1926 French Lighting and My Network of Junk-Loving Friends{farmhouse parts}

It takes a village to build a farmhouse. Or in my case, it takes a network of about 50 of the best pickers in the United States who send me photos like this one which was sent to me by my friend Ann of Nellie's Barn Sale last week:

Ann and I joke that when the farmhouse is finally finished, I'll have to tell people that it was her doing. I guess that's what happens when you know someone for all but the first eight years of your life....they get to know your style pretty well. Of course, I do  say "no" sometimes.

The first photo above was a preview photo from one of the 217 shops in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin that Ann assembled for her Vintage Shop Hop this weekend. It was a place called Deconstruction Inc., located just outside of Madison, Wisconsin. I immediately phoned the shop owner, a great guy named Mark. He sent me the photos above and I knew from the photos that I had to have those fixtures. 

We arrived at Deconstruction early on Friday morning. The place is amazing! It's got a huge yard full of salvaged wood and granite and two floors of architectural salvage inside. I also found (well, Ann found and I purchased) some great, old wooden door stops and Mark's got an old well pump, some barn timbers, and a couple of doors that I'll need to go back to get in the spring when they're not frozen to the ground.  But on Friday, I was all about these lights!

Note: When using vintage light fixtures  in your home, have them checked by an electrician or other trained professional prior to installing them to ensure that they are safe and in good working order. 

As I disassembled them on Sunday afternoon and began to clean off just enough of the dirt to allow the detail to show through without removing the patina that took just about ninety years to develop, I discovered a patent date of  June 8, 1926 stamped into the metal rod at the top of the fixture just below the ceiling valance. There's also a company name that is French and "Canada" is stamped on the inside of the metal disks at the top and bottom of the fixture.

As I washed and dried the fixtures, I also discovered that one of the two lights apparently hung in direct sunlight while the other did not. The finish on one of them is more brassy and the other is more coppery. The fixtures appear to be mainly brass with some copper accents. I don't think that they were ever lacquered which is probably why they developed such a great patina.

The detail on them is beautiful.  There was probably a crystal or finial that hung from the bottom  of the fixture at some point and there may also have been glass hurricanes in them but I love them just as they are.

My son says that they look like something from The Hunger Games. This, of course, is lost on me because I've never seen the movie or read the book.  I think that they look a little bit French and a little bit lodge and just enough farmhouse to be perfect for use as the ceiling lights in the new cloister hall that will lead from the back of the house to my new studio.

I'm thrilled that they still have their original candles and that the ceramic sockets are in good shape. All I had to do was take them apart, clean them, and rewire them so that they're ready to be installed (in a few months when the hall is actually built).  Of course, I couldn't just pack them away in the box without seeing what they looked like lit so I wired one to a plug and took this really bad photo on Sunday night.

Then I wrapped them in tissue and packed them into a box which is carefully stacked in the dining room along with all of the other house parts that I've been collecting with the help of my friends. Ann...and Mary from Hello,Vintage who took me to Plaid Umbrella Studio's pop up market a couple of weeks ago where I found this gorgeous vintage umbrella stand for the foyer and a great mirror that will be used in the powder room.

When my shopping list for the farmhouse includes items like vintage concrete sheep and a life size metal horse head, it's good to have a whole bunch of amazing and talented friends who make it their business to collect stuff from all over the United States and are willing to help out a friend who works full time job and can only go junkin' on weekends.  

My darling friend Mary from Urban Farmgirl reminded me recently that I need to get a smartphone so that she can send me photos...I still need to do that one day soon-ish.  Even though I'm "technology challenged" Mary messaged me last week and sent me this photo of a horse head that she spotted at Bella Patina because she knows that a giant metal horse head is on my list. 

Just a few minutes later, sweet Christie from Carter's Cottage messaged me with this photo:

See what I mean? I'm blessed with an incredible network of junk-loving friends. Some  I've known all of my life, some for just a few months but we all share a common love of all things old and crusty, a joy in the thrill of the hunt, and a belief that the best very things in life are found. It's so much fun to have all of them (and all of you) along on the journey to create the farmhouse. 

If there's something special that you are looking for, let me know and I'll put the word out for you...after all, that's what life's all about (at least it is in mine), 

                                                

                                                            friends helping friends find junk!

Old House Stories and A Vintage Men's Shaving Stand

Have you ever heard the old saying, "If these walls could talk..."?  Lately, I've been feeling that way about the walls here at the farmhouse. As we've been removing walls, we're discovering some of the stories of the house that we're making our home,  

I suppose that it's my love of old houses and their stories that drew me to this project in the first place because I grew up in an old house. It  had a wide front porch with a porch swing and a back door with a wooden screen door.  It had one bathroom with a cool slot in the back of the medicine cabinet where my dad put the used blades from his single blade razor (and I once did the same thing...with an entire package of brand new blades. Sorry, Dad.)

French Country Fall Mantel: Neutrals, Naturals and Metallics

This year, I decided to keep my fall mantel decorating neutral and to combine elements from nature like pine cones, oak leaves, grape vine and white pumpkins (both real and faux) with spray painted metallic pumpkins for accents.

Final Drawings French Farmhouse Renovation Phase 2

You may be wondering why I haven't been around much. 

Wait, who am I kidding? Even my family probably wouldn't notice if I was absent for a few days so let me rephrase:

                                                      Here's what I've been up to lately.  

The photos that you see here are the final drawings for what I've been referring to for the last ten months as "Phase 2 of the renovation at the French Farmhouse." In reality, this is the portion of the renovation where the true transformation from "1950's red brick ranch" to "French Farmhouse" will take place.

Over the next several months (probably around ten), 3/4 of the existing foot print of the house will be gutted to the studs and all of the existing rooms (with the exception of the new dining room) will "change places". Through it all, the house will remain a three bedroom, 2.5 bath home and YES, we ARE living here during construction!

Bedrooms will become a kitchen, the kitchen will become a bedroom, current bathrooms make way for a new hearth room. Why? Well, I haven't gone into too much detail until today but this house has a bunch of problems, some of them serious...some, just annoying.  

Things like the fact that the windows have been caulked shut for so many years that the wood frames have rotted to the point that they can't be repaired.  Or the fact that ice forms on the electric outlets in my bathroom in the winter. Or the fact that condensation runs down the walls in the hall in the summer. 

The list goes on...and on...and I've spared you the "really bad" stuff. Trust me, there is NO OTHER choice...well, except tearing it down...which I won't do...because I LOVE this house!

So, I've been working with an incredibly talented architect named Dennis Parsons who has, over the last ten months, "engineered" my vision and found a builder named Dan Roberts who is almost as excited to do this project as I am.

We're currently applying for building permits, and clearing trees...and removing a pond and thirty foot stream that was built against the house and eighteen inches above the top of the foundation...which is a part of the reason why the crawl space filled with water last fall when it rained. Not glamorous stuff...but necessary. 

Today, my back yard looks like this. To most people, this is not a pretty sight. To me, after almost twelve months of waiting, it's beautiful!

I hope that you'll stick around for the next few months while things aren't lovely and there's not really any decorating to share.  I'll be doing a few projects and I'll also be sharing the process of selecting tile and fixtures and designing the new kitchen and bathrooms. I truly appreciate every single one of you and the fact that you're here.

Bring on the construction fence! Let's DO THIS!

When Common Sense Takes a Holiday: Purchasing A Soaking Tub on Craigslist

Today, we're going on a little trip down memory lane because several of you have asked about the tub that I purchased on Craigslist but first, a little background. A few weeks ago, I made the mistake of telling my oldest son that I consider myself  frugal.  He quickly reminded me that frugal was probably a stretch but we could both agree that I am (at least most of the time), thrifty. So, when a thrifty girl like me who has a "day job"in corporate finance, a passion for all things vintage, and a degree in design decides to renovate a 1950's ranch house, finding the best possible price on things involves shopping..and often, the Internet.

How to Choose Hardwood Floor and Finish

The new hardwood flooring was installed in the first room at the French farmhouse last week and I couldn't be happier! I chose 4 inch wide, rustic grade, white oak with dark stain and a waterborne finish. When faced with choosing the material that will cover 80% of the floors in my home, I wanted to be sure that I loved it, that it would fit the style and feel of our home, and that it would hold up in high traffic areas like the kitchen a and family room.

Before going through the trouble and expense of installing any new floor, it's important to know that the underlayment (base over which the new floor will be installed) is sound so that the new floor will be level and won't squeak.  The prior owners had taken what I call the "lazy man's approach" to flooring. They simply glued and nailed layers upon layers of flooring, one on top of the other.

Have you ever torn out three layers of flooring in a 14 foot by 25 foot room? In case you haven't, let me just say for the record, it's highly overrated.....Necessary, but highly over rated. It took five evenings and the better part of a Saturday to do the job. It required a steel wrecking bar (in addition to a pry bar and hammer) as well as almost two full dumpsters to dispose of the debris, but I feel better knowing that I won't be living with layers of petroleum coated tar paper, wood that had black mold on it, and old linoleum buried beneath my beautiful new floors

Once the old flooring was removed and disposed of, the flooring installers took over. I've found that on a rehab of this scope, knowing when to call in the pros is a good thing. It actually saves money when I let a pro handle the parts of  the renovation that I'm not good at.  A new layer of 3/4 inch plywood was glued and screwed to the original 1x8 subfloor.  This was done to stabilize the floor and to allow for the electrical conduit which runs on top of the floor joists in many homes which were constructed prior to 1955.

Then it was on to the flooring! I chose white oak because it's the most cost effective of the hardwoods that are readily available in my area.While I love bamboo, walnut and hickory, the cost for them was two to three times that of white oak. Oak was also in keeping with the vintage farmhouse feel that I'm trying to achieve and 4 inch wide planks are perfect for the scale of my home.

You may notice from the photos that my floor has knots and check marks in it. This is because of the grade of wood that I chose. Here's what I learned:

Wood flooring comes in several "grades"which have an effect on the characteristics and cost. This grading system applies to all species of wood.  The names may vary slightly based upon your supplier so always make sure that you know what you're getting before you order.

• "Premium" (also known as "clear" or "select"). This is the "best" grade. The planks come in longer lengths and contain some of the characteristics of the wood like minor variations in color and small knots.
• "Natural" (also known as "Grade 1" or "common"). The wood  has color variations but has a slightly shorter average plank length than premium. It's normal for these boards to have some very limited minor blemishes.
• "Rustic"(also known as "Grade 2" or "cabin grade"). This type of wood contains the full range of coloration, mineral streaks, worm holes, knots, checks and other imperfections other than those that would impair the serviceability of the floor. The boards are shorter than either of the two "better" grades.
• "Utility" (also known as "Tavern grade"). This is the least expensive grade.  It contains mis-manufactured boards, split and rotten ends and a host of other defects that in some cases, result in the wood not being usable.  The average is 20% to 25% waste using this grade and there are usually no returns allowed once you purchase it. 

• "Reclaimed flooring". This is flooring which has been previously installed at another location. I would have loved to use reclaimed oak but found that it was the most expensive oak option which meant that again, for me, it really wasn't an option.

The hardwood was glued and stapled to the plywood using 2 inch staples and construction adhesive. Once it is in place, it is sanded and buffed. At this point, the finish is applied. I chose Antique Brown stain. Above is a photo showing the "turn board" at the opening to the dining room. A turn board is used to lock the flooring in the dining room into position because we're not ready to do the floors in the other rooms of the house.

Note: In an effort to keep this project as eco-friendly as possible,  I looked into alternative methods of staining and finishing our floors including using milk paint as a floor stain and hemp oil or wax as a finish. I chose not to use them for the following reasons: 1) I discovered that the finish is not as durable as I need  it to be. 2) A "brown painted" finish is not as clear as stain and would not allow the character of the wood to show through as well as traditional stain does. 3) The floors in my high traffic areas would need to be recoated far more often than I'm willing to deal with..4) Hemp oil takes 24-48 hours between coats and up to twenty eight days to fully cure. (My green certified water borne finish is dry in under 4 hours and cured in 24 hours.) I gathered this information from the MMS website as well as Homestead House and Apartment Therapy's answer forum.

My floors are finished using the Bona finishing system. (I was not compensated in any way for this post. I'm sharing this information because I happen to love this product) It is a Swedish, waterborne cross linking polymer that is greenguard certified for indoor air quality that is safe for children and pets. They continue to work toward sustainability and greener solutions which I look for when choosing products that I use in my home. I used this finish in our last home 12 years ago and I still love it today! 

The floor is damp mopped (to open the grain so that it will better accept the stain) and then the stain is applied. It dries in only a couple of hours and the sealer is applied. After the sealer, the floor is buffed, vacuumed and the first coat of Bona "Traffic" is applied. 12-24 hours later, the floor is buffed and vacuumed again and the final coat of Traffic is applied.  It's dry and ready for furniture in just a couple of hours but I decided to allow it to harden for 24 hours before we moved in the large pieces.

I can't wait until I have these wide plank oak floors installed in the rest of my home! I love the way the dining room is coming together....of course, I also love being able to watch television in the TV room without having to look past the dining room table!  You may have noticed a little peek at the new rug that arrived yesterday in the photo above...if you'd like to know more about it, visit my dining room rug post (here)! 

Landscape Demolition Sunday

 Last Sunday, the temperature  in the Chicago 'burbs hit sixty degrees for the first time this year which could only mean one thing....it's finally "chainsaw season" here  at the farmhouse.  The quotes that I got for cutting down the foundation plantings around the the house were averaging $1,000 or more so I decided that this was one of the items on the Phase 2 Construction "to do" list that I could tackle myself.

Rustic French Soap {favorite things}

This is NOT a sponsored post. I'm simply sharing a soap that I happen to love.

What do you think of when you someone says "French soap"?  When I was younger, "French soap" meant beautifully formed, finely milled soap that was generally reserved for guests or for when we spent the night at my Grandmother's house. 

French Country Inspired Christmas Dining Room

I kept Christmas decorating in my dining room simple this year.  Just a couple of  wreaths, a length of garland, and red ribbon.  It's certainly much more simple than our snowy, winter wonderland dining room decorating from last year ( see more here).

Holiday Home Tour Day 1: French Farmhouse Kitchen

Welcome to my French farmhouse kitchen finally dressed for the holidays! I've kept my holiday decorating simple this year.