Welcome to my door this Thursday. I’ll put the coffee on. 🙂
We live in a large two-family farmhouse built in the early 1800’s with a handsome barn on almost four acres of land.
Our daughter and her family live in the original part of the house. In the 1980’s, a major addition was completed that included more living area for the farmhouse as well as an upstairs apartment.
We bought the farm in 2004 and many DIY update projects were completed which kept the feel and history of the original farmhouse but also provided some updated conveniences.
The original door to our part of the house was on the second floor. When we took that part down to the studs, doubled the living area and added a garage, the architect moved the door to the first floor.
Then we had a large entry area that could house a sitting area for putting shoes and coats on and off, an elevator, and the stairs to the upper living area. Yes, there is an elevator. We knew that we weren’t getting any younger and might need it ourselves or for moving heavy items like furniture, groceries, and bags of wood pellets. For the past 12 years, it has been a really well appointed dumb waiter.
Upstairs, we have a large master bedroom suite, family room, eat-in kitchen with island, sewing area, and four-season porch. It is the perfect size for two retirees who don’t have a need to house visiting family.
Picture upstairs downstairs with an additional cast of characters – a dozen hens, six ducks, two goats, and two dogs. 🙂
Linked to Norm Frampton’s Thursday Doors, October 26, 2017.
NewEnglandGardenAndThread 
Your home sounds wonderful. We renovated a house near Albany NY many years ago – so much work, but interesting and a satisfying challenge, though we had our moments.
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Ah, those moments. 🙂 My husband and I look at projects differently because he is analytical and I’m visual. We have our moments as well. 🙂
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That’s a beautiful door, Judy. Thanks for the story of your house and for sharing your DIY project. The elevator is a feature I’ve been looking into with respect to our upstairs addition. It may happen, as they are getting easier to install and less expensive.
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We’ve had this one for twelve years now. I had some foot surgery and used it then but the rest of the time it is nice to know it is there, but we use it mostly for transporting stuff. If you really are interested let me know, I’ll send you some photos and the company name. We’ve had really good luck with it. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that? 🙂
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Ha ha – no jinx – don’t worry.
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I love the sound of your home and menagerie. And having family right next door is such a good thing. They have their private quarters, you have yours. I especially like that you installed an elevator with a view to your older years. I wish I had one here. We looked and looked for a one-storey house, but the ones available at that time were actually more expensive! Prediction: as the baby boomers age, more elevators will be sold, and bungalows will keep increasing in price.
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I believe you are correct about the elevators and the bungalows. 🙂 Elevators aren’t cheap, but they allow you to live on a second floor and do it comfortably. We were lucky to have the architect who was able to incorporate it into the living area. On both floors, it just looks like any of the other doors and someone might think it was a closet when passing by.
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Good move, Judy.
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A charming description of your home, and a great front door! Any frost your way yet??
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They’ve certainly seen it up north. We’ve hit around 34 several nights, but as you look around we are definitely moving right along into the next season. Well, of course, as soon as we can get these leaves off the ground. It rained this week so we had a huge load come down, but the trees are still pretty full. You remember how that is. 🙂
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It’s so mild here there is little color. Many trees are going brown and will drop without change. Shrubs are blooming like it is early Spring. I remember our first fall here in ’96, coming down from the Worcester hills in MA and confronting humid 70s in early November – with lichens and moss growing throughout the yard! Our rains this week brought no leaves down as they are still largely green. The NH lakes region was another world, with snow for Thanksgiving!
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Your door is beautiful. I love knowing that you have an elevator in your house. How cool is that?
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This is my favorite Thursday Door of all! It’s so warm and welcoming and we all feel like friends of the family! Red doors have always been my favorite (Our back door is red, too!) and yours has a very special story, Judy! You planned so wisely for sharing your beautiful, historic farmhouse with family. Well done, my friend! Installing an elevator was brilliant. You will be able to enjoy many more happy years in your Home Sweet Home! 💗
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I don’t know what there is about a red door, but I love them. 🙂 It’s nice to know we both have one. Yes, we’re planning to enjoy Home Sweet Home for years to come. Hope October is treating you well. I thought of you as I pulled all those Hosta out and found homes for them. 🙂
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Cream and sugar with my coffee and do you have donuts too? : ) Very attractive entry and door ! 🙂
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If I thought you were dropping by, I’d have anything your heart desired to go with that coffee. 🙂
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The glimpses you’ve shared of your interior (living room wall, sewing room, and new counter in the kitchen) show a tasteful residence that’s very respectful of its New England heritage, so I am not surprised your entry door is so warm and welcoming!
I don’t know what I envy more – your elevator or the pet goats!
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This one was for you, Joyce. The ‘upstairs downstairs’ idea was yours. 🙂 The goats love company, and a ride on the elevator is waiting – come on over.
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If I did show up at your lovely door to ride the elevator, pet your goats and chickens, and chit chat over quilting projects, I fear I’d never leave! 🙂
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You have a beautiful home, Judy, and red door, too. The elevator was a great addition. Now you have me rethinking a stairs for our house.
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I love it! I’m sure the inside is as beautiful as the outside. For years we have been talking about adding an elevator to our house. Right now I feel like going up and down the stairs keeps our hearts in good shape but one of these days it may be a necessity.
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We’ve been using the stairs since we moved in. It is nice to know we have an option like when I had foot surgery a few years back. And, those bags of wood pellets would never make it upstairs without it. 🙂
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So cool to hear about your house, sounds wonderful! I would enjoy walking in your lovely door. 🙂
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Of course you would have a beautiful front door! There is something so inviting about red doors. And how lucky you are to live with a daughter on the same property. Thanks for sharing!
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Well how cool is that? One cream and two sugar for my coffee please 🙂
The elevator sounds like a good idea. I hope I don’t ever need it, but I won’t hesitate if the stairs start to become unmanageable.
It sounds like you’ve put a lot of TLC into this place. Thanks for the invite.
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It’s a good idea for us as well to do the elevator in our new summer cottage. I love your entry door, Judy, it seems to be well made, of old heave wood.
You have a lot of animals in your farm, I didn’t know. Are all they living in the barn?
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The chickens and ducks live in coops outside the barn, and the goats live in a stall in the barn. 🙂 The stalls in the barn use to house horses because you can see the setup and where they chewed on the wood. 🙂
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Thanks for the welcome to your home! How nice to have a glimpse into your world. I love the idea of taking a large heritage country home and renovating it for 2 families. It’s a nod back to a time when multiple generations lived with or close by each other.
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That is one handsome door. Perfect color too. Just put a pot of water on for tea and I’ll bring my own bag. Oh! Wait! I AM the old bag. 😂 I’ll even bake cookies and brownies.
Your home sounds like a dream come true. Clearly you and Dennis did your homework. The elevator is the perfect compliment to allow you to live out your golden years in comfort and ease. You are one smart cookie!!
I just love your collection of pets…especially the goats. What fun they all must be.
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If you bring cookies and brownies, I’ll gladly buy the tea bags. 🙂 The animals are fun especially since my daughter does all the work, and I only take them treats. -)
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Just a bit of cream, Judy, please.
What a charming tale of renovation! Early 1800’s WHOA! An elevator which is a glorified dumbwaiter, I think that’s so, so clever, both in expression and use. We’ve chosen a bungalow, so instead of an elevator inside, we may need a ramp or two outside 🙂
Smart door, thanks for sharing!
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I see a fair amount of ramps around here. But, when we visited family in KS this year our nephew had just put one in for his wife who struggles with MS and uses a motorized scooter. It is a concrete one and rises from the driveway to the front door. It is a little wider than normal so there is no need for handrails, and it had landscaping along the sides. It was quite good looking. 🙂
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Nice! My back door is perilous for all ages, but I’ve noticed my mother-in-law struggles with the front as well. Her knees aren’t good. My husband’s knees aren’t good. I think it would be wise for us to install a ramp at both doors.
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I love a red front door, we had one on ours in New Hampshire…now we have a dark green one in Florida. I wonder if I ever drove past your home when we lived there. 🙂
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I like dark green. You don’t see it very often unless it is a yellow/gold colored house. What I’ve been seeing a little around here are yellow doors. Nothing else yellow on the house, just the door. Keeps things interesting. 🙂
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Nice, love that red door (and coordinated plantings)!
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Oh Judy, your home and your red door are so pretty and welcoming. I love the touches of red and white in the plants. Interesting to read about your elevator. Mr ET sometimes makes noises about buying an older home on a bigger block of land and he’s been looking at split level homes. I don’t want stairs – we’re not getting any younger. Perhaps this would be a good compromise.
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Thank you. 🙂 If you want info, just let me know through the contact email, and I’ll send you photos and information. I know it would be different companies, but it would give you ideas for planning purposes. 🙂
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Thank you. I’m not sure I want to tell him about it. I love our home which we built to our requirements. He just wants a bigger shed. 😁
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I bet it would be easier and cheaper for you to build him a bigger shed if that is feasible. Those sheds somehow seem to fill themselves up quickly. I have first hand knowledge of that issue. 🙂
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The problem is we have no more space but you’ve given me a great idea. We can put a second story on the large shed he already has and install an elevator on it. If we include a bar fridge and a loo I’ll never see him again. 😁
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Okay, that is a hoot. I love it. 🙂
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You’ll put coffee on? ….but you are in (new) England? Just kidding, because when we were in England, Starbucks was the “only” (to lazy tourists) place to get coffee. Pretty door, I like the wine red!
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What a nice set-up you have! My husband and I have talked about rearranging a few things (involving walls, electrical, and plumbing) to make our house more user friendly as we age. A elevator could do the trick at a lower cost (if we could just find a place to put it). Thank you for a lovely Thursday Doors post, and for the coffee too!
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What a beautiful door and all the lovely red accents to match! I’ve always wanted a red door and finally have one in this home. I take my coffee with a dash of cream 😉
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Beautiful door! Love the color. It’s nice your daughter is so close. My son and his family live in a small house on our property and I feel so fortunate to have them close.
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I envy you nothing but your elevator. Oh, what I would give for even a chair lift! Your door looks just like the door we had until we got the new door. Same color, too.
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Lovely to see your welcoming door and to get a bit of the story about your home, sounds wonderful. Such a good idea to re-organise your house as you get older, rather than move. My brother is thinking of installing an elevator and he said they have come down in price in recent years.
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I love everything, including the comments! Especially I love the fragrance of morning coffee behind that incredibly homey door. Of course, the subject of home and age is dear to me right now, so all of this is pertinent — and maybe also fun. Thanks so much for inviting us in!
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Beautiful, Judy! You truly live life as an art form! I really want to come over and have a cup of Joe with you ( and Dennis)!
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What a well thought out home Judy. Thank you for sharing it with us I think the elevator is a fantastic idea. I’ll be round for a virtual coffee shortly…
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How generous of you to share your home with us Judy! Most of my neighbors have elevators as well as we live in a community with many retirees. Our two-story home became and issue when my husband was sick last year and rather than incorporate and elevator we decided to move to a smaller, single-story home. Interesting how change can be a positive if you look at it the right way. We love our new home and our new neighbors but I’m totally envious of your proximity to family. Mine is an 11-hour drive north 😢
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Sorry your husband was sick but glad you were able to switch to a more comfortable home. Housing needs do change as we mature, and it’s always good to find the right fit. 🙂
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Beautiful, Judy! As we talk about where we might retire, the house has to be part of the conversation. My husband would like one story, I think, but we’ll see. Our older daughter would like us to move to California, where she lives and will probably live after she gets married. But there are a plethora of reasons, one of the biggest of which is price, that we probably won’t do that. I, like Tina, would love to be closer to our family. One daughter is in Philadelphia and the other in southern California!! My parents are in Arizona, as are my brother and his family and my husband’s sisters are in Akron (closest one), NYC, and France. 🙂 Thanks for letting us into your home this week and have a wonderful weekend.
janet
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You could virtually move around the globe visiting loved ones. 🙂
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Oh so lovely and inviting! I think the elevator is very sensible. As we age…
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Welcoming! I’ll be happy to stay for coffee!
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I love your door and I love how you describe your home. I really hope that someday I can join you for a beer in those 2 chairs!
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Now, that would be perfect. 🙂
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Very cool–close to family, yet room of your own, in such a classic NE style. You belong there!
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You’ve given me a very good idea to do a post on doors in north Alabama! Thank you!
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How nice it all sounds! and I do love that door.
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How thought of you!
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