Some Progress
Finally, I can see a little progress being made on the building. Cleaning out years of dirt and debris has been dirty work. I am begining to feel as if there may be potential.
I have almost finished with the office area. On the outside, I cut out two openings and hung two vintage windows, hinging them at the top so they can open out for ventilation. Then I covered the walls with cedar shake siding and framed it out using 1x4s. The shake was painted "Cottage White" by Beher and the trim was painted grey. The window frame was painted black, The three colors made it look too busy, so I went back and painted the trim the same Cottage White. Repainting the trim was worth the extra effort.
On the inside, the windows were full of vines growing in from the outside. The paneling on the walls was mis-matched and had holes in it in a number of places. In an effort to save a little money, I covered the back wall with burlap fabric panels. I think it turned out well, however If I do this again, I would first cover the walls with craft paper, then the burlap because you can see the studs through the burlap. I don't think the burlap saved any money, there was a ton of waste because of the width of the burlap and the distance between the studs doesn't match. I used 20 yards just for the one back wall, The other three walls covered with "Coastal Cottage" paneling and once hung, I decided the color was too washed out, so I painted the walls a wonderful blue. It is "Aspiring Blue" by Beher and looks great with the "Cottage White" on the trim and the burlap.
Back to the outside of this area, the door that was there was the best part of this addition. However, I have had 2 pairs of french doors in storage for a few years now and have been saving them for the perfect spot. This was it. I decided to hang them on a barn door track, I installed one on the bathroom at home, and love it. It is amazing how much space you gain when you do not have the door opening into a room. I found that barn door hardware or kits are not easy to find in the Columbia area and was able to find a source for these kits and plan to order more and will have them for sell them in the store. I have what I think is a great plan for the outside of the building (I will reveal later) - which includes painting the doors red. I decided to paint the french doors red. It was a good decision. I loved how it turned out, The red I used is pre-mixed Brilliant Red that I found at Home Depot. I plan to let my dogs come to work with me and will need a place to confine them (you will understand when you meet them)- I decided to replace the panes of
glass with plexi-glass in the french doors and was able to get it cut to size at Lowe's.
The flat roof on this section was filled with debris, dirt and even vines, Besides the tons of stuff up there, I cleaned up two huge black trash bags full of just dirt and dust. Leaving the top exposed would only hold more dirt and dust in the building, I am so happy with the how the outside has turned out and feel like it was looking like a little cottage. But it still needed something else. 'With a little help, "a roof" was added to it, We built a frame using 2 x 4s and then added rafters, cross rails, facial boards and metal roofing from the old barn
Finally, I added a light fixture above the windows and I think it was the crowning touch to the entire project. It is a barn fixture from Mackenzie-Childs and I think it ties the entire space together! It has been a big project but well worth it. Now I just need to decide how to best use the space and move on to something else.