We turned a school into our dream home! START TO FINISH

4 years ago we bought this crumbling old schoolhouse for $175,000. Since then, we've been turning the 110-year-old building into our family home. To celebrate our 4-year mark, I pulled together our biggest video yet—sharing more of the story, the why behind our choices, and plenty of unseen moments. Whether you’ve been here since the start or just found us, this is the full ride. From leaky windows and roof decks to salvaged beams, antique doors, and a yard full of trees—it’s been quite the adventure.

Also! This video isn’t sponsored. We’ve partnered with a few of these brands in the past (in exchange for product), but today I’m just sharing how everything’s held up. :)



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And if you’re curious about the tools, mosaic supplies, or even camera gear I use, I’ve tucked a bunch of it into my Amazon storefront. Prices stay the same for you, but purchases there send a small commission back into keeping this schoolhouse project going.

https://www.amazon.com/shop/schoolhousehomestead

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And because many folks ask-- I rounded up a list of all the awesome contractors who helped bring this place back to life! https://schoolhousehomestead.com/contractors-businesses/

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*VIDEO CHAPTERS:*

(1:24) *YEAR 1 -- Cleanout and the basics*
How we bought the school and all the things we did in the first year to get this school to its bones.

(8:55) *YEAR 2 -- Planning, beginning framing, and a new baby!*
Despite a slog of pandemic-related supply chain issues, the structure of the schoolhouse starts to come together with floor plans and designs.

(14:15) *YEAR 3 -- Construction speeds up*
This is where things started happening, fast. We were still living with our parents but at the beginning of year 3 we didn't have plumbing or electric. In this year we built our kitchen, got paint, new floors, electrical, and so much more.

(35:45) *We build our roof deck garage!*
This construction went ~fast~ and it was so wild to watch our garage rise from the ground like an old-fashioned barn raising.

(46:07) *YEAR 4 -- WE MOVE IN!!*
We finally evicted ourselves from living in our childhood bedrooms, buy oh boy... was there still so much work to do in the schoolhouse.

(59:47) *We went on the Tamron Hall Show in NYC!*
You can find the full clip here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZum26sXR6I

(1:00:36) *Enormous roof deck transformation*
After a trip to the  @polywood factory right here in Indiana(!), our roof deck started to evolve in big ways. https://www.polywood.com/ I love this company and their furniture so much, and was very excited to partner with them for a previous video!

(1:11:44) *Magical updates to the backyard...*
Building our custom play set for the small hobgoblins with @Cedarworks!

(1:15:27) *Building a living room on the roof deck...*
With a DIY pergola from Flexispot! This is ours: https://bit.ly/3YVhu54 And back when I originally published content with a partnership on this pergola you could use the code OFOG500 to get $500 off.

(1:20:17) *Big before and after shots of the schoolhouse progress!*

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*Also mentioned in this video:*

*My favorite shop in town, Madison Street Salvage!* https://www.instagram.com/madisonstreetsalvage (Also if you want to make a visit to our adorable little town, check out Discover Downtown Franklin. :)) https://discoverdowntownfranklin.com/

*My collection of upcycled paint with Up Paint!* https://uppaint.com/pages/schoolhouse-homestead This link is an affiliate link which means I receive a small commission if you buy any paint, but prices do not change on your end!


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Follow me on Instagram/TikTok to see updates that you won't see here on YouTube:

https://www.instagram.com/schoolhousehomestead

https://www.tiktok.com/@schoolhousehomestead

https://www.facebook.com/schoolhousehomestead/


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*Want to work with us?*
schoolhomestead@gmail.com