Renovations Round Two: Turning our once unused and fairly useless back porch into a fully usable mudroom will be one of the "non-era" remodel we will be doing on the #AppalachianMountainBungalow. 🛠️

What used to be a simple little entry space (swipe for the “before”) will become a beadboard paneled tiny room to store our muddy boots (we still have a major drainage issue to fix on the back property) and a place to collect "this and that" as we come in from the back door.

What is not shown in the picture are the three very wide windows. Right now, there is wood board covering the spaces. This little room will be flooded with natural light. Once the custom windows arrive, in two weeks, our carpenter will install them so the official Porch Patrol Yorkies can keep an eye on all important neighborhood happenings (including Calli and Smokey the cats whereabouts). Yes, I did measure, with the Yorkies, to make sure they could see out the bottom window.👀🐶

There will be much needed added storage, weather-proofing, and cozy touches to make this tiny back entrance work big for our everyday life: muddy boots, groceries, wet paws, and all. Honestly, it will keep our floors so much cleaner and provide a bit of much needed extra storage. ✨

#Mudroom #PorchRemodel #BeforeAndAfterHome #SmallSpaceRenovation #HomeImprovement #YorkieLife #PorchPatrol #DIYHomeIdeas #OldHome #AppalachianLiving #Appalachia

Old Plantation House

Built in the 1850s in rural South Carolina, this stately home once stood at the heart of a vast cotton plantation that stretched across the surrounding farmland. Its original owner married three times and raised twelve children within its walls. Together with his nephew and a farm laborer, likely an enslaved man, he constructed the house by hand, shaping each piece of timber and brick with care.

Designed in the classic I-house style, the home features tall brick chimneys and rests on a foundation of sturdy brick pillars and hand-hewn sills fastened with wooden pegs. Square nails and cypress shingles were crafted right on the plantation, reflecting the self-sufficiency of 19th-century farm life. In later years, the house served as the town’s first post office, with the owner’s son-in-law appointed as its inaugural postmaster.

In the early 20th century, a powerful earthquake toppled one of the chimneys. A renowned local brick mason not only rebuilt it but also designed the brick entryway that now frames the property’s front approach. Decades later, a hurricane in the 1980s swept through, destroying several outbuildings including the corn house, stable, and the old barn that once doubled as a lively community square dance hall. Remarkably, the property has remained in the same family for generations and today is recognized as a centennial farm, a living testament to endurance, craftsmanship, and Southern heritage. Despite a number of renovations, the home still retains many of its original features.

Locals say the story of this old plantation home isn’t quite finished. According to previous owners, a mysterious figure is said to linger in the attic, sometimes seen gazing from the rear windows in the fading light of late afternoon. Whether ghost or memory, the presence adds another layer to the home’s long and complex past. Vacant since the passing of its last owner more than a decade ago, the property now rests quietly beneath the southern sky as a haunting reminder of the generations, and the secrets, it still holds.

Thank you for reading. Please share the blog with your friends. I appreciate your support. You can find me on FacebookInstagram, and TikTok. For more amazing, abandoned places, check out my photography books.

#abandoned #abandonedPlaces #abandonedPlacesSouthCarolina #abandonedPlantationHouse #abandonedSc #abandonedSouthCarolina #abandonedSoutheast #architecture #bicentennialFarm #CivilWar #Decay #forgotten #forgottenSouthCarolina #historicHome #historicPlaces #history #oldHome #photography #plantation #politics #tour #travel #UrbanExploring #urbex
✨ Flower Scented Candles – Relaxation in Bloom ✨
There’s something magical about lighting a candle that carries the soft fragrance of fresh flowers. 🌷🌼 Our Flower Scented Candles are hand-poured with care, crafted to bring calmness, beauty, and a touch of nature into your space.

Whether it’s a cozy evening soak, a quiet moment of self-care, or setting the mood for a special night, these candles are your perfect companion. 💖

💐 Natural ingredients
🕯️ Long-lasting clean burn
🌸 A floral retreat for your senses

Light one, close your eyes, and let your home bloom with peace. https://fleurimondsnaturals.com/product-category/flower-earth-scented-candles/🌿✨

#FlowerCandles #HomeVibes #RelaxNaturally #CandleLovers #RelaxationGoals #candles #relaxing #scented #handmadecandles #chilling #mindblown #candlelight #homedecor #oldhome #redwine #dreamhouse #fragrance #smelltheflowers #smellspring #nature #natural #flowers #florist #autumnvibes
When your porch roof is not more “patch job” than permanent fix... 🪜💸

The roofers came by today to do a temp fix on the #roof so the #carpenter can finish building the 3rd bedroom and 2nd bathroom. Patch is great. Discussion wasn't. A new #roof is required before #winter.

Out here in Appalachia, in the #Appalachian Rain Forest, we don’t just deal with weather, we battle it. Storms roll through, time wears things down, and next thing you know, you’re climbing a ladder just to stop a drip from becoming a downpour inside. 😩

The dream? A pretty blue tin roof that sings in the rain and doesn’t leak during it. 💙🌧️ But good roofs don’t come cheap and let’s be real, neither do materials, labor, or time these days.

Until then, it’s patch spray, prayer, and a whole lotta hope holding things together. 🛠️🙏


Edit: in 2022, this porch was rated a 2 out of 10. 😱

#Appalachia #PorchLife #TinRoofDreams #Renovations #OldHome #DIY #MountainLiving #Bungalow #AppalachianMountainBungalow #BlueRidgeMountains
✨ Preserving history, one brushstroke at a time ✨

This 100-year-old wood siding has seen generations come and go here in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The boards are worn, weathered, and imperfect just like the stories they’ve held. I've just started to research those families and their #FamilyStory while tracing their #FamilyTree.

Instead of covering that past, we’re honoring it. A fresh coat of "Cottage White" brightens the old bones, but the history still whispers through every crack and knot in the grain. I tried to do only one light coat with a larger nap roll on brush so some of the knots, grain, and worn wood might show.

Life in an #Appalachian #mountain #bungalow means holding onto what came before while making it livable for today. This will become my Mom's bedroom. Every coat of paint is a promise: that these walls will keep standing strong, carrying our memories forward into the next hundred years. 🏡🎨

#Appalachia #AppalachiaMountainBungalow #OldHome #PreserveThePast #BlueRidgeMountains #SouthernAppalachia #OldHouseLove #DIY #Paint #Genealogy
💪 Old homes don’t come with manuals… they come with surprises.

Between tearing down walls, hauling out decades of wood and debris, and filling the trailer load by load — this is what real progress looks like. We went to the dump with 3/4 of a ton of debris.

It’s not glamorous, it’s not easy, but every board carried and every nail pulled is one step closer to bringing this house back to life.

From piles of rubble to fresh beginnings — here’s to sweat, grit, and vision. 🛠️🏡✨

#Renovation #OldHouseRenovation #DIY #DIYHomeRenovation #ManualLabor #DemoDay #BeforeAndAfter #OldHome #RenovationJourney #WorkInProgress #Appalachia #BlueRidgeMountains #AppalachianMountainBungalow
When you renovate an old house, patience is required. 🏡✨

Today's twist? We’re gaining a #bathroom but had to remove the #window to create a #door. The bedroom-to-bathroom pass-through is becoming closer to reality. A paneled barn door with frosted glass will allow for fresh light to pour in. 🌞

It’s funny how every change tells a story — one additional bathroom but different view out the window. And in this little mountain #bungalow, every ray of light feels like gold. 🌿

#OldHome #OldHomeLove #Renovations #BlueRidgeMountains #HistoricHomeCharm #SmallHouseBigHeart #AppalachianLiving #Appalachia #AppalachiaMountainBungalow
Some folks measure #home renovations in square footage… in Appalachia, we measure it in empty jars and bottles.⛰️ ✨ One sip for courage (Ole Smoky), one for inspiration (Cabernet), and somehow the old place starts looking brand new.

Now the real question is — where did the contents go? 👀🍷🌄

#Appalachia #AppalachianLife #OldHouse #OldHome #OldHomeLove #RenovationFuel #Renovations #Moonshine #Wine #BlueRidgeMountains #AppalachianMountainBungalow