Welcome, welcome, welcome!
You are such supportive and helpful friends, you’re coming in the back door today! You know that quote “Back door friends are best!” Your comments and emails and feedback are SO thoughtful and helpful to me. THANK YOU! You help me “see.” It’s nice to have some friends who share in our excitement, rather than thinking we’ve lost our minds.
Okay. Here we are right inside the back door. Remember those orange steps? Let me remind you where we are. Looking past the steps (and Blue) you see the brick fireplace that is in the kitchen.
Now, come on up! And when we’re finished, let’s sit out on the porch and visit. Tell me if you like the upstairs or the downstairs better.
Oh, wait. Before we head upstairs, let me show you one of my favorite spots downstairs that I forgot to show you last time.
This is the garage off of the “mud room.” (Thanks to your feedback, I now call my “utility room” a “mud room.” LOVE that name.)
So check this out:
Here’s what I see for this area: a three-season room, like a sunroom, with a ceiling fan and wicker furniture with big, overstuffed cushions.
Do you see what I see?
This is such adorable space, don’t you think?
That’s actually what I like most about old houses. The nooks and crannies and history.
Okay, let’s head upstairs. Now be careful; these orange steps are steep.
Upstairs we’ll find four bedrooms, some have actual closets, which thrills me beyond measure.
Okay, once you reach the top of the steps, you see this bedroom across the hall.
I really like this room. It is sunny. And it has that beautiful fireplace. And there is a great view out of that window of green pastures. How about I say “verdant” pastures because that word reminds me of the Psalms and guess what you can also see out of that window? A church steeple off in the distance. It is lit up at night. So peaceful.
(Which, sadly, I didn’t take a picture of.)
And yes m’am, that’s a closet you spy. Small, but present.
“Roughing it.”
Now let’s walk on down the hall, towards the front of the house.
Here’s what the hall looks like.
I have to tell you. I like the wallpaper and the paneling.
The only problem I have with it is the smell. I’m pretty sure there was a lot of smoking going on in this part of the house.
You can actually see the outline of where pictures had hung. That’s some smoking, isn’t it?
Open the door and we find another bedroom.
This room gets the award for my least favorite. It feels dark and dismal and uninviting. I can’t quite put my finger on it, other than the dark wood trim and no mantel on the fireplace.
Whoops. Let me find a picture of the fireplace.This one has closets beside the fireplace too. Here we go:
I do like that light fixture though. It’s staying.
Okay, moving on down the hall, we come to what I believe is the original part of the house.
This will become the master bedroom.
Have you ever seen a blue mantel before? Or blue trim? The backside of that door is also painted blue. As interesting as it is, I’ll be changing that.
(Although I now realize that blue shows up in unusual places in this house. Those sinks downstairs and the trim upstairs. Hmmm.)
What did you say? Oh, you want to know where the closet is?
I guess you could call it “invisible.”
Oh, you want to know where the master bath is?
Also “invisible.”
I guess this is an area we’ll need to work on pretty soon. Because I do like closets and bathrooms. (One gets used to that sort of thing.)
Now let’s go across the hall to my daughter’s bedroom.
Precious, isn’t it?
I heart her room.
I’d love to see a dreamy window seat in here.
She’s picked out a purple paint to paint it. Obviously. She’s 11, you know.
Here is the upstairs bathroom.
Do you see that washer? I like that. A washer and dryer upstairs. The sellers left us these, which is awesome. Funny thing is that we couldn’t figure out how to use them. They are nicer than any washer or dryer we’ve ever had.
In a minute, we’ll head out this door to sit on the porch and visit. It’s the upstairs front door. That handrail you see on the right is where the opening of the front stairs is. Do you remember those? The non-orange ones in the “parlor.”
But first I wanted to show you this.
That’s the attic door. Let’s go up!
I like this space a lot. It’s filthy, but very groovy.
I’m not sure what I’ll do with it after I clean it up. Ideas?
Okay, now let me show you the upstairs surprise.
Another kitchen!
Cool house, huh?
“I know, like, right.”
Okay, let’s head out that door out onto the upstairs front porch.
Sit down and take a load off. Coffee? Sweet tea? Fresh Strawberry Bread?
(Get my Strawberry Bread recipe off my facebook page. It is to die for. Come over and friend me! Or email me if you’re not on FB.)
Hey, Blue came!
Oh, many of you have asked about that “dadgum mule;” if she’s mine yet.
Well, that’s the pasture she used to be in, over here. But she’s gone. By the time I asserted my possibly-potentially-might be kinda interested in her, she had already gone to a new home.
Oh well. Easy come, easy go.
Do you hear that? That’s the rushing mountain stream between us and the top of that hill. Hey-do you fish? I hear there are mountain trout in them waters. Not that I’d know what to do with them. But I do know how to eat them.
So, next time we’ll head outside and I’ll give you a tour of the land and outbuildings.
Thanks for enjoying my farm with me…
Until next time, Friends, savor the flavor of life!
Lots of love, The City Farmgirl, Rebekah
I love all the rooms and would just take a little time to get to know the room before doing anything to them. I am so pleased for you.
oh darlin’ … t’is truly delightful! i know you and your sweet family will make many wonderful memories in your charming home. Love every spot .. especially the porch and view!!! Will keep watching as you turn it into your ‘own’ little heaven! xo, frannie
Lovely! You are going to have so much fun. Priorities: (in order, ha)
Garden, Paint, Floors. The rest will come.
I see horses next door. Other peoples horses are the best kind. You get to watch them every day and don’t have to pay the vet or the farrier!
I LOVE your daughter’s room, too! Wow, one thing that you have is lots of space. You could add on another bath if you wished so that your daughter has her own by the time she’s a teenager…
The fireplaces are so visually wonderful. I would suggest that you contact your local utility to see how much the past owners paid for power during the winter. It might be illuminating when it comes to heat sources. Might be an arm and a leg, but you might consider gas or propane inserts.
As for the ‘smoking’ smell, you can use a nice sealer/primer to cover up any remaining residue after you clean it, and before you paint. Any porous surface sucks up the smoke, wallpaper, paneling, and even bricks.
The upper kitchen could be very handy, especially if you had guests. It might even work well if it is adjacent to your office space.
I would have been all over that little sweet mule, too. Plenty of time for you to fill your life with other wonderful creatures!
Absolutely beautiful and so FULL of potential! I can’t even begin to tell you how your house excites the designer in me 🙂 You are going to have so much fun turning this house into a beautiful home.
Every time I think a room is my favorite, I see the picture of the next room and love it, too. The porch is definitely the place I would be spending all my spare time, though. The view is spectacular! Love it all and wish you and your family the best.
PAINT THAT PANELING AND THE FIREPLACE. We painted every piece of paneling in our home and LOVE IT..I see a lot of potential in your home. It will be nice.
When I saw the room you least like I already saw an office room…where you might put all your computers, and do you papers work…Plus with some cosy big chair and cushions you can have a nice place to read and concentrate…Or,don’t know if the master bedroom is near that room, but if it is, you might just open the wall and that unlikely room can become a very nice place to put an old bath with legs plus a nice sofa and some antiques twins sinks! Good luck with that!
The house is beautiful!! So happy for you and your family. What a grat new adverture you all are on. I think the upstairs porch railings are so pretty. Dianne xxoo
All of those bedrooms with their own fireplaces, amazing. I know my sewing room would go in the bright one with the view! And the walk up attic, great for high and dry storage! You certainly have a winner with your screened in 3-season porch. The ceiling fan and outdoor living will be awesome. How fun for you. I’m living vicariously!
Oh so jealous….I love it ALL. Live the dream girl. Live the dream
Rebekah … I’d love that Strawberry Bread recipe! I love the upstairs of the house – so much personality with all of the fireplaces and beautiful woodwork. I think you’ll easily be able to brighten that dark room simply by painting the closets and woodwork white! What a fun tour!
I see wall to wall bookshelves in your least favorite room, to go with the above mentioned office! Now, on to something important! If you are really going to have a farm, you arent going to want to be without a MUDROOM! You will want it more than you know. It helps keep the farm OUTSIDE. If you garage can substitute, great- go ahead with your plan for a sunroom (which i would love to have too!) but if not, consider where all that mud will wind up- its not called a MUDROOOM for nothing!!!!
I see wall to wall bookshelves in your least favorite room, to go with the above mentioned office! Now, on to something important! If you are really going to have a farm, you arent going to want to be without a MUDROOM! You will want it more than you know. It helps keep the farm OUTSIDE. If you garage can substitute, great- go ahead with your plan for a sunroom (which i would love to have too!) but if not, consider where all that mud will wind up- its not called a MUDROOOM for nothing!!!!
Closets – – – In my husband’s and my bedroom, we have 2 shallow, rectangular closets with wooden accordian doors. In the first one, we removed the doors, took all shelving and poles out of the closet, and painted the inside a soft creamy color that coordinated with the soft earth tones on our bedroom walls and the trim. Then, my husband routered three wide planks of cedar for shelves, the lowest one placed where clothes are hung on a pole just beneath it without getting near the ground (hope you can visualize what I just wrote!). The cedar shelves are just gorgeous, the texture and organic hue of the wood are soothing to see. My clothes are few ( I like keeping things very simple and uncluttered), and I have foldable clothing items in smallish stacks by colors – so pleasing to the eye! – on the two lowest cedar shelves. On the top cedar shelf, I place just a few items that I want to see – a cute purse, a pair of shoes, etc. My clothes hanging from a wooden rod just beneath the lowest shelf are in a limited palette of soft, dreamy earth tones and creams on wooden hangers. My undies and socks are in smallish antique wooden chest drawers, which sit on the lowest shelf. An identical closet sits next to this one. We stripped and painted it the same way, but we placed a low antique wooden dresser in it with a large mirror above it. This brings light into the closet, and the dresser serves as a place to put clothes that don’t fit into the room’s palette, etc. Doing our closets this way has set such an airy, soothing, feminine, orderly tone to our bedroom, and truly makes getting dressed fairly simple. 🙂 Of course, my husband’s closet is in another bedroom, because he is messy. 🙂 I love that you have 2 kitchens! What fun, fun, fun!
Your new home is beautiful. I love the upstairs. Seeing that second kitchen makes me thing that at one time your house was a multi-generational home and everyone had their own space. I love your vision for the room off your mud-room. Exactly what I would do! As for the master bedroom is one of those other bedrooms adjacent so that it can be converted into a master bath and master closet? Oh the possibilities. I just know you are going to have so much fun as you make this space your very own. Wishing you much joy and happiness in your new home!
I love your farm and the house has such great bones. I love the fireplaces, upper patio and 2nd kitchen – I think it would make a great breakfast room. I see a lot of white paint in your future! Have fun!
The upstairs is just as charming as the downstairs. You have yourself a gem…a diamond in the need of just a bit of polishing. I think that you are blessed to have some closets, and the attic is an extra bonus! Your rooms are all plenty large enough to put in some storage, too. I had some antique armoires in my Victorian house, to supplement the small closets. They add so much character, and are cheap compared to today’s construction costs. Anyhow, it could be a temporary solution. Have fun decorating, and thanks for letting me take a peek!
Love Love Love the upstairs. I know what you mean about the nicotine colored walls. My parents smoked alot…way too much and when they were gone, and the pics came down there were still frames on the wall. lol. I’m afraid you will probably have to take wallpaper down to get smoke smell out. But it will be worth it.
I loved the first bedroom, and I saw french doors leading out to that upstairs porch if that an option. Also, I saw the sun room the same as you did. Loved the daughter’s room as well. Cant wait to tour the land. Be Blessed and have fun
WOWOWOWOW!! A fireplace in all of the bedrooms!? You could always find an antique mantel to dress up the fireplace that is missing one. I bought an old mantel for my porch and there is NO fireplace. I’m pretending.
My sister painted her dark woodwork and what a difference. I’ve also painted paneling too and went over it with some stain to antique it.
Looking forward to seeing Christmas photos of your new HOME in the country. It will be magical.
I think that upstairs kitchen solves your need for another bathroom. Does it happen to share a wall with your master bedroom? If not, maybe some rearranging can be done so you have a master bathroom and walk in closet from that space.
Oh this place is wonderful and a kitchen and washer and dryer upstairs, do you feel you have died and gone to heaven? I love it all….I can’t believe that is everything I’ve ever wanted, an old house, fireplaces in every room, porch upstairs…and oh so much to mention….congrats, farmgirl sister….now let me see if I can find you on facebook….this place is just wonderful…enjoy your new home..
So beautiful!!! I am on the same sort of adventure I just moved into an old home that wasn’t in as good of shape as yours but we turned into something really nice!!! I am like you about the snakes and I am on 51/2 acres but I am surrounded by 40 acres of farm fields they are out there I just don’t want to see one! Good luck on your wonderful journey. Oh and I love your daughter’s room too.
BEAUTIFUL! You are living my dream. Green with envy, but totally happy for you. I can’t wait to see what you do with this house. As everyone has said before me, what potential! Congrats!
Hey Y’all! By popular request, I posted the recipe for the delicious FRESH STRAWBERRY BREAD at http://www.rebekahteal.com/2012/05/by-popular-request-strawberry-bread.html.
HOPE YOU ENJOY IT!
Love it! Love the potential. Love the views. So happy for you. We are off on a different adventure now. After six years in a sort of country life on two lovely acres my husband’s company is transfering him. Because of local we are back to suburbia but hopefully I’ll be able to get a half acre lot and have chicken and bees and get into urban homesteading. Life is an adventrue and I’m so happy you get to live yours.
Let’s see: besides being a little envious, I would like to rent the room you don’t like and have access to the upstairs kitchen. Whatcha think? 😉
Your home is beautiful! I love old farmhouses with all their charm! Can’t wait to see what you will do with it! You certainly have been blessed! Enjoy every breath and minute on your farm! Love to read the articles you write! When I get my new issues of Mary Jane’s Farm, your column is the first one I read! Love your insights.
What great rooms the upstairs has!! I love all the fireplaces!! The only thing I see a real need to change is hall panelling. I’d paint it softly. Enjoy!!!