Occasionally, major life changes work out so well for people that they find themselves wishing their decisions had been made a lot sooner.
Such is the case with George and Dolores "Del" Mickolite, who, six months ago, moved into their lovely residence in the retirement community of Oak Crest in northeastern Baltimore County."If it's in the back of your head, you gradually move toward it," said George Mickolite of a lingering notion that change was due and the time had come to act.
The couple received an Oak Crest advertisement mailing and decided to visit. They liked what they saw and wanted to become a part of the "community." The process of downsizing, the sale of their Harford County home and their move into Oak Crest was simplified by the community's realty and moving services.
Today, the couple could not be happier.
"We decided we'll do everything we did, only in a different location," continues George Mickolite, 75, a retired Glenn L. Martin Co. engineer.
Without the hassles of shoveling snow, cutting grass and myriad home repairs, the couple enjoys their dream home and the new chapter it affords.
With 1,100 square feet of living space, their open and brightly lit residence features a large living and dining area, galley kitchen, master bedroom and a second bedroom that, with the presence of a floral covered daybed, serves double duty as a den. The couple's Colonial-style dining room is situated just beyond their front door, adjacent to the kitchen. Crafted in pine wood, the suite features trundle legs on a 6-foot dining table that can be expanded to 8 feet with the addition of a leaf. Windsor-style chairs sidle up to the table, with a large hutch and buffet completing the set. Unique to the room is the presence of an authentic oak icebox, an heirloom piece from George Mickolite's grandmother. The box's interior reveals bottles of liquor, making for an ingenious portable bar for guests' enjoyment.
The living room decor, traditional in style, shows off the only pieces of furniture bought specifically for the condominium - a pair of blue upholstered wing chairs. Positioned at either side of a large picture window, the chairs offer a comfort that is second only to a great natural source of back lighting for reading, or working at Del's favorite hobby, cross-stitch.
The large master bedroom showcases the only break from the home's pine furnishings - a walnut bedroom suite in Danish-modern style, popular in the mid-1950s when the couple married.
As George and Del Mickolite, each dressed in Ravens shirts, prepare for a visit from their son and daughter-in law, they talk about the social aspects of the communal lifestyle they enjoy beyond their home's front door.
"We both like people," Del Mickolite said enthusiastically. "They're interesting, well-traveled and funny."
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Making a dream home
Dream element:: The home of George and Dolores "Del" Mickolite is one of more than 1,500 residences on the scenic, 87-acre campus of Oak Crest, an Erickson retirement community in Parkville, Baltimore County. Outside the front door of their home, they are just steps away from indoor shopping, a fitness center, a salon, bank, classroom and an in-house TV studio, where residents and technicians produce the show "Good Morning Oak Crest." A slightly longer stroll down hallways takes them to the lobby of a clubhouse, one of three in the community. Here, they can enjoy the lodgelike decor of a grand common room, complete with roaring fireplace, or the library, restaurant or billiards room. Del Mickolite likens their life at Oak Crest to "a cruise ship that never leaves the dock."
Design inspiration:: The Mickolites, with the help of an Erickson personal moving consultant, downsized considerably before moving to Oak Crest. They were advised about keeping what mattered most to them after 44 years in their large Harford County bi-level. "We brought our home to our new home," George Mickolite said. Their interior decor consists of pine - traditional pieces, perfectly scaled to the home's 1,100 square feet of living space. Furnishings include treasured collectibles such as Hummel figurines, a miniature crystal collection and oil paintings and watercolors done by Del Mickolite's sister and mother.
Personal touch:: Del Mickolite's cross-stitch pictures are hung throughout the home. They include three cat designs, a map of Maryland, a stitched tribute to the first moon landing in 1969 and a somewhat faded stamped design worked when she was 6 years old. Several family photos are hung on walls and displayed inside shelf units. One photograph in particular catches the attention of visitors - a framed wedding photo with handwritten wishes on its wide mat from friends and family that attended the couple's 50th wedding anniversary celebration.