Just in case you grow jealous of my beautiful new old house, I must tell you the ugly truth. Like so many things in life, it gets worse before it gets better. Sometimes a lot worse. Because we have to replace all the old galvanized pipes that are rusted and full of orange crud, holes had to be cut in the walls to access them. You gotta know it kinda broke my heart to see this old wallpaper punctured through.
Did I mention the walls are all plaster and masonry? Yep. Brick behind every wall in the house. Makes everything – like running pipes, conduit, electricity, whatever – a lot more difficult!
And then there are the ceilings that had to be torn out to access plumbing, like here in the entry of the house:
and this one in the paneled hallway:
The bathrooms have seen better days, too. Gotta tear them down to build them up, but it’s not as bad as it appears. The tub, sink, and wall tile will remain – I just need some clean water!!!
I think my plumbers are wondering what on earth they’ve gotten themselves into . . .
Over the last couple of weeks, the pile of old galvanized pipe has gotten larger and larger. My poor neighbors!
Now that you’ve seen the sad state of my current affairs, let me take you on a tour of more of the house before we started pulling out its poor guts. It picks up where the last video left off. You can watch that here. After you watch this, be sure to follow my YouTube channel!
Surely you can do something creative and artsy with those old pipes! Maybe some abstract art in a round about in Nashville! Your home will be gorgeous! The mess is a sign of progress!
I’m so excited for you!!! I love historical homes; my parents have restored a lovely one that was built in 1886 in Como, MS. It’s a ton of work, but you will be so proud of what you’ve accomplished, once you finish restoring your beauty.
I’m sure you know about Bradbury & Bradbury wallpaper. It’s not just Victorian anymore, and they have some really gorgeous, drool-worthy papers. You might want to check out their site.
I’ll surely enjoy watching your progress and seeing your old Federal be restored to all her glory!
Thank you, Rhonda. I’ve been having good luck with Morris & Co. and Cole & Sons wallpapers, but I will definitely look into Bradbury & Bradbury!
so enjoyed watching this video tour. can’t wait to follow your exciting journey. you will do a fabulous job!
Thank you, Dianne!
Absolutely LOVE seeing this whole process unfold Kristie! How exciting for you and your family 🥰
Thank you, Theresa! It’s definitely a labor of love!
I know what you are going thru. been there.. I was in tears for days and then started to think about all the wall paper and paint that I will need. My heart skipped a beat and was hooked and looked forward to creating a new home.
Hang in there. You can do this with your experience. Looking forward to seeing your progress.
Thanks for the pep talk. I woke up at 5 this morning, second-guessing some of my color and finish choices . . . I know I need to push through (just like I tell my clients!) and trust that it will come together!
OMG! I’m so excited for you and can’t wait to see your creative ideas, colors and finishes! I’m currently working on a home for a client built in 1915 so I will follow this renovation closely 🙂 You are amazing!!!
Thank you for the encouragement, Sheli! I’d love to see the home you are working on. 🙂
This is such an exciting project! I cant wait to see more.
Thank you, Sheri! If you ever come to Nashville, you’ll have to come have high tea in my parlor. xo
I just LOVE following your progress on this wonderful home. Thanks for taking us along!
I’m excited to share this home, so thank you, Nicki!
I am so excited to follow the progress (huge Georgian/Federal architecture fan here). Please keep posting lots of videos; they really help us understand how the house works!
Thank you, Corrie – I’m glad you’re liking the videos!
Kristie,
I love old houses, and federal style houses are my favorite. And I adore old kitchens with fireplaces. I’m so glad you will preserve the entire fireplace wall. Your plans for the kitchen sound good—definitely the long old table in there! With such a table, why do you even need a breakfast nook?
One of my dreams, should I ever have such a house, is to use the fireplace for cooking in cold weather. You could bury roasts in embers, hang pots of bubbling beans or stews over the fire, bake glorious bread in the bread oven. Even when you’re not cooking in it, having a small fire crackling would be so fabulous while you’re doing other things. If you put a comfy chair in that corner, instead of a breakfast nook, you could practically live in the kitchen!
Hi Kay! Ok, I’m thinking the long antique table will be slightly taller than a dining table, and we’ll use it like you would an island. Definitely want to put a comfy club chair to the right of the fireplace! We’re still trying to figure out how to restore this fireplace so we can safely have a fire – but boy, it’s an expensive endeavor. That may be a few years down the road. In the meantime, I may get a black cast iron electric stove/heater that can tuck into the fireplace and gives us the feel of having an actual fire!
I have absolute confidence in your ability to tackle all the challenges, Kristie. And I love how you described the vibe you’re going for!
I’m loving these videos! Can’t wait to see how things progress. Your kitchen ideas sound great!
Those plumber’s faces! 🤣 I’ve done some major renovations and gut jobs. Yes, they’re ugly but I know the end result you create will be phenomenal! Thank you for sharing! 😀
Yep, their faces are priceless!!!
I love seeing this house, it is so interesting and spectacular! Oh my gosh, what an incredible piece of history you are reviving, I can’t wait to see more!
Saw your story on CH5. I did extensive repairs on this home when Charlie and Yvonne Cornelius owned it. The back porch screens were something else to restore! The kitchen was my favorite room with the open fire place, bread oven, and wood box. House was built by slaves with exterior walls over 12″ thick. Amazing home! Great to see it’s being restored instead of being torn down for another flock of tall skinnies!