Our First Flip

They thought we were crazy, but it was love at first sight!

Demo Day for the Leonard family!

Before…

After!

This 1870’s farmhouse renovation is one of the things I’m most proud. Our families thought we had lost our minds when we took them through the damp, smelly structure that still had bat poop on the floor. But for my husband and I, there was no doubt in our minds. This was going to be amazing.

We worked there for two years on and off (I loved that we were able to work around our family’s schedule). We vased the lilacs and made pies from the raspberries that grew on the property. My husband even hunted out there once or twice. The kids were ready to be done with it by the end, and we were exhausted. But it was worth every second!

The text and photo gallery below tell just some of the story of our big adventure. A huge shout-out to my son, Ethan, who took some of these great photos.

Masking up for Demo Day

It's hammer time!

It was freezing but fun.

The nasty main floor toilet--YUCK!

Layers of ceiling were taken down.

At one point, the only way upstairs, was a ladder!

Looking out the 'ol front door

We took the walls down to the brick. They sure don't build 'em like they used to!

The farmhouse even came with a silo!

Look at all that character!

Lots of paint color options, but you just can't beat a white farmhouse.

The dumpster was too heavy to move!

Rebuilding the porch to a mudroom

We even had to replace the well.

Over 600 tiles installed, but I still had to make all the cuts and grout it!

The original newel posts were repurposed for island legs.

Please paint me bring me back to life!

Ahhh, the transformation begins...

Painted, landscaped and all lit up!

My favorite tool for this reno--the chopsaw

Installing the herringbone slate tile in the bathroom was rough on the knees!

The biggest custom vent hood you ever did see!

The large upstairs bathroom in progress

We had a momma raccoon in the attic!

New garage and landscaped driveway island

The office--one of my favorite rooms.

Upstairs landing, all decked out

Kitchen with island and window seat

Original doors were reworked and painted for their new spaces.

I had so much fun designing this kitchen.

Getting ready for showings...

This Italianate farmhouse was full of historic charm. Eleven-foot ceilings on both the first and second floors, original doors, trim and railings. True 2” by 4” studs, square nails, and a brick exterior that was 3 bricks thick! The house had gorgeous, giant corbels and dental moulding along the roof, and brick “eyebrows” above the windows and doors. Our family even discovered a hidden staircase! We wanted to respect the integrity and architecture of the home while making it comfortable for modern-day family living. Before even getting to the finishes, we reworked the stairway, rebuilt the bay window, reconfigured the porch into a 4-season mudroom, built a brand new garage, dug a new well, and contracted all new plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and drywall (not to mention getting rid of the many critters that had made this “diamond-in-the-rough” their home). When all was said and done, just about everything had been redone, refinished and/or repurposed. We completed the project in 2018. We still drive by every now and then with a smile on our face. We did it!