chicken coop re-purpose

Quite often I am inspired by a blog post or a blogger.  Sometimes it is an idea for a post.  Sometimes it is an idea for a project.  This time it is inspiration for a post.  I have actually been building the project in my head and on pinterest for at least a year.  The blogger is Helen at Entertablement.  I have written about Helen once before here.  There is a link in that post to her post about bar carts and her husband's decanter collection.

Recently she wrote about barware for Father's Day gifts.  That post is here.

I wrote a comment sharing how I was interested in her post but not as a gift idea but for me.  I shared that I have a chicken coop that I have been thinking about making into a little family bar and that I have been finding and picking up barware when thrifting.  She responded to my comment and expressed an interest in my thrifted treasures.

So here is the post inspired by Helen's post.  I am hoping that actually talking about it might get me moving to get going on it.

This is my chicken coop.

In the nearly 30 years that we have lived here it has only housed chickens one time.  That was for maybe a year when my youngest showed chickens in 4H.  The rest of the time it stored stuff.  It has potential.  There is no running water but it is wired and it has a cement floor. There is no insulation and no drywall, only exposed studs and the back of the siding boards. It is not heated so in Minnesota that means it will be a three season room. There is a 'room' at the south end formed by studs and poultry net (chicken wire) that separated the chickens into two groups.  I will leave that in place and have the bar at the north end and a game/card area in the poultry netting room.  Our family likes to play cards, dice and board games.  Lawn games too.

My plan is to use all re-purposed and  reclaimed materials so the actual bar will be made from pallets.  My sister has access to pallets at her work.  My parents have old dock sections that have been replaced by new and my plan is to use those dock sections to make a deck across the front of the building where I can set up tables for outdoor dining and tablescapes.  I am still considering if there is some way that I can hang outdoor lights around the deck or a chandelier over the table.  

When I thrift I have never gone thinking that I I am looking for 'x'.  Instead I go wondering what great items have been donated this week, no longer loved by their previous owners or their heirs.  It saddens me to think of all of the treasures that are discarded.  I did not ever go looking for barware but would purchase each piece as I spotted it, knowing that I had building a bar in the back of my mind.

                                                    

I seem to gravitate to heavy bottomed glassware.  I found two groups of shot glasses and some glasses inscribed with Bailey's on the side with the heavy bottoms.  The ice bucket in the front and the small covered container are Wexford, a vintage pattern that seems to be easily found and relatively inexpensive in our area.  I have been picking up their wine glasses for a while.  I have three cocktail shakers, several drink mixer pitchers one with recipes printed on the side.  The six white tidbit plates have a wine design in the center as do the small colored ceramic divided dishes.  The green bubble glass margaritas will be fun to use.  Not pictured is a set of four small wood snack dishes in the shape of the heart, club, spade and diamond from a deck of playing cards and a drink tray.  Also not pictured is my decanter collection.    

 Joining Tablescape Thursday at BNOTP