House Style Changes with City Changes

I am a house stalker.

I have mentioned how my favorite past time is driving around looking at houses.  My husband hasn’t always been on board with this, but now that we have kids, he is thrilled because they usually fall asleep on the drive, giving up time to actually talk without being interrupted.  Or being glued to our phone / ipad / computer.

Calgary homes are very different from the houses in Idaho Falls, where we lived before moving here.  In Idaho Falls, the homes are usually one level and a basement.  They are wide, with pretty large lots.  In Calgary, its like the homes have been flipped.  The are smaller from the street view, but the houses are about the same size.  They just run front to back, rather than side to side.

For example, this was our house in Idaho Falls:

We only lived in that house for a year and a half, so we didn’t get a lot done with it (ignore the black of yard work).  However, the house itself has way more character with the arched window, shutters and brick.  It had potential to be so cute.

This is our house in Calgary:

They are both great on the inside, but I feel like the Idaho Falls home had way more opportunity for curb appeal. We only lived in that house for a year and a half, so we didn’t get a lot done with it.  However, the house itself has way more character.  For our current home, which has been changed somewhat since moved in, the best curb appeal boost I could do would be to update the garage door.

A garage door is often times the focal point of the exterior of a home from the street view.  Updating the door to something contemporary would be a dream of mine.  I love the glass contemporary doors I see being updated in more suburban homes lately.  Glass garage doors are making appearances in living rooms to create an large open outdoor / indoor living space.  If you have seen the Novogratz’s home on either their Bravo or HGTV show, their living room has a glass garage door.  This is genius because the glass allows it to be a wall of windows when it is closed, and an open to the outside living room when the door is open!  If you are looking for a great source, check our garaga.