From Boarded-Up to Beautiful: Our European Windows Journey
Join us on a journey of restoring our 118-year-old manor with imported European windows. From challenges to triumphs, see how thoughtful choices bring timeless elegance to historic homes.
Our Manor Renovation Project
Come along as we transform a 118-year-old commercial building on Main Street into our dream home and mini homestead. In this special series, I share behind-the-scenes renovation updates, old home restoration tips, and the story of turning this historical space into a home filled with European charm and timeless character. It’s a labor of love—and we’re bringing you with us, every step of the way.
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Framing Our Dream Home: Step-by-Step Home Construction (Chapter 1)
Framing our dream home has been one of the most exciting and emotional parts of our custom home building journey. I’ve been dreaming about and designing this space in my mind for over 12 years, making changes along the way to ensure it’s as functional and family-friendly as possible. When the first walls went up, it felt surreal—like watching a long-held vision finally come to life. This stage of the home framing process is more than just wood and nails; it’s the moment our ideas begin to take physical form. It’s the first real look at the spaces where our family will grow, gather, and make lifelong memories. In this post, I’m sharing the emotions, key milestones, and valuable lessons we’ve learned during the framing stage of building our dream home.
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Antique Pressed Tin Ceiling Tile Restoration: Part 2 – Repairing, Replacing & Revealing the Final Look
In Part 1 of our Antique Pressed Tin Ceiling Tile Restoration series, we explored the fascinating history of our historic building and revealed the poor condition of the original tin ceiling tiles. We also shared the creative solution we developed to preserve and restore these beautiful antique features. In Part 2, we’ll walk you through the complete tin ceiling tile restoration process—including cleaning, sealing, and showcasing the stunning final result.
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Project Exposing An Antique Brick Wall -Chapter 2
In Project Exposing an Antique Brick Wall: Chapter 1, I showed you where we started, how we recruited help from loved ones, and the labor intensive process it was exposing the brick. In this post, I will show you how we cleaned up the raw brick and sealed them, leaving a gorgeous raw brick look without the dust!
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Antique Pressed Tin Ceiling Tile Restoration: Part 1 – Repairing, Replacing & Revealing the Final Look
Our antique pressed tin ceiling tile restoration was one of the most challenging and rewarding projects we’ve taken on—right up there with exposing the original brick walls in our historic manor. When we first bought the property, the tin ceiling was in such disrepair that we thought we’d have to remove it entirely (I know—blasphemy!). But we couldn’t bring ourselves to tear down such a stunning piece of architectural history. Instead, we found a way to repair, replace, and restore the ceiling tiles. After several weeks of intense labor, we brought the ceiling back to life—and now, it’s truly the crown jewel of our downstairs living space.
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Project Exposing An Antique Brick Wall -Chapter 1
Exposing an 118 year old brick wall is no easy task however with the help of some incredible people, it became an incredibly fun adventure!
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A Building Renovation Story: Uncovering A Hidden Room
Like other buildings of its kind, this building is rich in history and deserved to be preserved. After we purchased it in 2018, we immediately went to work! One of our first projects- removing this awkward platform in the back. You will not believe what we found!
