This cute little house was originally built in the 1830’s.

She was placed right in the center of a scenic thirty acre farm in Albemarle County, Virginia.

Nearby are a few outbuildings, including a barn, all of which are in fairly good condition. The pastures are fenced for horses, and the driveway leading to the house is lined with cedars.

The place is a bit of heaven.

The farm was bought by a nice family of four who found the house charming, but it had been neglected, and, it was too small. So, they decided to renovate and build an addition.

They then hired the wrong contractor…

Originally posted 2015-04-17 13:19:14.

Ok… I’m about ready to wrap up this project. I will post a couple of finished exterior shots of the house, later today or perhaps tomorrow, and then I’ll move onto another project.

I’ve got a great post and beam house that I’d like to share… there’s not a lot of finished inside photos but some really cool assembly images.

Here are three images of Moriah “going up”.

In looking at them I feel exhausted and overwhelmed at what I accomplished. For someone who specializes in little log cabins, this was a major undertaking, one that no other builder in this area would have done. (probably because they have more sense than I do) lol

Originally posted 2015-04-08 14:10:04.

Here are three photos of the staircase at Moriah (sorry about the exaggerated redness in the photos)

Also, here is one photo of the original staircase as it once was.

For some unknown reason, the house’s original architect located the staircase in a side room of the house and in there it took up the entire room below, and above, with it’s vaulted views. It was “dramatic”, for sure, but yet odd in a way… a staircase room?

I put that space to what I felt was better use. I moved that staircase out of that end of the house, and on the first floor of that area I was able to create an office space, a bathroom, and a large closet, all of which could be alternatively used as another first floor master bedroom if ever desired. And upstairs, I created a very large bedroom with a bath.

I then built a new staircase in the entry hall/ foyer where it would be enjoyed by all who visited the home. I really like how the staircase goes up to greet one of the massive ceiling beams. And, I like the nearly invisible railing that is attached to the wall… it was salvaged from a home that Walt Whitman stayed in for a few years (if I’m ever suffering from writer’s block I go grab onto it for a while 😉

Originally posted 2015-04-08 13:49:05.

I added a seat to the large family-room window assembly.

The way the house was originally built this was an area where you would stand and enjoy the surrounding countryside with a bit of panoramic view. I thought that a seat here would make the space more inviting and cozy. And, as an added bonus, the addition of drawers below this seat created treasured built-in storage space.

All the doors and windows seen in this photo were custom-made out of heart-pine, by the original builder. Notice also the huge ceiling beams in this room… all salvaged from an old cotton mill out of the Shenandoah Valley.

Originally posted 2015-04-07 13:13:41.

I found a replacement door for Moriah on eBay… yes… you can buy anything on eBay. lol… (I once bought a log cabin off of there… but you need to know what you are doing if you go that route).

This door unit came off of an old farmhouse in Ohio. Fortunately, one of the men on my crew was from that part of the state, so I gave him gas money to go visit his parents for the weekend and he brought back this door when he returned.

This antique door unit did need some restoration work, but even with that factored in, I believe it was a smart purchase. It has brought a lot of light into this house and is a constant source of compliments.

Originally posted 2015-04-07 12:49:59.

I did not reuse Moriah’s original front door.

It was one of the greatest struggles for me in rebuilding this house. After all, what gave me the right to change something so key to a home as it’s front door? Some people say that a home’s front door is the defining element of the entire home.

I would never, ever, think of changing out an original door on any house built earlier than the 20th century.

The fact was, I liked Moriah’s original door. It was massive, and presented the visitor with a display of antique wood which told guests what they could expect upon entering the home. And to top it off, the door had a massive box lock complete with a brass knob… nice.

But the lock didn’t work well anymore, it had seen it’s better days. And, the door was showing signs of aging. Upon closer look I could see that it was made by “gluing and screwing” old wood to a plywood core panel. No fine craftsmanship there.

And, the diagonal pattern of the wood to me shouted 1970’s. For those who remember that era, they will recall that diagonal paneling was all the rage back then. What basement could be found without it? Let’s all sing the theme song from the Brady Bunch!

The deciding factor that sealed the decision to replace this door was that I desperately needed light to come in through the front door into the entry hall. I needed a front door with class… and with glass.

So, I went shopping for the perfect antique door for a replacement…

Originally posted 2015-04-07 12:48:09.

It’s just a hallway,

but it’s a special hallway.

And the glass wall, is what makes it so special.

Originally posted 2015-04-06 22:22:20.

Here’s the log cabin bedroom at Moriah that was created by eliminating the cathedral ceiling in the room below.

I made a wood mantlepiece out of vintage pine, similar to the one found in the log dining room downstairs. This mantle I sized to accent the gas stove that we bought to install here.

I generally discourage clients from having a gas stove, feeling that a wood fireplace is essential to obtaining the full potential of enjoyment that one can have in a log cabin.

Originally posted 2015-04-06 21:39:46.

Here’s a photo of Moriah taken shortly after she had been reassembled. The exterior is finished, but she still is grey in color. She sat here in her new location and appeared to be brooding… waiting to be painted something more lively in color.

Originally posted 2015-04-06 14:52:36.

“The pro’s and con’s of having a two-story cathedral loft in an old log cabin”…

hmmm…

let’s talk about that…

Originally posted 2015-04-06 14:37:21.