Built In Hallway Shelves
Let’s talk hallway shelves today because they can be a game changer! We have a weird space between our kitchen and main bathroom that is bigger than a hallway, but not quite a room. For the purpose of this post I’m going to call it a hallway because calling it “that weird space” just seems, well, weird. And, honestly, it doesn’t really narrow it down because there are plenty of weird spaces in our home. Here’s how that hallway looked on the day we took possession of the Colonial Farmhouse in June 2019. In case you are wondering, that is not our stuff in the bathroom. The seller left it…
All About Our 240-Year-Old Pumpkin Pine Wood Floors
I have been unabashed in my utter love for and devotion to the original pumpkin pine wood floors in our Colonial Farmhouse. It was love at first sight. In fact, I might have discounted the problems our Colonial Farmhouse had because those floors were the rose-tinted glasses through which I viewed this money pit. Can you blame me? Look at these floors! Hubba hubba. The oldest part of our Colonial Farmhouse dates back to the 1780s. Additional rooms were added on in the early to mid 1800s. I’ve been so used to living with modern (1930s and after) hardwood floors that I didn’t realize how much I had to learn about…
6 Month Progress on the Colonial Farmhouse
It’s time for a 6 month progress report on the Colonial Farmhouse. Sure, we’ve lived here longer than six months. 8 1/2 months, actually, but who’s counting? Let’s not get bogged down in the timing. The truth of the matter is I didn’t think about writing a 6 month progress report until now. While this progress report is almost three months late, I’m only sharing progress that was finished within our first six months of living here because that makes it better. Buckle up blog friends because it turns out we’ve made more progress on this Colonial Farmhouse than I thought! KITCHEN: June 2019 Ah, ambience. Just makes you want…
Kitchen Mini Makeover Reveal
Who is ready for our kitchen mini makeover reveal? This will be awkward if you say you aren’t ready because that’s all I’ve got for you today! I’ve been thinking about the tone I want to set with this kitchen mini makeover reveal. When I last wrote about this space I mentioned that my new standard for design, as it relates to THIS kitchen, is a place that doesn’t make my soul shrivel up. If that doesn’t set the tone for this post, I don’t know what will. This is not an “I have the most amazing kitchen ever” kind of reveal. This is more of a “we’re on a…
Kitchen Mini Makeover Progress
If you’ve been waiting with bated breath for some sort of progress since I shared the before photos of our Colonial Farmhouse kitchen, well, today is your day. I told you that we weren’t doing a major renovation on our kitchen, but I did want to make it easier on the eyes. However, I needed to do a mini makeover on the cheap. Elbow grease and paint kind of cheap. I was also going to take my time with this project because this is not HGTV. This is real-life and, frankly, I’m not the Energizer Bunny. Shocking, I know. Here’s the timeline of my kitchen mini makeover progress. KITCHEN MINI…
Colonial Farmhouse Kitchen Before
Today is the day when I share the really bad photos of our Colonial Farmhouse kitchen before we started tackling this space. I have been radio silent about the kitchen in our Colonial Farmhouse on purpose. It’s that bad. However, just because it is THAT BAD does not mean I’m not grateful for it. I am. I’m also not embarrassed by it. It is what it is and I’m excited about what it can become. I’ve been radio silent about the kitchen because I needed time to wrap my head around this challenging space before I unleash ALL THE FEELINGS on you. Also, no one likes a whiner. Here is…
My Home Could Be In a Movie
It’s true! My home could be in a movie. Yours could too! What? Why? How? Is this a dream? A few weeks ago I submitted our Colonial Farmhouse to be listed as a potential filming site with the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission. Most every state is going to have a government entity that promotes tv and movie filming. The process to submit your home for consideration is probably different based on the state, but it shouldn’t be too hard. I’m also assuming there are multiple ways to get on the radar of location scouts and connecting with your state’s film commission is just one of them. For…
Built-In Computer Desk Reveal
I love typing the word “reveal” into a blog post title. It makes it sound like I’ve really got things dialed in on the home front, doesn’t it? So, let’s run with that utter nonsense sentiment and talk about our built-in computer desk. THE DESIGN DILEMMA We live in a colonial era farmhouse that has plenty of weird spaces character. Case in point? There is a narrow, awkward space on our second floor that is a real head scratcher. It’s bigger than a hallway, but not big enough for a bedroom. It is more like a landing. I’ve come to realize ‘landing’ is just a nice word for “you have to…
The Case of the Closet Mystery
Old houses are full of mysteries and today’s post is about the Case of the Closet Mystery. Mysteries are not to be confused with surprises. Surprises are unpleasant discoveries that, without fail, pop up every time there is a project or home repair. Surprises inevitably result in any combination of the following: more time spent on a project, more money spent on a project, more Tylenol taken to get through a project, more trips to Home Depot, more grey hair. Mysteries are just things around the house that make you wonder why something looks or operates a certain way. One of the things I’ve wondered about frequently is the closet…
Removing Window Decals
Many home makeovers and renovations involve adding things to a home to give it character or function. I’ve spent the last six months removing things from our Colonial Farmhouse. Stencils, wallpaper and window decals have been the worst offenders. Removing these items has let the home’s existing character shine through. Let’s talk about the fun job of removing window decals. The windows on our living room fireplace wall were adorned with colorful, flowery window decals. Truthfully, I didn’t loathe these window decals. There were so many other things in this home that were much more offensive to the eyes. I also knew there would be a tradeoff when I removed…
