I don't know if you're still checking this thread, but if you haven't yet made a decision, you might want to look at Waterlox. I think you can apply it over linseed oil, but you might want to check with the manufacturer -- they're great about answering questions if you give them a call. (No affiliation. I used Waterlox on my floor and ended up making several phone calls.) You might also check with them as to whether the usual horse-related chemical aerosols (fly spray, ShowSheen, clipper lube, etc.) will ruin the finish. BTW, I love the "Barn McMansion" term. LOL And is this the subk from COTH? I've been in tons of barns over the years and I think most of them were either raw wood with natural "patina" (patina = all sorts of stuff accumulated on the wood after years of horse occupation) or whitewash. But I'll bet your white oak would look fantastic with a finish that would accentuate the grain. Lorree

Thank you, sis! I got very lucky when I found this place. It's a lot of work, which is good, mostly spring, summer, and fall, of course. And oh, wish I could put it on wheels and move it to a nicer and more friendly town…but, can't have everything, I guess! What do you think of that photo of the barn window opening outward? I wonder how that would look on a wall, like an illusion of looking out the wall at a field? Might be interesting! And back at you, re: beautiful homes. This post was edited by Tibbrix on Sat, Feb 7, 15 at 20:25

If you take into account is that a building that's been sitting unused for 10 years is definitely going to have some leaks and problems, you may find that demolishing it for the salvage timbers pays off the best. I look at this building and see nothing but nightmares.

Here are the chairs. #1 Here's a close up of the edge of the underside. This is the only thing that could be a makers mark but it could be an accident. Either way it doesn't say much. #2 - Same design as the first chair, but I think they did some repairs to it. On the underside there are two pieces of wood where the front legs attach to the seat that are not on the first chair. There is also a mark on the underside of the number 94. It has some kind of finish that the first chair doesn't have and I'm wondering if there is a way to remove the finish because it''s peeling off on the front of the seat where you thighs rub on. Here you can see the part where it looks like they made a repair possibly. And here's the only mark on this chair. Chair #3- This chair is smaller so maybe it was for a youngster?