This is a Construction Zone!

   We've been in our house for 8 years in September.  How we have loved living here. Our house was built in the 1920's as we have been told.  It was very rural here with cotton being grown in this part of South Carolina.  Every town had it's own cotton mill, or at least some form of employment associated with the cotton industry.

Our house was just a small farmhouse, with four rooms.  Maybe an upstairs. We don't know much more except that it was the scene of  two unfortunate murders.  Rather morbid isn't it?  Fortunately, we are not the least superstitious and are not bothered by it.  The past is in the past.

In the 80's and 90's, two master gardeners lived here and updated and improved the house.  They added on three very large rooms onto the back of the house.  They had an herb farm here, all in raised beds.  The Wilsons were very community minded and did much to improve their town.  Mr. Wilson hosted "The Victory Garden" during those years, and they tell me some of the filming took place here.  I have not seen any of the old episodes, but would love to see them.

We got the place in 2007 and hit the ground running!  We haven't slowed down since.  Shortly after we moved in, we added on some more to the back part.  Now it is one good-sized house.  BUT!  the flow of the house was terrible.  It felt like two separate houses.  I became so disturbed by the lack of unity in the place, that something just had to be done!  So we are doing something about it.

We are involved in "phase one" of three phases to convert the house over to a unified whole, and make it what it is crying out to be.  We are changing very little on the outside; it will still look like a little old farm house on the outside, but inside, we hope it to be a place for gracious living from days gone by.

Let me take you on a tour of what we have done so far.

This  is taken from the far door of the dining room looking across the floor to the back entry.

Trevor and Resendo remove the back door.

New double windows are put in the place where the door was.  Here are my eldest and youngest sons.

Now the framing goes up.  This wall divides the old dining room in half.  The new kitchen is on the other side and on this side is the new playroom-central passageway.

This is still from the far dining-room door looking straight ahead.  This is the new wall for the Butler's Pantry.

Outside, you are looking at a new door-opening put into the side of the old pantry.  Where they are all standing is where the new porch will be.  It will extend down to the corner of the house, where you see the gutter and the crepe myrtle.

Unfortunately, we will have to loose this lovely old crepe myrtle.  Trevor cut it so I can still have the trunk for some kind of yard use.  I'll talk to my neighbor because she has lots of great ideas!

Here it is down.

A lot happened at once  The hardwood floors went down over the old heart of pine, trim work was done, painting done in a day and now .......

You can't believe what these four fellows went through to get the sink in place.

Isn't it exciting!???

My son, Trevor is our contractor.  He has been building a good reputation for himself in the Greenville area for a few years now.  We have been so pleased with the sub-contractors he has been using, as they have all been expert and clean with what they do.  The workers have been very nice,  hard-working men.
Trevor's contracting business is Premier Builders SC