Farmhouse Hearts and Darts - Part 1 of an Occasional Series

Our new farmhouse needs a ton of work, and I wanted to highlight some of the things that drew me to it, as well as some of the more hilarious aspects that need to be addressed. So, here's part 1 of what will hopefully be an occasional series - a pair of pictures. (Click for full-size versions in all their glory).

I'll do the 'bad' first today - this is a corner of what will eventually be our dining room. I'm sure you'll notice right off the bat that there's a toilet in it. There's a sink on the other side of the window, to go with it. But, notice too, the exposed pipes for the water supply and waste - those connect with the upstairs bathroom. They just don't have the charm of exposed pipes in a loft, now, do they? And why is the wallpaper so dark in that upper corner? It's not a lighting issue with the camera, I assure you. Did the former occupant used to sit there and smoke? No, on second thought, don't answer that.

I suppose the toilet roll holder on the back of the door is quite convenient. And, sadly, we'll probably end up using this toilet (well scrubbed first) when we replace the upstairs bathroom.

On the better side, here's our woodstove on the first night we had company over. My dad built the fire when we arrived, and my mom prepared some spiced cider that's warming up in the red soup pot. Although the house has electric baseboards for heat as well, I hope to burn many cords of wood in this old Fisher stove. I don't think you can make out its little feet in this shot, but you might be able to make out the pine trees gracing the doors.

Right from the first day I staked out my favourite sitting spot, in front of the stove, with a view out the side window to the east where an old barn is in the process of falling down in the most picturesque way imaginable. As long as there's a basket of knitting and a bookshelf nearby, I think I'll be able to amuse myself quite well.