Better Renovations: Sleeping Quarters

Green theories: reduce, reuse, recycle.

That's the name of the game at Better Farm, so scouring rural New York's Craigslist is an integral part of renovating this place. The universe is responding to the work going on in Redwood a thousandfold. Why else would we have found not one, not two, but 60 bunkbeds?!:

Bunk Beds for camp, cottage or home. Heavy all steel angle iron construction with head and foot boards and stainless steel springs. Just add a mattress!! $20 single, $35 for set of bunks. 60 available. Very sturdy and durable. Call 315-778-0834, leave message.


The nice guy in charge of all this is holding all requested sets (we actually don't need all 60) until we get up there around Memorial Day for the first round of major house renovations. Soon there will be room for all of us! Let us know if you've got some twin or twin extra-long mattresses we could use...

Green Screen at Better Farm?

Spotted this "green screen" while browsing Green Bytes, the blog of the Horticulture Society of New York. Here's what they said about it:

This screen can actually help conserve energy by providing a layer of insulation, and even act as soundproofing. Plus these plants will grow and fill in the window creating a privacy screen.

Not sure exactly how much energy would be saved with a setup like this, but it sure looks nice! Also, Green Bytes mentioned how they stocked theirs with plants that had varied bloom times, equaling a year round display. Just a thought!

Better Renovations: The Loft, Before

First step in beginning any renovation is assessing your space. Tyler and I headed up to Better Farm over the weekend to do just that, walking the house and property with the trusty Josh Babcock, Sadie the dog, notebook, camera, and about a dozen energy-efficient bulbs (will replace the rest over Memorial Day Weekend).

My favorite room of the house growing up, the loft was built in 1970 by a fellah called TJ who was the only member of the original communards with building know-how. He determined it would make sense to take a little bedroom and connect it with one-half the attic by a little staircase and the removal of the ceiling. The top sleeping quarters were infamously known as "TJ's Love Loft."

Ah, to be young.

The loft is still a wonderful space, even without all the attention of its first incarnation. That said, there are several basic improvements to be had...

• A few of the steps to the Love Loft are loose. They should be replaced.
• Fresh coat of paint definitely needed!
• Mattresses are very old and very mushy. We could probably do two singles spaced apart in the love loft, but that almost seems sacrilegious. So maybe a full or queen on a box spring up there and a bunk bed and single down below? We'll have to measure.
• Some sort of light treatment to deal with the two exposed bulbs at the top of the stairs
• Deep clean
• Ripping up the carpeting
• Perhaps some kind of wood stain?
• Removal of clutter
  

Better Renovations: Lilac Room, Before

The Lilac Room (as Lana so-named it) will soon be renamed as soon as we redesign everything to match this owl lamp. Just kidding. Sort of.

The room itself is in the best condition of any room on the second floor - nice walls, good structure, big. This also means it could hold lots of bedding for the days when we're running workshops throughout the summer. That should be a consideration for our updates and renovations.

• De-clutter
• Bureau in above-left photo needs new handles, a good sanding and refurbishing, or should be replaced entirely
• Paint is pretty good, but we'll check for smudges and disrepair
• The ceiling droops a little near the door
• Speaking of the door, it's no good. Window slots are empty so there's not really any privacy; and the fabric over the holes is old and musty
• Curtain rods should replace the tacks holding the fabric up at the windows; new curtains should be brought in
• Mattress is old and way soft - definitely room for at least one bunk bed and a single bed
• Filled hole at top of brick near door was the chimney point for a wood-burning stove that used to live up here. Maybe we can cover it...?
  

Better Renovations: Jordan's Room, Before

This was Jordan's room while he was growing up at Better Farm. Since he relocated to Watertown with all his stuff, the space has acted as more of a guest room/storage space. There's a lot to clear out! Also, the walls need a lot of work. But though it's tiny, there's room enough to bring in a bunk bed, paint it a great color, and get some nice window treatments. And how about the koala lamp! Perfection...

• Figure out how to smooth out the walls behind and next to bed. New boards?
• De-clutter
• Fresh coat of paint
• Patch holes in walls
• Handle spackle situation on the wall next to the door
• New carpeting?

Better Renovations: The Library, Before

Here's our starting point for the main communal space, which has served as an intimidating library for many many years (yes, Steve read all of those books).
Key points:

• Keeping green while applying design techniques to what has been and will continue to be a farmhouse. Rustic but clean look, lots of reclaimed wood, etc. etc.
  
• Keeping all the books (expanding the last wall to match the others as floor-to-ceiling storage? Using casters on the floating middle shelves?)
• Eventually laying down new flooring (in interim, filling all the knotholes in existing floor wood)
• Sealing the space under the ramp (currently leads draftily to original foundation, basement)
• Patching up dents in the wall, fresh paint as needed
  
• New seating arrangement (starting with throwing out that old couch--there's a reason Lana put a cover on it! Ideally maybe a very large L couch with fold-out capabilities so it doubles as a sleeping area?)
• Figuring out a way to insulate. There are a lot of windows and a big sliding glass door in this room. It's drafty!
  

Ideas and suggestions welcome!

Better Renovations: The Kitchen, Before

I love this kitchen: nice and big, amazing tin ceilings, lots of counter space, and an alcove eating area. Tons of potential. Eventually we'll want to fully update the appliances and bring the whole space into the 21st Century; til then, we'll start with the basics:

• Rip down the old wallpaper and throw up a fresh coat of paint

• Figure out the situation with the old wood-burning stove vent (in photo above right). Right now it's very drafty. Should we properly seal it? Or attempt to revive the rusty old dinosaur that still sits in the barn and drag it in? Would that be less drafty? Is it a viable heat source?
  

• Dining alcove: Light fixture? Insulating windows? Expanding bookshelves to ceiling? Definitely doing away with the old carpet below the table. Looking into seating? Different table? Wallpaper on left wall definitely has to go. The dryer in above-right photo is only in the shot because it was on its way out - not a permanent addition to the room!
• Main lighting fixture over center of room - replace? Or at least find covers for exposed bulbs? Will replace all the bulbs with energy efficient ones next month.

• Here are some remaining shots to give a feel of the overall room, countertops, appliances, etc. There are a few broken/loose handles on the cabinetry that will also need to be addressed:
  

Better Renovations: Downstairs Bathroom, Before

Here's the downstairs bathroom, which is just off the kitchen. The walls are basically amazing. Hardware, as well as the bath, shower, and floor, could certainly stand to be updated (compost toilets!) - but for now we'll handle the basics:

• Energy efficient bulbs have already been swapped into all sockets
• We need covers or new fixtures for the bulbs on either side of the sink
• Matching curtains for window next to toilet and window next to washer/dryer
• Installing shutters to close off towel/bedsheet storage
• H20 conservation for toilet?
  
• Is rain collection a viable water source for showers? What other green methods can be utilized to conserve/reuse water?
• Shampoo/conditioner/bodywash pump in bath/shower stall to prevent clutter
  

Better Renovations: The Office, Before

This room was originally used as Steve's bedroom back in 1970, but was later turned into his office. It's got ample plugs for computers and great desk space; as well as two sets of windows.

It's very well organized, but there is the opportunity for storage under the desk space (building drawers?) and the window fixtures and general aesthetic could use some updating:

• Get rid of air conditioner in window - drafty and unsightly!
• Patch dents and apply a fresh coat of paint
• In the longterm, if reflooring is done in library, extend into office?
• New seating
• Simplify the wiring situation. Remove clutter.
  
• Extend shelving toward ceiling?
• Lighting: Is the fluorescent light on the ceiling the most energy efficient? If that's the case, should we leave it? Is there anyway to make it nicer?
  
• Shoo away some little friends who left a mess near the printer...

Better Renovations: Downstairs Entranceways, Before

The front entranceway of Better Farm gives you views of three sections of the house: the kitchen straight ahead, the alcove dining area to your right, and the upstairs. The floors are nice and we've already swapped out the bulbs for energy efficient onces. Necessary changes here are very basic (except for that staircase, which we'll get to...):

• Cover for bulb in immediate foreground of photo - currently just an exposed bulb
• De-cluttering entranceway itself by coming up with better storage for shoes and coats (maybe doing away with small shelves?

The side entranceway, which holds the staircase down to the basement and some storage (and which opens out into the side of the library), is a bit more of a doozy...

Better Renovations: Staircase, Before

The staircase to the second floor is basic and functions. Eventually, for aesthetic reasons and enhanced structural integrity, there are some fundamental ideas I was tossing around, which are listed below:

• New carpeting (carpeting of some form is important because of potential slipperiness in inclimate weather) - the stuff we have is badly stained and inconsistent with patches of carpet on second floor (see post on the upstairs hallway)
• Down the road, I think it's safe to say we'll need a new railing (have seen a full railing made from a single, long trunk of a dead tree that was treated and sanded down - hmmmm)
  
• General sanding and refinishing/dyeing

Better Renovations: Upstairs Hallway, Before

I think wall-to-wall carpeting at least in this upstairs hallway is essential because of the mismatched wood from the 1970 renovation and addition...

Other thoughts:

• Too much clutter? (In which case, relocation is necessary for books...)
• Necessary to sand down/re-stain bannister?
• Uniform color for all doors?
• Any other thoughts?
  

Building Better Farm: A History, Part I

Before embarking on what's sure to be a daunting and heavily documented process of turning a 100+-year-old house into a symposium of green elements and sustainable integrity, it seems appropriate to have the first post of our Better Farm blog be a look back at where all this started...

1970: This is the year Stephen F. Caldwell convinced friends and family members to trek 300 miles to the middle of nowhere, live in a house for a hot summer without indoor plumbing and a terrible black fly epidemic, and figure out how to frame out an addition on a house (as well as all associated wiring, plumbing, heating, and sleeping arrangements). Oh—and it all had to be done in a way that would allow Steve mobility in his wheelchair...





















Stay tuned for more background and our 2009 version ...