When you own an old house, there is always a house project in the works. Right now it is our office/library/computer room. This is what the room looked like when we moved in. It was renovated in the 60's or 70's and they covered over the horsehair plaster walls with wood from a local tanning facility. The wood was really dark and had little holes all over it from hanging hides to dry. It makes for a kind of interesting story but the room was dreadfully dark and the walls were really rough and hard to clean. And there was an ugly orange/red carpet. We promptly pulled up the smelly carpet and have been living with a strange brown chipboard kind of floor for the past 4 years. We weren't sure if the wood floor below could be saved.
When the floor was ripped up, it was still covered in a paper material but we could tell that with some patching, the floor could be saved. We replaced the walls with wall board and painted and replaced the old replacement windows.
I love exposed beams in the ceiling but the beams in the before room were fake, and obviously so. They were removed and we added a new beam. This beam was found at a local salvage yard and looks like the beams used when building our 1840s house. We couldn't expose our actual beam due to the height of it and the need to level the ceilings so we attached this beam to the house beam so it could be exposed.
The floors have been patched and refinished and look like the floors in our living room and dining room. It was definitely a nice surprise!
We ordered two school house style lights that are appropriate for the age of our house and here is one hanging. The other isn't in yet. It's the same but smaller.
We still have a lot of work left to do. We need baseboards and trim around the windows but first the radiant floor heating needs to be put in place because it is getting chilly in here! We have plans to build an L shaped bench by the bay of three windows with a table. That end will be a sitting room, and the office will be on the other end of the room. I am looking forward to moving furniture back into this room and settling the house a bit again.
What a beautiful room! Does it look out onto your back yard? I love your beam solution and all of those windows.
ReplyDeletewow, what a difference! I love when people are able to uncover hardwood floors underneath nasty carpeting. It seems like that's always happening on HGTV, but never happens in Anchorage (where most houses were built in the early 80s-- not a good time for quality construction).
ReplyDeleteThat is very cool but I know a ton of work!You have left the integrity of the house which is nice.
ReplyDeleteWow, exciting stuff! I love exposed beams too, and your new-to-you beam looks great!
ReplyDeleteI love renovating, but boy, it sure is nice when a project is finished isn't it? looks like you made great choices, can't wait to see the finished room!
ReplyDeleteLooks great....what is that new wall on the right?
ReplyDeleteAnd your floors...what is the wood you all used for the patch?
what a fantastic room! it's so large and bright (now) and will be perfect for an office and sitting area. i can imagine all the hard work you put into it. the work still goes on in our basement (or should i say, doesn't go on)...
ReplyDeleteIt looks much bigger and brighter now.
ReplyDeleteWhat a terrific room! I heart your beam and gorgeous floor. Kind of makes ya wonder how a beautiful floor like that gets sacked with a less than attractive orange carpet?! Uncovering that flooring must have been like discovering a new island or something!
ReplyDeleteIt's looking beautiful!
wow, you did an amazing job. Love the school house lights and the detail on the wood floors is great. I am jealous of your radiant heat, I actually had a dream the other night that my husband put that in our house(1875)...Then I woke up and touched our frigid floors. But I do love old houses!
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