Bought the primer

Yeah, Bob was thrilled when he pulled up with the van to see the Sherwin-Williams guy hauling three 5-gallon buckets of primer out for us on a dolly. It is a little overwhelming to see that much paint at one time, and to think that we have to apply it all.

This is only about half the primer we'll need for the house. The very helpful assistant manager Rick estimated we'll need 20-30 gallons to prime the whole house. I don't even want to know how much actual paint we'll need. I'm not ready to hear that yet.

Much of the house has drywall, but not all of the downstairs is done. Bob asked Pat to focus on taping, mudding and sanding the upstairs so we can have something to get started painting while Diane has a week off work. He's working away at it, then he'll go back to finishing the downstairs drywall.

I think I have most of our carpet picked out, so I'm safe to pick out paint colors now. I narrowed it down from 1,000 in the sample book to about 300 of my favorites. Sheesh. From there I now only have about a dozen top choices for each room. Gee I can make a process long and tedious.

Color is important though. There is a lot to consider. Really.

Energy efficiency

Someone asked if we've made energy efficiency upgrades to the house. We have upgraded the efficiency of the farmhouse a great deal.

• There was no insulation before, and now it is very well insulated with spray foam on all walls and batting in the attic, with a little poured insulation behind a wall of 1920s kitchen cabinets we’re restoring.
• There is now a vapor barrier under the drywall on the top floor. The windows were vinyl and about 10 years old, so we’re keeping those, but have tightened up the installation to prevent gaps and air leaks.
• We replaced the old wood doors with energy efficient steel doors.
• For now we’re keeping the fuel oil furnace (only 2 years old), but a high-efficiency model and/or an outdoor wood burner are in our future plans when we can save for them.
• The house has all new duct work, which should make the distribution of heat more efficient.
• Just yesterday we picked up a new water heater from our electric co-op through their program that gives us a monthly credit in exchange for them putting a control on it.
• We’ll be buying a new water softener and dishwasher, and we’ll purchase energy efficient models.

Getting the water heater into the house was a real challenge for Bob yesterday. He called me to tell me it's basically the size of a small refrigerator. I had no idea. The co-op lifted it onto the truck with a forklift. He and Pat wrestled it off the truck and into the house with a dolley. Today they'll get it into the basement, with hopefully no steps that lead to hernia surgery or cracked skulls.

This is where we were meant to be

I'm sitting in the sugar shack, chatting with my father-in-law about an upcoming school presentation. I can see Bob out the window driving the tractor, taking loads of scrap wood out back to burn. The girls have been wandering the woods and now are going to see if Daddy has time to play. They'll probably end up in the hay mow.

I can smell the thick, sweetness of syrup now that the kettles I'm watching are closer to a boil. It's masking the unfortunate odor of squirrel pee. This is their woods, too, and they have been into the woodpile. Addy had deposited a collection of leaves on the counter in front of me. The oniony leek smell is still faintly detectable although she ran off gnawing on the leaf half an hour ago. Outside it just smells like a spring wood -- humusy, thick, woody, a little fresh now that the trout lily leaves are fully emerged.

I don't see the girls any longer, so that likely means they've talked Daddy into a break from cleaning up the farmstead.

I don't much have to worry about them out here. Our neighbors across the road are homeschoolers with kids who love to play with ours. Down the road are a few Amish families, then of course Grandma and Grandpa are half-mile the other way. We do have the ATV-riding, doing-donuts tearing-up-the-road family in between, but it's probably better than our current neighbor in town, whom Grandma P. had dubbed Muscle Man. We even have grazed Holsteins to the northeast, and our neighbor to the north sold us our used lawn tractor and will install our carpet.

This is where we were meant to be.

The stairway and upstairs hall

Restoration Hardware San Sebastian 13" flushmounts, two of these

Paint is Sherwin Williams Golden Fleece

Stairway railing and spindles will match those downstairs

The mudroom

Restoration Hardware Turner 15" flushmount, style pictured but in Oil-Rubbed Bronze like swatch

Light down basement stairs (closed off by door) will be a porcelain light original to the house

Flooring same as kitchen

Walls are Jersey Cream

Ceiling is Sherwin Williams Dover White

Still need some sort of coat and boot storage, hopefully benches, hooks and cubbies

Have vintage doorknobs to turn into some hooks

The sewing studio/master closet

Walls are Sherwin Williams Chivalry Copper


Ceiling and closet wall are Dover White


Curtain fabric


Carpet is a golden Mohawk plush remnant

Still need ceiling fan with light or just light alone, track light for above sewing machines

The master bedroom

Walls are Sherwin Williams Chivalry Copper

Ceiling is Dover White

Carpet is a golden Mohawk remnant

Using two of the house's original, vintage, porcelain wall sconces above bed between windows

Curtain fabric and trim

Fabric to make and cover a headboard (more gold that it appears here)

Need ceiling fan with light

The girls' room

Walls are Sherwin Williams Lobelia

Ceiling is Sherwin Williams Ceiling Bright White

Carpet is a blue plush remnant from local store

Using two of the house's original, vintage, porcelain wall sconces next to girls' twin beds, the two on the right

Can't believe I bought this ceiling fan, which won't go with the decor, but looks intriguing. Hunter Discovery. The blades reverse to black and we can easily change out the globe should our girls ever grow out of it (I mean ... when they grow out of it).

Twin beds are cherry

Bedspreads are pastel blocks of vintage handkerchiefs and chenille made by Maggie

The guest room

Walls and ceiling are Sherwin Williams Svelte Sage

Minka Aire Concept fan

Reusing one of the house's vintage, original, porcelain wall sconces on wall near bed

Keeping Aunt Lillian's wardrobe, exposed chimney brick

Carpet is beautiful sage wool with ivory leaves from Habitat for Humanity ReStore

The downstairs bathroom

Walls are Chivalry Copper



Ceiling is Sherwin Williams Dover White



Teeny little 18" vanity in Merillat Classics Deluxe, door style Avenue, color Maple Sable, plus little medicine cabinet

Pat scored this Eljer Salerno bar sink for us, knowing I originally wanted a laundry tub in here. This puppy is 10 inches deep and will do well to soak all kinds of grimy stuff.

Danze 221016 Opulence Single Handle Lavatory Faucet in Brushed Nickel

Plumber is getting soap dispenser and sprayer to coordinate


American Standard Cadet 3 Toilet with comfort height and elongated seat, standard toilet seat
Same flooring as kitchen and mudroom

Have vintage light bar for over sink

Need 1 cabinet knob, toilet paper holder, magazine rack

The upstairs bath/laundry room

Walls are Sherwin Williams Svelte Sage

Ceiling is Ceiling Bright White

Light over vanity is Portfolio 4-Light Traditional Vanity Fixture

Merillat Classics Deluxe for vanity, linen and above laundry; Silhouette door style; Maple Sedona finish

Flooring is a Mannington sheet vinyl remnant from a local store, look of large brown/green/rust tiles (not sure if it's this one shown, but close anyway)


Sterling Intrigue Neo-angle Shower

Sterling Intrigue Shower Door, Oil-Rubbed Bronze with Naturalist Glass

Delta Lahara Shower Trim in Venetian Bronze

Kohler 7236 Soaking Tub

Tub surround and apron are Daltile Matte Elemental Tan 4.25 x 4.25" tiles with a slightly darker unsanded grout

Delta T-4755-RBLHP Victorian Double Handle Roman Tub Trim with Handshower in Venetian Bronze, handles H616RB

U.S. Marble Cultured Granite countertop in Brown Sugar

Price Pfister Ashfield faucet

Price Pfister Ashfield Soap Dispenser

Delta Victorian Towel Ring

American Standard Cadet 3 Toilet with comfort height and elongated seat, slow-close toilet seat

Grab bars in oil-rubbed bronze

Need ceiling light near washer/dryer, 7 cabinet knobs and 6 drawer pulls since these are full-face, toilet paper holder, magazine rack

The front and back entries

Have Smith & Hawken Hartcliff wall sconce for outside the doors (two on porch front, one in back entry)


Pembroke Kwikset Venetian Bronze door lever

Mastercraft I-4p entry doors already installed!


Plain old motion ceiling light for front porch (bronze plastic mount), Cooper Lighting MS600

Need dual doorbell