It's been a busy 10 months! So busy, I haven't been able to post to the blog....
We have been spending time getting acquainted with the property, the barns and the farmhouse. I think its important to get to know the spaces in the house, so each inch of the rooms encourage togetherness and are defined with a purpose that compliments the reasons people gather here.
For instance, the extra long dining room is used as an entryway, hallway and eating space. There is a lot going on here! We were lucky enough to find two pieces that worked really well in the space and enhanced the entry point without disrupting the flow of traffic. After a long search, I found a hutch that was made by a cabinet maker in Libertyville, IL. This piece is a monster, which is exactly what we needed for the 20 foot long dining room wall. It took me 4 weeks to paint it, add legs to raise it higher and update the hardware.
The 14 foot long dining table was a crazy fun find at a furniture consignment shop in Glenview, IL. Without the leaves, it weighs at least 100 lbs! We pulled a few muscles moving this beauty around. It was my husbands job to sand down the table top, stain and treat it. With a lack of power tools, I handed him a sanding sponge or two and said, "get after it babe!" He looked at me like I had three heads...as he should have looking back. Within 15 minutes, he was speeding down the driveway to buy a power sander at the local hardware store. This remains one of his favorite purchases for the farm, as it was his first true power tool (besides a drill). Ten months in, we now have an impressive collection of power tools and accessories...all which make my husband a happy man! It still took him many hours to sand the table top, which earned me a few choice words when he reflected on my offering of the sponge sanders!
Once the sanding was complete, we decided to put a wax coating on it and leave it in it's "rustic" state. I'm sure he was thrilled that he didn't have to stain and treat since his arms were still vibrating from the sander.
We put a fresh coat of paint on the walls, changed out the light fixture, added some art and accessories and WAAAALAAAAA....it was complete!
As with all spaces in the farmhouse, we continue to add things here and there based on how we use the room, but here are some photos for your viewing pleasure....
