Sunday, February 27, 2011

Day 7: A preview of the new shingles & other stuff

Here is a preview of the new shingles - Green! There is another rock house in Jefferson with the same green roof, & I thought it looked great. The paint of the trim will be a camel color, and more green around the windows. The doors will be left the original wood. They show up much more now with the ugly storm doors removed!

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Day 6: Owls in the Attic

I found out today that owls had been living in the attic. The workers discovered the evidence as they were removing the old roof. Lovely! Well, the mess was cleaned up, and the owls are gone. No owls were harmed. I wouldn't go near the house if I even thought a bird of any kind was in it. Hopefully, there aren't any other creatures calling the place home.

Here is the uncovered niche in the wall. I wonder why it had been covered up?
 Raising the roof. Workers removed the 2 layers of shingles & added new flashing & felt on the back portion of the house. The new shingles will be delivered tomorrow. Can anyone guess what color they will be? Stay tuned to find out.
 Calling it a day:

Monday, February 21, 2011

Day 5 - Demolition Begins!

Things are moving very quickly. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves:

Come in the front door to the craziness:

 Wow! What a difference a day makes:
 Scary:
 This is what was under the wallpaper. The original bead board looks pretty good in the dining room, & can be painted:
 Lower kitchen cabinet - gone:


Going....................

Going............
                                                 GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bye,bye carport.
 There was an adorable niche found in the living room wall. The boards have now been removed. I'm trying to decide whether or not to put the original door back in the wall that goes to a small screened in porch, or wallpaper over it. You can see the outline in the wall. What do you think? I'd appreciate the feedback. Thanks.
 Color scheme for the kitchen. Red ceiling to match the stove. Red quartz countertop & pale sunshine walls. Probably a toile fabric for the windows, similar to this sample. And an antique chandelier!

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Day 4: I am so tired!

I'm not accustomed to ripping up flooring, but once I started there was no stopping until it was gone. I'm lucky that hardwood floors were underneath, which is unusual for a kitchen. They are in good condition. More throwing away junk, (probably 4 truck loads), & making a game plan. The roof will come off tomorrow. There are 2 layers of shingles, one is cedar, so that will be a huge project.  Window units & floor furnaces will be history, along with a dilapidated porch & carport.
Wallpaper coming down tomorrow in dining room.
 I like this lamp, but not sure where I will place it.
 Not cute:
 Kind of cute:
 Wallpaper will be history, & modern coffee table & rug are gone:
 Probably the nicest antique in the house, but I put the original wooden shelves back in:
 I"m keeping this matching pair of fixtures in living & dining room. Most of the others will have to go. I've bought 4 old crystal chandeliers for other rooms. I love chandeliers, & have 10 in my own home. OK, I'm obsessed with chandeliers.
 Scary:
 Master bedroom: Gold carpet will be removed to the hardwood beneath.
 More work:
 Cool wall in den:
 Love the stove:

Friday, February 18, 2011

Day 3: Contractor Hired

 After 4 weeks of interviewing, I finally decided on a contractor for the remodeling of The Rock Cottage. Ya'll pray for him. LOL. Those of you who know me personally already know why. Here are some pics:

Original skeleton keys to the house. These are the only actual keys. They have never been replaced with new ones.

 Hat & hatbox belonging to the original owner:

 Antique high chair:


Old records & record player:




Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Day 2: Water heaters Replaced & clean-up

Today I was working on throwing away trash & keeping treasures. Here are 2 treasures that I acquired with the house:
The first is a gnome from West Germany. He's about 14" tall, & I really like him.


The second item is an old canteen, possibly army issued.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

A Cool Sign

This old gasoline sign is sitting on top of an old well on the property.

Day 1: Tree Removal

First project: Tree & limb removal. One tree was on the ground, and 2 were too close to the house and hanging over the roof. That was quick! They are gone now. I have huge pecan trees & some plum trees. The plumber is here checking out the gas lines, & will install new hot water heaters. Hopefully, I'll be to the decorating phase soon.

Renovation to begin soon!

Hello Friends! I want to introduce you to my new project: The Rock Cottage - A Bed & Breakfast in historic Jefferson, Texas. I recently purchased this 5 bedroom/3 Bath rock home with original light fixtures, hardware floors & moldings, along with most of the original furniture. This home was built in 1934.  I hope that you will follow me as I renovate this home, while retaining the 1930's charm.