Another kitchen makeover in the depot

Hope that you had a wonderful Christmas my friends.  I was greatful for another year celebrating Christmas with all my family.  The next day I was pooped.  Well now that I recovered from the holidays I seem to have gotten my second wind.  It has been one of those older projects , well 4 months ago old.  I have never really been completely satisfied with the chosen color of paint in the kitchen of the depot.  I chose a light gray tone on the walls with white cupboards that I painted also.  Well everytime I was in the kitchen I just felt that it was not bright enough for me, sooooo I'm painting again.  I must say that I love this color!  I went with a light buttery yellow and let me tell you it appears sunny and bright.  2 more walls left to paint then I will show you more.  I am also thinking of changing out a few cupboards and kitchen table for a really cool long island.  So stay tuned for more updates.  Also I hope I am blogging alright since I am using my new notepad for the first time blogging.  Happy new year everyone.

Loving the light buttery yellow painted walls.  Makes the whole room brighter and cheery.

More Photos of country living fair. Be sure to keep scrolling down

Here are the pictures of Country Living fair

My visit to Country Living Fair

Hi folks,  Just wanted to let you know that we made it to the Country Living Fair in Atlanta, GA.  Made it safe without any problems.  It was a wonderful time.  Got there at 8 am in the morning.  Paid the extra money to get in early.  It is well worth the money to get in early.  Not as much congestion.  There were so many folks lined up waiting to get in at the regular time.  Bought some nice things to take home for the depot.  The white painted mirror was one of the prized possessions that I had gotten..  If you ever plan on attending in the near future, FYI...Some vendors will dicker on the price But you have to ask.  And some do not.  Of course I have to try.  Just my human nature to save a few pennies if can.  I did also buy some nice textiles from a lady that was European and thats where she brought her goodies from.  The atmosphere was wonderful.  Food was good.  Well I just had a sandwich and it was good.  I will post all my goodies when I get home.  I also took a few pictures of great ideas that you may want to try for yourselfs.  All in all was a nice time, but I don't think I would go again.  To me it was more like a arts and crafts show with a few antiques scattered around.  I can now check this one off my bucket list.  We are now taking our time going back home, but plan to do a lot of junking on the way.  Still looking for a few pieces to make my depot interior complete.  I will not rest till I find these things that I need.  Thrill of the hunt I guess.  The weather was beautiful.  We had originally planned to go further south to the coast but Hurricane Sandy is comming to town so we thought we should stay clear and head to safer grounds.  The mountains here are beautiful.  The fall colors are still vibrant in many areas.  Will post more pics of other areas of interest at a later time.  Tata for now.

Heading to the Country Living Fair!

Hi all, Just wanted to let you know that I am leaving in the morning with my wonderful husband to go to the country Living Fair in Atlanta Georgia for the first time.  I've always wanted to go to this for many years and finally we are going.  I will post pictures as soon as I am able to break away from all the shopping I plan to do.  Yes, we will be picking on the way.  Going to buy the early buyers passes for 90 minutes of shopping time there before the other crowd gets in.  Im sure there will be lots of other early buyers.  We are taking the pull behind trailer just incase a bigger item comes along that I cant live without.  There are a few items that I have on my list for the depot that I am hoping to find with a good deal attached.  Til then, stay happy and healthy.

Early start to the holiday decorating

Here is a start to the holiday decorating in the depot.  I know, I know, its too early some might say, but I wanted to get a good start because it takes me a while to figure out things and all my christmas decor is in storage elseware which would be quite cold for me if I waited to dig through it all in late November.  Its the only time of year that I really decorate.  I do have the tree set up too but its not decorated yet.  What do ya think?  I hung stockings up on the mantle for each of my grandchildren with their initials on each of them. Hope everyone is enjoying the last of fall weather.

Our Depot back in the day.



This is a photo from a post card of our Railroad depot/station back in the day.  Its the only one we have found.



Few small changes

 Here are a few pictures of what I have been monkeying around with (besides unpacking).  Just so you don't think Im sitting around watching soap operas.  As you can see in my greatroom picture....I had a change of heart and Had returned the red area rug for a more neuteral one.  I found it challenging to try and add other colors into my room.  It had to blend with red.  So neuteral it is.  I really like it better.  It is more me. 

Here is a little fall arrangement for the harvest table.  To busy to add anymore fall this year.  Ready to start Christmans...I know, I know, Im a bit nutso!

Here is the great room with neutral area rug that I changed  in place of the red. 

Here are the shelves that I had my wonderful husband make for me that I thought up.  Turned out great!  Had a few more corbels left which we had stored over the years.  They came off of an old hotel.

Here is an old mirror frame that we made into a chalkboard which is now in my kitchen.

Here is another snapshot of the shelving.

Few more additions to great room.

New to me, old chippy shelfs applied to wall.  Just love them!  We have saved these corbels for years just knowing that we would use them one day.  They came off an old hotel.

Here is the chippy white fireplace mantel that I could not wait to bring in.  Started to add some decor to top it off.  Still unsure of it at this point.  What do you think?

Added my favorite harvest table to the great room.  So glad that it fit without taking up to much of the room.  Still able to walk behind or in front of it easily.  Now trying to figure out table setting, and what I should do with the shelves behind it, the chippy ones.  Maybe add my white thunder buckets (comodes).  We will see.

Putting the cart before the horse.

Here is the beginning of the great room..This fake fireplace had to go!  We removed it not only because it was ugly but because it was hiding another gorgeous window.  You will see the window behind sofa in following picture.

Hi Friends,  Had a little time to spare this afternoon before taking my 3 year old grandaughter to register for dance lessons.  Talking about putting the cart before the horse, I just could not stand looking at the great room mess any longer!  My pottery barn sofa and rug came and just had to start decorating in here even though the other half of the room is still cluttered with tools and other equipment that my husband keeps saying he will move it.  Painted the walls and trim in whites to brighten up and make more cheery.  Still trying to find the perfect curtains for in here.  I am going to be bringing in a chippy white fireplace mantel for this room along with other decor (when I find out where I packed it).



Here is the great room, well only half of it.  The other half is still quite a mess.  Notice the window behind?  It was the one covered by that ugly fake fireplace.  I think behind the lamp is where I am going to put that chippy white fireplace mantle.

Have my pictures here that were going to go before the finished section of the room but not to savey on how to shuffle them around.  Another view of great room before painting and such.

Came a long ways already.  Little putty, little paint made this room what it aint!!!!

We moved so much stuff out of our farmhouse and have it stored in 4 different places, but I will get there.  So anyways here is a little part of the great room in the depot that I have began decorating.  Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Depot Kitchen is nearing completion

Our old late 1800's Railroad depot in Gotham, WI

 Had some time to make a post today to show you what we have accomplished with the depot kitchen.  I will try not to bore you.  I will continue to post other rooms but today its my new kitchen.  Lots of elbow grease went into this room.  Still have lots of decorating to do but hard to find anything that I packed away.  Its no wonder with the way I packed.  Hey, cant be good at everything!  Little putty, little paint made this kitchen what it aint!

This is inside kitchen.  Everything was knotty pine, even the ceiling. 
Old tiled floors.  We knocked down the wall behind the stove to make it more roomy.

Here is kitchen after knocking down wall.  Lots to do!!

Here in the kitchen I began painting.  Over and over and over.  Took 4 coats of paint to cover pine walls and ceiling.  Smokers years ago....hard time not getting film from smoke from passing though primer.  This is the room that I hated to paint.

Look at what is transforming!  A pretty, bright and airy kitchen.  Check out the flooring.  Nice.  I love it.  The cupboards were painted white.  Only took 3 coats paint on them.  Yes, I started with primer and then had primer in the paint also.



Here is the start of a wonderful relationship with my new kitchen.  Not all the detailing in decor is finished but its a start.




Here is another angle of kitchen.  New light fixtures in,  still need cabinet handles and new faucet put in.  Also trying to find just the right rug to put under my island.  Hard time finding just the one.  Its one of those things that youll know when you see it.



Where do we begin?

Welcome to my blog. In case you are wondering what this blog is about, I am going to fill you in.
This is all about my husband Ross and I (Theresa) and our quest to save and restore an old 157 yr old flour mill into our home and also restoring an old late 1800's railroad depot. I will keep you posted with pictures of before and after so that you can take the journey with us as we renovate our projects....A little putty, a Little paint.....................!

Things have been very crazy this past month. First we sold our old farmhouse and moved out within a months time. We found ourselves homeless and ended up staying with our oldest son and his wife's home for 3 weeks until our addition onto the depot had gotten far enough along to were we could live. Did I ever tell anyone how much I dislike living among construction?

Well we added a bedroom, bathroom, closet, hallway, made the upstairs stairway take a different route, took out a wall in the kitchen, added all new flooring , painted like crazy which I really do not like either and am not finished yet, and oh we did not have running water until today. It was about like camping. My husband had to keep reminding me that this is an adventure.

So you have it in a nut shell folks. This journey is making my ass tired! I always seem to find myself more positive after each day passes. I am turning the lights off now and hopefully will be well rested in the morning. My husband informed me that there will be a few guests stopping by to see our progress. I will try to post before and after pictures within the next few days.....So stay tuned to our adventures of A little putty, a little paint.......