The Cross House

      Set #2 was much more affordable, and within driving distance. But, I wasn’t in love. I was in like. Plus, the seller of Set #2 never got back with me. This contrasted with the seller of Set #1, who was very good about responding. She also reduced her price a bit, and…

I recently posted about my plans to add a wall in the Octagon Room. The wall will be built as a temporary structure, and could be taken down later with no damage to the historic fabric of the room. Even all the electrical in the wall will be on its own circuit so, when the…

In 2014, I purchased the Cross House. And for a year I used the back door because I did not have a key to the front door, north door, or south door. Then I contacted Greg from Midwest Locksmith. He came by and fitted the front door with a key! Oh what a thrill to…

  I wrote the seller thanking her for her time, and that I was going to pass on the set due to the total cost ($1850 price + $1300 shipping = $3150). She works with another shipper, a much smaller company than the company I contacted. They responded with a $450 shipping quote to St….

      The set is $1850 which isn’t too bad. But the shipping would be $1300, which freaks me out. I have not ruled out the set yet, and the seller knows another shipper who might do better on the price. Yesterday, Jenine found another set, which is but 2.5 hours away! And only $1250!…

      Golly! I will, of course, bring new wiring to this location although the new “temp” wall will cover over the sconce location. However, when the wall is later taken down, it will be effortless to reinstall a sconce in this location.    

      Sometimes, small changes can make a world of difference. I am planning an octagon-shaped rug on the floor, and an octagon-shaped “oculus” painted on the ceiling. I even realized that the ceiling light needs to be re-centered 8-inches to align properly with the center of the octagon. But the flat wall would…

  For several years now I have looked at literally thousands of bedroom sets for the Cross House. This set is the first I fell in love with. The price is not too bad, but I had no idea what the shipping would be from South Carolina to Kansas. Today I know. $1,300. Ouch. Ouch!…

In planning an Airbnb suite for the Cross House I have, naturally, been thinking about the decor and furniture. As I did with the parlor, I have no intention of doing everything as if time stopped in 1894. I want a mix of period-correct antiques and contemporary. The Sewing Room will act as a parlor….

I have not been kidnapped by aliens. Unfortunately. Rather, the weather forced me inside. And I have been…working on something. And really enjoying myself! When I purchased the Cross House in 2014 my plan was to use the second floor as such: ROUND BEDROOM: My office OCTAGON BEDROOM: The work/storage room for my lighting business….

                                          The Lincrusta has minor areas of loss (easily infilled). The base and chair-rail fit right back in place. And see that rectangle of exposed lath (top)? That is the east portion of the lost…

            The porch flooring may be original. Much of it is in good condition. I am hoping the Dr. Doug can mill some new decking out of #1 grade yellow pine, knot-free. With the flooring installed, the railing can go in!            

  The red door has been through a lot. I previously did a VERY involved (and, I hope, really enjoyable) post about the Red Door. In short: Red Door was removed from somewhere in the house during in the 1960s. A window in the east wall in the dining room was enlarged and the Red…

              What Frank and Esther did over five decades ago was necessary to allow the house to work for them. What is nice is that the change was made in a manner which proved reversible. And so many owners of the house have made changes — sooooooooo many changes! —…

    What astounds me is that, during the 1950 conversion, the easy thing would have been to push the doors into their pockets, build a new infill wall, with a new door into the parlor bathroom. Instead, they nailed the left pocket door closed and built a wall against it, carefully infilling with plaster…

    I knocked down the 1950s plaster wall to the right side of the paneled section, and the section came down fairly easily. A piece of the bottom broke off but it will be easy to glue back on. As expected, the section is 18-inches above the floor, which is the standard height of…

                                                            Such a bench makes a lot of sense. The paneled piece, if placed vertically again, would be 18-inches above the floor. And 18-inches is the…