Kirsten Dirksen: Vehicles as Housing: 27-Square-Foot Mobile…
9 Easy Ways To Use Dark Paint In Your Home
Colin McGuire for AOL
Once upon a time, a family of four moved into a Columbus, Ohio fixer-upper with plans to flip it. Eight years and one baby later, this family of five has kept cozy and grown to love the place they call home.
In 2002, Tonda and Richard Adiansingh moved into their 1927 Columbus, Ohio home with their sons, Sterling and Evan. Sterling was just five, Evan was a baby and Brooks, now age four, wasn't even a notion. Richard was in the pharmaceutical biz and Tonda was a stay-at-home mom. They fell in love with this old house. Tonda called it "a diamond in the rough."
To their surprise, the refrigerator was nowhere to be found on move-in day. The prior owners "took" it, though that was not the agreed arrangement. The missing fridge prompted a series of kitchen upgrades which included buying new stainless appliances, installing granite countertops, refinishing the floors, adding new lighting and switching out hardware. They salvaged the wood cabinets and kept the paint color.
As they gussied up the house, Tonda began taking real estate classes. Aiming to resell in a couple of years, she and her husband made home improvements as high end as they could afford. Just as they were preparing to put their home on the market, the economy tanked, and they have since decided to lay low. Tonda, now a realtor, must demonstrate patience and Richard, now out of the pharmaceutical trade, is getting his MBA. So much for the best laid plans!
For now, though this family of five sometimes feels on top of one another, their life is here. Most of the action revolves around the long, galley-like colorful kitchen and the adjacent rooms. The flow of the house is such that the dining room, breakfast/office area and playroom are all connected by doorways or pass-thrus. Examples of the children's artwork is pinned, taped and magnetized to the walls.
The pace of everyday life multiplied by three boys and all of their activities equals some sense of chaos. Though Tonda has designated areas and baskets for stuff, countertops are often strewn with school papers and shoes get left wherever. In the big scheme of things, Tonda and Richard favor love and communication over constant clean up. "We really give our kids a voice," Tonda says. "We are in tune with them."
Reader comments (Page 1 of 5)
Love everything about this story. The family, the pictures of the family in and outside the house. It shows that the right priorities and a great sense of style can go a long way.
Replyloved this story, they seem so real, the house has a little clutter, not magazine perfect, love old houses with the little storage spaces, they have done a great job
And this made the paper, WHY?
ReplyWow, do you even remember "the paper"? The actual physical newspaper contains several different sections. In addition to the main section where you traditionally find what most people call "the headlines", there are special interest sections - sports, style, home and garden, etc. These latter articles are the ones most people choose to read or throw away based on their own interests. Obviously this article falls under one of those special interest sections. I find it amazing that you seem to neither remember how the physical newspaper was set up nor that you understand how to properly navigate the internet to avoid those sections in which you have no interest. Or, maybe you just like to "stir the pot". In the outside world, you must be the type who likes to talk just to hear the sound of your own voice.
you guys are getting desperate for news ,right
ReplyNews?......What news?
Wow it must be a slow week in journalism!
Replyvery slow news week I guess.
ReplyIts all very well...I saw no point in the article at all....Must have been a slow news day....And actually it reads like a study in sloppiness....condoning a cluttered ....unkept home
Replyso what's to "envy"? the place is a mess, think she/he would have cleaned it up for the pics!
ReplyI agree!
The place is not a mess. It is "lived in". Obviously you do not have kids.
Nothing to do but clean, huh? It must be very lonely there.
Look at all of the STUFF. There is plenty of room to ORGANIZE and PUT THE STUFF AWAY, but EVERYTHING is out in the open. It is dirty from grease flying in the air. I guarantee that under the clutter is deep down FILTH greasy oily grime. If you organize and put everything in CLOSED DRAWERS or containers you can clean up and disinfect your counters, sink, and stove WHILE cooking. The house would not meet a white glove inspection and due to the clutter I guarantee that this Kitchen has more germs and bacteria than a well used public toilet. My Kitchen has hangers on the back of cabinets, all items are in Marked Sealed Storage Bins and everything is put away on rolling inserts. The COUNTERS are clear before and after meal prep and preparation is fast due to my not having to search for items (ORGANIZATION) and having open counter space. Clean up is a breeze (put the items back that you used and wash the counters and cabinet fronts while wating for items to cook in the oven or on the stove, put the sponge in the dishwasher after loading it and a fast wipe of the counters and you leave a spotless germ free Kitchen that is ready to prepare another meal in record time due to ORGANIZATION. As for Ms. LIVED IN ... You comment confirms that YOURE A LAZY SLOB AND PIG and your Kitchen is full of germs ... you might as well cook and clean in your toilet.
And the point of this story is???
Reply4-11-2010 @7:31AM
Jerry said... And this made the paper, WHY?
4-11-2010 @10:10AM
J.J. said... News?......What news?
4-11-2010 @9:10PM
Rose said... very slow news week I guess.
4-11-2010 @7:46AM
jrgbarneyba said... you guys are getting desperate for news ,right
ALL 4 OF YOU MEANT TO TYPE "I AM GLAD THIS FAMILY LOVES EACH OTHER IN PITE OF THEIR LIVING CONDITIONS." E-mail me at tsherid6@aol.com
It was so refreshing to see a house that looks lived in and where family comes first over cleaning. The Mom cooking with her baby boy on her hip made me remember days gone by. The pull up bar in the doorway made me smile because my husband had one in his home growing up and even into adulthood he and his brothers would have to "do a couple for old times!" God bless this family...He has!
ReplyThank you for your positive report on this article. I happened to love it. We have 2 children and it is so nice to see a REAL family living in a REAL house. The mom did not do anything more than she would have if the reporters were not there. I LOVE THAT. Before you think of anything negative to say, think of your situation. My house is clean but not perfect. We happen to be REAL people too. She and her husband have their priorities right, family first and I think that is admirable. Please do not apply race to this. It is not about race. It is a story about a nice, happy family. Rejoice in that. Why does the news have to be about a single mom on drugs with many kids and Dad not in the picture. This is a nice, easy-going story about a real family.
Wow! I bet this family paid money to have this advertised. One good way to look at it.....the news is usually bad. If there was no news, that's good news. They could have found something more interesting though.
ReplyLook at those kids....They look happy and healthy...Those parents are doing something right!
ReplyWish every kid could have that experience. Thanks for sharing upbeat new instead of trash.