In the last chapter we covered a huge 9 year span of time in just a few paragraphs - time flies when you're having fun! We managed to update and refresh this old house without getting into the heavy stuff until the twins were off to college and we had downsized to this little bungalow of ours.
We all know, of course, that renovations of old homes never go exactly as planned. Surprises pop up daily. Challenges seem insurmountable weekly. The weeks turn into more months than you ever imagined possible. Somehow, there is just mud and dust everywhere!!!! And it turns out all this is truly unavoidable, no matter how carefully you've planned.
Antoine de Saint Exupery (1900-1944) ~ blog continues below ~ We are coming up on the 100-year anniversary for this old bungalow, which was built in 1924. It's so exciting to be endeavoring to bring it back to life and back to some of it's original glory in time to throw a big birthday party!
At the same time, we of course plan to make this a comfortable home full of modern conveniences, energy efficiency, and a touch of technology to top it off -- without changing the aesthetics or style of the original building. Make it a 21st century gem that looks like it's 100-years old. We aren't purists by any means. There are some who renovate old homes and would never dream of touching the original plaster for example. Or altering the colors from what would have been fashionable in the roaring 20's (dark and moody in my book, just saying). But in our case, it's been damaged enough and because we are lacking some basics like insulation, for example, we don't have the choice but to replace/update many materials. |
This is the stuff you don't really see or interact with directly, but it's essential for using resources wisely and still being comfortable and happy in your home:
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not part of the dream but necessary
upcycling and recycling
- Some of the original windows (for cabinet doors)
- Original floor boards
- Original fireplace
- Original bedroom will remain the exact same size, which is not large
- Original door hardware
- Original porch window will remain in the exact spot it first was installed
- All the temporary kitchen cabinets and fixtures we installed a few years ago
So there you have it. The plans have been laid bare now - no turning back! Thanks for reading.
Next up - we'll talk a bit about finding a contractor and the ins and outs of that drama. It was in fact a drama with several episodes strung out over several seasons. Spoiler alert: this bump in the road has a good ending too. Stay tuned.
See you on the porch,
~Miriam
1 Comment
Mike
8/11/2019 12:45:19 pm
This is a great journey!! Keep it up :D
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Hello! I'm Miriam and this is the story of our tiny historic cottage and it's complete renovation.
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To see the Before and After images take a look at the portfolio page.
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