Let’s take a look at the beginning of this cabin remodel!
1950 cabin left abandoned for a decade
When it comes to a total remodel on a 1950 block cabin, always expect the unexpected. I have learned this the hard way. What you plan on taking one day, go ahead and plan three. A cabin built in 1950 and left untouched for an entire decade well let’s just say things get a little harder once you begin EVERY project.
Even at the point that you see this picture above we had done a lot of work. Cleared the land of undergrowth, pressure washed the outside, planted flowers and cleaned up the trash around the front and it was still a mess. From the time I saw this place even to this point after the hard work and still ending up with a mess I loved it. The potential was here and I was certain of it.
Previous memories and new memories
Memories that were made here previously were being upgraded for new memories to move in. If I said we have a few funny stories then we have at least ten. My husband and this cabin were at odds for the first six months after our purchase. I’m not sure who disliked the other more. We have finally came to an understanding that we are updating and renovating a cabin that was once well cared for and loved. We want to restore life to it, rather than tear it down and start over.
Furniture for days
This picture makes me giggle every time I see it. Not because of the couch being there necessarily but getting that moldy, damp, super heavy (because apparently when we made furniture then it was made well) out the front door of this cabin and onto the trailer. Recliners? Well yes it does and they open a lot and easily. Believe it or not nobody rode the couch down the mountain that day. We did finally get that mess off the mountain, one piece at a time.
Cabinet, dresser, recliner anyone? These are a few of those pieces. I am sure they were loved at one time but wow the smell and the mess they made getting them out of the cabin. I am not sure that I could begin to describe a cabin smell closed up for ten years with damp books, clothes and furniture but it was BAD! It has taken a year to get that new wood smell back in the cabin now that new walls are going up and it is clean.
You will have to keep up with my cabin blogs on thosesoutherncharms.com. It will without a doubt be an interesting adventure to the end! Some funny, some mess and a ton of fun!
CABIN REMODEL dust and rot
The floor in the front main room was torn out and replaced (thanks to my husband.) This is only a partial piece of the mess and the sweat that went into this dust pile. The basement underneath was surprisingly in great shape and looked good once we removed four hundred jars of nastiness. Since then more flooring has had to be replaced but now we are onto solid foundation and solid floors.
Snake tails during cABIN REMODEL
In the time of moving out furniture and replacing floor BJ had a small incident with a black snake. At the time he may or may not have been wrapped up to his thigh with it and I was still oblivious as I tried getting a band aid on the bleeding finger. Turns out bleeding fingers take backstage to a black snake up your thigh. The dance in the kitchen started out a little rough but hopefully in the future we can make it look a little better. BJ is quite the dancer when he has to be.
So post snake he damaged himself on that cabin more times than I can count and honestly I wasn’t sure we were still going to own this piece of land or cabin by this time, luckily friends they became just took some time from them both.
basement and walls
This is the basement underneath the flooring. I don’t have a picture to post today but this looks so nice now in comparison to where we started and then underneath where we ended up. Super thankful we replaced and put new in, makes the place feel new again.
The doors are super heavy and honestly I love them. Hoping to be able to leave them and the windows. We have had to relocate the pipes to the sink in order to get it centered in the main kitchen window but well worth those efforts. Windows sit lower than what we are accustomed to but we are afraid to tear out a wall that right now is 75 years old. Just probably not going to do it!
This is where our bedroom sits at the moment unbelievably. While I can appreciate that this is a mans cabin this was a disaster! While some of these were antiques the age and mildew had pretty much taken toll on most all electronics. We were able to salvage a few but these were not them. First Aid kit you see there on the wall may have been out of date since 2007 and was pretty much a complete redo on the kit. Coat rack I wanted to save however it fell apart on us and the couch arm you see well it was by far worse than the first or second couch we moved. Yes, three couches and twelve mattresses later (see below) we were getting somewhere.
mattress anyone?
This was our first load of mattresses and box springs. These were smelly and super nasty. We did load and haul them off which almost immediately helped with the mildew smell we began with in the cabin. I can’t begin to show you what we hauled off but it has been a major work in progress. The gorgeous bookshelf that I did paint and restore was covered in books. They had been soaked for years and that in itself took a good while to clean off and clean to repaint.
Ah the bathroom, let’s say this started rough but when you see the after pictures that one has turned out beautiful. I was able to clean and refinish the clawfoot tub, replace the toilet, curtains, shelving and this hardware. (paper towel holder on the wall in front of the toilet I am still trying to figure out) and that paneling well let’s just leave it at that. I’ll be sure to post new pics of this one! If you find yourself in need of fixing a clawfoot tub this is what I ordered from Amazon and its amazing. Here is your link below:
chambers stove
A gem found was this Chambers stove that once cleaned works beautifully and makes the most amazing pizza in the world! I do love some good pizza. All of the stovetop worked, oven worked and it cleaned up nicely. This is one of the few items that we have left in the cabin and we appreciate the quality and usefulness of it.
This was after pressure washing and cleaning and still a disaster . Since we have fixed the porch with permanent foundation and re-stained the deck along with replacing some of the wood. The siding is being replaced and I promise to update with pics as I continue.
So let’s talk about these fine curtains and this ginormous fish that was hanging above the stairwell. I have hated this thing from day one but until maybe a month ago it hung in our cabin because my husband had no clue what we were going to do with it and he didn’t mind it as bad as I did. The first thing I notice over everything at the moment is that this fish is no longer hanging there. We have since repainted and built walls, YAY!
I’m not sure if this looked better ten years ago or if it was just as ugly but I am so very thankful not have this hanging in the living room anymore. It’s so nice to look at a wall rather than this fish. This has been my favorite part of the cabin remodel.
my love for this mountain cabin
Last but not least this view is the reason for loving the mountains and this cabin that to me was such a jewel to find. We have worked hard but we have also laughed, enjoyed family time and most of all been breathing in this fresh mountain air.
This cabin remodel is an absolute work in progress, but so are we all. It’s beginning started 75 years ago and we plan on continuing to love this land and this cabin. So here is to the beginning of this journey and the road that we are traveling. I promise the updates will come as we change and update this cabin both inside and out. I hope to make many new memories and build a family cabin that not only we can enjoy but hopefully our family as well.
