With every week that passes, more things get done on the barn. The house, not so much. It has been at a stand still for weeks. The wood ceiling material our builder ordered from his supplier has yet to arrive. Without it, we can't put on a real roof. The giant blue smurf tarp doesn't count. At this rate we may be living in the barn saloon after all!
We didn't want to waste manpower or time, so the two guys building our house worked on the barn overhang ceiling instead. It's a work in progress.
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| the overhang, looking up |
The entrance to the storage side of the barn got poured. Eventually we would like to have everything but the area with the six (potential stalls) windows done in concrete, or maybe just a center strip. For now, we will probably finish up with fill & top with gravel.
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| level flooring helps doors seal tighter |
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| looking out of storage side |
Brad had the great idea of adding an interior window to the saloon! It faces the barn aisle, and will let in more natural light. You can see if someone comes into the barn, or if they are hiding taking a break in the saloon.
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| all framed up |
Board by board, the barn rooms are shaping up nicely. It's actually starting to look and feel like a barn. It doesn't smell like a horse barn, yet.
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| my guy working hard on the tack room |
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| view from the other side |
I walked over to look at the house site, came back - and just like that we have a saloon window!
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| adding this window was genius! |
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| two saloon windows are better then one |
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| inside saloon |
There has been so much progress on the barn, yet much left to do. Most related decisions have been made, but not all. How to finish off the inside of the saloon, is a big topic these days. Just for the record, we are not putting in a bar. Sorry to disappoint everyone! We have zero plans of bartending and hosting big ol' barn parties. It's just not us. We will however enjoy the cherished space with friends & neighbors. Whatever we end up doing, needs to be low maintenance and useful. A refrigerator, comfy seating, and some type of cupboard/counter space comes to mind. Still in the dreaming stages.
Next on the agenda, pouring the porch...
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| ready, set, go |
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8 comments:
Love how the barn is turning out! It's beautiful. Windows in the saloon were a great idea.
Just in case you're open to ideas...in our tack room we have tongue and groove knotty pine paneling ( this way we never have to paint) and it stands up to abuse. We also have cabinets and a counter top with a small fridge built underneath. A double sink comes in handy too. The best thing we have in there though is definitely the washer and dryer. No more trips to the laundromat. I'm sure you've got plenty of great ideas about how you want to do things because everything is turning out beautifully.
You've made a lot of progress. Good idea to add that window!! You'll need it. I love the dreaming phase. So many possibilities. Grey Horse Matters gave you some great suggestions. We also did the tongue and groove knotty pine panels. Love them!
I am always open to suggestions, and truly appreciate them! Three cheers for knotty wood, it is the way to go!! The wood panels you see in my photos are tongue & groove, the rooms are (or will be) Douglas Fir & the rest is Pine. We love knotty wood! I know it sounds funny, but once we put everything else in we won't have room for a washer & dryer. Tack room is a nice size for various racks, but not much else. My wide angle lens makes things look bigger then they are. Maybe on the storage side, or our basement? It must be really nice to not have to use a laundromat!! Most around us don't let you wash horse blankets, you have to sneak them or they have one designated machine. I've actually never washed one, since our Appy's don't wear blankets. Cierra recently started, because she lives in a heated barn (which I dislike!!) and we want her turned out so she can be a horse. Harmony wears blankets, and I could see Nemo needing one down the road. I would love a deep sink, but can't seem to talk Brad into one! He thinks the bathroom sink and wash stall will suffice. I think he is wrong, and we will regret not putting a deep sink in. Time will tell.
I can only say the sink comes in handy for hand washing,cleaning sponges while cleaning tack, making hot mash etc. but everybody does their own thing. And I remember sneaking blankets into laundromats and tying socks on buckles to keep the noise down,quickly wiping white hair off the doors. I sort of felt like a shady character. I'm glad none of ours wear blankets anymore! We mainly use the washer for towels, wraps and dirty barn stuff now, so I'm sure you don't need them.
A utility sink is a great idea, there is always something that needs washing at a barn.
Whatever you put in your saloon the only recommendation I would make is that it is easy to clean. The dust will get in there no matter what! Furniture that can easily be wiped down (no fabric) and smooth surfaces, stay away from textured stuff no matter how pretty it is.
Our sink conversations go something like this: Me: We really need to put in a deep sink Brad: What are you going to use it for? Me: I don't know, buckets and things like that Brad: We are putting in automatic waterers, you can wash buckets in the wash stall Me: Will it have hot water? Brad: Yes Me: we are going to regret not putting in a deep sink.
I think we've had the sink conversation at least three (or 10) times. I have my bathroom, so I will let the utility sink slide - but we are going to regret not putting one in!
Good points Shirley, completely agree. I am all about low maintenance, especially now that I am older & wiser. The floor was done just for that reason, an easy sweep. Seating will be harder. We may just start with the chairs we got with the wheel table. It's hide, so it can be brushed or even hosed off. I've got so many other decisions to make, and all I want to work on is the barn!!
Holy cow, this is looking AWESOME!
Please, please invite to come & visit you when it's all done.
Wait... you would put me up in the barn, right? *hopeful*
We only hope when we are all settled in that friends & family will want to come visit! Included those with four legs! Brad & I are still "arguing" which one of us gets to stay in the saloon, ha ha! People think we are weird, but we are serious! We won't have a bar in the saloon, but you can bet it will be stocked with favorites!! We've considered putting our futon in there, not much fun to sit on tho - and it's fabric. I think the space will evolve to how it gets used.
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