In The Raw

A boy I went to grade school with went on to open a wonderful sushi restaurant in Tulsa called In The Raw.  I love all the thoughts and images the phrase "in the raw" conjures up -- most of them are basic and primal and darkly intriquing!

My "in the raw" may not be a delicious as his, but I think it qualifies as basic, primal, and alluring.  It's the vintage, one-car garage at Taylor that's in a very raw stage right now.  Ok, so that may not get your motor running the way it does mine but I hope that when I'm finished with it you might feel differently about that!  I have plans to make it a cute little guest house!

Let me show it to you as it is now.  I think it is just positively quaint -- a throwback to a time before automated overhead doors and slick three-car garages.  This little garage was added sometime after 1932 because I have a  photo of the house from 1932 and the garage wasn't there then.  I think it's safe to assume it was built in the 30's sometime -- in the era of "a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage".

I love the vines too.  I know most people hate vines and rip them off.  I know they might damage the structure or the surface, at least, but I LOVE vines!  Actually, I love anything that will grow with abandon all by itself because I always seem to forget that step about how plants need water!

Here is the side view of the garage. Picture a set of french doors in the middle opening onto the yard (that tire would be gone too, of course!) and maybe some sort of pergola over a little outdoor sitting area.  I'm sure I can find some brick or stone to pave it with.

And  here is the inside.  I think it has really good bones and wonderful character!  I plan to make a built-in king-size bed (I already have a free king size mattress) on the far wall (maybe with curtains to separate it off) and then put a sitting area in the middle facing the french doors. 

                                              

All the details and finishes remain to be decided but I have a definite vision of how wonderful it will be and, if I do say so myself, the end product of one of my visions usually tends to be even better than I'd envisioned! 

Task number one:  find free french doors!  Too bad I already passed up a set I saw in a dumpster.  They were just a little challenging to remove from the dumpster at the time!  But there will be more -- wishcraft always seems to have a way of taking care of it!