A couple who bought an abandoned 100-year-old schoolhouse for $175,000 have completed three years of renovations to turn it into their home.
Stacie Grissom, 36, and her husband of 35 years, orthopedic surgeon Sean, purchased the former school in August 2021 after returning to Franklin, Indiana, from New York City.
Stacie said she had always wanted to live in a quirky house but never thought about buying a schoolhouse, which at the time of purchase came complete with four classrooms and a cloakroom.
The former Manhattan residents transformed the 4,000-square-foot building into a luxurious home, featuring four bedrooms, two bathrooms, an impressive kitchen and ample living space.
Stacie and Sean finally completed the renovations earlier this month, admitting it was a “chaotic” process, but they were happy it was over.
Stacie Grissom, 36, and her husband of 35 years, orthopedic surgeon Sean, purchased the former school in August 2021 after returning to Franklin, Indiana, from New York City.
Stacie said she had always wanted to live in a quirky house but never thought about buying a schoolhouse, which at the time of purchase came complete with four classrooms and a cloakroom.
She said she was delighted that she and her husband were able to make the building feel like a home for them and their two children, Arlo, three, and Margot, two.
Stacie, a marketing and public relations consultant, said: “I’m glad it’s ending, I wouldn’t have been able to handle another year of renovations.”
‘Our lives have been very hectic, we’ve been raising two kids and doing a renovation. I’m excited to have our families home for big holidays.
“I’m so excited to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas here, prepare great meals and show people the beauty of Indiana. We want to fill the school with love and laughter.”
Stacie and Sean had been living in New York for 10 years and wanted to move back to Indiana to be close to family.
While looking at properties, the couple came across the former school, which closed in 1934, and purchased it in August 2021 and immediately began transforming it into a home.
Stacie explained: ‘There was a lot of stuff left on the property that needed to be cleared; a lot of work needed to be done. A new roof and foundation work were needed.
‘We gutted the school down to its original foundations. We put on a new roof, reinforced the foundations and put in new windows.
The former Manhattanites transformed the 4,000-square-foot building into a luxurious home, featuring four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a stunning kitchen.
Stacie and Sean finally completed the renovations earlier this month, admitting it was a “chaotic” process but they were happy it was over.
She said she was delighted that she and her husband were able to make the building feel like a home for them and their two children, Arlo, three, and Margot, two.
While looking at properties, the couple came across the former school, which closed in 1934, and purchased it in August 2021 and immediately began transforming it into a home.
“We’ve put in the insulation, finished the interior framing and built the kitchen ourselves. Once the windows are in, we’ll be moving in next week.”
And while the couple was more than ready to settle into their new home, Stacie recalled the stressful renovation project and revealed that it wasn’t all smooth sailing, especially since it happened during the pandemic.
She explained: ‘During the pandemic some unexpected things happened. Things took seven times longer than we originally thought they would.
“We found a 1.83m snake skin on one of the walls. We haven’t seen a snake that big before, but we have some animals that we need to work on.”
After facing a number of problems, the couple focused on the style of the house.
Wanting to preserve the school’s vintage aesthetic, Stacie and Sean decided to keep some of the original flooring.
And while the couple was more than ready to settle into their new home, Stacie recalled the stressful renovation project and revealed that it wasn’t all smooth sailing.
Wanting to preserve the school’s vintage aesthetic, Stacie and Sean decided to keep some of the original flooring.
Stacie and Sean had been living in New York for 10 years and wanted to move back to Indiana to be close to family.
Although the family is set to move into the school-turned-home later this month, Stacie revealed they can’t relax just yet because there’s still a lot of work to do.
She said: ‘We refinished one of the pine floors in the original classroom. Unfortunately we couldn’t save much of the flooring so we put in new ones – they were water damaged and falling apart.
“We have tried to use a lot of second-hand items from old schools to place around the house. The dining room chairs I bought were from an old school in Slovenia.”
Although the family is set to move into the school-turned-home later this month, Stacie revealed they can’t relax just yet because there’s still a lot of work to do.
She said: ‘Our move is just the beginning. We have so many projects we want to do, we also want to add things to the house that celebrate the school.
“We want to include details that tell the story. It has been a town-wide effort to renovate the school. I feel very grateful to be with my family again and to have their support.
“I’m in the final stages of thinking, ‘Wow, we’re a little crazy to do this.'”
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