Something Old, Something New

One disappointment with my pretty little farmhouse was the lack of a fireplace mantel (just a small disappointment though!). Fortunately for me, my father and his brother own a farmhouse across the road from my childhood home that still had a beautiful mantel in it. My family ended up with the home as part of a 'package deal' when they purchased the surrounding farmland 7+ years ago. The home had not been well maintained, and the work needed to bring it up to living standards was too costly, as a result it has sat empty and exposed to the elements.

Here are some pictures of what I saw when I first walked through this house in the spring. (Disclaimer: This is not MY house!!)

The roof on the South-East side of the house has a large hole that has opened the home to excessive moisture.. and who knows what else.

Lots of mold... this was one of the better rooms in the house.

 

Dad came along for the adventure and to graciously removed the mantel for me.

 

There's my mantel then. Great shape and character!

 

 

And here's my mantel now: