Notice

ATTENTION!!! Please do not steal my content! ALL of the content on this page is property of Tootsie Time is not to be copied and used elsewhere unless with the expressed permission of Tootsie! There have been a lot of my photos found on various websites and none have permission. Removing the watermark is not permitted under any circumstances. My work is MINE to share, and should never be seen with someone else's name attached to it. That is stealing!

:)

Showing posts with label Hunting retreat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hunting retreat. Show all posts

Monday, November 15, 2021

If The Walls Of This Old House Could Tell A Story…The Bathroom In The 108 Year Old House

For WEEKS now…I have been sharing a project that I am so very proud of with you all.  If anyone had asked me if I was capable of doing something like this 2 years ago, I would have laughed at them and said NO!   It has been a labor of love…of gigantic proportions…and I have enjoyed every minute of it so far.
BeFunky_DSCN3767.jpg
Those who are new to this series are probably wondering what is the project I am referring to?   It is the inside of this old house of course!!!

Up to this point I have shared before photos…small bedroom photos….kitchen photos…living room photos…master bedroom photos…stairwell/staircase photos…all of which have shown huge changes…but today you are about to see the start of the biggest change in the house…the most original Tootsie Change that I have ever had the chance to do.

The house is owned by my very own Cowboy…He had been wanting this house to be fixed up for years…but really didn’t have any encouragement, help or ideas as to what it should look like.   Then…I arrived on the scene and BOSSED that boy ALL around…(hee hee…just kidding…)  I arrived, and fell in love with the house.  When he mentioned that he wouldn’t mind making the old house where he and his siblings grew up live-able again…I was ALL over that!   My imagination went to work…and we have shocked and amazed all who have walked through the door since we started.

Today I am going to show you  the beginning of my favorite room in the house.  The Bathroom.   This room was such a fun project…The Cowboy was nervous I am sure when I told him of my plan, but he was also excited as it was something no one else in this area has, and he had never seen anything like it.

I ALMOST skipped this post and went straight for the finished room…but there is so much that went into the making of this space, that I didn’t want to miss one detail..and let me tell you …there are details…loads of them...and they are good ones!

Lets get started.
BeFunky_015.jpg
I didn’t manage to get a photo of the original bathroom…but you should probably be happy that I didn’t.   It wasn’t pretty.   I did however, happen to get a photo of the fixtures that were in there when we got busy working in this house.   There you have them…all robins egg blue and chipped, rusted and GROSS!
BeFunky_002 (2).jpg
This is what it looked like after we took out the tub, toilet, sink and other odds n ends that were in there.

This photo was taken before we put the living room panels back on the wall.  Cowboy had some electrical to do before we closed  it off again.  He also had to build a false wall where you see the black pipe going up the wall…so the bathroom just got a little smaller…
BeFunky_001.jpg
Once the false wall was built, and insulated…we did the wood planks on all of the walls of the new bathroom.  The floor boards were not in good shape to be painted or used in the décor, AND we had a little plan made for the shower…so he also added a false floor to the room…complete with a little raised area where the shower would be.
BeFunky_005.jpg
Lookin’ good so far!   I absolutely love the planks done in the rusty vinegar treatment.

While I was waiting for the Cowboy to finish putting the floor down, and put the electric in, and the TOILET…(yay) and the rest of the plumbing…I decided to address the PINK door that is part of the current décor!
BeFunky_134.jpg
It’s just NOT going to work in this color…that is pink… and I am pretty sure that PINK is not rustic, or manly, or even an option for this house in any way shape or form…especially NOT on the bathroom door!…

So…I got to work.

I took it outside on a warm, sunny, fall day in September…I layed it on it’s back and spread paint stripper all over one side at a time.
BeFunky_152.jpg
Years and YEARS of paint quickly began to curl up and show itself on the door.   I spent an entire afternoon stripping this door completely down to it’s plain wood beginnings.
BeFunky_158.jpg
The stripper worked like a charm.   Almost every speck of paint was gone!


All it needs now…is a little rust treatment to make it mesh with the rest of the house!

I will do that as soon as the Cowboy comes outside and cuts the bottom of the door down so that it fits into the new bathroom!
BeFunky_183.jpg
Ta-Da!

 I put one coat of rusty vinegar on the door…let it dry and applied another.
BeFunky_006 (2).jpg
It looks sensational!   We both love the way it looks!

Next up…the “tub”…the beginning of the most fun part of this room.
BeFunky_173.jpg
One day while we were out picking up supplies for the house renovations, I steered my Cowboy towards the livestock section of the store.   I showed him this feed trough.

You should have seen his face when I first suggested that this would be his new bathtub!!!   hahahaha!   I wish I had had a camera!   He almost looked confused at first…but, when I explained…he had a huge grin on his face…he likes the idea ….a LOT!

Now, my original plan was to have a big old wooden barrel to use as a tub…but we could not acquire one…so my next choice was readily available…and cost us less than $50!

All this baby needs, is a drain….and that will be easy enough to do.
BeFunky_1733
DONE!

I really wanted the “tub” to be on an angle in the left corner of this photo…but that would make other “features” of this area of the room either awkward, or impossible to do…so I agreed to keep it in the middle of the platform.  
BeFunky_174.jpg
I am LOVING the little ‘tub’!!!

Now I know what you all are thinking…

‘HOW THE HELL IS ANYONE OTHER THAN A TINY CHILD SUPPOSED TO BATHE IN THAT TUB????’

RELAX guys…it isn’t supposed to be a bathing tub…it is a shower tub.   No one is going to be having long luxurious bubble baths in there…it is a quick shower type bathroom.  This house isn’t going to be a full time living space…it is a weekend, and hunting retreat.   This feed trough is perfect for the scheme that my imagination has cooked up!

My next task, after the bathroom sink was installed was to tackle the floor. 
BeFunky_BeFunky_013 (2).jpg
…DONE!

Very sorry that the pic is so blurry…I used simple peel and stick tiles…the same kind of thing that I used in the kitchen…just a little lighter color.
BeFunky_013 (2).jpg
This is where it’s at so far!

Up to this point…I have touched every single element of this bathroom…every board on each wall…the tub, the toilet, the sink….but I have not touched one surface…and it needs me…
BeFunky_008 (2).jpg
…it needs me really bad.   The ceiling is NOT attractive in any way shape or form.

I needed to come up with an idea to make that just a little less hard to look at…and a little more comfy and warm feeling.
BeFunky_009 (2).jpg
I popped into the hardware store, and picked up one of these babies!   It will be just the right size…and won’t require me to do anything but use it!
BeFunky_BeFunky_0183
I also picked up some of these curtain hangers…and three shower type tension rods.

Then I got busy…
BeFunky_036.jpg
I hung that drop cloth from each of two of the tension rods and installed them at each end of the room….right close up to the ceiling.    I then took the third tension rod and just popped it right there…nice and tight and high in the center of the ceiling.
BeFunky_0262
That hides the ugly..warms and softens the space and looks not too bad!

So far…this bathroom is coming together nicely.

I am so pleased with everything working out without any major complications. 
BeFunky_BeFunky_0143 (2)
I love it!

Now…

...I am really tempted to keep sharing the transformation…but this post is already really getting long, AND…The Cowboy, and Grammie figure I should end it at this point.    SO…This is all I am sharing today…BUT…I may be back in a day or two with the rest of the bathroom….You will LOVE what I cooked up “under my hair” (the way we now all refer to my imagination)  :)  

I am so anxious to show you all!!!

So?

Can you kind of see where I am going with this room???

What do you think so far???

Weigh in!

I love hearing what you think!

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

*)*)*)…just remember, You're stronger than you seem, smarter than you think, and braver than you believe."

(¯`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

Article #6 If the Walls Of This Old House Could Tell a Story…The Staircase/Hallway of the 108 Year Old House
 
Article #8  If the Walls Of This Old House Could Tell A Story…The Living Room In the 108 Year Old House

 

This post has been proudly sponsored by 


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

 

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

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

BeFunky_DSCN3767.jpg
For weeks now…7 to be exact, I have been sharing one of the biggest and most enjoyable projects I have ever had the privilege to work on!  For those who missed a few posts, I have been working on a total transformation of the inside of this wonderful little old house in Minburn Alberta!

The house is owned by my very own Cowboy…a kind, sweet, gentle, practical, and simple man.   He did not want to see the old house where he grew up, go to waste, nor did he want to see it get restored to original…or worse…to frilly excellence.   What he wanted for the old place, was a transformation into a rustic, relaxing, country retreat.   He does not intend to live in the house full time, but does want it to be “liveable” for weekends, and during hunting season.

The work in the old house began in Sept. of this year, and has been ongoing.   We were working to have 2 of the 4 bedrooms, the bathroom, living room and kitchen renovated for the month of November…hunting season.   We pretty much achieved our goal, and that Cowboy is right now in his old house with one of his 7 siblings, for hunting season! 

I am currently sharing the transformation of the house, to BEFORE furniture state, and today I will share the living room.
BeFunky_011.jpg
This is the living room during the clean out.   It was filled with all sorts of “lovely” things…such as a huge bathroom vanity, a bunch of nick nacks, old books,  boxes of papers…and a huge pile of cheap laminate flooring that was given to the cowboy by someone.   He didn’t have the heart to say that he didn’t want it, so here it is.     We have our work cut out for us, just getting the room cleared.
BeFunky_012.jpg
We also had to remove the wall in the living room for a bit, so we could fix the electrical and get some power into the bathroom…(I am so excited to share that bathroom…you have no idea)
BeFunky_017.jpg
I think the biggest improvement in this room…might be the removal of this carpet!  I suppose at the time it was put in, it was very trendy…the 70’s are not known for their good taste now are they…haha
BeFunky_163.jpg
Carpet gone…stove pipe still needs to go…but I can work around it for now.
BeFunky_041.jpg
We are not sure exactly WHAT this is on the living room floor…but we ARE sure it needs to be removed…It is hard as a rock and didn’t really seem to have a purpose…lol

The way this room happened…was sort of funny.  I finally got that Cowboy on board to do the transformation of this house.   We managed to get a little work on the bathroom done…toilet installed…YAY!  (no more Tootsie being forced to pee in the trees!!!) …we got the living room emptied out, and that carpet ripped off the floors…then the Cowboy had to go back to work for his 2 week shift. 
BeFunky_111.jpg
By this time I was super excited to get this ball rolling and see some shifts in the way the old house was looking…so…I sneaked out to Minburn a couple of days in a row…and I painted in the living room…

This is the very first room I painted in this house.   I just could not wait to show my Cowboy!
BeFunky_035.jpg
When that Cowboy got home from his shift at work…here it was!   All painted and looking rather different from what he left behind!   He was pleasantly surprised!
BeFunky_057.jpg
After getting the thumbs up on the walls…I started working on the floors.  Lots of little bits of carpet backing to remove.
BeFunky_003.jpg
LOTS
BeFunky_065.jpg
The floor would have to be painted, as there were a few too many issues for us to resolve if we were to try to restore it.  
So I whipped out our “accidental color” and got busy!
BeFunky_072.jpg
Looks okay with the primer on…BeFunky_019.jpg
…but even better with the top coats! 

I have been doing a lot of planning while I paint in this house…and I have a few items that I cannot use in the house we live in right now, so I think they might be happy additions to this living room…
BeFunky_0342
I think this rug seems to fit right in!

I also have some pretty curtains, and a few odds and ends kickin around that I think I will bring to the project house and see what I can do with them!
BeFunky_BeFunky_BeFunky_011.jpg
Each time I come to work on the house I bring a few little items from the storage unit that belong to the Cowboy.   His Rocking chair…and a few of his trophies are already in the room.  I am not a fan of the dead things on the walls…but that is what he wanted this place for…so that is what he gets.   I am glad they are hanging, as I don’t want to ruin them when I add other items to the décor!

That is ALL I am sharing with you all today!!! 

I can’t wait to hear what you think of this room so far!
BeFunky_BeFunky_BeFunky_0113
The next share of this old house is going to be of the bathroom…I am MOST excited about it…as it is a room like none I have ever had the chance to do.   I LOVE the bathroom in this old place…it is WAY fun!

You do NOT want to miss seeing what my imagination cooked up in there!
Until Next Time…Happy Junkin’/ Renovating/ Decorating!


*)*)*)… Act with integrity in everything you do, no matter how small always do the right thing, cause your children are always watching and learning from your example.

(¯`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
Article #6 If the Walls Of This Old House Could Tell a Story…The Staircase/Hallway of the 108 Year Old House

 

 

This post has been proudly sponsored by 


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

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!  
BeFunky_DSCN3767.jpg
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:
BeFunky_010.jpg
This is the stairwell…yes…it is well worn to say the least.
BeFunky_7.jpg
At the top of the stairs there is the most adorable set of windows…and a huge mess.
BeFunky_012.jpg
I had already started filling in some of the damaged areas when this photo was taken.
BeFunky_96
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
BeFunky_DSCN4958.jpg
…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…
BeFunky_0047
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.
BeFunky_001.jpg
There was a lot of filling to do on the actual stairwell walls as well…
BeFunky_BeFunky_002.jpg
I felt like it would never end!  lol
BeFunky_039.jpg
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!  
BeFunky_056.jpg
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’. 
BeFunky_026 (3).jpg
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….
BeFunky_0872
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!
BeFunky_088.jpg
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!
BeFunky_089.jpg
YEP!   I did…I taped my cutting brush onto the handle of a broom…
BeFunky_091.jpg
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.
BeFunky_066.jpg
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!
BeFunky_055.jpg
So far…

So good!

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

It needs something …

BeFunky_063.jpg
…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.

BeFunky_068.jpg
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
BeFunky_009.jpg
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.
BeFunky_003.jpg
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!
BeFunky_064.jpg
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!)