The Farmhouse: Her Story
When we first dreamed of moving from Washington State to Tennessee, I had my heart set on an old farmhouse—something with history, character, and good bones. I searched specifically for homes around a hundred years old because we didn’t just want a place to live—we wanted to save one.
We found her online and made an offer sight unseen, only contingent on the home inspection.
We flew down and met the inspector at the house, laying eyes on her for the first time as we stood on her front porch. A little rough around the edges, but we saw the potential. A structural engineer came too, and while the swoop in the upstairs floors raised questions, he confirmed it was typical for homes of that era. It was likely that the lumber used to build her had been milled right from the property itself. That kind of history is hard to walk away from.
Since moving in, we’ve been slowly bringing her back to life.
The foundation was our first major project—the back of the house was on the verge of giving way from years of erosion. We shored her up and gave her the support she needed to stand strong again.
We’ve tackled the porch, refinished the laundry room, updated the shower in the main bathroom, and started in on the kitchen. But one of the most exciting changes was when we took down the sheetrock ceiling in the living room and uncovered the original tongue and groove boards hidden underneath. We’ve since found that same beautiful wood in the bathroom and kitchen, just waiting to be uncovered.
It’s been a process of peeling back the years
Lightening her from all the layers of sheetrock and modern patch jobs that covered up who she really was. These old floors, walls, and ceilings were hers from the start, and our goal is to let her shine again.
She’s on her way to becoming the beautiful, well-loved farmhouse she was always meant to be. Below you’ll find the posts I’ve shared so far about her progress, and I’ll keep updating as we continue this journey.
Posts on our Reno:
Bringing the wrap around porch back to life