A new life for our old barn

10/12/2015

One of the reasons Matt and I fell in love with our home is this beautiful, 100+ year old barn sitting just beyond the house. Funny story - the first time we walked the land with our great friend, Juice, he warned us "you don't want to go into your barn right now. There are dinosaurs inside." Matt, Corrina, and I make our way to the barn and sure enough there were two vultures resting at the back right corner. It was wild.

Vultures aside, the inside of the barn took our breath away. One step inside and you are transported back in time when they used whole tree trunks for support beams. One can just imagine a century's worth of history and heritage in this very spot. If only walls could talk ...

Unfortunately our majestic barn was not maintained and she has fallen into disrepair. While it would be a dream to have a restored, fully functioning historic barn on our property - it is just not safe long-term. We entertained the idea of building a new barn at this location - but tearing her down and scraping her bones is just not an option. ..

Matt and I were inspired to retire our old girl and give her bones new life through crafting pieces of art in our home. We are going to start our own local business and build one-of a kind picture frames, benches, and home decor. We want to give our little piece of history to people who appreciate the rustic look that a true hundred year old barn brings.

Our new venture started today and we want to take all of you on this journey with us ...

Earlier this morning:

Initially we thought the wood may be damaged and prior owners covered holes with plywood.To our pleasant surprise - someone actually used the plywood to protect the barn! Here is the difference between the partially protected wood and the fully exposed portion:

After Matt removed the first board, we headed back to our shop to examine the condition, breed, and quality of our wood. To our surprise (again) the exterior sheathing is made of cedar planks!