Prather House Tour

This old house here in North Dakota, is respectfully referred to (by the locals) as "The Prather House".  When I am introduced to someone new, they say, "This is Renee from Texas.  She bought the Prather house".  My new last name is "from Texas" and my identity is owner of the Prather House.  The other day we were at the clinic listening intently while a sweet nurse named Suzy read and explained some blood tests.  She interrupted herself to look up and say, "You bought the Prather House." Then she continued with her explanation.

The Prather House, was once owned by the wealthiest family in town, but when we bought it, it was in need of some serious love.  It was built in the early 1900's by a family who owned the lumber yard . 

We've cleaned, polished, painted and gathered up enough furniture to do a photo shoot and show you a few before and after pictures.

Sooooo....... Hang on for your virtual tour of the Prather House!

The entry had a beautiful never painted staircase, red carpet and pea green paint from another decade.

Entry BEFORE

Entry AFTER

Here's the room painted Benjamin Moore brandy cream, carpet removed and decorated with a little furniture and some prints from Goodwill and a few other places!

The sign says,

IF YOU STUMBLE, MAKE IT PART OF THE DANCE.

This living room scared me the most, because it's where the smoker hung out.

Living Room BEFORE

We washed it with vinegar, scrubbed with Scrubbing Bubbles, primed and painted with Benjamin Moore hillsborough beige. The wall colors probably aren't totally accurate.

Living Room AFTER

We found the couch and chairs at a great closeout price, the lamps were cheap cheap (like me) with rebates, and the tables came from Salvation Army.

You can't tell from the picture, but it has a cove ceiling

The guest bedroom was dark blue with a lovely floral border. 

Guest Bedroom BEFORE

Guest Bedroom AFTER

The walls are - guess what - Benjamin Moore bar harbor beige.  Mr. Moore was our paint of choice because that's what is sold here at Hegstad Furniture.  It worked great!  The bed was given to us by a fellow Texas who flew south for the winter.  We've actually had a few guests stay in the room!

This vintage print, is of a howling coyote sitting at the edge of the North Dakota Badlands. 

The candle sticks came from the Wise Penny.

The other bedroom was brown - top to bottom - ugly, UGLY.

Master Bedroom BEFORE

And the closet was the same lively green as the stairwell.

We again chose Mr. Moore's bar harbor beige for the walls, and WHITE for the ceiling.

Master Bedroom AFTER

The headboard was given to us.  I painted it to match the previously pink, now painted black rummage sale table and chests.  Did that make any sense?

The steeple picture is a blow-up of a photo I made last fall.  I found the abandoned church in a ghost town.  Poster Brain enlarged it and mailed it to me.  The lovely turquoise lamp came from a church thrift store that's open one afternoon a week - only in the summer.

The dining room was dark with wallpaper above the plate rail. 

Dining Room BEFORE

I saved the wallpaper and lightened it up with Benny Mo hillsborough beige!

Here's the antique table, odds and ends of chairs,  vintage table cloth,

and crafty little candelabra I made from old punch bowl cups and candle holder.

The other end of the dining room is my secret place

(as in she who dwells in the secret place of the Most High,

shall abide in the shadow of the ALMIGHTY

Psalm 91:1)

This is my favorite spot,

just beneath my vintage commemorative church plate collection.

So....

Since Blogger thinks I've used too many pictures,

AND the other rooms are not quite ready to show,

I'll save the rest of the tour until later.

Thanks for joining me!