A 150-Year-Old House – DIY Renovation Where Owners Enjoy a Tranquil Life
When you sit by this panoramic window, you don’t even need a television. It’s never boring! The light beautifully sparkles on the leaves, feathers fly by, buds unfold, and sometimes even animals wander in unexpectedly.
To reach this place, you have to go a long way, make numerous turns, it’s so tricky that even a navigator won’t help. And then, following the verbal description, you’ll arrive at the place. From there, you can see the house in the distance, and after walking along the path, you’ll reach the porch and find yourself in tranquility.
The owner of this house, Monica, is a historian by education, and Peter is an economist and musician. But they both love the peaceful life and have a knack for wooden houses.
They learned everything themselves when it comes to construction and renovation, aided by the almighty YouTube and TV programs. It was these niche programs that inspired their search for an old house, to pursue their hobby and save the building from oblivion.
And, of course, they found one! Just as adventurers and romantics should, it was in a terrible state. There wasn’t even a driveway, and nobody had lived in it for decades. However, the framework and beams were in good condition.
House renovation
They started by replacing the roof – it used to be covered with metal barrels, someone had tried to straighten them and use them as roofing. The hired roofer was impressed!
They also called a stove specialist who saved the kitchen stove, and a colleague who is an artist skillfully “aged” it to make it look old. They hired a professional for the electrical wiring, while they did everything else themselves in their spare time from their regular jobs. Both of them go to work every day, they have children, and friends in the city, so it wasn’t easy.
The windows were restored by themselves – it was a big and tedious task. Stripping off the old coating, sanding, and repainting. The same tedious work was done on the ceiling. The beams were hidden under layers of clay plaster, which had to be chipped off, scraped, and sanded to expose the wood.
The kitchen walls were covered in soot from an open hearth. It wasn’t easy to cover it up, and you can still notice some dark spots here and there.
Woodworms caused problems, every hole had to be filled with a special compound using a syringe. This is where an interesting story comes into play.
In this area, there are many beautiful wooden Orthodox churches. When you enter them, you can smell the wood, incense, and something else unusual that captivates you every time you step into a church. It felt so… heavenly. Monica unexpectedly discovered what that scent was when she opened a can of substance used against woodworms.
Gate turned into a panoramic window If we were to go back 150 years, we would see a bustling housewife in the kitchen, a pantry in a modern bedroom, chickens and sheep in another room, and tools and a cart in the living room. There was not enough light, and the windows were small – it was dark, unless you opened the gates. That’s why today, instead of gates, there’s a window!
Monica has the same recipe for furnishing a wooden house – white furniture with colorful accents. Wicker chairs can be found in every room, adding coziness and warmth. An atmosphere of antiquity. They find all these items on the internet and from resellers, and they also search for houses destined for demolition. It’s a hobby, a passion that they cannot resist.
