I find old farmhouse inspiration in a lot of places. It’s in all my favorite television shows, my favorite magazines, my Pinterest boards and other blogs I follow. I don’t however, take the time to get inspired when I am passing an old farmhouse every day in Iowa. In 2017, I want to take more time to slow down and enjoy each moment. I want to grab every opportunity to be inspired and slow down just enough to enjoy every minute of it.
This all came to fruition when we drove to Matt’s home town for Christmas. There is so much farmhouse inspiration to be had during this drive alone. We have been making this trip for almost twenty years together. There are a couple of different routes we take, but this past week, we took our “normal” route and drove right past this little gem for the umpteenth time. This time, I told Matt to stop.
All of these photos were taken with my iPhone. I am normally impressed with the images I can capture with my iPhone, but when I saw this one, it looked like it was a paint-by-number. Don’t you think? I didn’t edit this picture because when I did, it made it look unreal and because when I saw this picture, I instantly thought I could paint it.
Then, that got me thinking about maybe making this into something for our home. A poster? A framed picture? You see how my mind works? We will see if any of that comes about, but for now, it’s about all the unexpected inspiration and feelings I got when I explored this old farmhouse.
I am calling this an old farmhouse now because when we have passed it over the years, I told Matt I would love to have that little shed in our back yard. We thought it was a shed all this time. This past week, we found out it wasn’t. I got inside it and was taken back to another world.
When we stopped, we were able to see that there was a little dirt path that we could pull into. As Matt pulled in, my heart started racing. The “shed” was bigger than a normal shed. I couldn’t get out of the car fast enough. As I got out of the car and walked up to the front of this place, I was overcome with gratitude. In those initial moments, I was so thankful for a husband who gets me. He encourages me to explore my curiosity.
He knows that a little inspiration goes a long way for me. I was also grateful for our kids who are so patient when Mom is making another pit stop. It is just part of the gig with mom and they are just happy to be along for the ride.
As I approached the “shed”, it was apparent that this wasn’t a shed, it was an original tiny home!!!
What?!
I was floored!
I could not make my way through the tall grass any faster.
This place was more amazing up close than I ever thought from the road. I wanted to take in every inch of it.
As I got closer and could see inside, you can imagine my surprise when I saw it.
THE SINK!!! Oh, the sink!
The color of the wood on the outside of the house is too yummy, You can’t buy that color, stain that color or paint that exact color. It is what it is, where it is and it is pure perfection.
The molding around the door is perfection. The left over piece of what was an awning over the door – cute as a button. And, what is that thing hanging on the right side of the door?
Oh, did I mention the door?
If you know me, you know I can’t pass up a good door. I mean, really. The patina on this door is amazing. The door knob is still in perfect condition too.
I stepped inside and was instantly hit with sadness. This was somebody’s home at one time. Had it burned? What happened to it? Then, I looked around at every detail. The wood. The colors. The electrical outlets. What stories could these walls tell? Who lived here? How was this decorated back in its day?
Sorry about this grainy picture, but I had to share it. Do you see the thin ship lap behind the plaster?
What about the thick base boards. Delicious.
At this point, I was hit with excitement again. I was so excited I had taken the time to slow down and finally see this place for what it was.
I was also excited to look up in this little farmhouse. Is there potential for a loft space up there?
What else lurks up in those rafters?
Could we move this old farmhouse and rehab it? Now, I was really getting excited with all the “what-ifs”.
Inspiration was also found around the only corner in this tiny place. This lonely chair was the only other thing in the place besides the sink. When I saw it, I really thought there must had been a fire at some point??? Did they move this home to this place? Has it always been here? So many questions, but yet, I had so many unexpected answers when I left it that I didn’t even know I was looking for.
One of my goals for 2017 is to be more present in every moment. Time is flying by fast and I have an issue of just wanting to get things done rather than enjoying the process and the experience. Being present will be a challenge sometimes, but I really want to make a conscious effort to do it. This farmhouse inspiration was a great starting point. I see more adventures like this in my future and I am closing with more gratitude for all the things this little, old farmhouse taught me.
Have you ever explored an abandoned home like this? Where was it? What did you find?
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what a fun find, LOVED the tour!!!! thanx
So glad you stopped Lindsay and shared it with us! Would love to know the story of the family who loved there too! Happy New Year, friend! xo
I love looking at old buildings! Like you I wonder who lived there, what happened to them. I feel kind of sad thinking about the house all abandoned and falling apart. It’s even sadder when it finally succumbs to time and is gone.
I recently moved to a “small” town 7 months ago…Like you, I too promised myself to slow down this year and take advantage of my new surroundings…I now carry with me my old Nikon 35mm camera (thank goodness I can still buy film) and an old pair of boots…Right now I’m taking a lot of pictures of cows, don’t know why, but cows are my thing…But I also pass by abandoned barns…I started taking early morning pictures (the light is beautiful), the way the morning light shines through is breathless…Thank you for page, you are my inspiration…
Thank you so much Tina! Have fun exploring!
My parents have a couple on their property. Completely intact. Normal age wear and tear. Broken windows, caved ceilings, rotted wood… Up the road from them is a old one room school house. Still has chalk writing on the board. Their neighbors have an old farmhouse also. I didn’t know you were in love with old farm houses… I would’ve taken you there. Maybe someday?
YES! I love these old buildings. Always have!
This was such a delight to read Lindsay! Thank you so much for sharing all of the photos. It’s so easy to get swooped into the day to day madness and sometimes it takes a few years before we see an old thing as something completely new and exciting. You described it beautifully and I really got to feel what you were feeling going through the old house. Thanks for that! 🙂
Thank you so much Anna! I will be doing this more often and posting about them more often! I am super excited!
I stumbled upon your blog from Pinterest, and oh, my goodness, I love this post! I absolutely adore little abandoned houses like this, though I’ve never been brave enough to walk inside one. I’ve always wondered what the walls would say if they could talk. Thank you for sharing!! I hope you continue to post more pictures/blogs of abandoned houses! 🙂
Thank you so much Becky! So glad you stopped by! Don’t be a stranger! I hope to find more abandoned places I can explore!
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That is a real beauty. My partner and I share a love of dilapidated buildings and he’s the one for stopping unexpectedly to get a great photo or to take a detour – which makes my life all the richer. It’s so good, as you know, to have a hubby who is with you on your adventures. My partner makes all his fabulous photos into personal calendars for his parents and for us to enjoy all year, by gluing prints onto calendar blanks. That way we enjoy them again and again.
Thank you and great idea!!!
So, are you going to buy it and move it to your property?! That would be awesome!! Keep us updated…
We have contacted the owners and she thinks it was an old drug store at one time! She couldn’t tell us a lot about it, but she said her husband may call us back.
I grew up in very rural Idaho. Old structures like this were very common. The “tiny” ship lap is called lath and plaster, the usual way to construct a wall – once they started having indoor walls. My Dad was born in a 1 room log cabin in Price Utah in 1919. It has a dirt floor and just a wall – no lath and plaster. The sink was a common – actually the only style then. no divided sinks. Hot and cold were higher above the sink – how were you going to put useful holes in cast iron then? They had very substantial weight. Bathing was usually done in tanks that were brought into the kitchen to be closer to the boiling water from the fire – mixed in with cold water. The cleanest one in the family bathed first, then on down the line.
I have family histories and memoirs from the late 1800s. If you get a chance to make friends with an 80 year old or are lucky enough to know a centenarian like I do, mine their memories. Their memories are like gold and you will learn so much.
WOW! Great story! Thanks for sharing!
I love this too 🙂 The “thin ship lap behind the plaster” is actually called lath which was put in place to form a foundation for the plaster to adhere to. You will find this a lot in old homes with plastered walls and ceilings.
Yes, it is lath!