colonial farmhouse
Check Out The Terracotta Floor We Found
I frequently joke that I’ve been searching for hidden treasure since we bought our circa 1780s home five years ago. I only joke to downplay the fact that I am a grown adult who thinks this could actually happen to me. Crazier things have happened in New Jersey. I grew up reading books where the plot lines contained treasure maps and old buildings with secret rooms and hidden passageways. My imagination runs wild but it’s not implausible to think there are gold coins or Prohibition-era liquor buried around here somewhere. Unfortunately, I haven’t found anything newsworthy yet but it turns out a treasure of sorts was hiding underneath a bunch…
Drone Photos of Our Home
When we had our siding redone, the siding company took drone photos of our home and sent them to me! Best. Thing. Ever. I’m not even kidding. This was like Christmas in August for me. But it was better because I didn’t have to pretend to be surprised by what Santa had brought me. These drone photos remind me of how far we’ve come in the last five years in reclaiming the property and restoring this home. The below photo of the side of our house shows what it used to look like in July of 2019. I don’t know much, but I do know that you shouldn’t “hide your…
Saving a Historic Window Drip Edge Detail
When we had the rotten siding on our colonial farmhouse replaced, the window trim needed replacing too and I was adamant about saving the historic window drip edge detail. It was not a necessary component of the window trim but it was part of the home’s character. I just didn’t realize this decision would cause a bit of drama later. To be clear, we were not able to save the actual boards that made this historic window drip edge detail. They had served their purpose and helped direct water away from the house for decades. Decades! And it showed in how the wood had rotted. Some of our windows already…
How Much Our Insurance Changed With Hardie Fiber Cement Siding
When the wood siding on our very old house started to rot away, everyone told us to reinstall new wood siding because that’s what buyers of old houses on the East Coast expect. Clearly, “everyone” hasn’t had to maintain painted wood siding. We decided to have Hardie® fiber cement siding installed instead because our priority for protecting our almost 250-year-old home was to make it fire-resistant, deter wood-eating pests, protect it from severe storms, and add resistance to moisture-induced rot. If an owner of an old house isn’t sleeping well, you know why. We have a lot to worry about! Fiber cement siding protects our home from all of those…
4 Old House Construction Techniques We Found When We Replaced Siding
While putting new siding on our very old house (circa 1780s with later additions), we had a first-hand view of 4 old house construction techniques that blew our minds. Not everyone has the opportunity to see the “guts” of their home, so we’ll use my home as an example so that you’re not shocked someday. Fasten your proverbial tool belt and come check out the 4 old house construction techniques we found. #1 Old House Construction Technique: Timber Framed Construction Our home was built before power tools existed. It was built before electricity was invented. It was built before modern nails and screws were invented. In fact, the frame of…
Colonial Farmhouse 5 Year Anniversary
Pop the cork and put on your party hats! We are celebrating five years of living in, loving on, and fixing up this colonial farmhouse of ours. Time flies when your hands are covered in paint, caulk, and lime mortar, to name a few. Our house doesn’t have an official name like some old houses do. If she did have a name, the top contender would be Money Pit. It’s not stately but it does have a certain ring to it. Without an official name, we call it the colonial farmhouse as a descriptor of sorts. It doesn’t have any super distinct architectural markers that would easily identify its style,…
Basement Time Capsule Has Been Installed
We installed a basement time capsule in our almost 250-year-old home and I’m giddy with excitement about it. Why would we do this? Hold onto your Swatch watch and I’ll tell you. It was time. I have been looking for treasure ever since we bought this home. Every time we dug a hole or opened up a wall while renovating, I hoped we’d find something amazing. Gold coins. Prohibition alcohol. Jewelry. I wasn’t picky. What have we found? Nothing of note unless you’re into rats’ nests and lost paperclips. I decided to channel this treasure-hunting energy into something more productive and forward-looking. If I’m not going to find anything of…
Gross To Gorgeous Pantry Cabinet Transformation
We may not have a huge walk-in pantry in this old house of ours but we do have a gorgeous built-in cabinet that we are using as a pantry. Gorgeous is a description that is a bit “in the eye of the beholder” as it didn’t start that way. That’s why I titled this blog post “Gross To Gorgeous Pantry Cabinet Transformation.” The gross pantry cabinet started out violating multiple health codes if such a thing existed for pantry cabinets. Then there were the violations of our visual sensibilities. I think it is safe to say this cabinet would not win any interior design awards. However, if you can get…
Caulk, Cracks, and Home Maintenance. Oh My!
Caulking cracks. Chipping Paint. Rotting Wood. When it comes to this old house we live in, it’s us against nature. Who will win? Nature is unrelenting and seems to be in the lead at the moment. But don’t count out me and Handy Husband. We’re tenacious and industrious problem solvers. When you buy a fixer-upper like we did you have to expect to be in it for the long haul, especially if you aren’t doing a major renovation all at once. For the past couple of months, we’ve been focusing on siding maintenance. Like many old homes in the Northeast, we have wood siding. Wood siding can last decades but…
Colonial Farmhouse 4 Year Anniversary
Put on your party hats! It’s our 4 year anniversary of buying this Colonial Farmhouse. It was love at first sight when we first toured this old fixer-upper with its leaky roof, overgrown bushes, and smelly carpet. I kid you not about the heart eyes. I’m a sucker for a project. The real estate agent and I toured the house one spring morning. The owner was waiting for us on the front porch, which I did not know because normally owners do not stick around for showings and the bushes were so thick they blocked my view of the porch. Four years later and I’m still hoping I didn’t say…
