Home Home Sweet Home Farmhouse Finery: New Paint, New Chapter

Farmhouse Finery: New Paint, New Chapter

Tom
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Farmhouse Finery: New Paint, New Chapter

The old gal beams in her new livery of fresh paint and celebratory colors, and I couldn’t be happier. My near two-decade delay to restore and paint my farmhouse exterior was well worth the wait. This past week, on one of the few days when Pacific Northwest torrents relented and the sun appeared, my masterful painter (and now friend) Wade looked up from the porch post he was painting and said, “Well Tom, I think I’m done.” I replied, “for the day?” And he smiled and said, no, “Done, done.” (Cue my happy dance; no cameras please.)

We (make that Wade) started painting the house mid-September, and I knew he’d be at the mercy of the weather for the months to come. I trusted Wade and knew there was no way to rush this process, nor did I want to; but that meant I’d have to put on my big-boy pants and be patient and not bug Wade about some arbitrary timeline I’d conjured up. Let the artist do his thing. The house would be done when the house was done. Two months later the house was done.

I tried to keep out of Wade’s way, but Buddy felt the need to supervise when the sun was out.

Prior to the paint job, my beloved farmhouse had faded into the landscape like a clapboard chameleon, blending with watercolor swaths of Northwest forests and overcast skies. Fronted by a colossal century-old maple, she only revealed her bold new profile after the loss of leaves from said maple. Epic November wind storms ensured a dramatic finale, clearing the view for all to see from her splendid perch on a country corner and gentle hill. She beamed like a kid in new clothes on the first day of school. She was ready to rise and shine!

Let me round up some photos of her new look for the next century; and also take a moment to thank all of you for congenially going along with me on this journey, and offering words of encouragement and support.

Tah-Dah…The Big Reveal!

  • 1950s Siding removed.
  • My favorite view up my lane.

North Side of House

  • Showing 1950s overlay siding in a faded peach paint color
  • 1950s tiles removed, exposing very handsome original fir shiplap siding.
  • 2021: Prepped, primed and sporting a fresh coat of paint

West Side of House

  • Old tile siding, old roof and early repairs
  • Testing paint colors.
  • One step closer,

Northwest Corner of House

  • The 18-foot expanse on the middle porch needed support.
  • I added two matching fir posts to support the beam below the upstair sleeping porches. (Now enclosed)

The More Weathered South Side.

1888 Front Door

  • The Peach Palace ready for a costume change.
  • The stairs need to be rebuilt so no paint on them for now.

If home is where the heart is, ours (me, Buddy, and the house) beats with gratitude and appreciation for your witness and kind words. Thank you from the bottom of our brightly colored, freshly painted hearts.

Buddy ponders: friend, foe or color inspiration. Western Tanager sculpted by my friend Michael Zitka

Related Stories:

Tom Lives Here, No Doubt About It

Home Sweet Home: Out With Old, In With the New

61 COMMENTS

  1. Lovely!
    And what a blessing to have a painter who knows and loves his craft!

    ps. My apple jellies turned out delicately delicious, thank you! I went scant on the sugar and got two cases of half pint jars – ‘ nuff for lots of gifts… plus, dehydrated the leftover pulp and peel for yummy apple leather… am very pleased.

  4. Congratulations, Tom.
    The Old Girl cleans up pretty nice, eh? You have animated her beautifully with your colour choices. It sure looks like there is a lot of life left in her!
    Now you can simply relax for the winter…. after all, that’s how it works with older homes, right?

    • Buddy and I are definitely relaxing this week, living off our fat supplies from Thanksgiving and feeling pretty accomplished. Now for that next project, oh wait, that starts in spring. 😉

  5. What a surprising combination of colors – she looks pretty ‘spicey’! 🙂

    Now you and Buddy can enjoy a hopefully cosy winter at the fireplace…

    Great work done, Tom (and Wade, of course! 😉

    Cheers from a snowcovered Austria,
    mica

    • Thank you Mica, I like that description: “Spicey!” I can imagine the beauty of Austria right now, the storied landscape of winter, the Alps and bundled up shoppers. Well wishes! Tom and Buddy

  8. it is glorious! you must be so happy. and it’s wonderful that you made friends with the painter! i just posted an update of my crazy project today. it drags on and on.

  9. How wonderful to restore a home that has held so many people safe over the years! The colors are glorious and reflect the happy personalities of both you and Buddy! Congratulations to Wade for a masterful job and to you for orchestrating the transformation and to Buddy for his most excellent supervision! Well done!

    • Ah it takes a painting village. 😉 Thanks for the kind words and cheers, it surely adds more shine to this apple of an accomplishment. Well wishes!

    • Thank you Susan, hope all is well with you and yours. I was thinking of you today as I was baking bread. A German recipe for seeded rye, whole-wheat which is so good. A friend just came back from Berlin and was raving about this bread so I thought I’d try to make it. I like your recipe for rye and will try that too. I’m quite smitten. Take care, and hugs to you and the Trout!

  11. Nice work, Tom and Wade (and Buddy!)! Boy, the old gal really does clean up good and is now beautifully part of the 21st century. It’s so fun to see how Tall Clover Farm is progressing and improving year after year. And, by the way, does the “old gal” have a name?

    • Linda that is such a good question. I thought about naming her but I come up short, looking for a name that approachable, friendly, welcoming and befitting this lovely lass and her history. I’m pondering. 😉

  15. I was wondering what the progress had been. So happy to see the final results.
    It looks great. The trim adds a complimentary look!

    Worth the wait!!!

  18. Tom, your stories have brightened the moments and warmed hearts. Please, oh please say that they won’t end now that the house is nearing the masterpiece you’ve pictured in your mind’s eye all this time….

    • Sara what kind words. Thank you. No ma’am, no plans on stopping. Sometimes I take a break from the blog, but nothing permanent. I’m going to make a concerted effort to snap out of my lazy winter days and share some stories and photos as they unfold. Thanks for the vote of confidence!

  20. Your home looks beautiful in her new outfit. Finding a painter who is prepared to spend the time and energy and care producing such a masterpiece is rare. I wish I could find a Wade near me! I love your colour scheme and it looks like it should always have been there nestled in among the trees.
    Well done Buddy for the overseeing!
    Well done Tom for all the agonising over the colour scheme and hitting the jackpot 🎉.
    Looking forward to more of life on Tall Clover Farm.

  22. Thank you Mary, your kind and lovely words are most appreciated. It’s been a fun and protracted project, but so well worth it. I still have the brackets to paint, but I’m working on the color combo details. I have one window to replace, and just finished painting it — a sweet little number that will grace the cold pantry window which is too far gone, and now just screened.

  25. Oh Tom!
    She is just stunning. Thrilled for you & Buddy ( & Wade, Bravo).

    Here’s to The Peach Palace & her new harvest of memories.
    💞

  26. Tom, I hope after you and Buddy have finished taste-testing your rye bread that you’ll let us know how it turned out. I’ve been looking for a rye bread recipe for a while, although specifically an orange rye bread. Also I agree with Mica that your old gal is now “spicy”!

  28. Paint job turned out very nice. Perfect contrast of the brighter color around the windows. Tom you have a beautiful home for sure. Thanks for sharing, enjoy! Randy/GA

  29. Somehow stumbled across your website several years ago and love when you pop up in my (work) email inbox! I crave the moment I step out of my crazy work world and step into the serenity of yours and Buddy’s. Love love the update on the house! You are so blessed to be able to have the house and take on restoration. I would be beaming! Your homestead and town, etc. sounds like a piece of heaven! I reside in a little ‘ol town of Hutto, TX with my cat, Maxwell and African Grey parrot, Samson. Thank you for providing smiles and dreams as I live vicariously thru you (and Buddy). I love the simplistic beauty of your pies, jams, etc. Your writing is simply beautiful! Adore reading about your world. Merry Merry!

    • Thank you so much Dianne for such a lovely note. Warmed me from head to toe this chilly, foggy Northwest morning. Thanks for taking the time to brighten my day and introduce yourself. I’m so glad our paths have crossed and you’re enjoying the blog. It means a lot to me. Take care, hugs and pets to Maxwell and Samson. Well wishes, Tom and Buddy

  31. Tom, it is beautiful! The painter did a marvelous job. I may need to hire Buddy to supervise my up coming renovations, since he did such an amazing job for you!

    • Thanks Cynthia, I’ll check with Buddy about his schedule for outside jobs. I know he would move you up his client list if there were extra treats in the mix. 😉

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