against ’em ANYday of the week!
chris - I am in awe of these homes , drooling here, why are new homes so lacking of the this kind of character , things should have gotten better, my husband would never buy an old house , he is convinced they are all haunted , its kinda funny actually, I took him to look at an old home for sale once , he was totally opposed.
foreverfoldinglaundry - So, so pretty!
traci - I hear people say OFTEN they want NEW. Nope, not I…I HEART old homes that OOOOZ charm and these certainly do that. You dont even have to have a huge old home, even a smaller version oooozes charm. Each one made my heart sing. I love the fabulous details they have and you are SO right about the reproductions are JUST NOT the same. I wouldnt even need a gardener and maid…just my old home with CHARM!!!
Aubrey - Okay, I just watched The Money Pit trailer. (I hadn’t heard of that movie before.) Hil-AR-ious. I have to rent it and watch it with my husband and laugh hysterically–although we empathize on a much much smaller scale.
Aubrey - Some of those houses made my heart start to race a little–and oh, to have maids and gardeners. My little dream of heaven.