Boring but Necessary Improvements
Progress at the Keys House has been slow recently, and the things that have been accomplished have been primarily of a maintenance-oriented nature. Boring stuff which itself necessitates further work to mitigate the damage done in the process of fixing other stuff....
Outhouse or Bathroom? A New / Old “Privy” Built of Salvage!
Though still under construction, a new improvement to the bunkhouse is rapidly shaping up! Life in a small house (197 square feet of occasional awkwardness) can definitely have its challenges. After living in the bunkhouse for a few years, we both felt the need for a...
Cresting Begins!
The weather is still a bit warmish and we're not even done with the exterior repairs and painting but Jim was itching to see some cresting on the roof. A lecture on the virtues of delayed gratification did nothing to sway him. Just a few sections have gone up; I will...
Lost Detail Newly Rediscovered!
Work on the south side of the house is wrapping up; now the focus is on the northwest corner which has long been marred by a hideous 1970's carport. Both the carport and the concrete slab poured beneath it have contributed to water damage and other forms of...
Recent Progress at the Keys House…
Following is a quick update on some of the latest progress and discoveries. Jim has been keeping his nose to the grindstone; let's take a look at his latest efforts: After liberating the house from its ghastly white vinyl shroud, Jim made repairs to the wood siding...
Trees Arrive at the Keys House!
After many delays over the course of many months (they were supposed to be planted last fall), the trees we selected to shade the Keys House have finally arrived! Trees have been a part of the landscape of this house since it was new; the various species -- and their...
New Discoveries, Old Wallpapers Revealed…
As you last remember, the kitchen of the Keys House was being relieved of decades of accumulated indignities (including carpeting, a drop ceiling and wall paneling). Similar work has been done in the bathroom and the north and south parlors -- allowing for new...
Keys House Update
Work continues to progress at the Keys House project, even if somewhat sporadically. Finishes are being peeled back in some rooms, shedding more light on their original appearances. On the exterior, the north and south walls have been relieved of vinyl and are being...
You Just Never Know…
You just never know what horrors are lurking beneath seemingly innocuous surfaces in a house (old or new) until you begin to investigate. The last few weeks have revealed numerous issues which will need to be resolved, but have also revealed many happy discoveries!...
Original Siding Color Revealed and Other Fun Finds!
This weekend was one of discovery. A peek beneath the vinyl siding -- and some selective sanding -- brought to light the various layers of exterior siding paint choices... including the heretofore elusive original color. The most dramatic finds were made by Jim. He...
Work Resumes on the Keys House
Little has happened at the Keys house in recent months, but that is beginning to change. We're finally able to devote some more time to the project and will continue pecking away it it in small increments. We've also found some things for the house which are of...
A 1970’s Shed Style House… Updated!
“Updated?!” Those who frequent this blog will know that the word is typically only used here in a disparaging sense. Last summer, however, I was contacted by someone who had read my post about the Shed style. He and his wife happened to own a Shed style...
Clues in the Attic
On a whim, I ventured into the unfinished part of the attic last week. A previous jaunt had revealed some antique drapery rods and curtain hardware. What else may be hiding between the dusty joists? A chimney, ever so slightly stepped to the left, marks the transition...
Window Sash Repaired and Painted
It's been over a month since I last posted! Partly because we've been really busy at our ever-expanding day job (the interior of the house may be finished, but now there are outbuildings and site work issues to tackle) and partly because not much has happened at the...
Porch Paint Colors… and a Revision to the Bay Window Color Distribution!
In the course of preparing sketches of the proposed color schemes for the front porch, I was delighted to run across some notes I had previously made about the bay window. Somehow, when doing the color sketches of the bay window, I had completely forgotten that the...
New Finds… and a Sordid Past!
Tantalizing bits of information about the house continue to surface. In addition to a few recent finds (shown below) we've learned that the house was reputed to be the scene of numerous poker parties at some point during the years of prohibition (from 1881 to 1948 --...
Original Bay Window Paint Colors!
Today I finished priming the bay window. It's all white and kind of boring, but it looks better than it did before and the wood will be protected during the winter months. I still have some (a lot of) caulking to do, so don't look too carefully! The scraping,...
A Quick Update…
It's been seemingly forever since I last posted; it has been a busy time. Recently I took time off to visit the Decatur County Last Indian Raid Museum, which serves as a repository for local history, in the hopes of finding more information about the house and its...
The Porch Supports Return!
Today the house regained more of its dignity! Jim has been rehabilitating two of the beautiful -- but very decrepit -- porch supports off-site, and they have now recovered fully. It was time to bring them back! As you last remember, the house was looking quite sad...
The Bay Window Progresses and the Arched Window Surprises…
Here's a look at what the process of nurturing the bay window looks like as it continues... The cornice of the bay had been wrapped in aluminum. I've begun taking sections of it down. The wood cornice which had been hidden by the aluminum is visible at left. The piece...
Extensive Porch Decay Revealed and Tackled!
We knew that the vinyl siding was hiding lots of problems, but didn't know just how bad the damage would be. Yesterday we found out. While not attractive, the damage is absolutely repairable. It's unfortunate, but not a death sentence for the porch. Jim has been hard...
More Clues, More Details
I got an unexpected break yesterday when my chiropractor, after adjusting my back, forbade me from doing any ladder work right away. So, instead of working on the bay window, I explored the house a little bit more. The flash on my camera is working again (finally!)...
Porch and Bay Window Restoration Begin
With the days getting shorter and the exterior trim on the house getting more weathered, we decided to tackle the most vulnerable features of the exterior before the weather changes. Jim is working primarily on the porch and I'm working primarily on the bay window. In...
Anomalous Details and a New Project…
The goal of finding a house to restore which was both architecturally and historically interesting has been simmering in the background for some time now. Life has a way of distracting us from our goals (most recently getting involved with the renovation of someone...
Rescuing a Leaning Barn From Future Collapse
It had been at least seven years since Jim first told friends of ours that he would straighten up their leaning barn. Unusual for its "T" shape, the antique barn was showing its age. Every passing year made the already obvious lean all the more evident. Every storm...
Revealing a Hidden Bay Window
It's been over two weeks since I posted about a big old abandoned farmhouse that is destined to be demolished. Jim and I have been salvaging interior woodwork, doors and windows for use in a future project. The first floor has been salvaged, and we're working on the...
Anatomy of a Plastered Archway
Archways in plaster walls - without a traditional wood casing surrounding them - became highly fashionable in the 1920's and remained popular with builders into the 1950's. They are most likely to be found in Tudor Revivals and Spanish Eclectic houses of the period,...
A Door Inspired by Bruce Goff
One of my favorite movies, a close second to "Mars Attacks!", is the slightly surreal Goff in the Desert by German documentarian Heinz Emigholz. The video has no narration; it is simply a series of video shots taken around 2002 of various structures designed by Bruce...
Backdating Wall Cabinets
Why would anyone update when it's just as easy to backdate? After all, there's not much appealing design out there these days; design from the early 20th century is almost always a sure bet to be more interesting than whatever has been marketed for the past 40 years....
Stabilization w/ Passive Solar Bonus
Historic preservationists understand the term "stabilization" to mean putting the brakes on further decay of historic structures by making them watertight, structurally braced, and resistant to animals, vegetation and vandals. Also known as "mothballing",...
Transparent Siding!
In an interesting experiment, a decrepit barn is getting an unusual update. It was desired to immediately utilize the building as a workshop and storage, but the numerous holes, cracks, and missing chunks of wood siding made it drafty and vulnerable to moisture....