The living room is bright and yet cozy with its large windows, neutral palette and plush seating. Carefully placed winter and holi- day decorations sparkle amidst everyday items.
“Our biggest goal was to find a house that our children could grow up in,” Brooke said. “Some- where we could grow roots.” After living most of their lives in cookie-cutter suburbia, Brooke and Justin were ready to try something different. The family often spent their Sunday afternoons driving around town together trying to find their perfect family home. One day they came across an old, boarded up brick house near downtown Liberty. It just so happened that a family friend had purchased the house and planned to renovate it. At this time, the house had been vacant for 10 years—and it showed. Once they were convinced to take a tour of the house, Justin bit the bullet and took the first look while Brooke waited in the car with the kids. “It was pretty scary looking at first. It was dark, dingy, and just wood and bricks. I remember him coming out and his eyes were huge,” Brooke said. “I thought ‘oh, gosh, that’s either good or bad.’” It was good. About a month later, all of the papers were signed and the house was theirs. Then the real fun began. The entire house was updated according to historical codes in order to preserve the
22 vintagekc winter 2015
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