Day 21 - 2020 This Old House

[Linda-And-Richard0]

Back in the 80's, my dad and I watched a weekly TV show called "This Old House".  The host talked about making repairs to older homes and restoration projects.  We talked about how much fun it would be to redo an old house.  The TV was located in my dad work shop which was filled with saws, drills, hammers, levels, planers and a lathe.  The floor was carpeted with several inches of saw dust and wood shavings.   The walls were lined with stacks of lumber for future projects.  My dad was a craftsman, designing and building beautiful furniture for our home.  He built a custom sewing machine cabinet for me and also restored an antique wooden icebox that sits in my kitchen.  My dad passed away on December 21, 1992.

 

In 2014, my husband, Richard, and I had the opportunity to purchase the house next door to our current home.  It was originally constructed in 1951, same year and builder as our home.  The house was structurally sound but in need to some major TLC.  We knew we could save money if we did as most of the work  ourselves and repurposed materials inside the house.  We ripped out carpet and padding, pulled down paneling in the kitchen and acoustic tiles from the living room ceiling.  Base boards, door & window trim were gently removed to be sanded, painted and put back in place.  Original door knobs and hinges were sent off to be re-chromed and reinstalled.   Sheet rock from all the walls and ceilings were removed.  An electrician was hired to rewire the entire house and bring it up to code.  With the help of a family friend, Richard removed all the old casement windows and replaced them with new sash windows.  He installed all the new sheet rock and walls and ceilings all by himself.  Richard also installed the new cabinets in the kitchen.  I hit estate sales and resale shops for furniture.  I refinished a few curb side finds to furnish the house.   After months of hard work, we finally had the house ready for our first Airbnb guests.

 

All during the renovation, I could hear my dad's voice reminding me to sand with the grain of the wood.  He is in my mind as I apply another coat of stain to a salvaged piece of furniture.  Richard often says my dad would have loved helping us with this old house.  I like to think he would be proud of the job we did.

[Huma0]

@Helen427 

Sorry just saw this!

@Linda-And-Richard0 I very much admire your ethos of re-using old furniture. Most of my furniture items are inexpensive vintage finds, including kerb side freebies. Some gets upcycled and some just needs a good clean. I like how you repurpose things though, which obviously takes far more ingenuity. 

[Linda-And-Richard0]

@Huma0Thanks for your response to our repurposed furniture items.  As of late, I have started visiting local saw mills and creating accent pieces using live edge oak, mesquite and pecan.  Guests have purchased several of my pieces so that has been very encouraging and an additional source of income.  Agate slices were used to create one of a kind handles for some mesquite charcuterie boards.  A thick slab of mesquite is now a bench at the foot of the bed.  A large slice of oak was made into a coffee table.  The console table is made from a pecan slab.  The display stand holding the pumpkins is a center cut of mesquite.  It takes some time to remove the tree bark and sand the wood but it is truly a labor of love.

[Laura2484]

@Linda-And-Richard0 

The transformation is amazing and your projects too, craftsmanship is definitely in the blood .

Thank you for sharing your post ✨

[J-Renato0]

@Linda-And-Richard0 

Congrats on the renovation and on the reuse of old things.

It attracted my attention specially the old Singer machine (the reuse of the iron structure and pedal).
My mother who is more than 80 year old have a Singer sewing machine like that. However it is still working perfectly. She was given the machine when she was  teen age. It was her aunt who gave it to her, and her aunt had been used it for a long time.

Thanks for sharing your post!

[Linda-And-Richard0]

@J-Renato0The first Singer machine I acquired had belonged to my great aunt.  It still works and the drawers have old needle packets, thread and quilt pattern pieces.  I never buy treadles machines that are still operational.  Most of my purchases are just the base.  I have picked up a few where the cabinet is still attached and use the drawers to recycle into decorative items like this floral center piece.  I placed mason jars in the drawer, fill the jars with water and then added ivy cuttings and fresh flowers.  The feet are ceramic drawer pulls. 

 I also have a few metal wagon bases that have been converted to hold plants.  The larger ones are placed on top of the machine base and filled with potted plants.  For the smaller ones I remove the wheels, add some chain and hang them in a tree.

 

[Miloud0]

Salute @Linda-And-Richard0  

Thank you so much for sharing with us this so interesting post. Your house is so beautiful 

Happy New Year 

Thanks, 

Miloud