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The Big Reveal

June 27, 2017 • By JackAtk • Posted in Projects, Renovation, Updates • No Comments

It took two weeks from start to finish, but we are ready to show the big reveal of our wallpaper project!

First, I have to give a very big thanks to Terry Ashby of The Cutting Edge wallpaper service. Thanks to him, the process was easy and efficient, and we are so pleased with the results!

One of our worries upon starting this project was how the old wallpaper would come down. I’ve done quite a bit of wallpaper removal myself, and you just never know how the process will go. I was fairly confident that most of what was on plaster walls would come down just fine. We knew there were several drywall additions, though, and I was suspicious that at least one area had multiple layers of paper to get through.

In just two days, though, all the walls were ready for priming. Jonathan and I tackled that chore. Once that was done, we also painted the bottom half of the walls with the new color we had already selected. We knew it was important to get all of out painting done ahead of the paper installation. That way, there was no need to worry about painting near, or splattering on, the new wall covering.

: Putting on the prime coat – Yes, that’s a scary corner to paint!

: Still a little bit of chaos – prime coat and bottom color on while new wall paper install begins!

Terry and crew were able to install like the wind after that. In just two and a half days, they transformed the space. Finally, my in-house carpenter (AKA, Jonathan) was able to install the chair railing, and just like that, our lovely lady now looks stunning in her new dress!

: Here’s the big reveal – Welcome to our new front hallway!

: The second floor hallway – Waypoint House B+B

More updates to come

In other news, there continues to be great progress on the new roof. We’ve only lost a couple of days of work due to poor weather, and the crew is currently working on the south side of the house which will be the easiest section as there are no angles or valleys to contend with. I’m still very eager for the copper accent roof on the bay window to go on, but I know my patience will be rewarded, and I’m looking forward to sharing that update with everyone soon.

Spring Rejuvenations

April 3, 2017 • By JackAtk • Posted in Garden, Projects, Renovation, Updates • No Comments

Spring finally seems to be arriving and we’ve been working on some spring rejuvenations. The days are warmer and we get an extra bit of time each evening before the sun goes down to complete our outside chores (of which there are many this time of year). As you may know, we have a tendency to be involved in some sort of home improvement project on a nearly ongoing basis. Whether it’s outside or inside, we’re almost constantly working on something. We can’t help it. We’re compulsive. We just want to continually make things better. Early on, Jonathan and I had this instilled in us. For me, perhaps, my 4-H days are partially to blame. Any former 4-H kids out there remember the 4-H motto? *Raises hand with enthusiasm as only a nerd at heart would do.* “To make the best better.” Yep, that’s us.

Recently, it’s been outdoor updates keeping us busy. It is spring, after all. The lawn has needed some thatching and reseeding, and we’ve annexed a bit more garden space for our herbs and vegetables this year. I really enjoy being able to bring fresh things from our yard right to the breakfast table and I keep looking for new ways to be able to do that. I just have to figure out where to put those blueberry bushes I want…

Spring Rejuvenations: Our garden annex for 2017

The most exciting news, however, is that we have two very big projects planned for this summer. Big in scope and big presence. These changes will be zingers.

We’re going to need a little time off to accomplish it all though. We are planning to keep the work mostly to weekdays in the month of June, so if you are considering a weekend visit this summer, we still have you covered. Plan ahead though, folks. With three rooms, we tend to fill fast.

There will be lots of photos and updates through the blog, Facebook and Instagram. If you don’t follow us on either social media platform, now would be a good time to start. Links to our social media pages are in the sidebar of this page. Go have a gander.

“But what are these projects?” you are saying to yourself right now. “Aren’t you at least going to give us a hint?” Okay – one hint:

Getting ready for some changes at Waypoint House Bed and Breakfast

A Busy Fall!

November 1, 2014 • By JackAtk • Posted in Projects, Updates • No Comments

So, here’s the truth guys: I’m terrible at blogging because one little technical glitch and I become a complete idiot with regards to all things computer. Yes, I was having technical issues with the posts and so that’s one of the main reasons for the long delay between updates. That and we had a tremendously busy summer and fall so far! Which, of course, we are extremely grateful for. So here’s the fall update for 2014.

We did finally get our summer Deck Beautification Project completed. I think I mentioned in my last post we were getting ready to tackle that, but we were waiting on the dove family to hatch a set of eggs. You see, a pair of doves decided that the eaves of the back porch was a perfect place for their nest. Well, they hatched not one, not two, but three sets of chicks this summer! They have moved on for the season, so we proceeded with our update project.

The first order of business was to finish off the ceiling. Once that was done (leaving the opening for the dove family, of course) we added a ceiling fan and festive lighting. We also painted the back wall to match the house color. Finally, we replaced a few boards in the deck and then put on a new coat of paint on. We’re very happy with the upgrades as it makes an already relaxing spot even more enjoyable now.

While we were at it we added a fresh coat of paint to the front deck as well. A nice fresh coat of paint can make a big difference and we also used a paint with an anti-slip additive as an upgrade. Safety first, guys!

Here’s a couple of fun little videos for you all to enjoy. The first one shows us as we rock out the painting of the back deck. The second is just us goofing off as we enjoy the fruits of our labor. Finally, the third video shows the painting of the front porch.

Have a great week everyone and I hope you can come visit us soon!

-Rachael

Exciting Things Ahead – New Ideas for 2014

January 19, 2014 • By JackAtk • Posted in Breakfast, Kitchen, Recipes • No Comments

We just keep going with updates around here. Never let it be said that we fear change! We’re not the types to be satisfied with “good enough” and so we continue to find new and better ways to bring an excellent experience to our customers. So, with that in mind, I’ve been working in the kitchen on some new ideas for items that I hope to incorporate into our menu rotations. I’ve had a few good successes and a few things I need to tweak still, but we are progressing. It also looks like we are going to be making some changes to our website soon. Right now the site isn’t very mobile friendly, but we are going to remedy that and freshen up the site in the process. Fresh and New for 2014 seems to be our motto right now!

Next month the Bed and Breakfast Association of Virginia will also be hosting its annual conference, and last year I came away with a lot of ideas and energy, so I am sure it will be the same this year! Look forward to some good posts around that time!

In the meantime, I thought I would share a recipe that I had great success with in the kitchen this week: Cranberry Orange Scones. If you’ve had the impression your whole life that scones are hard, dry biscuits, I think your mind will be changed once you try these! Enjoy!

Waypoint House Cranberry Orange Scones with Orange Glaze

For Scones:

1/4 C Half and Half

1/2 C Orange Juice, divided into (2) 1/4 cup portions

1 Large Egg

1/4 C Brown Sugar

1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

1/2 tsp Orange Extract

2-1/4 C All Purpose Flour

1 Tbl Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

8 Tbl (1 Stick) Unsalted Butter, cut into small cubes

5 oz Dried Cranberries

For Glaze:

Reserved juice from soaked cranberries (see below)

1/4 tsp Orange Extract

2 to 2-1/2 C Powdered Sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Begin by soaking the dried cranberries in 1/4 cup orange juice. Let soak for at least 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine half and half, remaining 1/4 cup orange juice, egg, brown sugar and both extracts in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cut in butter with your fingers or a pastry blender until texture resembles coarse corn meal. Drain the soaked cranberries, reserving the remaining orange juice for the glaze. Add the cranberries to the flour mixture and stir to coat. Add the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture and stir to combine. Mixture will be sticky. Transfer dough to a floured work surface and knead lightly to finish combining the ingredients. Divide dough in half and form two round balls. Press dough balls to flatten, approximately 1/2″ thick and 5″ in diameter. Pat with just enough flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the counter. Cut each flattened circle into 6 wedges with a floured knife. Transfer scones to an un-greased baking sheet and chill for 10-15 minutes in refrigerator. Cut scones can also be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for later use at this point.

Once scones have chilled, bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven and allow to cool before glazing.

While scones cool, mix together reserved orange juice from soaking the cranberries and orange extract. Whisk in powdered sugar gradually until you get a thick, yet pourable glaze. When scones are cool, place them on a wire rack with paper underneath to catch the drips, then drizzle the glaze over the scones. Allow glaze to dry slightly before serving.

Waypoint House Cranberry Orange Scones with Orange Glaze

Open for Business! Our Renovation Reveal

January 3, 2014 • By JackAtk • Posted in Projects, Renovation, Updates • No Comments

We made it! We worked up until the very last day, but were ready for our re-opening on December 30, and graciously welcomed our guests! What a delight to finally make our renovation reveal! We had a terrific New Year’s Eve and served a delicious breakfast the next morning to a boisterous crowd around the breakfast table. We are so grateful and would like to wish everyone a very happy 2014! Come visit us this year!

I’ll have more photos to post in the days to come, and of course the room pages on the website will be updated, but I know Jonathan is going to want to obsess over just the right angle and just the right lighting for a while! For now, here is a photo of the updated Shore Room, which is the one I have been dying to show you all.

Renovation reveal -The newly updated Shore Room

Remember what it looked like before?

Shore Room

Six weeks seemed like a lot of time in the beginning, but in the end it went by very quickly. The list of things we got accomplished is long. Shall we do an accounting? Here we go:

Removed two old oil tanks; Replaced with one large, new tank
Removed old boiler; Added new, energy efficient boiler
Created a dual zone heating system to heat the guest section of the house separately from the owners’ quarters
Replaced valves to all radiators so all of them now function!
Repaired/re-pointed foundation of house
Repaired Front Porch, including replacing several rotting beams
Removed old metal roof on porch and replaced with new, custom metal roof
Re-routed and replaced guttering on front of house to direct water away from the porch
Removed old floor in back entry; Added new joists and insulation and re-floored
Insulated and added new dry wall to basement entry room
Removed and replaced basement stairs
Removed florescent lighting fixture in back entry/laundry room and replaced with new LED down lights
Relocated washer and dryer from old closet to the back entry room; added new plumbing to accommodate this relocation
Created a new pantry area from the old washer closet
Removed all aging smoke detectors and replaced with new smoke/carbon monoxide detectors – six in total
Removed window casings from Shore Room; Removed old window counterweights, and insulated weight well
Removed all paint layers from window casings, repainted and put back in place
Removed and replaced toe kick in Shore Room
Stripped and repainted baseboard molding in Shore Room
Removed old flimsy closet shelves in Shore Room and replaced with a custom built system
Re-secured bead board to walls in Shore Room where needed
Repaired plaster cracks in Shore Room
Removed wall paper from headboard wall in Shore Room
Repainted Shore Room, top to bottom.
Re-positioned ceiling fan junction box to center of room in Shore Room, removed old ceiling fan and replaced with a new ceiling fan.
Refinished floors in Shore Room
Built a new, custom headboard for Shore Room
Removed wallpaper from accent wall in Traveler’s Retreat
Repainted Traveler’s retreat, top to bottom
Removed wallpaper in Traveler’s Retreat bathroom
Repainted Traveler’s Retreat bathroom
Added a polyurethane coat to wood bath surround and vanity cabinet in Traveler’s Retreat bathroom
Added a new tile step-out area in front of the shower in Traveler’s Retreat bathroom
Added new, LED down lights above shower and tub areas in Traveler’s Retreat bathroom
Repaired plaster cracks, second floor hallway
Removed and replaced toe kick, second floor hallway

Quite a list when you look at it that way! We are looking forward to a great birthday year for the house. We think we gave her a good start and we look forward to having everyone come visit us soon so you can see all of this for yourselves.

I’ll keep posting in the weeks to come. We have a few more details to finish out (remember those new lighting fixtures for the Traveler’s Retreat bathroom I mentioned?) so stick around. It’s going to be a great year!

-R