We have been working non-stop on our barn project, we are converting it into an antique shop, only to be open for specials sales and by invitation, shopping, and lunch! We’re trying to beat the cold that is sneaking in on us! I was hoping to have my first sale in November, but we’ll see….. Subfloors, trenching, the heavy yuk work is over, thank God and we’re moving on to the fun stuff! Laying finished floors, (wood and brick), building arched barn doors and setting doors and windows in the back wall, building a new staircase….etc. It just keeps getting more exciting! All of the windows and doors have come from architectural salvage stores, except for the barn doors and their windows, we’re making those because they have to be an exact size and it’s a really fun project, they must also be aged so they match the barn. I’m making leaded, diamond pane windows for the barn doors using surface lead strips, great project, I’ll post more about that later. Another interesting task is creating a stucco look for a few walls, I’ll post more on that as well. I found a wood burning stove to keep us warm, knowing we can’t be painting and staining in the cold! Here are a few pics, I’ll post more as we progress.
So here we are around the beginning of March! We’ve made major progress on the barn! It’s beginning to look a lot like an antique shop! Our target date is April 14, that’s the date of Ellie’s wedding shower so we must be finished! I convince myself daily that it’s no problem! We moved most of the furniture in last weekend, I’m waiting to move in the “fluff” until we get a little further along, rugs, lamps, linens, glassware, pictures, etc. because we still have some finish work to do, like painting and staining. Here are some pics of the shop so far. The the next time I post it should be all done! After Ellie’s shower and reception, I’ll be ready to open my shop, can’t wait!
Well….we did it! Ellie and Brandon’s shower, wedding reception and the grand opening of the new “Cabin in the Woods Antiques” shop! We’re all still standing, mostly sane and still speaking to each other! Take a look at my featured post on “The Wedding” for pics. It really was all splendid, and to think we get to do it all over again for Ursi! The shop opening was so much fun, after 24 years, I’m back at it! I had “Gray Have Inn Antiques” over 24 yrs ago, hard to believe! Some things have changed, like collecting money, I used to have an old-fashioned cash register and handwritten receipts! Now I have “square up”, some little-newfangled device that attaches to your phone and you can magically swipe a credit card! But one thing has blissfully remained the same, and that’s the fact that you will sell your beloved antiques and you will have to find MORE! The opening was July 7th and it was a huge success, I purposefully tried to keep it small, I didn’t quite know what to expect because we live in the woods far off of the county road, quite different from my first shop on a busy hwy! So Eb (my husband) and Ellie and I put up flyers and set out signs, posted to a select group on facebook and emailed friends, the turnout was a steady flow of customers on Saturday and more on Sunday! I must have been a merchant in a past life, I am so at home in my new shop and I want to publicly thank my husband for his back-breaking work and unfaltering support! My little Ellie was only 4 in our first shop and was right there beside me again, and Ursi lent lots of moral support from Miami, it was a family affair! Here are some pictures of the shop as a charming backdrop for the wedding reception and some of the shop interior which is now packed full and ready for another sale! We have hit auctions, estate sales, dug thru barns and warehouses for the new inventory, the next sale is August 18! We’re open by appointment most anytime. Email me for info and to set up a time and date! ruthguerri@brick.net Stay tuned for the next phase of the shop, a new entrance on the side. We’re letting out cooled and heated air when we open the giant barn doors! I’ll keep you posted!
It’s really kind of sad, we’re closing in on the last phase of the barn conversion! What now, we’ll probably suffer from building withdrawal! But there’s still lots of fun work to be done, it’s so small (in comparison) that nothing we’ve done is overwhelming, just fun, well, except painting and working on the roof in 100-degree sun!
So basically the entrance is a small porch, 10 X 8. We found an old door and window that work perfectly, and my personal favorite, antique hardware, I have a weird obsession with old hardware, and……. stone and black iron. I don’t know how that sort of thing happens! We’re putting wood clapboard siding on the exterior, front and entrance side and old barn tin on the solid wall on the back side. The siding will be stained similar to the barn doors. We’ve decided to go tin roof rather than cedar shake, and so over the weekend we worked on the roof and it was blazing! The interior of the porch can so many different ways, but we’ve decided on beadboard for the walls that will be painted and old tin panels on the ceiling, color is up in the air, I just have to see it in place before deciding. And for the floor, I promised myself after laying the brick floor in the barn, NEVER to do it again! So wide pine planks on the porch floor, stained, I think, maybe painted. Can’t wait to see it finished, it’ll be so damn cute! The very last thing is to hang up my bracket and the “Open and Closed” sign, another weird obsession I have is for signs, especially black with gold font! So here are a few pics of our progress so far, I’ll post more as we go!
