The Hopkins House

All 882 square feet three weeks after purchase in 2005 -- clearly this is a work in progress.
New photos are forthcoming in 2008.

Welcome to the neighborhood, Canal North

The Southern approach.
Built on spec by Ralph Haver in 1946, sold promptly to Mr Edward and Dr. Doris Hopkins of Chicago.

Classic early Haver entryway.
The previous owners' succulents will stay for now until I figure something else out with my own plants.

My digital camera isn't enough wide angle to capture the entire lot.
On the left there's the huge extra side yard and climbin' treehouse on the gargantuan bottlebrush tree out front.
A few of Dr. Hopkins' original rosbushes survive on the right, toward the chimeny.

A closer look at the sideyard.

A family favorite hangout, abandoned the morning after a party.

The back 40 standing in the same spot.

More of the back 40, now looking out onto the Wasteland 1/4 lot in the distance.
The red brick building in the distance is one of Ralph's workshop sheds on his first property next door.
The building backs up clear onto the property line.

The Wasteland as shot from the alleyway. Soon to become the tragic MoPhoSinkHo.
Also may be known as the Addition.

The inner court, which has since been shored up and bermed from the irrigation beyond those hedges.

180 degrees around from the last shot is the laundry room and gardening area, which is a total wreck
since we moved all my stuff in. Four original interior doors lean against it, all turquoise, and one of them
floor-to-ceiling louvered double saloon style doors. Dr. Hopkins used these to separate the livingroom
private practice from the kitchen.

Salvaged concrete islands lead from the laundry to the Wasteland, rising well above irrigation floods.
The tortoise hutch on the right was finally demoed in 2007.

The tangerine tree outside the kitchen window on the left.
Intense frosts in 2006 /2007 ensured this was the last year for this tree, and it was removed in Fall 2007.

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Reset, rewind, and resume tour at the front door

We applied our own film frosting to the front door for under $20.
It looks swell at night, illuminated from behind. Most plants have been removed.

Enter the living room, totally mishmashed with our previous home's oversized furniture,
looking out through four floor-to-ceiling glass walls to an enclosed porch with galvanized corruegated walls.
The four panels are truly the best feature of this home's opening impact.
This porch area used to be open air, and we will open it back up after building out.
Nevermind the media center at left. It is a total stopgap and the last thing on our minds.

A built-in storage feature that the Hopkins' orignally had with a cabinet door, now opened up.
Previous owners Tammy and Dave are the brilliant minds behind the pitch black fireplace.
Chair (since everyone asks) is Ikea from four seasons ago. A wideload Eames interpertation.

Authentic fake midcentury ceramic "wood" for gas fireplace.
Blonde wood is featured here, but in case we are ever in the mood,
we have a Walnut version out back. Courtesy of Tammy & Dave.

You can't cross over the threshhold into the rest of the house without greeting our own family pet.
Note the additional built-in display/storage that runs floor to ceiling.

A sharp right past the pet into the galley kitchen, standing at the heart of the house, the breakfast table.
Curtains have been removed to let the light flood in.

View from the kitchen window out into the courtyard.
This photo does not even begin to give the view justice.
Countertops and sink are a stopgap until final decision is made.

Tammy & Dave saved this original tile from the kitchen countertop before they demoed it,
and Alison shadowboxed it. This sputnik design was dispersed among other plain green tiles.

Standing in the heart looking down a typically dark Haver Hallway.
Built in back-to-back pantry and linen storage are the volume on the left.
Ralph Haver was great about providing ample built-ins.

Our son's bright and sunny bedroom, which later is tamed down to blues.

The impossible-to-photograph bathroom. Its so small, its any wonder anyone ever got ready.

Hopefully this shot will give you an idea of how small the space is.
The only bathroom in the house. For now. Note the built-in tissue box. ;-)
This vanity area used to reside in a closet but Tammy and Dave cleverly reclaimed it
by punching the bathroom through and and reinstalled the tissue box in a new spot.

180 degree shot from the bathroom, the same dark hallway viewed in reverse toward the kitchen.
Much brighter depending on your perspective.

The screened porch studio. In 2007 we demoed the screens and cleared it out.

Looking from studio through heart and galley kitchen.

End of the galley Kitchen looking back toward dining for four, the heart of the house, and studio.

180 degree turnaround heading back through the galley kitchen to the butler pantry/mudroom

Standing in the mudroom, exiting now toward laundry room.

We are only three weeks moved in and clearly this is a work in progress.

2005