The Danville Experience
The (mis)adventures of a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and a Corporate Attorney as they roll up their sleeves and tackle the restoration of an 1874 Victorian Gothic mansion in Danville Virginia.
Some people would ask why, after 10 years of renovation and restoration work, would I start a blog about our experiences now
The simple answer is that we are not done yet, but it is more complex than that. Certainly the physical evidence of our labors slowly emerges over time and are a testament to what we have accomplished in those 10 years. However, it is the stories that go along with those physical changes that are even more rich, more complex, and more enchanting than even some of the fancy tile work, hand painted papers, and decorative millwork. Here I hope to tell not only the story of the emergence of a home from many layers of paint and the ravages of time, but also the story of the people who have moved it forward into the future and indeed the story of Danville itself. For one cannot look at a house in isolation without taking into account its surroundings and the people who move through it. Just as the house is changing and becoming something unexpected, so does this place bring unexpected heartbreak and joy.
Welcome to my adventure.
Welcome to the
Danville Experience.
A treasure trove of books
I had the most amazing day putting away books today. No, really, hear me out… I’ve spent the last few weekends working on un-shuffling our
Letting go of fear and embracing your passion
Fear.Fear is the enemy of an old house. And water, but that is the subject of another post.An old house has an enormous capacity for
Staying the hand of time
Though I have, on other occasions, noted the unavoidable consequence of having taken on such an ambitious restoration on such a massive structure. I have
The birth of a house
I am walking alongside the foundation of my Danville house. The hard Virginia clay has been laid bare and scraped down to a smooth, even,
Glass Ceilings
Years ago, I remember reading a curious theory on the evolution of a porch. The basic premise being this: first you build a porch on the back
MaSoNwOrK
Bricks.Piles of bricks.Bricks everywhere you looked; pallet after pallet of neatly stacked bricks. And they all needed to be carefully assembled into a cohesive and
Finishing the Effing bathroom
Okay, so I will warn you ahead of time, there is some strong language in this post, but I promise you, it won’t be as
A tale of Dragons!
I passed many of my childhood hours sitting at the edge of a large pond, hidden deep within the woods, with my barefoot toes cooling in the
Errors and omissions
After a long day’s drive, we arrived at our tiny little condo in Savannah, and unlocked the door of the cozy place we share with another couple
