There are so many positives to owning an old farm house. For us, it meant setting up a place of escape and rest, a place for work and life, a yard and a garden to wander and the big old rooms that you don’t often find in newer homes. We love it here and when Finley joined us two years ago, it made having the extra space worthwhile.

Of course, there are downsides and while we don’t focus on those (if you can ignore flaws in people you love, you can overcome house related negatives), we do have to deal with them.

This isn’t a flaw, per se, it was a project. It was “a can we kept kicking down the road.” The upstairs full bath has needed renovating since we bought the place. We put it off, because Ryan and I are the only ones who see it, and we are low-maintenance people by nature. If it works, keep it. But it was time, and when Covid-19 sent us all indoors for an indeterminate amount of time, we agreed that between us, we could do it and should get started. When we aren’t being low-maintenance (hee!), we’re being handy (especially Ryan) and when we are being handy ………. we’re exhausted!

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We started with pulling out the old cabinets, pulling up the floor, and yanking down a mirror that no longer worked. Finley was eager to help at every turn. If you aren’t following us on Facebook and Instagram, you can check out stories where he shows off his mad skills.

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Enter from stage left: new floor, cabinet refurb, new paint and new fixtures. I’ll save you the various stories of being sent items that were broken or wrong. It happens. It’s frustrating, but kept pressing forward. The bathrooms in Rome weren’t built in a day and we have day jobs, a toddler and other things to do. Gotta keep your eyes on the vision though, folks. Ryan fabricated a tall cabinet for towels and extras that we don’t need out on the counter and when the paint dried and the installing began, we turned the corner.

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The final triumph was the mirror. We used reclaimed wood from my great-grandmother’s place and it has the right look, feel and vibe for this house and this room. I see it every day and think of my family. It’s a sound reminder of continuity.

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And I call that Done! I’m grateful to have a husband who is accomplished with tools and knows what he’s doing. It never occurs to us to hire out this kind of work (not could we afford to). Projects like this reno allow us to make memories with Finley, show him the importance of skill and patience, refurbishing and repurposing materials that have intrinsic memories and value, say nothing of helping him appreciate precision in painting and math in measuring. And now …….. on to the next thing.

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We love family portraits whether they are set in the studio, the great outdoors, a specific location like the mountains or high country, or on our property in our outdoor portrait garden. Pixels on Paper photographs newborns and families, special events and portraits  of all kinds in our Wilkesboro, NC studio. We would be honored to meet with you, learn about you and your family and be a part of taking special portraits that will become, we hope, family heirlooms.

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