Question, do you ever watch the DIY shows and feel empowered to get your hammer, pry bar and start ripping stuff apart? I love to watch Nicole Curtis from the Rehab Addict, start ripping into years of modern additions to the older homes she recues. Do you remember how she always wants brick? Well me to! This is the guest bathroom, now the green carpet is still there, and this is how the fireplace looked until a few weeks ago. Nice and clean, freshly painted and sealed, (the carpet is going to be removed this summer, there is heart pine flooring under it).
And my first look at the house, this is the way it looked.
And now. The original wood burning fireplace for this bedroom. I had allot of cleanup to do on this old girl. The bottom of the fireplace was built with concrete, rock I guess just anything they could build it with and since it looked as though the wood had been burned without a grate, I had a mess. I removed all the old concrete, rocks, and pieces of brick, two buckets of sand and wood ashes. After a good cleaning poured concrete then laid pavers for gas logs to sit on. So now she is presentable and after the holidays the bricks will get a coat of sealer, gas will be hooked up and guest will have a very cozy little room!
The end irons were bought at auction many years ago, got them for $5.00. That was a Happy Dance!
Of course I had to do a little Christmas decorating! I went a little glitzy in the front of the house but for the most part I wanted things simple. The wreath is church yard sale find last summer, I got 12 for .50 each and a bag of garland for .50, which I made garland for five fireplaces. The red ribbon I already had. The mirror in this room I also found at an estate sale many years ago, the lamp belonged to my Great Grandmother.
I know the garland is not made of several kinds of greenery and all fluffy and full, but this is what I think you may have found in this house 100 years ago. A little simple greenery and a few pinecones.
Every artist signs their work!
The brass bed warmer I bought at an estate sale this summer.
I hope you enjoyed my little rehab attempt. I have to put my hammer away until the holidays are over, but you will be happy to know I found more brick in the kitchen. Yes I did I found the original cook stove chimney. So since we are doing a rehab in the kitchen this year, I get to tear open that as well. To date I have opened all five fireplaces, three of them were coal burners, not as much work as the two bedroom wood fireplaces, just lots of dirt and coal to deal with.
See you soon,
Sandy
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