The SILK Homes Journal

This past month, we focused on the four 1890s cottages in Ravenswood. The front porches were showing their age, so we spent our time carefully replacing worn boards, sanding down the old paint, and giving them a fresh coat of slate blue. It's a small change that makes a world of difference in welcoming our guests home. A perfect example of honoring the history while building the future.

The process taught us patience and the value of quality craftsmanship. Each board was individually assessed, some restored, others replaced with reclaimed wood that matched the original character. Our crew member Jake commented, "It's not just about making it look good—it's about respecting the story this porch has told for over 130 years."

There's nothing quite like the first harvest of the season! The victory gardens at our Parkersburg properties are overflowing with lettuce, radishes, and herbs. We've left small harvest baskets for our current guests and are already canning and preserving the rest for the months ahead. This is what 'hands in the soil' is all about.

Guest testimonial from Dr. Sarah Chen, travel nurse: "Coming home to fresh herbs in my kitchen and vegetables I watched grow from seedlings has been incredibly grounding during my assignment here. It's these details that make SILK Homes feel like a true home away from home."

We are thrilled to welcome Sarah to the SILK Homes crew! Sarah joins us with a passion for homesteading and a background in hospitality. She'll be the live-in innkeeper for our Marietta properties, bringing her warmth and skills to our Ohio community. If you see her, be sure to say hello!

"I'm excited to be part of a community that values both the old and the new," Sarah shared. "The Marietta homes have such character, and I love that I get to be part of their ongoing story while creating welcoming spaces for our guests."

Our commitment to resourcefulness led us to a local estate sale where we discovered this beautiful 1940s kitchen table. With some careful restoration work—sanding, re-staining, and replacing one wobbly leg—it now serves as the centerpiece of the Parkersburg #3 cottage kitchen. The table's history adds soul to the space, and guests love the story behind it.

This project perfectly embodies our philosophy: why buy new when you can give new life to something with history? The table cost $35 at the estate sale and about 8 hours of loving restoration work. Now it's a conversation starter and a functional piece that will serve our community for decades to come.

This weekend marked our annual spring planting across all properties. Crew members, current guests, and even some neighbors came together to plant this year's victory gardens. We're trying heirloom tomatoes, expanding our herb sections, and adding companion plants to naturally deter pests. The sense of community working together toward a common goal was palpable.

One guest remarked, "I never expected to spend my day off planting vegetables, but this has been more rejuvenating than any spa day." This is exactly the kind of unexpected community connection we hope to foster at SILK Homes.

The original pine hardwood floors in our 1880s Ravenswood cottage were hidden under decades of linoleum and carpet. After careful removal and assessment, we discovered they were in remarkably good condition. A local craftsman helped us sand and refinish them, bringing back their natural beauty while preserving the character marks and patina that tell the story of generations who walked these floors.

The floors revealed surprises: old nail holes from previous fixtures, wear patterns that show how families moved through the space, and even a child's pencil mark from decades past. We chose to preserve these character marks rather than sand them away—they're part of the home's authentic story.