The Day the Butterfly Flew Away

It was an odd week at the Bath House. The many layers of wallpaper almost told a story. Was it the mood of the lady of the house, Mrs. B, that chose each pattern, or the desire for something familiar but new? When I finally reached the bottom layer, concrete dust spewed back at me from the scraper. Cold, rough, cell-like concrete. It really made me wonder what Mrs. B thought when she first saw that wall. Maybe she didn't have the know-how or funds for plaster, and just really wanted something beautiful to adorn this room thus choosing wallpaper. The walls would still feel cold and unforgiving, but have a beautiful exterior - or nearly beautiful unless one was up close. Then, each time the wall faded or her maybe the seasons changed, she'd choose another pattern. Did she buy what was on sale or what her heart desired? Somehow, scraping the layers away, I felt a connection to Mrs. B. It was as if the eyes in the wall replayed many memories in the home, and I really wondered if she was watching from where she is today. Maybe, just maybe, her soul could be more at rest with those layers removed.

The butterfly puzzle on the wall came down with a thud, and truthfully, I couldn't decide whether it was put together by Mrs. B or another member of the family - it was glued skillfully with the purpose of adorning the wall. Being a family that served in the military, the butterfly puzzle definitely told a story of bravery and American history. It proudly adorned the doorway of that room, but definitely did not match the beauty that once met those walls with wallpapered patterns. It was almost a man-cave option in a weird sort of way - if you can ever see a butterfly as manly. The beauty of it was it also ended an era of this family - their joys, their struggles, their memories - and the butterfly flew away to create a beautiful new more-modern room that will welcome laughter and memories for a new family, a new generation in the house of Bath.

Curse you Plunket Fleeson!

Wallpaper came to America in 1739, when Plunket Fleeson began printing wallpaper in Philadelphia.  Who knows if this piece of wikipedia is true but I need someone to blame.

 The above picture has 4 layers I couldn't separate!

These are only the 16  samples of wallpaper we’ve spent hours steaming and cursing, I mean scraping off the walls and ceilings.  Yes wallpaper on the ceilings must have been all the rage in the 1900′s! Thank goodness that our kids will know wallpaper as a digital thing and not the toxic gluey, messy, ugly thing of the past. 

The Originals

This photo, taken from the attic, is actually the original roof. Pine, unique and very cool. It was amazing how many layers of shingles we pulled off the roof, each layer telling the history about the property. These original boards are still covered in bark on the sides and look as though the tree had just been cut. Wavy in appearance, they stand out as an old soul to the life of the home. Every step of the way, we're finding more and more character, and the words 'Extreme Home Makeover' are really the only that fit this exciting project.

The Haunting Begins.....

So one of our workers was in the attic and slipped off a beam and his foot fell through the floor/ceiling.  Nobody heard or saw him.  After he "survived", he came outside to tell us he almost fell through the floor.  And of course, being the good support system that we are, we all laughed.  We even embellished the image of him hanging through the ceiling and being stuck with some of those wasped stinging him in the head, with no one to help.  But none of this really happened.  Just a foot through the ceiling. 

So to continue the fun, I placed the doll in the ceiling so just her feet are seen when you walk in the door.  The doll was found in a trunk in the attic on the first day.  From the first time I saw her, I knew exactly how she would come in handy.  She will continue to "visit" our poor unsuspecting workers.  Just be on the lookout!

On another note, some great progress is being made...take a look!

There were about four layers on this! Those old wood boards look like they were fresh off a tree.  You can see right into the attic.

 The roof will be done right this time!

 Look at all the trash!  The 30 ton dumpster was emptied once already and is half full again.

Turn That Frown Upside-Down

This is our house. It is our house with its first real face-lift. Lets just call it a nose job. For those of you following our website, facebook, and of course our blog, you've seen that the front of the house was cluttered and looked as though it needed a facial makeover. The porch sagged on the bottom and frowned on the top. We are excited to show you this first photo of home recovery for this pink house. Notice the raise in the porch, the stylish, yet countryish beams, and the beautifully poured new front porch. Those that have sat on this porch enjoying sunsets in the past are now smiling, because there will be lucky owners to enjoy the sunset in the future, but with a happier, and more confident pink house. Stay tuned because this baby, our baby, is going to look amazingly fantastic as the weeks progress. You wouldn't recognize her if you saw her on the street...she's a pink house and she's looking good.