We have had the privilege of living in the country and as such have a little more room to move around than do most people. Three and a half acres can be a lot when it comes to maintaining. It isn’t just keeping the weeds at bay but here, in irrigated central California, the problem is also keeping it green and growing.
My “barn” didn’t come with the property but was found about three miles away and moved here. Of course it wasn’t as big as it is now but just the same it did get moved here to serve the purpose of a barn to farm animals and other critters.
When the oldest horse died (at age 40), it was my decision that the place be rejuvenated into something more useful. Up to this time half of the barn was used to park one old car and the other half was put to use as the preverbal barn.
We had added a tack room on one side for my daughter’s horse stuff and I had a riding lawn-tractor garage on the opposite side.
My oldest son had taken classes on refurbishing housing and was a tremendous help in rewiring, insulation and putting on sheetrock. He is a whiz at anything he does and does quickly. In between classes and on weekends we worked with diligence to finish the project.
We did finish the project and it looked great – the only problem was it was too small for any use I had intended. It was decided to add on or double the size. I am not sure about the square footage but at times it still seems small, perhaps it is because we always think big and now we are somewhat squeezed but we do manage. I guess I just have too much stuff.
We had tried to use the “barn” for potlucks or small church gatherings or parties for friends etc. We were still stymied somewhat because there was no bathroom there and everyone needing a facility was forced to truck to the back door of the house to find a bathroom. We also needed some sort of place to set up food for parties – we needed a kitchen of sorts.
The bathroom was put into the back of the old garage. Creativity and thrift were essential and flooring was going to be of primary cost to me. A friend suggested that I use marble. What?! Marble!? Yes, marble could be had at a local granite and marble facility. In fact we could have it for hauling it off, little pieces that is, nothing bigger than the size of a sink opening. One thing that was in our favor was all the pieces were scrap and of the same larger piece.
I spent one day using a hammer to break all the pieces of marble into smaller pieces. Next the pieces were arranged and glued to the cement floor. None of the pieces are the same size or shape. Like the rest of the “barn” it has its own personality besides being very functional. The floor was grouted and washed producing a polished somewhat mosaic looking floor that is easy to care for besides adding uniqueness to the “barn” aura.
Our next problem was the kitchen. I could see this was going to be a bigger problem than was the bathroom. My goal was to not buy anything “new” for the kitchen. Every thing must come from the flea market, garage sales or other thrifty markets. Even the stainless steel double sink was found at the flea market.
When driving to work one day I found kitchen cabinets stacked along the road. The family had decided to remodel their kitchen and had all their chocolate brown kitchen cupboards set out beside the roadway with a for sale sign. For seventy five dollars I was able to buy all the hand constructed seventy-five year old cabinets I could put in. Fortunately they all fit where I wanted them. I was even able to replace a set of drawers with a working dishwasher salvaged from the main house. I did repair the dishwasher my self and wonder of wonders it still works.
The color was more than somewhat a problem. I needed almost white cabinets for such a long dark kitchen. A couple coats of paint did the trick and produced a kitchen with hand made cabinets that exuded an atmosphere of distinction.
I still needed some sort of counter top for the whole affair. Somehow the temporary plywood boards I was using just didn’t come up to my standard. A visiting friend happened to mention there was some extra granite at the place where he worked. I could most likely get the scraps for free if I would ask. With a little trimming and polishing he thought it might work out nicely for what I needed.
For forty five dollars, for his labor, he produced granite counter tops for the length I needed. I even got a matching back splash with the deal. He produced a very professional looking job for my “barn” kitchen.
I was in business for those anticipated parties. Indeed we have used that “barn” for more potlucks, birthday parties, anniversaries, receptions and even a six night play production.
Perhaps by now you have gotten the vision that this “barn” is not what you would call a typical barn. With insulation, finished walls, many skylights, carpeting, and one massive chandelier the place is likely to influence people to think this place is certainly a wondrous building, and it is. I have even had young people ask, “Who lives here?” and when I explain that no one lives there they are truly puzzled. It has become just a building we use for entertainment. Strange – but true.
Christmas transforms the old building into a wonderland of delight. Each and every year the theme is different. When the great square table is extended and set, it rivals the most elaborate table settings for miles around if not the whole valley.
The table setting is never the same. Each year the decorations are planned well in advance, obtaining pieces for the center spread. Some themes are a little easier to plan while others require a whole year’s planning. But each is unique, fun and highly entertaining to do as well.
Some of the center piece themes have been: snowmen, fish & birds, animals, Christmas trees, Santa Claus, houses and boxes just to name a few over the past years. The center piece usually is about thirteen feet long and about two feet wide. If you ponder that for awhile you will quickly realize it takes a lot of “stuff” to fill in that amount of space and with a theme.
All this accumulated stuff has to be stored somewhere and now the attic is full to running over. My wife says to get rid of some of the stuff. I hate to get rid of it because I might need it or at least part of it anyway, for another year. I have tried to pare down a bit but as my son says, I still need to downsize. I think he is afraid he might have to deal with the stuff if something should happen to me. And he is right to think so, but I keep saying this is the kid’s inheritance and why should I worry about that.
The “barn” is still stuffed with things of interest. I see people enter the building with much anticipation and they are not disappointed. Yes, I am working on the accumulation. For almost eight years I have attempted to downsize and as yet have not noticed any change, just a shifting of merchandise. Perhaps it is because I keep coming home with more things to replace the things I have removed or sold. It is an ongoing dilemma for me. Am I contented and happy? Yes, indeed. Are things going to change in the “barn”? I don’t know – I am still happy so why change that. After all it is my “barn” and I should be able to do what I want out there wouldn’t you say?
My “barn” didn’t come with the property but was found about three miles away and moved here. Of course it wasn’t as big as it is now but just the same it did get moved here to serve the purpose of a barn to farm animals and other critters.
When the oldest horse died (at age 40), it was my decision that the place be rejuvenated into something more useful. Up to this time half of the barn was used to park one old car and the other half was put to use as the preverbal barn.
We had added a tack room on one side for my daughter’s horse stuff and I had a riding lawn-tractor garage on the opposite side.
My oldest son had taken classes on refurbishing housing and was a tremendous help in rewiring, insulation and putting on sheetrock. He is a whiz at anything he does and does quickly. In between classes and on weekends we worked with diligence to finish the project.
We did finish the project and it looked great – the only problem was it was too small for any use I had intended. It was decided to add on or double the size. I am not sure about the square footage but at times it still seems small, perhaps it is because we always think big and now we are somewhat squeezed but we do manage. I guess I just have too much stuff.
We had tried to use the “barn” for potlucks or small church gatherings or parties for friends etc. We were still stymied somewhat because there was no bathroom there and everyone needing a facility was forced to truck to the back door of the house to find a bathroom. We also needed some sort of place to set up food for parties – we needed a kitchen of sorts.
The bathroom was put into the back of the old garage. Creativity and thrift were essential and flooring was going to be of primary cost to me. A friend suggested that I use marble. What?! Marble!? Yes, marble could be had at a local granite and marble facility. In fact we could have it for hauling it off, little pieces that is, nothing bigger than the size of a sink opening. One thing that was in our favor was all the pieces were scrap and of the same larger piece.
I spent one day using a hammer to break all the pieces of marble into smaller pieces. Next the pieces were arranged and glued to the cement floor. None of the pieces are the same size or shape. Like the rest of the “barn” it has its own personality besides being very functional. The floor was grouted and washed producing a polished somewhat mosaic looking floor that is easy to care for besides adding uniqueness to the “barn” aura.
Our next problem was the kitchen. I could see this was going to be a bigger problem than was the bathroom. My goal was to not buy anything “new” for the kitchen. Every thing must come from the flea market, garage sales or other thrifty markets. Even the stainless steel double sink was found at the flea market.
When driving to work one day I found kitchen cabinets stacked along the road. The family had decided to remodel their kitchen and had all their chocolate brown kitchen cupboards set out beside the roadway with a for sale sign. For seventy five dollars I was able to buy all the hand constructed seventy-five year old cabinets I could put in. Fortunately they all fit where I wanted them. I was even able to replace a set of drawers with a working dishwasher salvaged from the main house. I did repair the dishwasher my self and wonder of wonders it still works.
The color was more than somewhat a problem. I needed almost white cabinets for such a long dark kitchen. A couple coats of paint did the trick and produced a kitchen with hand made cabinets that exuded an atmosphere of distinction.
I still needed some sort of counter top for the whole affair. Somehow the temporary plywood boards I was using just didn’t come up to my standard. A visiting friend happened to mention there was some extra granite at the place where he worked. I could most likely get the scraps for free if I would ask. With a little trimming and polishing he thought it might work out nicely for what I needed.
For forty five dollars, for his labor, he produced granite counter tops for the length I needed. I even got a matching back splash with the deal. He produced a very professional looking job for my “barn” kitchen.
I was in business for those anticipated parties. Indeed we have used that “barn” for more potlucks, birthday parties, anniversaries, receptions and even a six night play production.
Perhaps by now you have gotten the vision that this “barn” is not what you would call a typical barn. With insulation, finished walls, many skylights, carpeting, and one massive chandelier the place is likely to influence people to think this place is certainly a wondrous building, and it is. I have even had young people ask, “Who lives here?” and when I explain that no one lives there they are truly puzzled. It has become just a building we use for entertainment. Strange – but true.
Christmas transforms the old building into a wonderland of delight. Each and every year the theme is different. When the great square table is extended and set, it rivals the most elaborate table settings for miles around if not the whole valley.
The table setting is never the same. Each year the decorations are planned well in advance, obtaining pieces for the center spread. Some themes are a little easier to plan while others require a whole year’s planning. But each is unique, fun and highly entertaining to do as well.
Some of the center piece themes have been: snowmen, fish & birds, animals, Christmas trees, Santa Claus, houses and boxes just to name a few over the past years. The center piece usually is about thirteen feet long and about two feet wide. If you ponder that for awhile you will quickly realize it takes a lot of “stuff” to fill in that amount of space and with a theme.
All this accumulated stuff has to be stored somewhere and now the attic is full to running over. My wife says to get rid of some of the stuff. I hate to get rid of it because I might need it or at least part of it anyway, for another year. I have tried to pare down a bit but as my son says, I still need to downsize. I think he is afraid he might have to deal with the stuff if something should happen to me. And he is right to think so, but I keep saying this is the kid’s inheritance and why should I worry about that.
The “barn” is still stuffed with things of interest. I see people enter the building with much anticipation and they are not disappointed. Yes, I am working on the accumulation. For almost eight years I have attempted to downsize and as yet have not noticed any change, just a shifting of merchandise. Perhaps it is because I keep coming home with more things to replace the things I have removed or sold. It is an ongoing dilemma for me. Am I contented and happy? Yes, indeed. Are things going to change in the “barn”? I don’t know – I am still happy so why change that. After all it is my “barn” and I should be able to do what I want out there wouldn’t you say?
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