thorpe mountain
An essay by the home owner, Cassie Crooke
Our dream home materialized from the aftermath of our worst nightmare. We had just celebrated our one year wedding anniversary, and the purchase of our first home which was taken away overnight.
My husband, Travis and I had bought a real fixer upper, a cabin from the 1970's that would require a lot of love and elbow grease. We knew what we were getting ourselves into, with Travis' handy ingenuity and my experience in the interior design industry, we were confident that this little cabin would become our forever home.
During the renovations, we were renting a temporary place to live from our friends. One dark early morning in June, we were all abruptly awaken by policemen rapping on the door. They apologized for waking the household, but they were there to investigate a cabin fire, our cabin..was on fire!
It was taken quickly and even the first responders apologized, admitting there was no hope for our cabin by the time they had arrived. We would spend the next waking hours in complete shock, wondering: What the heck were we going to do? Where did we go wrong? How did this happen?
We will never know what happened as the case was closed, undeterminable. For the next two years, we would live displaced, meaning our home insurance would cover our rental expenses until we were able to rebuild a home. That was great and all, but we had no idea where to start. We knew we were handy, but building a home from the ground up was a little out of our comfort zone. Ultimately, we pushed on. Travis worked as the general contractor and piece by piece, we put our lives back together. Three years later, we are home!
When we moved out of our rental, our house had only passed a certificate of occupancy. The year following we worked every weekend to complete our dream home. Small milestones like caulking the trim and painting the baseboards had made a world of difference as we witnessed the slow but steady progress. Through all of the shock, stress, hours of labor, and weekends sacrificed to rebuild this home, we are forever grateful for the help of Rumor Designs.
The team had been with me from the morning I came in, on four hours of sleep to announce that my house had burned down just hours prior. They were saddened by the news, but more excited to get to work. They worked with us through multiple renderings of the home, playing around with the layout and the options of a truly custom home. In a way, our experience has been a blessing in disguise, and after moving past the guilt and weight of our situation, we became hopeful and excited for the opportunity to create something from scratch.
Without the help of Rumor Designs, I would have never opted to build my own home. The amount of options from the layout, to the materials, to the finishes, paint color, and furnishings, nearly made me lose my mind. Our budget was dwindling and my frustration was building. The team at Rumor became a strong support system of pseudo psychologists with a mountain modern design sense, pivoting to selections that suited our taste and our minimal budget.
Now, we wake up everyday with a feeling of gratitude. Our beautiful home is something we are extremely proud of, despite what we had endured these last three years. Every detail of our home works in synchronicity with our lives and has blossomed beyond our expectations. We were able to check off every item on our wish list and create a space that is clean, modern and cohesive. We are lifelong cheerleaders for the Rumor Team who has shown up with their expertise, dedicated and determined to help us realize our dream come true.
Designers: Rumor Design, Valerie Stafford + Cassie Crooke
Builders: Travis Crooke
Photography: David Patterson Photography
Home Automation & Design: Cloud 9
Tasks included: Custom Floorplans, Exterior Materials, Plumbing Selections, Lighting Plan, Tile and Hardwood Flooring Selections, Custom Cabinetry for Kitchen, Laundry, Office and Closet, Furnishings and Accessories.
