Here. In the new/old house, with before and after photos.

 After a wrenching several months, we are here, in our 160-year-old house. Our renovations are mostly done, with the art studio last to the finish line (and still not quite there.)

The meaning of a house with deep history like this one has seized my imagination, turbo-charged as it has been by 'Here,' a sublime, a peerless, a brilliant book by Richard McGuire (2014, Pantheon Graphic Books), with its illustrations of the same house, mostly the same room, the same land, over hundreds, even thousands of years. I bought 'Here' the year it was published, little knowing the importance it would have in my life. I now see the wainscoting, the fireplaces, the 12' high planked ceilings and heart pine floors of MY 'here'  through McGuire's kaleidoscopic vision and imagery, two examples of which follow:

Note the years the images derive from are noted in these McGuire spreads:

So now, here, our narrative, with some before and after photos. The before photos come from the MLS listing, our introduction to the house that was to be ours.  Those photos show a very handsome house, well-loved, well cared for, but not one, I admit, I felt particularly attracted to. It didn't seem us. Our old house, designed and built by my husband and me, was spacious, with many windows, lots of light, and perfect traffic flow, all things that mattered greatly to us, and not qualities I saw in the photos of the listed house

My friend and real estate agent, along with two of our daughters and my longtime best buddy, however, urged me to see the potential in the house.  "You have to buy it," said my hitherto-skeptical daughter, minutes after actually crossing the house's threshold. "It will be our new family home!" said her sister, who had felt the loss of our old house very acutely. "It will look totally different with your furniture and artwork! You will love it!" said our agent.

So, thus persuaded, we leapt. And here is the beginning of this new chapter in the house's life, and ours.

BEFORE, the living room: 

AFTER, our living room:

BEFORE, the hallway:

AFTER, our hallway:

BEFORE, the dining room:

AFTER, our dining room, still very much in progress:

 

BEFORE,  the family room:

AFTER, our family room:

 

I can imagine the stunned bewilderment the original owners of this house, a mid 19th-century farmhouse from Smithfield, NC, would feel were they able to see it now. French furniture?  Modern art? Shocking pink chairs? But the glory of this house, this beautiful house the Jones family built all those years ago, is how generous it is. It has opened its arms to us... I do feel that.

We are not finished with our changes. I have more rooms to show you. I have the garden transformation to document. I have my studio just on the cusp of being a useable work space and I canNOT wait for that.

Now that I am fully ambulatory again, I'll go back to Smithfield to collect soil, that deep red clay, to make paint from. I have images of the original family to explore. I'm not sure how this house will make itself seen in my work, but it will. It will.

I am out of the woods now, recovered from my leg injury. I've rolled up my sleeves and I'm ready to work. See you soon!

 

Comments

[Laura Frankstone]

Thank you so much, Angelika! I will keep updating!

[Angelika Butz]

I agree with your first take of the house/rooms when you first toured the house. My thought was that the rooms are too dark. I love what you have done so far with your new house, it looks bright and inviting and I get the vibe that the house also likes her new look and is happy that you guys bought the house. Many, many happy years in that beautiful house. Keep the before and after photos coming.

[Laura Frankstone]

Thank you, love! Yes, I wanted the paint to lift the space, not to cut it up! I had in mind originally for the walls several pretty saturated colors but the house didn't want that, or so I felt. I listened to the house ;D. And light! We must have light!!!

[Cathy Johnson (Kate)]

I love the light, and the less-chopped-up feeling (the wainscoting and the walls being so different, before, seemed to close things up)and oh YES open shutters! When I used to visit Joseph before we were married, the first thing I'd do was throw open the shutters! :D