That is OLD!
When I scroll through Pinterest and Houzz, I see so many design choices which join the “OLD” with antiques or recycling older pieces in a new way or both…so many wonderful attempts are being made to honor the old I thought I would add a few suggestions of my own….
Here are a few ways that you can make your NEW house OLD…
1.Make the heart pine wood floors crooked… and while you are at it, make the horsehair plaster walls and ceilings crooked too.
2. You must have a tin roof. A leaky tin roof to insure you have sure you have at least one drippy ceiling, preferably a spot that can be accessed by a bucket…so you can have the lull of the “tap. tap , tap” put you right to sleep…better than any of those fancy “White Noise” machines.
3. Get or create Creaky floors, and if you are ambitious, floors that give off toothpick sized splinters.Then make it a rule to always wear socks.
4. High Ceilings are a must, and of course proportionally big heavy solid wood doors to match….beautifully built from one single piece of wood…
5. Wallpaper ALL the walls and ceilings…and then do it three more times.
6. Poke out a few rails in the porch railing. And paint your porch ceiling sky blue for “GOOD LUCK”
7. Get rid of your Central air and heat and instead install radiators and tall windows WITH shutters to open in the summer.
8. Install Picture Railing and Beautiful Crown Moldings.
9. A ghost or two won’t hurt.
10. Remove all but one outlet in each room…and buy multiple extension cords…
Seriously, I love my Old Country House. But lets face it. Old Houses are not for the faint of heart. I confess that weekly, at least lately, I ask myself if my time in this house has run its course. I wonder. “Is this house,and all she requires, robbing me of precious hours of my life that I will never get back…or
“Is this House my Life’s Work?”
I still don’t have the answers except I know the thought of someone else, another family living in my house, just makes my heart ache so I guess I am not ready to leave. Maybe I am just hit burn out, before Spring Break…we have been living with dust and construction since Christmas…!
I do feel revived and ready for the home stretch this week:
This week we will finish the master Bathroom and all the kitchen except the floor…wait until you see what I have in store for the floor!!
Haha, my house is 1881 Folk Victorian Farmhouse that had the charmed stripped out of it and remuddled in the 1960’s. Paneling everywhere–even the bathrooms. Not a square level or plumb surface in the entire house.
Not only do we have kindling size splinters from the decrepit floors, the wood is so old the knots have fallen out and we have holes in the floor. I prefer to think of it as a my in house vacuum system (because all the dirt, debris, important screws, nuts, bolts, earrings, change, etc) automatically get sucked into those holes and end up in my creepy basement/cellar/ dungeon.
We have creaky floors, doors, steps and house in general. She is a 132 years old–who wouldn’t creak and groan? The best part is the aluminum siding the snaps and pops as it expands and contracts with the temperature changes.
We have a standing seam metal roof, luckily with no leaks (in the house) although the garage and carport are another story. And while I can’t match your high falutin’ white noise of dripping water/ leaks what I can say is we have our own personal sandstorm in our house. The plaster is so bad you can hear the constant falling chunks as the walls disintegrate behind my stylish panelled walls. This of course leads to the wonderful chore of constantly sweeping and vacuuming the sand bars that form at the base boards
We don’t have high ceilings or beautiful solid doors. We do now have central air, except we have to add a window unit upstairs in the hot part of summer because there is a 20° difference between downstairs and upstairs.
We have ghosts and constant influx of mice, an occasional snake, a bat or or 2 and lots and lots of spiders (shudders).
Not to brag or anything but we have 2 outlets in each room. I know it is kinda fancy but we are real proud of it. Oh we also have tube and knob wiring for our upstairs so that is real special. Especially for the insurance company. And someday it will get updated but there are million other little things that need taken care of first.
And though some people would be horrified at living here (and sometimes even I am horrified) I usually make nice and get over it. I do really love my house except when everything bad happens at one and of course not enough money to cover it all. Although the hubbs and I have gotten a much better sense of humor since moving in here 13 yrs ago. I have learned skill I never thought I would have. I have learned how to be ever so creative. Frugal is a beautiful word. And I am glad I am steward to my house for another generation. 😉
Fantastic! I think I have found a kindred spirit….!!!
I love number 10!!!! Seriously, i feel your pain. My last house was not as old as yours, but we spent 7 yrs renovating ourselves on weekends and time off only to get 75% of the way thru. It was a blessing my husbands was transfered to another location and we were able to move. It has been nice to live somewhere that doesnt require major work.