I was moving in to the house. A terrifying prospect really, since in the two weeks preceding the move, I had (with assistance of course) ripped out the kitchen, a disturbing half bath, redone the existing bath, painted most everything that stayed still, cleaned what could be cleaned, had cable installed, and then brought all of my belongings to this rough shell of a place. Still needing to be done at that point were a laundry list of projects large and small (and ever growing), as well as the major issue of being without a kitchen. Flash forward a year, and the laundry list of projects is still there, but some of the smaller ones (and a few larger) have at least been somewhat tackled. There are now new windows in all of the rooms (OK, the north wall of the house needs to be reconfigured, so those windows are still original) the old windows mostly being reused by neighbors or donated to houses in Mexico, there are ceiling fans in the bedrooms, and they are quite lovely if I do say, new lighting in the hallway makes a huge difference as well. New doors on all of the rooms, the old doors gone to be reused elsewhere, the floating laminate flooring has been removed and sold (shocking really) and the current floors will be painted for the time being until the new floors can be installed throughout the house (the new ones will be cork). The yard has been cleared somewhat, and is a work in progress, but the picket fencing which divided the lower and upper yard has been put to use in other properties. The fireplace has a brand new look, the next projects for me are to trim the inside of the windows, and paint the floors. The next projects for me to contract out are the roof (super high priority) and the installation of a beautiful stained glass door in the office (after the roof - see picture). Additional changes which have been made to the plans? Well, the doors from the kitchen to the garden have replaced plans for the window which was going to be in that spot.
Amazingly, I found the doors for both the kitchen and the office at an amazing local shop where they specialize in one of a kinds and recycled materials, and both doors have the same green glass, although the office door is far more architectural than the leaded doors for the kitchen. I also have scored three beautiful oak wine cabinets which will be redone as kitchen cabinets, and with the doors, they will be perfect for the space. They have had their initial clean up and scrub down, and I have started to price out what it will take for them to be a part of the new kitchen. I have also been working on a couple of pieces of furniture for the house, two pieces I have been lugging around with me for nearly ever, and one new piece which has served as the catalyst for getting them all done. I have another 'project piece' which will take a bit more planning, but it is currently in Siobhan's room (which doubles as the guest room when she is not here). My parents came to visit and were incredibly supportive, although more than a little dismayed at the state of the house, they did joke that five gallons of gas would probably make substantial improvement, but helped to get a couple of trees down in the yard (eucalyptus, I will be putting in fruit trees in their place). Dad also moved the make-shift kitchen sink which made a double bonus, I have hot water and the line no longer leaks outside (this is actually HUGE). Mom and I refinished the teak set from Rick and Erica, and it looks incredible, although it is currently covered with a drop cloth as I am using it as a staging area for the refinishing of the furniture.
More changes to the original plans? Well, my neighbors (who are wonderful) Beth and D'Etta, have exposed beams in their house, and it makes a huge difference in the light and look of things, and I consulted with friends who think that it will be entirely doable and look great since my supports are actually more like a spiderweb than traditional straight lines. Which means that as part of the installation of the roof, I will have structural insulation added so that I can pull the ceilings out of all of the rooms except for the hallway and the bathrooms. The reason those will be left standing is so that the duct work can be installed for the HVAC (since it will be roof mounted). I have been collecting the prices for all of these little projects, as well as the plumbing, and I am actually coming in around where I thought that I would. I still have to figure out the electrical, but I am confident that I will be able to come in around the level I had hoped for that as well.
I have decided on bamboo fencing for the yard, and am toying with the idea of fencing the front as well so that I can have the dogs come out in the front with me and have privacy for the patio table and another possible patio area on the side, but that is still up in the air at this time.
It is helluva crazy tons of work, but I do love it. I will be trying to update more often...and add more pictures.
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