We bought an old, white farmhouse. It has great bones.
It's hard to believe we moved out of our little blue house almost 6 months ago. The girls and I moved in with my parents in Dayton, Ohio in order for them to finish out the school year in Ohio. Recently I've come to the realization that finishing out the school year in Ohio sounded better than me having to admit "I'm not ready to leave...not ready to start over!" Dave has been living in the old white farmhouse since November.
The time is drawing near, reality is setting in and the girls and I will depart Ohio for the great state of Wisconsin in June. I'm still not quite sure that reality has set in for me as I consistently refer to my Wisconsin home as my "summer home."
The old white farmhouse is 103 years old. It sits in the ideal town of Lake Mills, Wisconsin. For those who have been following my blog you may remember the trip the girls and I took last July to Bartlel's Beach in Lake Mills. I instantly fell in love with the scenery, the people and beautiful Rock Lake. Of course, I wasn't really house shopping that afternoon but once I saw the farmhouse it was an instant bond.
Much like my instant bond with our previous little blue house, I spotted the farmhouse and envisioned a future. I saw beautiful gardens, Ava and Cate playing in the front yard on the existing swing and cool evenings on the front porch. I fell in love without even stepping foot through the front door.
The girls and I left the beach that evening knowing we would return. To our excitement the return would happen the next day with Dave and a realtor.
We stepped foot on the old, painted porch and prepared to step in through the large, welcoming front door. Once my feet hit the beautiful wood floor of the foyer I was "home."
I often ask people what drives them to buy a home. Size, color, new or old? I'm driven by the bones and the history of the home. If it has a good foundation and story to go along with that foundation I'm interested.
We walked into the foyer and room after room was just lovely. Everything flowed and there was a peace and tranquility to go along with the flow. The front rooms of the original farmhouse are pictured below and include a sun room, living room and dining room. The floors are gorgeous and the natural lighting is simple and elegant.
Upon initial glance the house was stunning, actually breathtaking. At the same time this wasn't our fist dance with an old home. The little blue house was a 16 year labor of love and money! We love the look and feel of an old home, however, many times you get into these old houses and you realize that the investment is substantial. I can remember waiting to re-do our kitchen in the old house. I litereally collected pictures of countertops, backsplash, paint colors for a long time. 10 years to be exact. We neeeded to gut the kitchen but there was never a good time and there was never enough money.
Not only does the white farmhouse have beautiful features, the fundamental features of the home are all up-to-date. New windows, new heating and air, new plumbing, new(er) electric. Dave and I felt like we were at the casino and we had hit jackpot!! The underlying and unseen expenses in old homes can make it difficult to ever touch the surface from an aesthetic point. While we didn't get this house for a steal, the updates that had been done made the price point worth it. We're excited to focus on putting our mark on the house and picking up where previous owners left off. It's a collaborative work in progress.
I mentioned that I was distraught leaving the old house because we had waited and saved to do two major areas of the house. 10 years for the kitchen re-do and 15 years for the art studio. Retrospectively, I believe we could have done both projects sooner but I believe if you're going to do something, do it right and do it the way you want. I wasn't willing to compromise on either project. It's all in the details, baby!
After walking through the main rooms of the original farmhouse I noticed a room off the dining room connected to the kitchen. Immediately, my head began to think "studio space." The kitchen is quite nice, however, the kitchen is where everyone hangs out so it has to display personality and character. Both rooms were blank canvases upon first glance. They weren't horrible by any means, just waiting for a touch of color and some energy to be moving through,
In addition to the kitchen the original butler pantry is connected. It is absolutely stunning! As of now, a wall separates the pantry from the kitchen. However, that wall will be coming down very soon!
After seeing the kitchen and potential studio the allure didn't end. The back door of the kitchen led to a delightful, small sun room next to the original limestone basement (the house has an updated basement as well as a new addition basement). We are moving to a really cold state so I was seeing myself sitting in this area in the winter sipping hot tea and summer sipping crisp cocktails, windows open of course.
As if the house needed more, an addition had been built on to the main level. On the opposite side of the foyer a family room space had been added as well as a functional second basement area. I wasn't exactly sold on these two areas, but I saw the potential. The family room is spacious and houses a second, gas burning fireplace. Carpet has to go! The previous owners were brilliant and were using the basement as a yoga/music hangout area. Currently brainstorming the plan for this space.
At this point it's a bit exhausting because we haven't even made it to the upstairs as of yet! Dave and I laugh at the enormity of this home. It's a bit over the top. Our last house was around 1,900 square feet and we loved the intimacy and cottage-type feel we had there. We had three bedrooms, a bath and a half and lovely little cottage gardens outlining the exterior. What more do you need?
Well, our biggest fear of moving (and moving to a lake) was that we wanted to have enough space to house family and friends. The last thing we want is to invite someone to Wisconsin and not be able to give them a comfortable bed and a gourmet meal.
The farmhouse compliments our need for entertaining and hosting our long distance guests. At the same time it fills a 20 year goal. Dave and I had always dreamed of being Inn owners at some point in our lives. The new house allows us to have an Inn "like" aspect and the bonus is entertaining those we love. Potentially even hosting artist retreats down the road!
So now we have this space. Around 5,000 square feet. 5 bedrooms and 4 baths and guess who's the maid! It's a bit overwhelming, especially for the detailed oriented person. So I just keep compartmentalizing my design thoughts, in a cohesive manner, of course.
All of the bedrooms reside in the upstairs. A couple of the pictures posted here represent the previous owners spaces. Ava will probably have the best room in the house. The bedroom boasts a second floor nook area surrounded with windows and a connecting bathroom with a clawfoot tub. Right now Ava and I are trying to decided on a color scheme for her room. I think you'll want to stay tuned for that exciting blog entry as we don't exactly see eye to eye!
Aside from the 2nd level of bedrooms and baths there is a third floor space that just needs to be worked on and completed. I am hoping to make this space into the art studio by adding dormers and natural ceiling lighting via the roof. It would be phenomenal.
Last, but certainly not least, we are surrounded by absolute beauty outside. Rock Lake resides not far behind us and the landscape is irrisistable.
I will say it. The gardens and landscape to the farmhouse need work. While it's naturally beautiful, the curb appeal can be so much more. Dave and I are gardeners. We built our last masterpiece and I hope we can do it again.
I know this was a long entry. I had been waiting to feature the house until we were closer to moving in. June is right around the corner and some changes have already occurred. I absolutely can't wait to share the updates with you.
The difficult (but fun) part now comes from basic decision making: do we use Home Depot or Lowe's, do we wallpaper or paint, do we do it ourselves or hire out.
Follow our journey...it's just the beginning. Bonus, we have a zip line~
Photo credits to my exceptional fine art photographer, Tom Lolan. a.k.a. Dad
