was lacking . I also wanted the fence at the top of the hill for safety reasons as my kids were small — I didn ' t want them launching themselves down the hill and rolling into oncoming traffic , and didn ' t want them wandering off with strangers as they were both ultrafriendly , gregarious kids ."
Inside , Burkett painted , changed light fixtures , got rid of wallpaper , and added pieces through thrifting and antiquing . She thanked " many , many people " for providing both gifts of furniture and their own time and effort to help her and her family move in and make their new home .
" I did not make a lot of big changes right away ," she said . " I had hoped to renovate the kitchen but had a pretty big electrical emergency right away that required sorting out . I was actually really lucky the house didn ' t burn to the ground , as the cord to the electric breaker was hanging on by a thread , and only the smell brought this to my attention , something that had been completely missed in the home inspection .
" I also didn ' t realize that all the windows had been painted or sealed shut . Who would have thought to check something like windows when looking at a house !" she added . " The first day in the Master Bedroom , one of the windows fell out , and I called ( her Realtor ) Vicki Hines , and we had a good laugh about it . Old houses always need something , she said . She was not wrong .
Eventually , Burkett made a number of changes — " some big and some small ." That includes replacing the old shingle roof with metal ; removing part of the back deck , and painting it along with the porch and front door and front door ; painting various rooms and having furniture reupholstered with the help of Judy Hatterman and House Dressings ; and screening in the upstairs balcony to make a sleeping porch .
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In 2020 , Burkett finally decided it was time to tackle the kitchen renovation , and crediting Todd Clayton of the Makers Mill , that dream became a reality . Her most recent home improvement project was in one of the downstairs bathrooms , which become a dumping ground from her days of making handmade soap and trying various crafting projects .
" Thanks to the fab work of Kayla and Carrie Gardner , they brought my maximalist dream bathroom to life . Beadboard , wallpaper , and an exposed shower were added to this tiny little room , and we were also able to restore what I believe may have been the original sink in that bathroom , which had been living in our very creepy basement ," she said . " The existing tiles were painted and stenciled , so we will see if that holds up ."
Community helped Burkett make her new house into a home — something that likely came as little surprise .
March 2025 SEKY - Southeast Kentucky Life • 9