When a house is used as a bed and breakfast for several decades, there are many remnants left behind. One such remnant is the second kitchen used for guest meals. We knew this space deserved more and decided it was the ideal candidate for the first room to undergo a full restoration.
The appliances and cabinets were in good condition, and fortunately, we were able to find a family that could take it all off our hands. My father-in-law was in town visiting from Florida, and together, we carefully dismantled the kitchen.
When we moved the cabinet holding the kitchen sink, we were delighted to see the original wood molding. Several pieces of trim were removed in order to install the cabinets. Lucky enough, we found nearly all of the missing trim piled together in a crawl space under the house.
The library is an impressive little space. It is one of the rare areas with a builtin, has one of the largest windows in the house, and, for its size, originally had a fireplace. We also discovered a door had been walled off leading into the bathroom.
The next step in restoring the library is carefully pulling up the new flooring with the goal is restoring the original wood underneath, along with installing the original wood trim and opening up the door to the bathroom. Stay tuned!
4 replies on “Restoring the Library – Part 1”
Love your renovation summary but was there more remodeling besides library and second kitchen? (Mars needing time too I’m sure:-). The mansion is beautiful and well worth saving to live in!
Hello Erline, Yes, we are primarily focused on the exterior, with the library being the first historical portion of the interior we’re tackling. Be sure to see the latest 2020 recap for more detail.
We fell in love with your home on a walk. We visit Hermann every year and will enjoy seeing the progress in person. These posts are so helpful and we enjoy reading about your special finds and growing family.
Thank you, Stefanie! Hermann is a wonderful town to raise a family and restore a home. We try to document the bigger efforts on the blog and appreciate the encouragement.