Rooms and Reflections : A Weekend Project

Hello friends!

How was your weekend and how is your Monday going?

I truly hope you all are doing well!

I always consider it a good weekend if we can manage to tackle a home project from our long, ongoing to-do list.

To live in an old home means constant projects!

I don't know if we'll ever feel as though this house is done!

But we did complete a small project this weekend that I've been longing to do for a couple of years now.

I'd like to show you!

It's a project in my bedroom...

To the left of this scene is a door that leads out to a small balcony.

As long as we've lived here, it's looked like this...

We initially wondered if we should replace the door altogether. But, because it's a nice solid wood door with antique brass hinges, we wanted to figure out a way to keep it.

It's been important to us throughout our renovations to keep whatever is original intact!

We know from the windows that this door isn't original to the house, but nevertheless- if we can avoid putting anything new and modern into this old farmhouse, we certainly aim for that!

So... the idea was born to look for a beautiful window to go in the place of these ugly, 70's windows.... And if we could find one, it would mean we could keep the door!

Well, an afternoon in our friends' antique shop was all that was needed to stumble upon this leaded glass window...

The measurements would be perfect for the door, so we snatched it up and brought it home!

(This picture was taken after it had spent some time with my grandma. Some repair work needed to be done on it, and she used to make stained glass windows as a hobby, so she was able to fix it for us!)

After a good cleaning, and a trip to a glass company to have it incased, Micah was ready to begin the process...

He never took the door off its hinges for this project. He kept it in place and just cut out a square like this...

Micah likes to be left alone while working on projects, haha... So, I do my best to back off and let him work.

I still try to snap some pictures, though...

Here, he is making sure that his cuts were accurate, and that the new window will fit...

(I think I'm going to love it!)

Micah made and painted some moulding to go around the window, and even touched up the paint on the door.

Everything was left to dry overnight.

On Saturday morning my room looked like this...

The hard work is done! What's left to do now is the fun, easy part!

AND with an admiring audience! Haha...

But it's hard to stay focused on the task at hand when little daughters need snuggling...

He managed to complete the project, though! And I'm in love...

Would you like to see the 'After'?

This is the door today!...

Good things come to those who wait!

I never thought it'd take several years to get around to this door, but that seems to be the pace at which we complete projects these days.

*sigh*

This is a more backed-up view...

(I love my bedroom!)

Before...

And finally, After...

It is important, when renovating an old house, to use as many authentic elements as you possibly can!

It breaks my heart when I see people buy an old home but then they re-do it in a modern way!

I can appreciate modern decor, but I believe it would be best for newer homes.

Our goal for our farmhouse has always been to find the balance between respecting the home's original elements and history, but freshening it up so it appears bright and updated.

It's been a balance I have struggled to find over the years, and have often wondered if I've hit the mark. But, I have remained unwavering in my belief that it is what's best and right for very old homes.