Kitchen Model…

Since we have never “modeled” our kitchen, it seems odd to say we are re-modeling…I’m just saying…

From the get-go our “upstairs kitchen” was high priority.  However, we ultimately decided to finish our basement kitchen first…several reason led us to this decision…first, it could be finished to a very usable point in a very short amount of time and with a fairly small budget.  Secondly, we wanted a space that could be useful for entertaining in the “entertainment” level of the house and along with that could be used by those visiting in the guest suite.  Also, we knew that when the time came to finish the upstairs kitchen, it would be amazingly helpful to have a full functioning kitchen already set up!!  And all of those reasons have held true…we did hope to get to the upstairs kitchen last year, but instead put a humongo roof over our heads and the kitchen budget was more than shot!!  The basement kitchen has been great…easy to use, loads of space, freezing in the winter, two dishwashers, two flights of stairs from our upstairs living space and almost like cooking out doors thanks to the wall of windows…love those windows!!  A few negatives, but overall a huge blessing!! 

Having said that…..I AM SO EXCITED TO HAVE MY KITCHEN UPSTAIRS!!!!!  Last week while the contractor was finishing trim and the painter was painting trim I decided to remove the children from the situation and take them to a quiet place so we could get our schoolwork done uninterrupted…as I stood at my Mom’s stove and the kids sat beside me at her kitchen island I suddenly realized I would love having this setup in my own home!!   

The room that will be our kitchen was once the typing classroom…so, I am pondering a way to hint at that history without propping a typewriter next to the sink!!  🙂

 This room sits directly off the living room.(We opened the wall between the two rooms seen on the left side of this picture…)  This view into the kitchen is from the hearth room.

I knew right away that I wanted to make this the kitchen because the doorway on the right side of this photo leads to the schoolroom!!  Unfortunately the chalkboard had to come down, but the tradeoff is so worth it!!

As with any big project there is a ton going on…and nothing going on…we hurry, hurry to finalize plans…then wait and wait…So, here is our current status…cabinets ordered…check…electrical done and waiting for cabinets to be installed…check…plumber coming on Tuesday…double oven, cooktop, sink, dishwasher…check…fridge and microwave ordered…check…cabinet pulls ordered…check…sink faucets ordered…check…countertops chosen and awaiting cabinet installation…check!!

Industirial lighting has been removed and recessed lights installed…we left room for three gorgeous vintage fixtures to hang over the island (watch for future post!!).  Walls painted, trim installed and painted, floors refinished, and holes…lotsa holes!!!!  With wires everywhere (don’t worry…they aren’t “live” yet!!)

and more holes…beautiful holes!!  Holes=progress on my kitchen model!!

Decorator extraordinaire (sp?)

Eryn will probably regret showing me how to access the blog…and to edit. Sorry honey. You know me though, your social bug who likes to talk. Well, this post is more about you, and how much I love your decorating.

So, to all our readers, hear is a picture worth a thousand words. This wall is in Addie Mae’s room and is a beautiful work of art. Home decor art. And my wife is the all-time champ of beautiful home decor art, with paint. These stripes run along the 14′ wall length and from follor to ceiling (ceiling height is 11′ 8″). I love this wall. And more importantly, Addie Mae love’s this wall. And that leads me to the next comment about Eryn. She is very loving toward the desires of our children. If I recall correctly, Addie requested these stripes and Eryn went to all the work to give her something special. Thanks Eryn for being such a loving mommy!

In the beginning…

Jeff here. I don’t have the blogging skill that my awesome wife does, but I have been dying to get you some original pics that we found months ago. I am still trying to find pictures of the second major renovation that it underwent in the 30’s but no luck so far. As you look at the pics, you will probably have the same thought I did…”there is no way that is the same building!” Well, believe it!

 So, in the beginning Keats built a school. It was not just any ordinary school. It was a very nice three story brick schoolhouse that served the “Wildcat” area.

In the 30’s, 1937 to be exact, and under WPA, the school was completely rebuilt. The third story was removed (where the old gymnasium resided) and the entire structure was redesigned. To be completely honest, I wish they had left it alone. It was so beautiful!

Well, that’s it for now! I hope to add an editorial on its history sometime soon! Thanks for visiting the The Old Schoolhouse Blog!

All I want for Christmas…

 

 How is it that a simple board has the power to transform??  To bring a project to completion…to cover up the rough edges and unsightly nails and proclaim, once and for all, “Finished”….

I try really hard to be patient…but, I must admit, it is not my natural bend.  I tend to be the “let’s get it done…NOW” kinda person.  So, when we moved into our SchoolHouse last November, before the trim was finished, I knew it would get done.  I just thought it would be sooner than later.  (My dear friend, Mindy did warn and STRONGLY encourage us to wait til it was all finished before moving in…she would know, her renovation project has been ongoing now for 11 years!!)  But Jeff and I…well, neither of us are patient people…and we would have had to delay our move-in date…again.  And we were ready to be here and settled…(Settled…now there is an elusive concept…)

We moved in and immediately dealt with a faulty sewer system…$big chunk-a change$…ew…before the new tank had even had time to settle and grass to grow over the mess of dirt in the yard we had a leaky roof….$humongo chunk-a change$ later we had all but forgotten about the trim!!  Life happens whether you are in the midst of a reno or not…so when Jeff asked me what I wanted for Christmas…I didn’t have to think for long…the first thing I thought of was a trip back to Destin….oh, it was heaven on earth, let me tell you!!  But then I thought about the one thing that is my biggest pet peave…every single day…at least 27 times a day…I think to myself, “Boy, I can’t wait til that trim is done!!”  The whole house seems not only unfinished but dirty somehow with all the bits of sheetrock showing, the nailheads and uneven paint lines that don’t matter because…trim will be covering it….eventually…someday…I hope.  (I am pretty sure the dust bunnies gather more quickly due to the lack of trim…almost positive about that one!!)

 

Well, I have news for you!!!  We have trim!!! 

 

Almost done trim!!!   While we were doing some traveling over the Christmas/New Year’s week, our dear friend and contractor, began to finish!!!! 

 

(Micah is thrilled to have an official display shelf for his vast array of Lego creations!!)

And this week he will be done so that our other dear friend and painter can come put the final coats of paint on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (Can you tell I am excited!!???)  (I love exclamation marks!!  And I am always so amazed that people don’t use them more often!!  They make me smile, big!!)