Laundry Room
How do you capture the charm of an old house with a total new renovation? A lot of people were surprised when they saw I was not putting in all the latest new trends. I just couldn’t. I wanted a home that when you walked in, you would feel welcomed with down on the farm charm. Why not? We have the perfect setting, a barn, a chicken coop, a milk house, and a shop. I wanted a home that would welcome my ten grandchildren, family and friends with open arms. To have it filled with laughter, love, and memories that last a lifetime.
Old hand-hewn beam around the window in the laundry room.
Notice that there is no curtain on the window. The window is the picture frame that captures the beautiful view of the farm.
We left two hand-hewn old beams exposed in the laundry room and one along the stairs. They are part of the old structure which nicely displays and holds the new.
The old picture of the laundry room was the entrance to the house and our first impression. I don’t remember what I thought when I entered, but now my entrance is also the laundry room. Not thrilled! That was not in our original plan. We have a friend’s entrance in front of the house with a place for guests to park. But it seems everyone who comes to our house, even strangers, automatically drives to the back of the house. If I had to do it all over, I would put the laundry room in our master closet. Then I would have added an entry in the back of the house. Now our guests go through the garage, then enter my laundry room. I guess all who enter are back door friends. There is a saying that “Back Door Friends Are The Best” I have to say that is true.
Oh, by the way, the old concrete double sink in the old picture is now a beautiful flower container in my garden. The old wringer washing machine is in the barn and is sometimes filled with ice and cans of soda at parties.
Friends Entrance
Behind the green door are the old stairs to the dusty, dirty attic.
They were very steep and narrow stairs.
Notice the hand-hewn beam on the top left.
My mother’s mirror and my uncle’s end table. 
The friend’s entrance area contained six doors. Old houses often had doors at every opening to another room. That way they could close off each room to contain heat. We took away two doors but added a friends entrance. Now there are five and only two are the same, but the historical color green pulls them all together. I also choose to keep the old doors. Some we didn’t even fix up and paint. We kept the old chipped painted doors. Some we had to replace but tried to keep it looking somewhat the same.
On the top shelf, you see The New England Village Series Snow House a collector’s series. The set, in the middle, is called the Mullet Amish Farm. My maiden name is Mullet, and my parents come from the Amish. So when I found this treasure, it was very special. I wanted the snow houses in a place that would be up and out of the way. I wanted them to give a welcoming glow when friends entered. I have a light on in almost every room in the house 24/7. I love light, and the little lights just give enough glow to brighten up my day. Especially on Ohio dreary days.
Guest Bathroom
After 
Before
The guest bathroom has a new appearance. I decided to use fabric and baskets, instead of wood doors, because I wanted the old farmhouse charm.
“May All Who Enter As Guests, Leave As Friends. “
