As we near the end of the Manor renovation I feel I should confess something I consciously did that some of you might find very offensive. During the renovation process we discovered that behind nearly every wall of this 100 year old estate was beautiful, bonafide, pine shiplap.

Yep, pure renovation gold thanks to Ol' Chip and Jo. Now, ordinarily, the discovery of those purty planks would have resulted in me doing cartwheels down Caldwell..... but not this time. You see, before my sledgehammer ever struck gold, the story of the Caldwell Manor was already solidified in my head; and, with it's afore mentioned link to Downton Abbey, I knew there was no way this wood cladding could play a staring role in this project. So I covered it back up, well... most of it.

Gasp! I know!!!! But hear me out...historically, shiplap's purpose was strictly utilitarian. It served to insulate and provide a nice solid surface for other wall covering such as wallpaper and later drywall. It would have been considered a major design faux pas for any British aristocrat to have exposed cladding in royal living quarters (I'm blushing on behalf of the Crawleys just thinking about it). So to keep the Grantham heirs out of the tabloids, I made sure all shiplap found within the walls where the noblemen lived or entertained were covered with new drywall at a minimum and often with added millwork in an effort to impress visiting members of the Royal family.  

I can't wait for you to see how this trim painted up! I think even the Dowager Countess of Grantham would approve.  

However, as is true of Downton Abbey, the Caldwell Manor has another section of the home that is not held to the same aristocratic standard of decor as the formal living and entertaining spaces- the servants quarters. This area of the estate consists of the kitchen/hearth room, laundry room, powder bath and upstairs bedrooms/nursery. Because the royal family rarely grace the doors of these rooms, I felt comfortable leaving some of the beloved shiplap exposed. Honestly, I felt more in my element designing the areas the work staff would live and work than I did the formal areas, but felt both were necessary to tell the story of the home.  

So now you know. If you are a lover of shiplap, you will find a little here and there throughout the manor but even more is hidden behind the sheetrock if you choose to expose later. 

While I have you here, let me tell ya, we are getting sooooo close to wrapping this project up and publishing the full story of the manor. Last week the electrical team started hanging a few lights and installing the new plugs and switches until Marcos' team kicked them out to start laying the new hardwood flooring. Meanwhile, Cole and I, with an occasional appearance from Rory, spent 3 LONG miserable days staining that mile long deck.  

You see that smile? That is totally fake! I was not having fun. It was sooo hot, and this middle age body does not belong on its knees from 8am until 9pm. I could barely move the next day. Note to self: do not have such a large deck built if you can't afford for someone else to stain it. But I am thrilled at how it turned out. The SW accessible beige board and batten had been reading a little pink to me with the natural deck color next to it but I felt the pink tint went away with the addition of the dark stain color.

Before:

After:

Hope to be announcing an official Open House date soon, but in the meantime if you think the Caldwell Manor might be the perfect home for you, give Rory a call at (501) 472-8787.