Home Again…….
Where are you from? Who are you? Where am I from? Who am I?
I am a Wisconsin girl!
I’ve always considered myself a Wisconsin gal. My parents moved to Wisconsin when I was just over a year old and my whole world was there through high school and college. I moved to Arizona when my sons were very young. I raised them in Arizona, they graduated from high school in Arizona, but life took them both back to Wisconsin while I maintained my busy life and career in Arizona. The reality of that hit me not too long ago when I was telling a friend that I’ve lived in Arizona for nearly 30 years. That meant…….. I’ve lived longer in Arizona than I had in Wisconsin! The thought of being so far from my family and friends in the Midwest for that long made me somewhat sad. For each of those years I’ve missed family gatherings, Christmases, Thanksgivings, and birthday celebrations of those closest to my heart. *I know many of you can relate!
Fast forward to October of 2018 - the start more big changes in my life. A time when my entire life “landscape”, everything that I knew as familiar was forced to morph into something much different and much less comfortable. It has been a time for me to reflect, to cleanse, to purge, to protect, and to re-ground and re-grow myself. Truthfully, things are still changing; a new version of what I call “life” is happening right before my eyes and with that, a new vision for my life and my Interior Design business.
Wow………you just can’t imagine how I felt when these two realities collided in my heart! I had to peel away the layers of my life in Arizona and lift my head to consider what newness lay ahead of me. My sons were grown and gone (back to Wisconsin), my little family had grown with the wonderful addition of my beautiful daughter-in-law and my two darling grandchildren, my Interior Design business was growing but fluid and portable……..it’s no surprise that I desired to start making a plan to be closer to my family more often. and I’ve spent a good deal of time in Wisconsin this year. It’s been good for my soul; I felt like I needed to go “home”!
I can’t say I was really looking to move home, nor was I looking to buy a house there but when I saw this old farmhouse “For Sale” on the outskirts of town, it really didn’t take long for my heart to stir! After all, I had seen my grandparents take an old farm acreage in Iowa from the layers of patching, neglect, and disintegration to beautiful rooms that together formed their lovely farm home. This was their labor of love and the home they built to give their family a place to retreat to. I loved my grandparents “acreage”. I loved the love we shared there with them.
My soon-to-be modern farmhouse….
Can you see it? Something about this old farmhouse offers a sense of “home” and possibility to me. I adore the original features, craftsmanship, and history that permeate every inch of it.
This old homestead was part of an estate set to divide the land and sell off the 2,000 sf house and 1.25 acres it is sitting on. I immediately fell in love with the land…….a sprawling lawn that slopes from the upper driveway to the lower driveway with a beautiful grove of trees between them - birch, pine, maple, and apple trees, lilac bushes and an old flag pole.
The house has such charm….. from the old (and very worn) cedar shingles; the original windows that still maintained their wavy, bubbly glass; the raised six panel doors, the 10” baseboards with carved, raised corners, and the gorgeous wooden staircase, still in wonderful condition.
In spite of the huge amount of work it will take to restore and modernize this turn-of-the-century farmhouse, I was compelled to jump at the opportunity to create new beauty in this lovely old home. I proudly call it mine today.
The project may take a good deal of time as we will be removing all of the old lath and plaster walls, adding new siding, a new roof, new electrical, and new insulation. Of course, I have some really fun plans for the interior and I’m even trying to think of the perfect name for my new “estate”.
Look for updates on our progress as we remodel and reconstruct………and yes, I’m so thankful for this new project so close to “home”.
Certainly, it’s business as usual in Arizona where I have the most amazing clients! I’ll be very excited to share progress on my Arizona projects soon as well since I’m also an Arizona gal! :)
ttfn -
Jackie