Welcome to Jody! Even though it's bedroom month, folks are sending us all sorts of stuff. This is a great palate cleanser for the end of February. Are you dreaming of a little home in the heart of the country? Now's the time to go looking...
I'm renovating my apt in Brooklyn myself, but I thought a more interesting story would be a vertical log cabin I bought this last December in the Catskills. We all know how important it is to be able to get out of the city! The previous owner neglected it to the point of collapse...
After a year of emails to the church that owned it, I slowly talked them into selling it to me for the cost of the land, as it looked so bad (the porch fell off the front). There are 4 cabins on my street that were built by the same folks as a fishing camp around 1915 Im told.
I was taken with the bones of the cabin and plan to restore it over the next few summers. As you see in the picture of my falling down shed, I removed a ton of garbage that was in the cabin, including a kiddie pool, 2 weight benches, 3 fans, a vacuum cleaner, a TV + other electrical stuff the cabin has never been wired for electricity! I plan to:
1. Take the garbage to the dump + burn all the lumber that made up the old porch (that fell off the front of the cabin).
2. Spray the whole thing with borate there is some termite damage.
3. Replace the leaking roll tarpaper roof with standing seem metal roof or maybe shingles?
4. Repair + refinish the floor.
5. Design a suitable kitchen + bathroom.
6. Install a Dutch west wood stove I bought on eBay
7. Run basic electricity
8. Build a porch
I just got started cleaning it out and then it got sooo cold! I plan to start working on it again when it warms up this spring. As I make some progress, I will be taking more pictures Jody
What a wonderful place. We live in Saugerties (on the weekend)and will be persuing some projects in the near future.
Um, neat place, but why are you burning lumber? Do you mean like in the fireplace or just to be rid of it? Old lumber can still be useful.
Jealous!
What a great project!
It all sounds good except for that part about refinishing the floors. There's nothing as nice as the silvery gray color & smooth feel of old planks that have beed sanded & washed with lye & permited to age. My dad lives up in a historic town in Wisconsisn, in an 183Os stone & log house that was also partially collapsed before it was rebuilt, and the icky, plasticky finish slathered on top of the old pockmarked boards was the only bad choice.
Meanwhile, your new place itself is a beauty.
Given current posts about city people having weekend homes it's going to be interesting to see some people's reactions to this. For my part I think this is a great project and I wish you luck. Here's hoping the end result is everything you want it to be.
Oh, my gosh! It's so charming ... but what a daunting project! I sort of envy you ... but mostly, I take off my hat and bow low to the ground in admiration of your skills and your energy!
I especially love the window shape/size, is this common for cabins in this region? Very different than the average Canadian cabin where I live, "our" windows are much smaller and higher.
Good luck!
This is so timely, as I've been trying to get husband interested in a weekend fixer upper in the Catskills. Unfortunately, it would mostly be me doing the fixing while he encourages me over a cold gin & tonic. His many talents do not include carpentry or electrical work.
Good luck Jody! I will be following your progress. I hope the prospect of casinos in the area doesn't cause traffic nightmares for you.
I love this! It's funny I didn't contribute to all the discussion that past few days about weekend homes, but the whole thing just had me thinking--Wait! I want a weekend home too. What a great idea. Downsize in New York and try to find something in the country. I think I'm going to go crazy, if I can't find a way to make this happen.
Your property would be exactly what I'd love. How did you find this place to begin with. I look at real estate ads all the time, but everything seems to pristine (and expensive!) Anyway, thanks for sharing, can't wait to see the progress!
I love this! It's funny I didn't contribute to all the discussion that past few days about weekend homes, but the whole thing just had me thinking--Wait! I want a weekend home too. What a great idea. Downsize in New York and try to find something in the country. I can never afford to buy something in the city, but maybe I don't need to. Anyway, I think I'm going to go crazy, if I don't start getting out of the city on a regular basis.
Your property would be exactly what I'd love. How did you find this place to begin with. I look at real estate ads all the time, but everything seems too pristine (and expensive!) Anyway, thanks for sharing, can't wait to see the progress!
It's fabu. I see it filled with a comfortable couch, a fully stocked bar and lots of "rustic style" furniture. When you're finished we should rent a bus and all the folks from Apartment Therapy can travel up to your place for a PARTY. It might be a snarky ride but if you board the bus with that rifle (?!) leaning up against the wall you could probably keep us all in line. Best of luck.
Tony G.
does this qualify for the smallest cool apartment contest?
that is generous/generousing compensation competition.
This is more like it. Great touch with the Bogart picture. Hope you keep us posted i think you are going to do a fab job with this place. Good for you
OMG! - you lucky person - this is totally fabulous! - I love it and wish it were mine!! - the wood burning stove is gorgeous
(for the electrical equipment the previous owners probably had a generator...)
do you have problems with mice?
where is the bathroom?
The Wilkinson-Mays would like to congratulate you on your new acquisition. The Wilkinson-Mays undertook a similar endeavor we when purchased a small MV cottage a few years back. It was a delightful addition to our Boston properties. We hope you will enjoy your cabin for years to come.
OMG I would be so scared out there. I think every falling branch and/or animal noise would send my heart racing. Anyway, cute place & definitely a diversion from the city. LOVE the vertical logs - someone should make wallcovering like that. Good luck.
yay!!! LOVE THIS CABIN! I think my Dad would have flipped out for that place. I bought a fixer-upper in Greene County (directly across the river from Hudson) a few years ago. I'm on "phase 5" as I like to call it in the renovation. I'm trying to organize all the NYC/Upstaters so that we can pool information regarding restaurants, events, contractors, ride sharing etc. It's sooooooo not ready for public consumption, but if you're interested you can click on my name.
lovely project.
one thing you have yet to include on your worklist.
selectively chopping down most of those trees!!!
these trees were not there when the cabin was built. you are probably missing a nice view, no?
i believe you can get the local authorities to do this for free, in exchange for providing millable lumber.
Please don't take Rodger's advice.
OMG If my son decided on such a project, I'd freak! I hope that gun is loaded. After all, what does a guy from Brookly know about the Wild East?
I wish you the best on this funny little project anyway.
Hi Jody
Great camp. Sounds like a lot of fun. I'm sure you will get a lot of joy from fixing it up.
Soon it will look like home.
George
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