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Showing posts with label Cowboy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cowboy. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 2, 2021

If The Walls of This Old House Could Tell a Story…The Staircase/ Hallway of The 108 Year Old House


Welcome!

I am so glad you stopped by!  
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Those of you who have been following the transformation of my Cowboy’s 108 year old house, have seen the kitchen, and two bedrooms…up to a point.

You have seen the before photos…and the first stages of a change that has knocked my Cowboy’s socks off.   The shares so far have not included much along the lines of decorating.   They have only included the “bones” of the rooms…walls, ceilings, floors and sometimes curtains on the windows.
 
If you are new to this series…you will want to stop reading this post now and get the full story on the 108 year old house.   To start at the beginning…click Here!   This link will take you to the first post and guide you through every other one, all the way back to this post.

Today, you are in for a treat!   I am going to share the most charming space(s)  to date.  You are going to see what I consider two areas-- the staircase and the hallway!   Now, I know you are probably thinking that it isn’t such a treat…but once you see how much work went into these two spaces…you will agree…it is a special little area.   I also considered it two spaces as it had a lot of work…and the stairs are an entity all their own…lol

Allow me to explain:
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This is the stairwell…yes…it is well worn to say the least.
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At the top of the stairs there is the most adorable set of windows…and a huge mess.
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I had already started filling in some of the damaged areas when this photo was taken.
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This is the door to that wonderful little balcony…Don’t you just LOVE the knife in the door thing the Cowboy has going on in this house?    

When my best girlfriend came for a tour she commented that she “loved the locks”  lol 
  
Maybe we should address the “locks” as we go through this house reno…what do you think?  lol
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…you remember this little balcony…I can’t wait to put a chair out here!    BUT…it is winter now, and it is cold…so I am focused on the inside of the house.

I got myself started with the wall patching…
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My GOODNESS (and I didn’t say it quite that nicely when I was here alone)   did I have a lot of patching to do…I went through one full large pail of filler just filling in all the holes in the hallway and stairwell.

This area…didn’t need to be perfect as we decided to put some panel board up all the way down the hall on this side of the stairs as the original plaster was in horrible shape.
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There was a lot of filling to do on the actual stairwell walls as well…
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I felt like it would never end!  lol
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While I grumbled and moaned and cursed and complained about the filling and sanding, my cowboy put up the panel board over the original plaster walls.  That means MORE filling for me to do!   He used a lot of screws to make sure it was secure.

 I am not impressed.

Have you noticed that filling holes and sanding are not my favorite tasks???   I can honestly say I HATE IT!

I thought it would never ever end!  
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I finally finished up…got all the holes filled in and started to paint!

The original plaster walls are not exactly the smoothest…lol…but we are just painting them as is…My Cowboy and I kind of like the character that the old walls have with all their ‘waves’. 
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We decided to use the wooden planks on the wall and ceiling in the hallway, so my cowboy got busy and put up this wall around the windows and the ceiling….
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To my utter dismay, he damaged the walls a little bit when he put the planks on the ceiling.  That was a long reach…and the wood was cut to be a tight fit…and my Cowboy is only an inch or two taller than me…(I am about 5’4”)   …so that was a really long reach.  lol   (Sorry Cowboy…I had to say it out loud)  lol

I needed to figure out how the heck I was going to fix that mess without getting paint on the ceiling!
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One day while the Cowboy was away at work, I drove the hour up to Minburn and set up the ladder.   I made it as tall as I possibly could…and I tried to get up there and fix that damage on the ceiling.

I climbed up to the top of the ladder, and still was about 3 feet too short to reach!   So I grumbled, and complained and worked my way back down.

HOW THE HECK AM I GOING TO FIX THAT!????!

Then it came to me!
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YEP!   I did…I taped my cutting brush onto the handle of a broom…
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ta da!  

 This isn’t the first time in my life that I have taped the brush to something so I could reach!  lol

It worked like a charm!

After I did that little touch up…I decided to take the ladder out of the stairwell…and ended up getting stuck!   That ladder is as heavy as they come…and it is not easy to maneuver on the stairs…somehow I managed to get it twisted and leaning on me…in a very awkward position…and I almost could not get out!   I had gotten it condensed down, but had one arm stuck in it...and I was in a very bad position!  I don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t figure a way to work my way out of that little predicament…there is NO cell phone service in the stairwell most of the time…and I locked the door behind me when I came in…No one else had a key and my Cowboy was not expected to be home for 2 full weeks!   I would have been hooped!   I finally got myself un-stuck…and man was I sweaty and tired after that!  lol   Every time I walk down the stairs, I think of the day I had gotten myself wedged between the wall, the steps and that heavy ladder…and how I didn’t even ding the walls getting myself out!  hahaha!!!

Anyways…enough with my clumsy story…back to the project.
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With all the touch ups on the main walls finished, I then got busy and put the planks on the wall around that door!   That sure did make a difference!

Things are looking much better up here!

I put another coat of paint on all the walls…and stood back and looked at my handiwork!
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So far…

So good!

It looks so much better…but still something isn’t quite right…

It needs something …

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…ya…that staircase…it needs me… BAD!

Cowboy was very happy to hear that I was going to address this area…he said when he was small, he would often have splinters in his little feet from the wooden stairs and floors in the house.  He was not interested in getting any more!

So…I went home for the night and made a plan.

The next morning I got up early…and drove back to my special project house.

Have I mentioned I am in love with this old lady?   Ya…the more time I spend here the more she seems to have gotten me hooked.

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I spent the entire day staining and sealing the railing and staircase!!!   This was an enormous job…it took me 7 full hours to do all of it!   I was as high as a kite on the paint fumes too!  lol
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I have to admit…it did turn out fantastic!

To celebrate my success…I hung some sheers on that adorable little set of windows…and stood back to admire my work.
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Yep…I totally nailed it.   That staircase looks fantastic now…not perfect…but, again, perfect is not what we are going for.   We wanted to spruce up the area…but hold some of the fond memories my Cowboy has of this space.

The end result was TOTALLY worth the huge paint hangover I got from staining and sealing the stairs!    hahaha!
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I just had to share the curtains with you guys up close…They still need to be “primped” a little bit…and I think a cute valance would be a good idea.    I just love these old windows…they have so much charm.

I know what you are thinking…you are saying to yourself…”Toots…those curtains are NOT rustic, or Cowboy in any way, shape, or form!  How BIG is that paint hangover…or are you still high????”
  
Well…quite frankly, I decided that I don’t care!  hahaha!   My Cowboy will have to suck it up, and have a little Tootsie in this space.  hahaha!

Besides…if I go completely rustic, it would be nothing but hard, repetitive and boring…so I decided that we are going to add a little softness to the spaces in this place.   There is nothing wrong with that!   The Cowboy actually likes the curtains on the windows…so it’s all good!  (lucky him…or he’d have had some curtains he didn’t like on his windows…FOREVER!)  HAHAHA!

Just this last week, the Cowboy stopped at his Mom’s new place on his way back up to work.  He took his computer out and shared photos of the old house with her.   Cowboy’s Mom spent a lot of years cleaning up after her brood in this house.  She knows this place like no one else does…(I am starting to know it almost as well as she did…I seem to have touched pretty much every inch of it in some way, shape or form so far)   I don’t think she had time to look at the house quite the way I do, she was a very busy mom…8 children plus all their friends is a handfull!   I honestly do NOT know how this woman stayed sane, or how she did all that she did…I only have 3 kids and I am exhausted, annoyed and overwhelmed by them a lot of the time!    She might just be a super hero with the patience of a saint!    lol   The more stories my Cowboy tells me about his childhood…the more I have to say I admire this lady.  She sure worked hard for her family.

When the Cowboy started showing his Mom the before photos of her old home…she knew exactly which room every photo was of…even though it had gone down hill a lot since she moved out all those years ago…she still recognized it.   BUT when he started showing her the AFTER photos…she didn’t recognize some of the rooms!   She was amazed at the changes we have made…and she really liked them!   That in itself made all the filling and sanding worthwhile!   I have to admit that I was a little nervous to hear her opinion of my work to this point.   I was hoping she didn’t hate it, or get upset that it had changed so much.  The relief I felt was huge!

That brings me to the end of my share for today.   What do you think?   Do you agree that this area was a lot of work but well worth the effort?  I love reading your comments…so please weigh in!  
Stay tuned…for more improvements in the 108 year old house.   I am almost ready to share the best space of all…and can’t wait to share ALL of these rooms with furniture and a few little Tootsie Touches!

Until Next Time…Happy Junkin’/ Renovating/ Decorating!

*)*)*)… Take every chance you get, because some things only happen ONCE!


(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.

www.tootsietime.com

Did you miss a post or two in the 108 year old house series?
Article #1  If The Walls Of This Old House Could Tell A Story…The Saddest Chapter Is About To End.
Article #2   If Walls Could Tell A Story…The 108 Year Old House…On The Inside
Article #3If The Walls Of This Old House Could Tell a Story…The Small Bedroom In The 108 Year Old House
Article #4 If the Walls Of This Old House Could Tell a Story…The Master Bedroom
Article #5  If the walls Of This Old House Could Tell a Story…The Kitchen In The 108 Year Old House

 

This post has been proudly sponsored by 


and
(it actually works great!   We tried it!)

 

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

If the Walls Of This Old House Could Tell a Story…The Kitchen in the 108 Year Old House.

Over the past month or so, I have been sharing the biggest project I have ever done.  I have been working on a 108 year old house in a tiny little village called Minburn Alberta.   This house is owned by my Cowboy.  It is the house he and his 7 siblings called home since he was born, and it holds a lot of memories for him.
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We spent some time discussing what this house used to look like…and what he would like to see it as, after we fixed it all up.   He did not want it to be restored…as he wanted it to reflect his personality today.   So…the plan was made…to renovate and fix up this old house to be a rustic retreat, filled with his rodeo/cowboy memories, hunting trophies and comfortable soothing colors, textures and style.   My Cowboy is one of the most gentle, patient, calm people I have ever met.  His personality is not one of an extravagant man…but one of a hard working simple country boy…with a love of family, nature and a heart of gold.
While I have been diligent in  working on the upper level of the house, fixing and fine tuning two of the four bedrooms, Cowboy has been changing the light fixtures, and repairing/ upgrading the electrical, and upgrading the plumbing to the kitchen and bathroom…he has been doing all the parts of this project that I do not know how to do myself, and/or refuse to learn or attempt to do! 
When my Cowboy finally had enough of “his work” done in the old kitchen, I was able to do some of MINE!  Today I am going to share the kitchen.
Lets get started.
I need to say that my photos are lacking in this room…I was excited to get this done, and simply forgot to take as many shots as I should have.   Bare with me…
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This is the kitchen…it is NOT pretty.   In this photo, we have got all sorts of tools and supplies laying around…there is a lot of space in this room.  It has great potential.
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The fridge and stove still work, but not reliably. They need to go.  The upper cupboards are not overly functional anymore…and are not going to stay either.
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There is the start of a nice big window on this wall.  It will stay, and we will have a window made to fit the space.  That porch, if you remember me mentioning it before, is going to be removed in the spring…so that window will look out onto a deck and into the back yard.  It will be wonderful!
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I am sure that the Cowboy won’t miss the pink paint or wall paper in this room…lol
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This table has seen a lot of family meals, and has been repaired several times…but will not make the cut.   It will be taken out when we get started on the floors.
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The floors…I think this photo pretty much says all that needs saying.  There are nails, lifts, tears and damage all through out the kitchen lino.   It will be removed for sure!
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The ceiling is just as bad as the floors…so it will need to be changed.
As you can see…this room will offer a challenge.   It needs a lot of work.
We got started…
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OUT goes the old damaged linoleum…revealing…
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…and equally ugly tile floor.  
This tile floor would not be removed.   It would serve as a base for something much nicer…and more comfortable.
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There!   That’s much better!  It is just simple peel and stick tiles from the hardware store.  They were inexpensive and will do what we need them to do!  They will also look great with the wall treatment we decided on.
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The walls…are being covered with an overlay of 1x6 spruce boards!   They are treated with the same “brew” of rust, vinegar, baking soda and black tea, that I used on the dresser that I re-dressed to fit into this house.     I brushed the mixture onto each board one at a time, and let them dry.   Once they were dried enough, they were cut and pieced onto the walls to create a wonderful rustic look!
We originally wanted them to look like old barn board…but this is what we got.   We both love this look and decided that it would be a nice treatment for the ceiling too….
So…I got busy and did more walls, and the Cowboy did the ceiling and the remaining walls.  We are very happy with the look.
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Now…the cupboards…
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We ripped the top cupboards out…removed the old appliances…and finished the wall with the wood treatment.
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Where the old appliances and upper kitchen cupboards used to be, I put up plank shelving.  These will be on the walls on either side of the kitchen window, and will hold all kinds of wonderful things. 
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My Cowboy installed a couple of new light fixtures, and we are almost ready for furniture!   All that remains, is to put some finishing touches to the wood walls…and clean up the mess that construction seems to create in spite of how careful we try to be!  lol
That’s all I am going to share for today…I can’t hardly wait to share the finished room…it is SO perfect!  I also have lots of great photos!  lol 
Stay tuned…the next chapter of this project is about to get VERY cozy!

Until Next Time…Happy Junkin’/ Renovating/ Decorating!

*)*)*)… True Love...is giving and asking for nothing in return.

 Today I am linking into Manic Monday with the Mermaid!
What's it Wednesday at Ivy and Elephants We Call It Olde at  We Call It Junkin 

(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.
www.tootsietime.com

 
Did you miss a post or two in the 108 year old house series?
Article #1  If The Walls Of This Old House Could Tell A Story…The Saddest Chapter Is About To End.
Article #2   If Walls Could Tell A Story…The 108 Year Old House…On The Inside

Article #3If The Walls Of This Old House Could Tell a Story…The Small Bedroom In The 108 Year Old House

Article #4 If the Walls Of This Old House Could Tell a Story…The Master Bedroom

This post has been proudly sponsored by 


and
(it actually works great!   We tried it!)


Tuesday, October 19, 2021

If The Walls Of This Old House Could Tell A Story…The Master Bedroom

Four weeks ago, I began sharing the most wonderful junkin’ project of my life thus far.   The renovation/ transformation of a 108 year old house that my Cowboy grew up in, and now owns. 
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The house was in a nasty state of disrepair inside and out, and in desperate need of some attention.   I spent a little time chatting up my Cowboy, talking him into Tootsifying the old place a little bit…okay…who am I trying to kid here…Tootsifying the place a LOT.  He finally agreed…and we got started.
   
The Cowboy is an avid hunter, and always wanted to have a place to crash during hunting season.  He tends to hunt in Minburn county,  (where the old house is located) and having an option to stay would be wonderful, as we live in another town about an hour away.

The old lady is getting a renovation, cleaning and total make over.  She is going from a ruin…to a cowboy/hunting/rustic hideaway. 

The transformation has been fun - fun - fun!!!

Since I shared the small bedroom last week, I am going to share the master bedroom today.
 
Lets get started! 
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THIS nasty mess is the master bedroom!   The wallpaper is faded and falling off…the plaster is crumbling and it needs a LOT of work.   The kind of work that we do NOT have the time to do right this minute as hunting season is almost here.   I need to come up with a way to make this room suitable to sleep in…and I need to do it fast!   My Cowboy is certainly lucky that his Tootsie has a very good imagination…and a pile of energy.
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I contemplated this room while I cleaned out the clutter and garbage on the floors….
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I had a lot to do in this room, so I brought in the “troops” to help!   My two oldest kids were happy to help me clean out the room and pull off some of the hanging wallpaper.   In all honesty, they were absolutely delighted to pull OFF the wallpaper…They are normally not supposed to be touching the walls of any house…so demolition type activity is a real treat for them!  lol
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Since we are planning to do some serious work on these two walls…but not this month, due to time restrictions, I decided to seal in some of the ICK with a nice thick coat of paint.  I was happy to use up the last of the old red paint that I had kicking around, so that part of the project was free…!  YAY!    I then painted the baseboards, and the other two walls with the plateau gray that I painted the walls of the small bedroom with.
  
Once the walls were dry…
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I grabbed some of these…
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….and attached them to the walls like this.
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I put up several across the top and the bottom of the red walls.

I then cut some copper pipe.

I just know you are wondering what the heck I am doing…so I will just get to the point.
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I had several sets of sheer curtains left over from my old house.  They are in a taupe color and right now I am hnot using them.  They are taking up valuable storage space in my house, and I just knew I could make them work in this room.
 
Lucky for me, the Cowboy had replaced all the plumbing in the house the week before, while I was working on the small bedroom,  and he had a nice pile of copper pipe sitting in the back yard on the scrap pile.  I needed some nice strong curtain rods, in a nice long length…and that copper pipe was just screaming my name!

I headed out to the pile…and brought a bunch of those lengths of copper pipe into the house.   I cut it, and pieced it together with pipe collars that we picked up at the hardware store, and made myself a custom curtain rod!
  
I threaded the sheer curtains tightly onto the copper pipe that I cut, both top and bottom.
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I then set the top rod of the curtain on TOP of the L brackets that I set up earlier.   The nut and bolt are there to hold the rod from rolling off the bracket.  I then put the bottom rod UNDER the bracket…the nut and bolt are pointing downward to hold the rod in.
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The bottom will look like this!
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This is what the two walls that we will not have time to repair completely look like now!

The curtains cover the red paint that seals the walls…and it softens the room nicely!
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I then added some nice cream colored bed sheet curtains the same way that I did in the small bedroom…and was good to go!
 
Walls, ceiling and trims are all done in Plateau Gray…and the floor got the rosy color that we like to call a happy accident…as we ended up with a custom color…and the room is ready for furniture!
  
My Cowboy was away at work for two weeks, while I was playing in this room among other things.

When he got home, I took him on a little tour of his old home…

He was certainly surprised to see the changes I made to this room…he loves the curtained walls!   He even commented that maybe we should just leave them up for good!
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So?   How did I do?   Do YOU think this quick fix will make this room comfortable enough until we get some time to get in there and fix those nasty walls???

This is where I am going to leave you for today.  Stay tuned for a sneak peek at the custom furniture I am making to put in this old house…I will be posting a tutorial in the next day or two!

Until Next Time…Happy Junkin’/ Renovating/ Decorating!
 
*)*)*)… never mistake kindness for weakness.. Because one gives freely does not mean that you have to take always.

(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.
www.tootsietime.com
Did you miss a post or two in this series?
Article #1  If The Walls Of This Old House Could Tell A Story…The Saddest Chapter Is About To End.

Article #2   If Walls Could Tell A Story…The 108 Year Old House…On The Inside

Article #3 If The Walls Of This Old House Could Tell a Story…The Small Bedroom In The 108 Year Old House

This post has been proudly sponsored by 


and
(it actually works great!   We tried it!)