1900 Farmhouse

Votes: 2
Site: 1900 Farmhouse
Project: Continuous Remodeling
Medium: Blog
About: Won over by technology with the purchase of his first cell phone, Joe took an even greater leap by starting a blog. He set it up as a means of keeping others up to date on his progress as he remodels his 1900 farmhouse in Portland, Oregon. You’ll quickly learn that he’s more than just a remodeler/renovator. His first post from May 2006 will attest to the fact that he’s also a gifted artist.

Renovation Highlights

It’s difficult to single out specific highlights of his renovations – there are so many! In the dining room it could be the mural of an old oak, skilfully and painstakingly created by hand – including the making of the tiles themselves. If you click on the ‘Oak Tree Tile Mural’ category on Joe's blog, it will take you to a series of photos that you can view to get a better perspective of what went into the making of the tiles and the mural. The tile mural serves as the backdrop for a working antique wood stove. But, what about the stove itself? Or the reproduction tin ceiling, or the custom dining table made from reclaimed, old growth Douglas fir, or the hardwood floors that were hiding under ancient linoleum and disgusting black tar adhesive, then refinished to their current shining glory? See what we mean? It’s like going to a restaurant that serves all your favorite foods. It’s too hard to decide! There’s still the windows, the French doors, the walls (ooooh, the walls). Then we have to consider the den, the office, the exterior and we mustn’t forget about the attic.

Raising the Roof

An attic renovation, completed mostly for the purpose of adding a bathroom to the upstairs, also allowed Joe to include a walk-in closet (with a window), make bedroom #2 significantly larger, and add a balcony. Although this renovation was completed prior to the start of his blog, we do get to view a slide show pictorial which shows the removal of the roof on the section of the house where the renovation was taking place and the building of walls to add height and increase the functional size of the second story space. The upstairs bathroom showcases another handmade tiling project – three colorful fish circling the drain on the river rock shower floor.

While he's adding his own funky touches, Joe is also doing a fabulous job of maintaining the house’s original character with sloped ceilings and wood siding on the exterior. He may not enjoy the process of painting that siding or his interior walls, but he certainly knows how to pick his colors. The cool blues and greys that he's used on the interior walls work wonderfully with the wood tones of the floors. Hmmm, do you think he realizes that they are also very historically accurate colors?

What’s Next?

We’re sure we found a mention somewhere in his blog that the kitchen might be next in line for a little renovation. If that’s the case, we can hardly wait! It’s very exciting to see what happens when Joe turns his attention to a new project!