Red Leaf River Inn

So its sort of spring here in the mountains. At least, it would be if it would stop threatening to snow, but we will take what we can get. One of the joys of having such large property is there is always something new to do outside, and we have been taking full advantage of the warmer pockets of weather.

We've replaced the original cement pavers that we dug up the first summer we were here with faux stone pathway that is both prettier and more even. We used the old pavers to create a small, impromptu patio in the hidden garden with the swing and began landscaping around it.

Some of the old shutters we took down when we painted the Inn were transformed into a corner planter. And a fresh attempt at cleaning up the pond was begun, with the trees in the pond cut down (again) and the small pump house next to the pond being torn down.

There is still plenty more to do and plant, but we are starting to finish up many of our projects and hopefully our opening date will be soon!

Smoothing the path for the new store walkway, and, yes, it is snowing in this shot

Getting ready to make the pavers

The shutter planter

Torn out the pump house, although that motor will probably stay there until the end of time

The "Hidden Garden" just off the upper lawn

The dogwood room, as purchased.

The second of the two rooms on the top floor of the Inn, the Dogwood room was, at first glance, another room that needed little work. The walls and ceilings were the same warm wood paneling as the Poplar room, though the floor had been replaced at some point with cork. Unlike the cork floor downstairs, the floor in the Dogwood room seemed mostly in good condition with a few scrapes here and there. Something that could be replaced but didn't necessarily need to be replaced at that point. And really, who was looking at the floor when there was that giant window facing out over the pond and all points west?

Even the bathroom, which completed the trifecta of trendy 70's tile with the floor to ceiling salmon pink tile, had a somewhat more recently done floor with actual stone tile instead of vinyl and a pedestal sink that was new enough to have not yellowed yet.

: The salmon pink bathroom - bonus points for the pink bathtub!

So, we focused on other, more pressing issues and left the Dogwood room alone for most of the first year. When we finally started to look at it more closely, we realized the cork floor had gotten worse, with tiles starting to peel up. Resigned to replacing the floor, we pulled the tiles up, quickly realizing there was original hardwood underneath. A little hard work, we thought, and we could restore it like we did in the Cherry Blossom room.

Sadly, while the carpet in the Cherry Blossom room had been installed with about 7,342 staples and nails, the cork floor in the Dogwood room had been installed with a near continuous coat of some sort of black adhesive. Even more daunting was the approximately 2 foot by 2 foot section of the floor that had been replaced with plywood, presumably in connection with the plumbing issues that had left holes in the ceiling of the Cherry Blossom room, which is directly below the Dogwood.

So, we gave up on the hardwood and decided on installing laminate instead. Of course (of course!) there was a decided slant to the floor, so laminate installation was proceeded with an obscene amount of floor leveler and a whole lot of frustration. Once leveled, the laminate was installed fairly quickly and furnishing could begin. Another handbuilt headboard was put in along with a custom set of chairs for the corner. The entryway got a custom armoire (there is a closet but it is a huge walk in closet with an extremely low doorway, and an armoire just seemed safer) and an entry bench (just for fun).

In the bathroom, we covered the pink tile with the same faux stone paint as the other bathrooms, and removed the tub door before painting that with white epoxy. That project required two epoxy kits and about eight hours painting while high. A fresh coat of paint on the built in shelves and a new mirror, and the bathroom was ready to go.

I realized while putting this together that I have very few "in progress" shots, probably because the work was done sporadically over a period of about nine months. Plus refinishing hardwood is exciting, pouring bag after bag of floor leveling, slightly less so. At any rate, here are the "after" shots. Enjoy, and welcome to the Dogwood Room.

: The newly epoxied tub and shower

: Same sink and toilet, with a new mirror and window treatments

: A handmade blanket chest sits at the foot of the bed, the result of a single, offhand comment from the non-woodworking innkeeper to the woodworking one.