Old House Blues Part Quatre - Ponce De Leon

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Ponce de Leon's unrequited search for the fountain of youth has nothing on Catskill Farms' ability to bring this old lady back to life.

Lisa chose a light green for the body color, and the trim and window and corners and faccia and freize board will be glossy white.

Stately and simple - just how I like it - it's possible some shutters would look super sweet on this home. The distressed 75 yr old standing seam roof will probably remain.

The only thing we didn't change was the bathroom, which we we kept exactly how it was - tin ceiling 6 1/2 feet high, old school wall paper, old bathtub.

We completely reconfigured the house and made a strategic choice to include an oversized mudroom with closet and laundry, as well as plenty of room to kick off the boots and avert the 'why are you in the house with your muddy boots?' query. The reason I say 'strategic' is because the house is small (1300 sq ft) so a big mudroom means a small something else. That's the thing about building small - every square foot is important - there is no wasted space.

This mudroom features the original side entrance door, a new wood ceiling and new wainscotting.

Here's my main man Juan on Saturday checking out the wood in order to get started trimming the windows and doors.

The above photo is also a great shot of the wood floors we are refurbishing - underneath the carpet, and glue, and ancient padding is a wood floor dating back 150 years - a heart pine that not only is perfect in it's character and detail, but a floor that goes for over $14 a sq ft on the salvaged free market.

Photo below is taken standing in the dining room looking towards the kitchen. We installed audio and security before putting up the wall coverings.

This pictorial study of the NorthWest elevation at 7:30am - the leaves are very green, just beginning their march to a fuller, deeper green that will last until it doesn't. For some reason this picture looks antique and romantic to me - a simple farmhouse, well-kept, in the morning sun as the farmer and family start the day's chores that keep everyone fed and housed.

Was on the golf course at Villa Roma outside Jeffersonville yesterday late afternoon and the clouds rolled in, some vertical streaks of lightening, and then the skies opened and a heavy downpour of hail (hale?) and large rain drops swallowed the real estate of western sullivan county in one of those intense, unexpected shows of power the weather goddess likes, as she reminds us who is boss.

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