This Summer has been crazy. . .Seems there's been something popping up every day to keep me from my blogging. . .I wanted to reveal the final touches on the bedroom next but can't seem to find a day when the sun is shining for some good photos. . .So I decided to go ahead with the FARMHOUSE BATH instead. As I've noted many times before, our home was built by my Grandfather Magers ca. 1930 for his first FARM MANAGER. . .He had bought the 600+ acres that year from the Widners. . .It would be the fourth farm operation that he owned. . .He immediately started building barns, houses, a farm shop and other buildings necessary for the FARM COMPLEX . . . The manager's bungalow was fairly large for that time and more comfortable than the tenant houses. . .Yet, from the 1930s to the 1960s there was no bathroom indoors. . .An outhouse served the need for a potty. . .the #3 washtub in the KITCHEN worked for Saturday night baths. . . Sometime in the 60s, the bathroom came indoors. . .almost. . .It was actually on the back porch, which had been enclosed. . .A room was built on one side of it for the bath. . .with all the conveniences. . .This was "HIGH COTTON". . . I've already shown you how we took down those walls at BEFORE & AFTER SERIES: The Farmhouse Keeping Room. . .At that point we were right back in the 1930s--no indoor bathroom. . .but not for long. . . I had dreamed of a bathroom as big as a bedroom for years--place to lay back in the tub and relax--place that was open and inviting. . .So that was what I did. . .I took one of the three bedrooms for all of our necessaries. . .No jacuzzi, though. . .This bath had to be VINTAGE FARMHOUSE. . . We stripped the sheetrock off three of the four walls. . .It was so badly damaged. . .As we stripped it clean, we found the original cypress walls. . .What a great FARMHOUSE look!! . . .A coat of paint would do. . . Dental molding was added to hide the huge gap between the wall and the ceiling. . .I did something totally out of the box on that ceiling. . .I decided I'd like to lay back in the tub and watch the clouds. . .The ceiling was painted a Sky Blue and I came right behind and painted the clouds. . .Adding a touch of elegance with the chandelier. . . A closet was built along one side of the room for the washer and dryer. . .They hide behind Southern style shutter doors. . . On that same wall our shower is located. . .John is particularly proud of that shower. . .It was the first tile work he'd ever done. . . Have you noticed that we find John in this position a lot? (grin) All kidding aside, I think he did a SUPER JOB. . . Perhaps it was John's Little Helper that kept him inspired? To cover holes in the fourth sheetrock wall, we added bead board and painted it the same soft blue. . .It added interesting texture to a plain wall and kept with the FARMHOUSE THEME. . .I picked up the architectural piece on a curbside. . .Someone had discarded it for garbage pick-up. . .John added the shelf top from an old piece of cypress found in the barn. . . A dresser was fitted with the sink. . .No telling how many coats of paint I put on it before I found the combination I wanted. . .I'd paint a little. . .then sand a little. . .then paint more. . .sand more. . .Took weeks until I was satisfied. . . Then I decoupaged a 1938 page from my Granddaddy's calendar. . .You can't see it in the photos but he had made a note: 'Irene's birthday' on August 6. . .That was my Mom. . .She would turn 11 that year. . .One of his envelopes was decoupaged above it. . . The first thing people notice when they walk in is the cast-iron tub. . .It's a beauty---now. . .A friend found this tub buried in the ground and planted with flowers. . .It had to be dug up, cleaned, and resurfaced. . .another of those 'John tasks'. . .He did an amazing job in restoring it. . .The date on the bottom is December 24, 1925. . .A piece of whitewashed cypress barn wood from the Simmons Plantation holds needed items while bathing. . . More shutters at the windows allow loads of sunlight in, as you can see. . .My ladies came from the bedroom to the bath some time ago. . .They seem to fit well. . .changing clothing with the seasons. . .I must say that I like this look the best. . .denim and lace. . .tying in the living room denim accents. . .The lady on the right is MISS MAMIE. . .the one on the left is MISS ALICE. . .Having such a large room gives me many opportunities for utilizing larger pieces such as these. . . Our FARMHOUSE BATH has gone through many changes as I experimented with the look I liked the most. . .Also had to add the layers as I found them. . .I thought it would be fun to look back over a few previous years. . . Let's begin with the oldest first, so you can see how the room evolved. . . I learned many lessons and developed my Plain and Simple Style over the years. . .It's been GOOD. . We only have one more room to explore at this time. . .There are others but they are not finished and certainly no inspiration to anyone. . .As with the rest of the house, I have many ideas. . .only need the time and energy to do them. . .Still to come, though, is one of the bedrooms. . .The one I'll let you see. . .The others are 'beauty in the making'. . .Til then. . .(Don't miss the added note below) NOTE: We're in a documentary on AETN, the local PBS Station!!!! It's entitled BACK ROAD BARNS. . .There's an interview with John and me, along with shots of our barns and grounds. We are one of several properties showcased--all amazing. It first aired last night (August 25) at 6:30, but it will be shown several times. Check your TV Guide for the details or go to aetn.org for a full schedule. See you there!