Down-Sizing…A Designer’s Own Journey Chapter Five
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The past 90 days have been a challenge and an emotional rollercoaster for sure. We have dumped our energies into the barn and a bridge over the small creek that will EVENTUALLY lead our visitors to our new home from the road. Before you read any further, you may want to double back to Chapter One on this series.
I have a true attraction for photography, but BEFORE and AFTER photos cross over my hobby and into my professional training. I always encourage my clients to take a moment to take a few BEFORE and AFTER photos of whatever project they are going to address next in their space. If it is a full room renovation or just a bookcase design…the BEFORE photos will help you to appreciate all of the attention and love that has gotten you to the AFTER’s.
The barn structure has been our first step towards making this property our own. It was chucked full of old “stuff”.
Good, bad and ugly.
Apple Crates, Open Metal Boxes, a Tiller, Sandblaster, Gigantic Table Saw, Desk, Velvet Victorian Settee and Chair, Horse Brushes, Wagon Wheels, Lumber, Tomato Stakes, Tires, Glass Bottles, Pipe, Windows, Random Pieces of Metal Tools, Basketball Goal, Firehose, Metal Dining Table, Flower Pots, Toilets, and SOOOOO much more. We had a scrap metal collector pay us $450 for the metal items. He dug them out and hauled out 8 loads! We paid a guy $600 to come get the rest that was true junk. We sold just a handful of items, gave away another handful, and kept the more interesting items.
The electrical needed to be turned back on in order to get the backlit address numbers up, so there was a fee to have all of the wiring checked for safety and a few new wires and boxes added. Now we are addressing the barn’s one 5ft high concrete retaining wall that started to cave in decades ago. There has been a delay in that due to the time it took someone to come cut the 4 foot high hay surrounding the structure. But we are good to go now!!!
There has been some serious elbow grease committed to our barn, but as I tell my clients…keep your eye on the light at the end of the tunnel. Your project will show its rewards in the long run.
As you try to conquer your project I suggest that you are selective on what you do yourself. If you really know what you are doing, then go for it. BUT if you have any doubts, and your budget just doesn’t allow for any mistakes then invest in a professional. E-Design can provide so many levels of assistance for those who are seeking to renovate a space or just update a corner of a room. Check out the services we offer and if you don’t see anything that really fits your needs, then contact me. We can make it work!
So, keep your eye on the prize folks! You will be so happy with the rewards, For my husband and I, we have been patient for sure and we were hanging on by an emotional edge when…just this week… the light is becoming brighter! Keep at it!
Thank you for keeping in touch with us through our Blog. More good stuff is on its way!
