Bathroom

Where have we been in August? Why the long absence? Simply: we have been remodeling the only bathroom in the farmhouse, and by "we," I mean Grandpa Joe, Uncle Drew, Bob the Builder, myself, Anna, and Grandma Lis.

Ever since we moved in, we knew the bathroom was going to need to be replaced one day ... but the longer we were in the home, the more we knew the job needed to happen sooner than later. The plastic tiles on the floor were beginning to peel away from the floor revealing rotten wood and other un-pleasantries. Plus, we had done a quick fix on the original bathroom, putting up water-proof siding above blue tile ... then we tried to spraypaint the tile ... then, well, we knew we were beyond mere cosmetics.

So, about three weeks ago, the day after I returned from a wedding up in Michigan for two church families, we got into the bathroom and started demo work - taking the room down to the studs and tearing up about three layers of flooring that had been laid down through the years (when I was tearing up the final layer of wood-flooring I came across a newspaper from the late 1800's). Eventually, all that remained where four or five cross beams and a lot of space to fall into the basement.


I learned several things through this process: about subflooring, about denshield, about how absolutely nothing in an old home is to code and how nothing lines up as it should ... and eventually I learned how to cut, lay and grout a tile floor, which Drew pretty much did (you rock, Drew!). Meanwhile, Builder Bob and Grandpa Job did the majority of the plumbing. Thankfully, once the floor was completely removed, they had a tabula rosa to reroute all the pluming.


Then, late last week, Grandpa Joe put up the majority of the drywall, and I began to mud as I could. We also took a night to put in the new sink, the toilet, a vanity mirror, a lightbar and some additional storage for linens and things. While not completely finished, the job took just about two weeks ... and ...

Last night, we were able to give the kids their first bath in the new bathtub - making the whole process all the more worth it.

The Farmhouse

And the work goes on now into the third month. We've displaced family; we've scraped and sanded and painted and primed. And my father-in-law told me the last 10% will seem the longest. It is. It is.

But, bit by bit, we move closer to moving in. In fact, we're hoping to do just that this coming weekend. It is time - if for no other reason - to give Joe and Lisa their home back.

A wood-worker in the church came by yesterday and finished up the book shelves he had built for our bedroom. Fine work he has done for us ...

And Joe and Lisa worked their tails off on Sunday to put up laminated covering for the bathroom walls. The bathroom and kitchen now stand as the two rooms that await our attention. We are going to spray paint the blue and beige tiles that are at the base of the bathroom. And, tonight, we discussed what to do with the bathroom floor.


This is just a fun picture of a plant I picked up at Lowe's in Owensboro. Actually, I got two: one for Wyatt's room (pictured here) and one for our room. Turned out to be a really good score. Anna says these plants are great at nullify toxins in the air.


And ... the kitchen ... which we have begun to paint and prime and seal off. Friday, I'm hoping to use a spray painter to cover the ceiling in B-I-N's. That will be an adventure.


Feel free to check the album again to see the progress in the rooms.

Wes

Moving Out and Moving In

This past Thursday movers arrived in Owensboro to pack up our earthly belongings, and the next day they arrived in Greencastle to unload them at the farmhouse. It took a great deal of work in the final week to prepare five of the rooms in the farmhouse - including finishing the painting and laying down carpet.

The drywallers finished their work in the dining room and in the bathroom this past week as well. So, we now have a house with many unpacked boxes and furniture stuffed into five rooms with some painting left to do in the dining room, the kitchen and the bathroom.

But, all in all, things are coming along and we are much nearer to moving in to the farm house. There have been many hands working on this place, and that - thanks be to God - is the only reason we've come as far and as fast as we have.

Here are some pictures ... a look at the ceiling fans we've chosen, some before and after shots, a shot of the moving van stuffing itself into our driveway, and a shot of the carpet (the "farmhouse" album on the right of the blog is also updated with more pictures):








Wes

We've made some more progress over at the farm house in the last week. In fact, with the ongoing help from my in-laws, some full days there myself, and - thanks be to God - a full work day with a number of helpers from the church, we were able to paint out the rest of the trim and to put paint on the walls in the living room, our bedroom and Wyatt's bedroom. We also now have paint on Anna's would-be art room and Elise's bedroom.

In the picture below, you can see the kilz prime-coat that we put on the walls, and (if you look very closely) you can see a strip of the paint on the walls just to the right of the door.


For a closer look at the trim work - including a good reference to the original color of the wood, take a look at this picture.


The plan is for me to go to Owensboro tomorrow where the moving company will be packing our belongings and shipping them up here to Greencastle on Friday. Last night, today and tomorrow, someone has been at the house laying carpet in the three rooms we have finished painting, and we will place as much of our furniture in those rooms.

It's coming along. I'll try to post some pictures of the carpet in the near future.

Wes

Details: interior

Photos courtesy of Drew.

New Beginnings

Here it is...the latest chapter in our story. This is the "temporary" house in which we will live. I use quotation marks because if we think about it realistically, our initial two to three year estimate begins to look more like 5 or 7...I dare not let my mind go beyond that.


It was originally built in 1885, and was perhaps a school house. The wooden handles on the doors indicate whoever built it was of a higher social class, and the music-themed woodwork in what will be our main bedroom leads us to believe that was some sort of parlor, entertaining space, or music room.

This house requires massive amounts of work. We are working to get it finished by the third of February...the day our furniture arrives from Owensboro. Who knows if we will succeed. I won't go into the details here, but plan to give before and after pictures of the rooms as they come to fruition.



Most recently, it was inhabited by a gentleman I knew and loved as I grew up in the farmhouse next door. He supplied our family with milk and honey and I carried over fresh baked pies...He was a cultivator, something to which I very much aspire.

The barn sits on perhaps my favorite part of the property -- just down a lane filled with mature fruit trees and berry bushes.


The inside is the best part and has me dreaming of the day we can afford to have it reworked into a modern home. It has a full basement, amazing loft, and although looks a bit shoddy from the outside, is quite structurally sound (from what we can tell). And who wouldn't want to reclaim that wood on the outside for a future ceiling?

All of this is a fantastic opportunity that would not be possible were it not for my parents' purchase of the property...and willingness to hold onto and rent it to us until we can afford to buy it from them. We are in a good situation here. In more ways than described here. We are so grateful.

~Anna

Buffets and More

Anna and I have been dreaming lately - specifically for our house. Consequently, we've been drooling over websites and magazines, including these dandies (the office desk and the coffee table are from modernseed.com and the buffet is from eurway.com):

Updates

Over the last couple of weeks, we've been trying to work on a few spaces of our house: the guest bedroom, the kitchen and the breeze-way. Here are some pics to give you a clue of what we've had to work with and what has been done ...

The third bedroom is completely made up of knotty pine (as is the kitchen and the breeze-way). All of it will eventually be white, which is totally plain jane. But, we can't think of a better color right now, and we like it; perhaps only because we've been living in darkness with that pine paneling for the last year. Here is the initial painting ... and how we learned that primer is really a good idea ...

Anna rolling the walls with the "wet cat" as we like to call it: a floppy, fluffy roller that weighs about as much as a good-sized cat when it is full of paint and about as awkward looking ...

Ah, the stripping of the floor. Demolition: I've got it. I can rip things up and tear things away with the best of them (notice the knotty pine here in the breeze-way...gag) ...


Here it is: the old linoleum floor underneath the nappy carpet that got ripped up. You can also see the original carpet that covered the floor ... whoa ...


The new floor ... as laid down by professionals and screwed up by me. As Anna said, "it's a whole lot of green. " Indeed! It feels rather cold and professional right now ... but it is also so much easier to clean ...


A long view of the floor leading into the kitchen ...


It's the details that make the difference. Anna found a drafty door stopper on one of the cool websites she checks every now and then (notmartha.org -- thanks, Emily!) and made her own version...we're hoping for a cheaper heating bill this winter as a result of that one inch gap being stuffed efficiently!


Still to do: one more coat on the third bedroom, some major reorganization and a wall hanging
for that room; painting the breezeway; putting down quarter-round in the kitchen and breezeway; a fun, small, modern couch for the corner of the breezeway and a few other touches to make it warmer and more welcoming. That's just what's on the immediate radar...sheesh.

New Furniture

A week and two days ago, I had to come home briefly to grab my Book of Common Worship: Pastoral Edition, a suit, and some other odds and ends for the funeral service of Betty Jean Cooper (Anna's paternal grandmother). Josh Albers, a friend in Owensboro, happened to call during the brief time I was home - inquiring as to whether we would still be up for swapping some furniture. Thankfully (and wisely), I said yes, which ended up in this acquisition:


We gave them two end tables we had received from my step-mom as she frequently gets furniture from her work (moving and shipping company). After a long day of driving and the disorientation of trying to get so many things in order, it was good to feel and see community at work that day.

----

Then, today, Anna and I loaded up the boy just after his morning nap and went out to brave the 90 degree heat. Our efforts were not in vain; at a used furniture store, we stumbled upon this sun chair. Actually, Anna had seen it about a year ago (almost exactly a year ago). Waiting one year eventually won us an $8 bargain as the item was on sale (plus inflation!). Anyhow, for the time being, this chair and that table are filling a space next to our kitchen that has needed something for quite some time.


Wes