Tiny Hermann, MO [Archive] - Simple Living Forums

iris lilies

3-1-18, 8:15pm

Today we closed on a property in Hermann Missouri that will be our weekend house.

Herman is very small. We were walking around downtown killing time and waiting for the closing appointment. We stopped into one store that sold garden tchotchkes. We talked to the nice man behind the counter and we told him where we had just purchased a house, the street name. He thought a moment, and then asked us “are you the people who grow daffodils and iris?”

Ha ha ha ha. Yes we are!

Small towns, they be crazy, knowing everyone’s business.

catherine

3-1-18, 8:22pm

Wow!!! First of all, congratulations! I'm sure you're going to have a lot of fun getting out of town on the weekends!

Second, our first house after we were married was like that. Stormville, NY. If you wanted to work in Stormville your choice was pumping gas or bartending at the local dive. But there was a family-owned general store, and they had ears like Superman. They would listen to your conversations when you were talking to someone else in the store and then it became like the game Telephone. Inevitably, you'd hear your conversation played back to you by one of your neighbors, but not quite the same--details would be quite different. It was quaint, but tedious after a while.

But overall, I love small towns... one of the reasons Grand Isle appeals to me.

Float On

3-1-18, 11:06pm

I hope you meet some friends of mine. She is at the Philly garden show right now. She makes copper garden art. She has a lovely backyard.

iris lilies

3-1-18, 11:08pm

I hope you meet some friends of mine. She is at the Philly garden show right now. She makes copper garden art. She has a lovely backyard.
I may know who she is from my weekend stay in Hermann a few years ago. Does she live on the main drag, at the West end near the river bridge? She had a dog at the time, the person I am thinking of.

flowerseverywhere

3-2-18, 6:45am

It looks like a charming town and the history is interesting. It looks like they will be having a Wurstfest coming up with a wiener dog derby.

For a tiny town they have 150 buildings in the historic register. It should be a very fun and interesting place to live.

Tybee

3-2-18, 7:31am

So excited for you, IL! Please post some pictures as you do your proposed renovations--it is already a gorgeous house, so can't wait to see what you do with it.

iris lilies

3-2-18, 9:38am

So excited for you, IL! Please post some pictures as you do your proposed renovations--it is already a gorgeous house, so can't wait to see what you do with it.
Wait ‘till you see what is in our entry way. I havent showed a photo of it yet. It is an albatross but a quirky, fascinating one. It comes with an important History so it isnt something I can randomly rip off the walls without feeling the disappointment of the town.

Will show later when we actually get into the house and
i can take some photos. The sellers are renting from us into next week so we are not in there yet.

Tybee

3-2-18, 10:20am

Wait ‘till you see what is in our entry way. I havent showed a photo of it yet. It is an albatross but a quirky, fascinating one. It comes with an important History so it isnt something I can randomly rip off the walls without feeling the disappointment of the town.

Will show later when we actually get into the house and
i can take some photos. The sellers are renting from us into next week so we are not in there yet.

Wow--can't wait to see what this is--all I can think of is some of the historic stenciling I have seen in Maine houses.. .

Float On

3-2-18, 10:26am

I may know who she is from my weekend stay in Hermann a few years ago. Does she live on the main drag, at the West end near the river bridge? She had a dog at the time, the person I am thinking of.

I want to say they had a beagle or a bird dog and maybe a cat or two.
Looking forward to your updates to the house!

shadowmoss

3-2-18, 1:29pm

I'm thinking of making a trek back East in late summer (live in Phoenix now) and may drive by that way. I've driven past the signs on I70 for most of my life. I should stop in.

beckyliz

3-5-18, 5:20pm

When I hear Hermann, MO, I think wineries! Enjoy your new home.

rosarugosa

3-5-18, 5:38pm

Yes, wineries IL! Did that play any part in your decision? :)

iris lilies

3-5-18, 9:04pm

Yes, wineries IL! Did that play any part in your decision? :)
Haha, wine!

the wineries make this a lively little tourist town which is what I liked, lots going on in Hermann. There are 11 wineries and a couple of brew houses. Missouri wines are not very good but I will learn to like them.

razz

3-6-18, 8:11am

Haha, wine!

the wineries make this a lively little tourist town which is what I liled, lots foing onin Hermann. There are 11 wineries and a couple of brew houses. Missouri wines are not very good but I will learn to like them.

I had visions of you in a dramatic flair with one hand on your forehead and the other hand held to the chest to denote noble suffering for the good of others. Heck, someone has to do it!;):D

iris lilies

3-6-18, 10:38am

I had visions of you in a dramatic flair with one hand on your forehead and the other hand held to the chest to denote noble suffering for the good of others. Heck, someone has to do it!;):D
I really am a paragon of virture. I live my life in service to humanity.The wine, she must be consumed!

hahahaha.

iris lilies

3-18-18, 11:51am

More “small town” incidents:

we bought a new washer and dryer. The young woman who sold us the products talked about her sister who lives 4 houses down the block from us. We chatted about the one eyed black cat who I had noticed the day before, her sister’s cat. He is excellent at killing moles.

we went to the Farm store to get grass seed and other stuff. The young woman who worked the cash register is Brittany, she lives across the street from us. I think we will hire her dad as our architect.

we have the worst looking house on the block, a plus, and we are across the street from an architect’s house remodeled by him and his architect wife. We have the better view, haha.

iris lilies

3-18-18, 12:30pm

Here are images of ouf house and its oddities, some good, some WTF. I cant post these right side up, it is beyond me. Maybe CathyA can post a tutorial. anyways—

here is a special thing, a painting on canvas in the entry hall. It is painted by a well known citizen of Hermann, the woman who was the driving force to get Hermann’s historic district designated for state and national protections. This was her house, she had it built in the early 1940’s.

http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=2118&stc=1This painting covers all 4 walls.

herehttp://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=2119&stc=1
is a Victorian newell post and victorian walnut spindles from the 1885 era. This is a 1940’s house.

http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=2120&stc=1
Here is a window, a window into the pantry. Hunh. This happened when they put a 1967 front on the house in order make it look like a 1959 house. Confused yet?

Tradd

3-18-18, 12:34pm

Wow! Love that painting!

iris lilies

3-18-18, 12:41pm

And here is more, the good bad and ugly

http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=2121&stc=1Original bath pink tile from 40’s 50’s in perfect shape. Love love love it.

http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=2122&stc=1
What is this curtain hiding? Why, it hides an ugly heat duct. Omg.

http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=2123&stc=1

Super nice oak floors in the living room, just need refinished. Several rooms have pine floors in good condition and I suspect once we pull up linoleum and pergo junk, we will find wood floors in nice shape.

what I cant show you is the horrific wall board junk used throughout the house. In some me places horrible paneling covered it up. Likely we will pull it all down and put up plaster board on walls and ceilings.

upstairs are two cute decent sized bedrooms but the staircase head is ridiculous —no head room at all—and unusable. Will need big dormer.

we have decided to hire an architect, we need a professional to give us a unified vision. This is beyond us.

JaneV2.0

3-18-18, 1:06pm

Is this what is referred to as a "money pit?" :help:

Never mind; it is a nice, well-situated house with quirks, and you needed a hobby...:D

iris lilies

3-18-18, 1:10pm

Is this what is referred to as a "money pit?" :help:

Never mind; it is a nice, well-situated house with quirks, and you needed a hobby...:D

so much a money pit. The basement walls are cracked, too, but not in ways that distrub DH or our inspector.

I wont even mention the grove of dead trees and scrubby trees in the middle of our lot, I think $10,000 in takedowns but dH who used to bid that kind of work says not that much.

i keep reminding DH that we will HIRE work done. I was so happy to hear him talk aboit hiring a landscaper to build retaining walls. He actually used the word “hire.” So very excellent.

catherine

3-18-18, 1:47pm

Thanks for sharing!!

Love that painting and the arched entries.

So many cool elements--I love the quirks. I also think you're smart to hire someone to give you ideas on bringing it all together. But what potential! It's adorable.

sweetana3

3-18-18, 4:15pm

I am so glad someone else loves that old tile. We had a 1939 house once with 1939 tile and it was great. The hall half bath was in burgundy and grey with art deco details.

In England, the pipes are often in older houses just left exposed. They are painted to match the walls.

rosarugosa

3-18-18, 6:13pm

I love the mural! What a wonderful house. Please continue to share with us!

Tradd

3-18-18, 7:14pm

Oh, I LOVE that pink tile! I recently stayed at a mid-century (1950s) motel in Ann Arbor (The University Inn) that still has the original tile like that in the bathrooms. My room had pale yellow tile.

mschrisgo2

3-18-18, 9:28pm

I Love the pink tile! I rented a house for several years that had a large bathroom, all done in the same tile, with teal tile accents. I did the whole house with southwest decor, had a gorgeous southwest design shower curtain that matched perfectly... oh, the memories!

Float On

3-19-18, 10:34am

iris lilies

3-19-18, 3:08pm

Love that wood floor with the inlay pattern.
I also like that they obviously used old recycled when they built the stairs.
That painting - sigh. Beautiful. You will keep it won't you?
The tile - pink is my most disliked color and even I would keep that!

yeah, well, sorry! But I may not keep the wall paintIngs, we shall see. I am smack in the middle of the road on that issue but am leaning toward keeping them.

the village rumour is that the local historical society had interest at one time in taking them, so
I would treat them respectfully if I decide to remove and find a way to preserve them. But yes, the painting are pretty cool, also are claustrophobic.

rosarugosa

3-19-18, 5:30pm

2127

It's even nicer right-side-up!

iris lilies

3-19-18, 5:42pm

http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=2127&stc=1

It's even nicer right-side-up!
Thank you. Is there a tutorial somewhere that shows an easy way to keep my images right side up?

rosarugosa

3-19-18, 6:02pm

IL: I just saved this picture to my desktop, rotated it and then uploaded. I honestly don't know how to save a picture upside down when I save them from my phone or camera.
I guess I would just say to stop standing on your head when you're taking pictures!:laff:

pinkytoe

3-19-18, 6:34pm

It's a good thing you have another house to come home to. I am about at my wit's edge with the repairs we are doing on this "retirement" house. And don't even mention the money. Yesterday, we noticed one of our giant spruce trees lifting from the soil from the drought and heavy winds. That's another $500 to have it removed so that it doesn't fall on our neighbor's house like the last one did. I used to enjoy the chaos of fixing up houses but not anymore. I am hoping you do!!

Teacher Terry

3-19-18, 6:57pm

I was 58 when we bought our last fixer upper. My DH was 53 and he did all the work with a helper I hired before we moved in. It took about 4 months. When I was young I didn't mind living in construction but now is a different story. We didn't do the yard for a few more years because of all the $ we spent inside so I know how things add up.

iris lilies

3-19-18, 7:31pm

iris lilies

3-19-18, 8:17pm

Well, I am not entirely sure this Hermann property was the right move cor us, we shall see. I do not want to spend ten years renovating it, but I wouldnt mind three years. I do not want to live with plaster dust around for years, tho, been there done that. Plaster dust is evil.

Tybee

3-20-18, 9:09am