colonial farmhouse
The Great Barn Loft Clean Out
Last month we tackled The Great Barn Loft Clean Out. Did we accumulate THAT MUCH junk in less than two years of owning the Colonial Farmhouse that we needed to clean out the barn loft? No. But… Here’s an itty bitty detail that’s important to this story. We had never looked in the barn loft before last month. That’s right. We bought the property with the barn loft sight unseen and then ignored it for almost two years. Who does that? Us, apparently. In our defense, the loft doors were nailed shut and it’s not like we weren’t busy dealing with all the other problems this money pit house of…
Which Category of Kitchen Art Do You Have?
I’ve thought a lot about it and applied zero scientific reasoning to my theory, but it seems to me kitchen art falls into 5 categories: Food themed because it is a kitchen, DUH! Non-food themed because you have a rebellious streak. Child-themed because your refrigerator is covered in child masterpieces. Just a clock because the clocks on the appliances aren’t enough to get you out of the house on time. Who are we kidding? Nothing gets you out of the house on time. No art at all because minimalism is grand. Actually, there could be a bunch of reasons for no art at all, but being a minimalist has a…
Built-In Computer Desks One Year Later
When we constructed built-in computer desks for our kids we didn’t do it with a pandemic and remote school in mind. Our pessimistic nature really let us down on that front. We just needed a place for our kids to realize their lofty career aspirations of becoming YouTube stars that play Roblox and Fortnite. See how supportive we are? Not supportive enough to give them cushy chairs to make them comfortable dabbling with this dream though. We truly didn’t anticipate the office and those built-in computer desks becoming the hardest working space in our house besides the kitchen. The kitchen is always the hardest working space, right? But then the…
Colonial Farmhouse Kitchen Mini Makeover One Year Later
Do you know what I enjoy more than a room makeover reveal? Learning how that makeover is holding up over time. Instead of the pretty spaces, give me all of the hard-working, well-loved spaces that shine. Last January, we did a Colonial Farmhouse Kitchen Mini Makeover that mainly involved staining the cabinets and changing the backsplash grout color in our kitchen. To get the full impact of this kitchen mini makeover, I need to take you on a quick trip down memory lane. The photo below is how the Colonial Farmhouse Kitchen looked when we purchased the place in June 2019. I know I say this every time I show…
Colonial Farmhouse Upstairs Bathroom Before
Our Colonial Farmhouse upstairs bathroom has remain untouched since the day we moved in. In many ways, this upstairs bathroom has likely remained untouched for at least half a century. It is a bathroom time capsule! We all know in every time capsule there is something tucked inside that makes you say, “Why was that put in there?” All the things in this time capsule make me say that. After almost two years of living in the Colonial Farmhouse, I’m finally ready to give this upstairs bathroom a small update. Here’s a taste of how the upstairs bathroom looks in all its “before” glory. Hmm…was taste the wrong word to…
New Bedroom Rug
My Christmas present was a new bedroom rug, and I am OBSESSED. Obsessed might be an over-dramatization of my feelings. My new bedroom rug does make me smile every time I walk into our bedroom, though. I think my heart sighs contentedly too, but I’m not sure if that’s a real thing or just what I imagine my heart doing in there besides, you know, keeping me alive. The biggest surprise to me (Yes, I can still surprise myself.) is that I chose a rug with some dusty reds in it. I am old enough to have lived through the early 2000s, when everyone was painting an accent wall in…
Our 2021 House Project Plans
Our 2021 House Project Plans are a bit laughable. Don’t get me wrong, they are solid plans coupled with good intentions to improve this old house we live in. But let’s all remember who is in charge here. The house. The house is in charge. We will do our best to tackle our 2021 House Project Plans, but we’ve also learned to roll with the punches this house and life, in general, dish out. In no particular order, here are our 2021 House Project Plans. #1: Hope That Nothing Catastrophic Happens Hope doesn’t cost us a thing. We’ll also add praying, begging, and crossing fingers to the list. #2: Replace…
Under the Stairs Closet Shelves
We now have under-the-stairs closet shelves, and I’m pretty darn happy about it. I’m also happy about “Clean Sheet Day,” a fresh jar of peanut butter, and no-show socks that don’t slip off my heel. I guess I’m an adult now. We have an under-the-stairs closet in our music room. When we moved into the Colonial Farmhouse, I found three fur coats hanging in this closet. So fancy…if moth hole chic is your sort of thing. That area looked like this when we moved in: Sorry. I forgot to warn you that picture was going to be a little harsh on the eyes. As a reminder, that wasn’t our stuff.…
A New Old Closet Door for our Bathroom
We have a new old closet door for our bathroom. Did that sentence even make sense? Don’t worry. I’ll over-explain what I meant in nauseating detail. Our main floor bathroom is a special place. It’s special because it even exists. This house was built before indoor plumbing was invented. It’s special because of its awkward location. Bathrooms were often tacked on to the end of an old house when indoor plumbing was eventually added. It’s special because holy moly, it needed to be updated in the worst way. Here’s the bathroom on the day we took possession of the Colonial Farmhouse. Please note this was how we found the bathroom.…
Black Metal Roof for our Carriage House
We recently installed a black metal roof on our Carriage House. Well, not us personally. We finally hired a home improvement job out! Man, that felt good. You know what also feels good? Not falling off a roof. We’re practical that way. We kept our feet firmly planted on the ground for this project that was 14 months in the making! No joke. Almost from the day we took possession of the Colonial Farmhouse, we were crossing our fingers that the leaky Carriage House roof would hold out long enough for us to replace it. First, let’s get some terminology out of the way. Before the invention of cars, a…
