Friday, May 7, 2010

2nd Annual Bungalow Blog Tour

Looks like I am on the tour this year! I am ashamed to let respectable people in the house, as big a mess as it is right now. Here's a few assorted goodies that stick out. Here is the messy parlor. It used to be two rooms, but the floor settled and the book case doors wouldn't stay closed so she took them out. The watchmakers' bench came from the old Elgin factory. It was in use sometime before 1888, because the dial room foreman put his name on it then. The Pachinko machine was in my Mom's folks' house when I was a baby-the picture behind the glass is me playing it when I was just able to stand on a chair to reach it.

The glass fronted hutch to the right was my great grand parents'. It was falling to pieces on the back porch of their farm, and my dad had it redone once, and my uncle Greg and aunt Bri gave it to me. They sort of gave it to me out of the blue one day, and I am glad of having it-it's a nice heirloom. It is perfect for player piano rolls. The big coffee pot came from my cousin's, and it is from before 1900.

The ceiling lamp was traded me for some Hammond organ tubes and a repair, and some little odds and ends where I used to teach. I am frankly surprised he doesn't try and get it back, but if he does he can pound sand. I rewired the thing and straightened it out, and mad it usable.

The back bedroom makes a good office. It is the larger of the two bedrooms, and has the stairs to the attic, and very good lighting. There are three windows and the one is the right height to put my library table underneath, like it was made to order. There are nice book cases, and the stairwell walls are beadboard. It looks like an old lawyers' office! The floor has a linoleum rug that has been down since Methuselah did the two step. It isn't going anywhere until it has to, and then only grudgingly.

The hallway is the only room besides the WC that has no wallpaper. It isn't getting any. None. The only thing it's getting is a different light and the walls painted. The hound likes it because he can lay there and see all parts of the house from where he is. There is an old disused trap door to the attic there too, and I may put a stained glass "skylight" that gives into the attic in the frame at some appropriate time. Four doors open into the hall, so it's like grand central. A little natural light from above might be a good thing. If I find a big enough register It may be a good place for an attic fan plenum, because I already have stairs to the attic.

Speaking of things hound, he likes the front bedroom. Here he is, on MY bed. In MY coat. With his snout on MY blanket. You know why dogs are so cute? Because it's the good Lord's way of making sure they can get away with half the tricks they pull!

Part two to follow!

Thanks to Stucco House for including my little house in this year's tour.

Previous house is Bungalow '23.

Next stop: Northland Stories.

6 comments:

denise said...

Nice antiques! My husband is a 3rd-generation jeweler/watchmaker, so we have a watchmaker's bench too (which he still uses to repair clocks); ours is probably from the '20s though.

StuccoHouse said...

I had to chuckle at your comment about letting people in because of your stuff :) My house is the same. That watchmakers bench is great...as are the other antiques.

BlackDog's Photographer said...

Love the antiques. I've obtained many of mine from my mother. Not only sentimental but beautiful works of craftsmanship. PS. Dogs rule!!!

Josh said...

I'm glad the Blog Tour introduced me to your site. Like the others, I think your antiques are great-- particularly the family heirlooms. Thanks for sharing!

Mike said...

A fellow Iowan, I am delighted to find your blog. It was fascinating to read your history. What's the guitar in the bungalow tour photo of the back bedroom/office?

Neighmond said...

Thanks for the support! That watchmaker's desk was a real swine to fix-many coats of police station green paint and every corner in it was broken or unglued! The treadle wheel has new ball bearings and the upper counter shaft and lathe headstock got their beastly little bearings dressed at the same time.

I just lost Ma last summer so it still feels strange to have "her" things in the house. How long does it take for that to wear off?

Yep....the dowg is a pretty good fella. He is old, so he don't do so much anymore but he's good for all of that.

The guitar is a very old Gibson. It is from sometime in the late twenties for all the research I could do on it. It wasn't one of their higher priced instruments, so it has some wonky traits and a strange sound to it but I am sort of attached to it.