As you might remember from some previous newsletters, the little yellow house we live in is 175 years old. Like other older homes you’ve probably seen, this one has had a lot of add-ons over the years and it’s left us with some interesting features. Some features that, if we’re being totally honest, we’re actually not too fond of.

During the warmer months, we stay pretty focused on all the things outside on the farm and try to ignore the projects at the house that aren’t too pressing. But during the wintertime, when we have a little more free time on our hands, the indoor projects start calling to us.

During our first winter here, we took on the kitchen. When we moved in, the kitchen had a big green faux brick wall in the center of the room that stopped 1 foot short of the ceiling, a tiny oven that didn’t even fit a roasting pan, and a doorway that was so short that Greg had to duck every time he walked through it so as to avoid bonking his head. Knowing how much we love cooking food, you can imagine the frustration this little space caused us. Gutting and rebuilding the kitchen was a top priority for us during that first winter here. And once it was done, it quickly became our favorite room in the house.

The bathroom was our winter project 2 years ago. The chair rail, bright blue chipping paint and the sketchy plastic shower surround were just not quite our style. It was winter and we were a little stir crazy, I think. So without much foresight or or any real plan, we started ripping and stripping. Floor to ceiling, it all came down in an afternoon. We learned how to dry wall, how to tile, and how to install a toilet and a bathtub. It took us longer than we expected (imagine going 2+ weeks without a toilet!), but we love the way it turned out in the end.

Well, as you probably guessed by now, we are gearing up for this year’s winter house project and its going to be a doozy. This time, we’re tackling the living room and the attic. This is a bigger project than we’ve ever done before so we’ve got a team doing a lot of the work for us. But since they’re going to be working on the core of the house for 6 weeks and we have NO idea what is behind all of this crazy wall paneling, it’s going to be quite the adventure.

So we’re a week or two away from another winter demo-day and we’re feeling both excited and terrified. We’d love some advice, if you have any, on how to stay happy and sane during this process….

Your Farmers,
Jenney and Greg