October project house
Week 1 - October 3-9
We closed and took possession of the next home we will renovate on Monday. Before we could start, we had to remove many personal effects left inside by the previous owner. We recycled as much as we could and are so thankful for First Congo's recycling bins and for Best Buy's electronic recycling program. Goodwill received a donation, and old paint cans will go to Shelby County's Household Hazardous Waste collection point.
Demolition is well underway - trees and exterior debris removed, the kitchen and bathroom gutted. Many ideas for the home have been in play -- totally remodeling the kitchen and bath, adding a half bath, adding a laundry closet, fixing a welcoming front porch.
Now that we are able to be inside, we can make firm decisions about the renovation. We are scratching our heads about whether to add a half bath or a small laundry area. Would help us figure out what to do by taking a two-question survey?
Week 2 - October 10-16
We made great progress this week. All the interior demolition has been completed, and we have spent time just walking through the home--imaging how the proposed flow of the house will work, seeing how light plays in the rooms and getting the feel of the house. We can lay things out on paper, or in digital plans, but nothing can take the place of this step.
Studs are up for half bath (thanks to all who took the survey), and we have found space to add a closet close to the main bathroom that will house a stacking washer and dryer. The plumbing for all these areas, as well as the kitchen, is now roughed in and awaiting inspection.
The kitchen cabinets are ordered and are expected to be in at the end of the week. As the kitchen is the heart of the home, we spent hours working on a layout that will have enough storage space, while making sure that the working triangle of stove, refrigerator and sink is in place.
New privacy fencing is being added in the back yard, and we are thinking through ideas for outdoor living space. We have also chosen the paint color scheme.
Week 3, October 17-23
While it may not look like much has gone on, final demolition on the October house is mostly complete and renovation work has begun. The linoleum on the kitchen floor has been peeled up, exposing pine flooring that will be refinished. Old windows are out, and new, energy efficient ones have been purchased and will be installed at the first of the week. We have a partial approval on the plumbing rough in. Once a drain line from an earlier renovation is moved we will be good to go. The electrical inspection has been called for. After this is completed, sheet rock can go up.
We have chosen tile for the bath and half bath floors. Kitchen cabinets will be ready for pick up on Monday, and we hope installation will start on Tuesday. If all goes according to schedule, the house will look very different next week. It is so fun to see things coming together.
Week 4 - October 24-30
This started off as one of those hiccupy weeks -- cabinets were delayed, scheduled work had to be rescheduled and then rescheduled again. This is just the way construction and rehab goes sometimes.
The big news is that the new, energy efficient, and yes, functional windows are installed. We saved some of the old windows and plan to use them for decor in the outdoor living space. On a visit to the metal scrapyard, we found an old wash cauldron that we will repurpose to make a great fire pit. It will be fun to work on this part of the project in the next week or two.
Next week, new sheetrock will go up in the hallway. In the bedrooms, the walls had to be patched and the closets reworked; we saved as much of the original trim as possible to reinstall. This work is mostly complete, and (hopefully) the painting can begin soon.
The recessed lights in the main living area, the hallway and in the kitchen are installed. Appropriate lighting is so very important to the function of the home, and can set the tone for each room. In doing this, the wiring has been upgraded where needed.
Both the plumbing and the electrical inspections are complete meaning that the sheetrock can now be hung, and the kitchen cabinets can be installed. We have great subs who have worked really late, and early, to get these areas finished.
To give the house an industrial, yet very practical, timeless edge, we are considering installing stainless steel counter tops in the kitchen. We have picked out a really beautiful butcher block counter top for the peninsula, and plan to use the same material for the open shelving.
As you see from the photos in the gallery below, the tile in the bathroom is being installed. It will go up to the ceiling. We have chosen period-appropriate flooring tile in coordinating patters for the main and half baths. Our goal is to make the finishes seem timeless.
Last night, I woke up at about 4 a.m. thinking about how the tile in the main bath needed to be laid so that the pattern would look right both from the doorway in the hall and once you enter the room. Again, this is the nature of design and construction projects. These details matter so much.
Side note - Date night for us now means trips to supply houses to choose materials and finishes. But for me this is really fun as I love color and design. This past Friday, we incorporated a trip to Jerry's Sno Cones while we were out and about. I recommend Wedding Cake and the Blackberry flavors. Be sure to check out their party room in the back.
Week 5 - October 30-November 6
Working on these houses seems like lining up the dominoes. Flooring must be patched, before cabinets can be installed, before countertops can be fit, before painting can start, before floors can be refinished, before painting can be done, and so on. If one domino falls out of place, work slows down and sometimes even stops. This week, we have really had to work to keep pieces of this project in alignment so progress would continue to move forward.
Our hardwood floor refinishers came in and pulled flooring from the closets to use in reweaving the floors in the kitchen and hallway. The work look great and unless you look carefully, you won't be able to tell where the repairs were made after they are refinished.
The kitchen cabinets are inside are will be set in the coming week. They are really nicely finished with dovetail joinery and have the self retracting drawers that John thinks are so cool.
The floor tile in the bathroom is so good looking! We have set the vanity and the toilet in the main bath. We had hoped to use a larger vanity, but there was just not enough room to do so hand still have functional space. Because of this, we are rethinking storage. Our electrician is also going to add an outlet because, well, a girl needs her hair appliances handy.
Walls have been patched in the bedrooms and are being primed. Over the home's seventy-plus years, there have been a wide variety of interesting colors used. We have chosen a color palate of slightly warm cream for living areas, grays to bring in the exterior color, and golds to compliment the flooring.
Yesterday, we spent time sweeping up, cleaning up, and organizing materials and tools. This gives me the opportunity to see how the house feels, and to think about design and finishing details that will make the project unique and, most of all, livable. I took a few minutes to flip through photos of where we started, and the house has really come a long way.
Side note - Our work involves many trips to Lowes. We highly recommend the fish tacos and the brunch menu avocado skins at Elwood's Shack, conveniently located across the parking lot from the store on Perkins.
Week 6 - November 7-13
Time to make some final decisions.
Even now, with the cabinets only partially installed, the kitchen/dining space feels really great. We know that this will be the heart of the house. We had planned to add in a peninsula between the kitchen and dining area, but the open flow between these areas feels so good. Because of this, we are considering leaving out the peninsula and instead placing a stainless prep island in the kitchen space. In order to decide, this coming week we are going to lay out the area on the floor that would be used for each. Once again, this proves, that planning on paper (or in CAD) is great, but sometimes you just have to see and feel the spaces.
And more about the kitchen. During the past weeks, John been searching for a vendor to make the stainless steel countertops and has not found one that will both fabricate and install, meaning we may have to go with Plan B. Rats. The kitchen will still be wonderful, but will have a different feel and character from the one we had envisioned.
In the back of the house, the two bedrooms have been primed. Boy, does this make a difference, and I am ready to see the cream color up on the walls. Painting will (hopefully) begin next week.
In making decisions about the house, we have tried to keep how people live first and foremost in mind. Because of this we are adding in a utility/linen closet in the hallway. I have found that if things have a place to stay, they are much more likely to be put away. Brooms, vacuum cleaners, sheets, cleaning supplies, et al, while not really fun, will have a convenient place to be stored.
Side note - As you might guess from the last comment above, I have read the The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. For those that haven't, it prescribes keeping only the things that bring you joy, and finding the right places to put them.
Weeks 7 and 8, November 14-27
So October House became November House and is now December House. If all goes even remotely as planned, altogether we will have spent 10-11 weeks renovating the home. This is not too bad, but definitely not the quick turn around we had hoped to complete.
For those who have been following the progress, I apologize for not posting last week. John and I were away on a much-needed break to visit family in Los Angeles. It was a great trip, and while we were there we visited Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House. The home was inspiring with its gracious, welcoming spaces that accommodated the lifestyles of the day.
We took cues from this. On Black Friday we ordered a Nest thermostat, a video doorbell camera, four voice or remote controlled light switches, programable outdoor locks, and an Amazon Echo to control them all. Once installed, this historic house will also be a smart and more secure home that is in alignment with today's lifestyles.
While it was difficult being away at this stage of the renovation, we were able to come back with fresh eyes for finishing it. We have made some improvments to the kitchen layout that allow for better flow and function.
Even though I am not posting photos this week, I can tell you that the bedroom paint color is just right. It is warm, welcoming and fresh. We look forward to putting up the Coming Soon sign in front of the house before too very long.
Week 9, November 28-December 3
Details, details. The next two weeks will be filled with making detailed punch lists and then completing the tasks that fill them.
As you can see by the photos, a lot of painting has taken place and the rooms are coming together. (John likes walking through the rooms and smelling the fresh paint, me too.) We are using a low VOC variety wherever we can, but have had to use oil-based type on the existing trim.
Today, our flooring subcontractor will be making repairs to the kitchen floor where the chimney and wall were removed. Tomorrow, his crew will start the refinishing process. The home will look so very different once this step is completed, but this also means progress stops on the interior for a minimum of three days.
Needless to say, we are antsy to get the home finished as we had intended to have it on the market before holidays. But, rather than rush its completion, we are taking the time to properly complete the work.
In each of the projects, we have come to know many of the neighbors. Finishing the house will be bittersweet as we now consider them friends, and will miss seeing them regularly.
Week 10 - December 4-11
We see the light! Literally! Most of the lighting was installed this week, and it looks so good. We chose several LED fixtures to improve energy efficiency. This, along with the floor refinishing, the yard clean up, and painting that took place, really shows how this home is coming together.
In the back yard, we removed an old green house and repurposed the area for an outdoor gathering space. We found an old cast iron wash tub at the metal scrap yard that will be perfect for an over-sized fire pit. Add a few chairs, and this will make a cozy place to be on a cool evening. We are moving an existing storage building a bit to improve the landscaping. I can see a child's play set, a dog run, or a garden easily fitting in.
Side note - In addition to the light fixtures being energy efficient, the new windows are Energy Star rated, and insulation is being added into the attic. We hope the owners will be as snug as a bug in a rug.
Week 11 - December 12-18
Patience and attention to detail are required at this point in the renovation. With the wild weather coupled with the chaos that surrounds Christmas, we had to work to have sufficient supplies of each. Nevertheless, we persevered and made progress on both the interior and the exterior.
Our theme for this house has been an updated bungalow with an edge. All through the project we have kept this in mind and are now using it to guide the finishing decisions. This house has a very cool story, and we have taken this into consideration as well. One of the choices we are most pleased with is the addition a piece of sculpture to the front landscaping. It arrived this week, and we believe it really ties in the original design of the home, to the home's history, to the neighborhood, to the update.
It is time to transition from this in-progess page to a home-for sale one. Look for the new page giving all the details of the home, its story, and a date for the open house, to be posted after Christmas.
In the meantime, we wish you and yours the very best. Thank you for following along with us.
WEEK 13 - January 1-7
Happy New Year's to you all. We are ready to celebrate! Unless something unforeseen pops up (as it often does in renovation work), we plan to put the October House on the market and host an open house next weekend. I will be able to confirm this on Wednesday, so do check back mid-week. Whew. This project has been an e-ticket ride--full of unexpected twists and turns.