Homes to the Max

Doesn’t this Victorian fixer-upper remind you of a dollhouse? It’s in Marlin, Texas, on the market at $170,000, and has every old house feature you could possibly dream of — a generous front porch; stained glass windows; a grand staircase; original millwork throughout… I’m sure I’m minimizing the immense ammount of time and stress (not to mention money) it would take to restore this place, but I can’t help imagining how fun it would be bringing this place back to its former glory. Don’t you think that exterior is begging for the painted lady treatment? I’m curious to hear what you all think of the walls — The purist in me says replaster them all. But I can’t deny that the original, exposed ship lap is kind of gorgeous! Maybe I’d keep it for one room…

For a closer look, check out the listing at the link in my bio. Address: 445 Agnes Ave, Marlin, Texas

Preview: I was driving down a country road in El Paso, Illinois (did you know Illinois had an El Paso??) and this dilapidated, Victorian mansion — which once housed a motel and popular local restaurant — caught my eye. So, naturally, I had to do a deep dive on its history!

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📍Trixie’s Antiques, El Paso, Illinois

This is my FAVORITE kind of antique store. I love a good, curated experience as much as the next guy, but I ALWAYS prefer a good dig. Nearly every square inch of this place is PACKED with fabulous vintage furniture, architectural salvage, old signage, and much (much!) more. I cannot reccomend this place enough, especially for larger pieces of furniture. The prices (to my Chicagoan eyes at least) were shockingly low, and the owners were super nice, and seemed very willing to make a deal.