"If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day." — E.B. White

The Farmhouse

Here're a few pictures of what our nearly 200 yo house looked like when we bought it... And the DIY projects we've been doing to improve it
~ tho it's a constant work in progress!
The sellers had intended to bulldoze all the buildings and subdivide the 115 acres. Thank the Lord they couldn't get approval. It's now in agricultural preservation.

10 years later and boxwoods are overgrown!


This is after we began work. The roof was missing over our bedroom and some odd trees had grown up in front of the porch... Other than a few heirloom iris and wildflowers, there were no flowers.


This was for Sarah's PreKindergarten Aloha party. Still waiting to get porch railing painted white. Added more shutters below. That's my mini "pond" made out of a sunken water trough to the right.


The "pond" isn't much, but it does hold a few koi and makes a pleasing sound heard on the porch and in our kitchen and bedroom when windows are open.


The springhouse sits just in front of our main entrance.


Our kitchen at settlement. Termites had eaten the whole house! Note plywood floors.


After. Although I changed paint color and continually "tweak."


We love our soapstone counters. Hubby built some custom cabinets and dish drawer fronts to match the Ikea cabs we installed (and painted). Butcher block also from Ikea. Farm sink off Ebay.



This was settlement morning. We turned the power on and sparks flew in a puddle here.
The window pictured became a door in a back hall and we squeezed in a small powder room with another window also beside it (below).


The master bath looked like a freshman guys dorm.
That's where the full size washer n dryer were too.
My hubby/carpenter/contractor became a brickmason and farmer here!

Same window in master bath after.

This has also been "tweaked" since picture!

The upstairs  had ancient, crumbling, mold spotted plaster walls. In the interest of being able to move in before settlement on our old cottage, with a new baby, we gutted and drywalled all rooms. FAST.




Jack's room.


Sarah's room.


I still need to dig out and scan more scary "befores." And some decluttered "afters."
Please check back!