Terry and Sue Minshull assembled their residence in 1964 for $19,000. It was a stretch for the young couple, who weren’t sure they could keep up with the 102 monthly mortgage payments. Forty-nine years after, they’re still pleased with their choice. Whoever says, “Sometimes I consider purchasing another house, but why should I if this house has always served us so well?”
The secret to their residence’s staying power has been constant change. “The house has changed because we have,” says Sue. As they appreciated seeing their Central California town develop through time, the couple remodeled every room in the house four or five times and updated the kitchen and baths. “We do all the demonstration and completing ourselves,” says Sue, “and we hire out for all the tough stuff in between.” The decades of hard work have paid off, as they enjoy every moment in their cheerful hilltop home.
at a Glance
Who lives here: Terry and Sue Minshull and their puppy, Cooper
Size: 2,000 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 baths
Location: Paso Robles, California
Sarah Greenman
Sarah Greenman
Terry served with the Paso Robles Fire Department from 1962 to 2005, beginning at age 21 as a volunteer and finishing his career as the city’s fire marshal. “We chose this location for our house because of the quick reaction time to the Caribbean firehouse,” says Sue.
Terry’s work motivated not only their decision in real estate, but also an expansive collection of vintage fire trucks, gear and firefighting gear. A painting of Terry’s uniform hanging around the firehouse wall is adorned with his chords and badge of merit.
Sarah Greenman
The couple houses their firehouse collectibles within an den equipped with display cabinets, glass cases along with built-ins.
Terry constructed a wall of built-in shelves that includes a desk that may be tucked away behind a rolltop cover. The white desk chair once belonged to Terry’s father, who used it in his Paso Robles paint shop.
Sarah Greenman
Antique hose nozzles sit. A mini horse-drawn fire wagon sits atop the coffee table also. Sue, who refers lovingly to the as the toy space, states, “That is our third bedroom, but we’ve never used it as you. It’s been Terry’s room”
Sarah Greenman
“If you had walked into this house in 1970, you would have seen gold shag carpeting, gold background and dark wood cabinets everywhere,” says Terry. These days the couple produces a serene atmosphere using a neutral palette and comfy furnishings. The gallery wall over the couch showcases paintings, antique mirrors and even a classic Autoharp and a vintage fire extinguisher.
Sofa, matching chair: A&R Furniture (currently closed)
Sarah Greenman
Sue’s favourite area of the house is a hearth she built with her father, Elvin Casteel, a stonemason who helped lay rock for the famous Madonna Inn in nearby San Luis Obispo. They hauled 13 heaps of Adelaide stone — unique to the Paso Robles region — to make the interior and outside of the hearth.
Chair: leather, Idler’s
Sarah Greenman
A trio of vintage fire hose nozzles overlooks the living room from a corner of the mantel.
Sarah Greenman
The dining room has seen many changes over the previous decades, including new floors, a cabinet remodel and the addition of a bay window. Sue is known for hosting large family gatherings; the table extends to seat 10.
Chandelier: Gibson & Co; area rug: Philips Floor Coverings
Sarah Greenman
Beautiful antiques in excellent condition are sprinkled all around the house. The Minshulls spent many years as antiques dealers and appreciated running booths in downtown Paso Robles. A wooden duplex shares room in the dining room having a classic icebox.
Wall paint: Oyster, Kelly Moore; hardwood floors: Williams House of Carpet in Atascadero, California
Sarah Greenman
The kitchen remodel included a complete overhaul. Countertops, floors, cabinet faces, taps and fittings were all updated. The cabinetry over the bar has glass doors on both sides for simple access from both the kitchen and the dining room.
Cabinets and trim paint : Pearl White, Kelly Moore; countertops; granite
Sarah Greenman
The Minshulls love living in the heart of California’s Central Coast wine country; Terry assembled a handy wine rack into the end of their kitchen bar.
Bar stools: Kohl’s; floor tile: Granite, Home Depot
Sarah Greenman
The bright master bedroom mirrors the living room’s natural palette. A black Windsor chair sits in a bay window overlooking the backyard. Above the bed hang silhouettes of this couple’s two brothers and three grandchildren.
Sarah Greenman
Visitors may see the outside of the Adelaide stone hearth near the entry, in which a rickety wagon holds rustic birdhouses and potted ferns.
Sarah Greenman
Sarah Greenman
Victorian-era wall plaques dot the outside of the house — a reminder of a period when fire departments had been independently owned and could react only to fires in houses that were protected by insurance. Plaques were mounted onto the fronts of houses as a indication of that insurance.
The Minshulls invest a lot of time in their backyard, and spring brings a profusion of blooms.
Sarah Greenman
Sarah Greenman
The rear deck enjoys commanding views of Paso Robles and the Salinas River beyond.
The Minshulls have changed the rear of the house, after a steep mountain of weeds, into a rock garden full of trees and trees. A shed keeps their gardening gear tucked off.
Sarah Greenman
Along with working on the Paso Robles Fire Department squad, Terry also served on the city council. After he retired from politics, the town gave him one of the downtown parking meters, which now sits on the rear deck.
Sarah Greenman
When the Minshulls built their house in 1964, it was the only house on the mountain. However, times have changed, and they now talk about the hillside with a great deal of brand new neighbors. “We’ve sat up here for the past 49 years and observed the entire town develop. We love our neighbors!” Says Sue.
A long hedge of white bank rosebushes traces the side of their property.
Sarah Greenman
Whoever has trained ivy over an arched gateway, which greets visitors as they arrive. A little potting shed is tucked behind a vintage hydrant on wheels, a gift from a friend.
Sarah Greenman
Terry and Sue unwind in the backyard they adore and look forward to celebrating 50 years into their house in 2014.
See more photographs of the house