Farmhouse Renovation Update: I Like Big Trucks (and I cannot lie)

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I've had a couple of you ask whether or not I'd be sharing holiday decorating this year. Honestly, the jury is still out on that  and here's why: over the course of the last two weeks, we've officially entered the "it's gonna' get worse before it gets better" phase of the renovation, at least as it relates to the exterior. 

Fortunately, Piper has adjusted to the fact that the only way to enter or leave the house is through the garage and I actually think that she's enjoying watching the daily parade of guys with heavy equipment.  I have to admit, I am too.


We started small. The first machine was the bobcat with the giant saw on the front of it that dug the four foot deep trench from the lot line to the back door. This trench is where the new underground electric service, cable and phone lines will run and pretty much ended my gardening and landscaping  season for the year. I though that I was prepared for the mud.
                                                                                                                                              
                                                                             I wasn't.


From there, we moved on to the big stuff. Excavation equipment dug the foundations for the new additions. First, a smaller addition in the rear of the house which runs from the  left side of the blue tarp in the photo above to the back door (this addition will contain the new hall/mudroom and master bathroom.


Next, the second, larger, addition which extends from the front of the south end house into the front yard. This addition will contain two bedrooms, a full bathroom, and my new studio space in addition to a small covered patio.

Since the south end of our home is currently on a crawl space, the addition is also on a crawl space This saves us money on excavation and concrete and we don't have to worry about excavating below the existing footings where the current structure is resting.


Then, the fun part started. Huge trucks filled with gravel arrived along with a conveyor to pump the gravel from the street into the foundation. Small children walking home from the grade school across the street began to loiter and a mom with a toddler in a stroller and a large cup of coffee showed up a couple of days in a row. I considered getting out the folding chairs and making popcorn but between the rain and the snow, I decided against it.


I also decided that attempting to change the decorations in the window box was probably a lost cause because it would take a pair of boots and a ladder to get to it. At least I can get to the pumpkin that is still on the front porch to throw it away and when it snows, I no longer have to worry about shoveling the front sidewalk...because there isn't one.


It has been incredible to watch as these huge pieces of equipment gently excavate just on the other side of the wall where I sit without even a ripple in my morning cup of coffee. As you probably have guessed, I've become friends with the excavation and concrete crews and they have generously shared stories of their families and how they got into the "business" while we stand at the back of someone's pick up truck sharing lunch or coffee. 

The majority of them have emigrated from Ireland and I've enjoyed the moments of hearty laughter and fabulous brogues that I've listened to on the other side of the very thin walls where the brick has been removed and all that separates me from them is a layer of drywall and some insulation for the last two weeks. 


Yesterday, the concrete pump  and parade of concrete trucks showed up for the second time as the foundation walls were poured.  Mercifully, the weather has been holding mainly in the 40's and 50's here in Illinois and with the exception of a few days of rain and a little wet snow, we've been blessed to be able to get this part of the construction finished before the real cold sets in. 


Today, the land surveyors will be here to perform a "spot survey" to ensure that the foundation is at the correct height before we build on it.  The concrete crew will also come to strip the forms off of the walls and spray the concrete with a sealant to help with the dampness in the crawlspace. Next Monday, the foundation floors will be poured. After that, they'll back fill (put the dirt back against the outside) the foundations and the heavy equipment will be gone. 

Who knows....once that happens, maybe I'll change the window box....or put a wreath on the front door.
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Kimberly

Farmhouse Renovation Floor Plans and Progress

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After what feels like an eternity (just under two and a half years) and a number of  "bumps in the road"  I'm excited to finally share the revised plans for Phase 2 of the remodeling and renovation here at the farmhouse and to be able to tell you that we have been issued a building permit!

Natural Stone and Ceramic Tile Selections for the Farmhouse

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A couple of weeks ago I made final tile selections for the farmhouse renovation.  True to my original plan, I used natural stone  and hand formed ceramic tile.  Unlike my original plan, the tile that I ended up choosing isn't at all like what I originally chose over a year ago.  Take for example the powder room floor tile above.  I originally thought that I'd use traditional French hexagonal tile. Instead, I selected a pattern that's just a little bit out of the ordinary but still gives me the same rustic French feel.

Red Yellow and Gray Fall Porch Decor

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This year, I decided on a red and yellow color scheme for my fall front porch decor. As you may have guessed if you saw my fall window box planter post, I chose mums and heuchera for my front porch as well.

Abundant Harvest Fall Urn Planters for a Stone and Stucco Home

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Today I'm sharing the abundant harvest fall urn planter arrangements that I created for my clients, T&J. A few weeks ago I met these clients t their gorgeous custom home for the first time.  They've asked me to"tweak" a few things on the exterior as well as to do interior staging and select the finishing touches for their incredible home.


As you can see from these photos, their home is a gorgeous, custom stone and stucco  that confection that was built just about five years ago. Their new landscaping is getting established and filling in nicely.


I love projects like this where most of the "heavy lifting" is complete and all I need to do is to add the "jewelry" to an already gorgeous design.  In the front of the home,  I'll be adding shutters to a couple of the windows, a window flower box above the garage,  and choosing furnishings for their front patio.


Since fall and winter are coming and I'm also working on my own home, I'll be designing the shutters and window box for this home in coming weeks but depending upon weather, they may not be installed until spring.  In the mean time, I've created fall urn planters for their front entry and added just a few mums to bring fall color to their yard.



 Using their existing containers, I created arrangements using mums, kale, heuchera, broom corn and faux pumpkins from the craft store.  The size and scale area appropriate for the size of the home and these planters will last until we do their holiday decorating in late November.


I love it when my clients see their home decorated for a particular season for the first time. The look on J's face when she stepped out of the door on Saturday was so sweet as she hugged me and said "I must have done something really good at some point in my life to deserve to have you in my life."


It's moments like that....a few brief seconds, shared on a gloomy Saturday morning or a sunny Friday afternoon, that remind me of how much I love doing what I do. I love helping clients to create warm and welcoming environments that are a reflection of them. Bringing the feelings and visions that they have for their home to life is my favorite thing to do.


I can't wait to show you the inside of this gorgeous home in the coming months.  I'll be staging and decorating four bedrooms, a kitchen, dining room and family room.  I'll also be doing some holiday decorating for them both inside and outside (and you know how much I love the holidays!)


 I'm thankful to have this gorgeous home to decorate while our home is being renovated. Creating abundant harvest themed fall urn planters for J & T's  front entry is just the  start of the fun so be sure to follow along.

I'll be sharing my own fall front porch decorating as well as farmhouse construction updates later this week so be sure to stop by.

Thanks so much for reading!