Interior Changes

We have been busy making some small changes to the interior since we moved in.  While the swag curtains may have been a more faithful representation of what would have been in the house in the 1800s, they were just not to our tastes.  They had been hanging so long that they were sun-bleached and dingy.  We also didn’t really care for the blinds.  Garreth took the liberty of taking them all down.  We haven’t yet decided what style to go with, so we are leaving all the windows bare for the time being.  And stores don't tend to stock the appropriate length for our windows, so it looks like I'll have to finally learn how to sew!  The bare windows are having the added benefit of letting the sun shine through and warming up the house.

Living room, before and after

Gloomy den

Sunny den

We have spent some time studying different styles of light fixture for the entry hall and the upstairs landing.  Most of the existing fixtures had been sold by the previous owner, so we are starting from scratch.  Once again, it was Lowe’s to the rescue!  We chose a dramatic rubbed-bronze light for the entry hall that uses three vintage Edison bulbs.  It is a bit unconventional, since it was marketed as an island light meant for a kitchen, but we think the style looks perfect in the house.  It kind of resembles a gas fixture that was converted to electricity.  We picked a coordinating flush mounted light for the upper landing that also uses an Edison bulb.  It is a bit more toned down so it doesn’t detract from the more grandiose version in the entry.

He even wore gloves so he wouldn't get fingerprints on the glass!

Love it!

And the full effect...

The old landing light

The new landing light

What do you think?

Who ARE these people?

News of our purchase of Greenwreath has spread through Greenville like wildfire.  Some have expressed concern that we may not have realized or understood what we have gotten ourselves into.  To those people, all we can say is that we fully appreciate the historic significance of the house, but we also understand that we bought a 200-year-old house that needs a lot of work.  While we want to ensure that our renovations stay true to Greenwreath’s character, we also want to make sure that the house and its structure have enough integrity to withstand another 200 years.

We moved to this house from England, where Garreth is from, and where he restored a house from the 1930s over a 5-year period.  I moved over during the last year of his renovations, so together, we gained a good understanding of how to tackle various aspects of home restoration under a tight budget.  My background and profession is in archaeology and artifact conservation, so I have a deep-rooted appreciation for history and its preservation.  Between us, we feel that we are well-suited to take on the responsibility of restoring and caring for Greenwreath and seeing that she is preserved for future generations.

The oldest outbuilding, which we also plan to renovate.

Home to Roost

The big day has arrived!  All our new appliances are scheduled for delivery today, so we decided it would be the perfect time to move in.  A friend offered the use of his truck and trailer to move our furniture, which right now only consists of a bed, sofa and two lawn chairs.  Greenwreath is far from where we one day envision it to be, but it’s clean and tidy, and we are eager to actually live in it!  And, since we only have a few pieces of furniture, we can work on the empty rooms while we are living comfortably in the rest of the house.

Let the excitement begin!

Also, my good friend Starr pointed out that the outdoor lighting post, published after the removal of the shrubs, still showed the bushes in the photo.  Here's an updated photo of the outdoor lighting, sans boxwoods.  We wouldn't want to have any errors in continuity.  :)

For Starr