I was very intrigued by the history of this home. Originally built in the late 1800's the house was originally a single story home on the banks of the Red River. If you look closely you can see the river just beyond the house. As the story goes...the river began to change course and get too close to the house. It was decided to relocate the home to higher ground. Using mules and tree logs the house was moved one mile over the course of 6 months to the current location in the early 1900's. Sometime between 1903-1905 the second story addition was made. 

I believe this photo was taken about 7-8 years ago right after a fresh coat of paint.

Here is a photo of the house in its current condition.  It's about time for another make-over! 

You can see my sweet daddy who turns 83 today in this photo tackling the jungle! Once again he's looking out for his baby girl who's ideas are often larger than her brain!


As promised here are a few photos of the inside prior to any demo. I will give you a brief tour of the before. Later posts will dive into the specific changes we are making.

 -The Entry - 

Often known as the "dog trot" a hallway through the center of the house allowed a constant breeze to move through. A/C was not available in those days!  It's not working right now either hence the Fans!

- The Parlor -

 With its big bay window, 14 foot "Red" Bead-Board ceiling, and beautiful transom French doors to the Sun-Porch. The hardware in this house is beautiful! 

- The Dining Room -

Has a very large picture window. The window a/c will go! The old heaters will stay and be refurbished to keep the character of the home. Every room in the house has a fireplace but most are no longer functional. We hope to change that too! The little closet to the left of the fireplace will be replaced with a matching transom door into the parlor allowing symmetry and flow between the rooms. 

- The Breakfast Nook -

Just off the dining room is a small room that boasts a beautiful built-in china cabinet in addition to built-ins in the corners. It is unclear exactly how this room was used. We think it may have been a porch at one time. Unfortunately, all of these walls will have to go, including the china cabinet that will be preserved and re-purposed in another area of the house. We are going create an open-concept kitchen, dining, living space in these rooms. Obvious water damage and layers of wall paper can be seen in the photos. And you have your first glimpse into the original kitchen under a few layers of paint! 

-The Kitchen-

Ahh....the kitchen...the heart of the home! In this case, NOT!  The Floors are a mess, several layers of vinyl over old hardwoods. The kitchen was once separate from the house to protect the main house from fire. It was attached at some point and is probably why the strange configuration of the breakfast area you saw earlier. The highlight of the kitchen is the awesome farm-sink. This is the only thing that will remain here in a new cabinet of course!!

Okay so I have to go now. We are only one-fourth through the house!!