Mis-steps

Now, I'm sure you know that renovations can be agonizing, challenging, gut-wrenching -- fill in your own description. I have been VERY lucky in this big project to only run across a few challenges, and they have been mostly small. The biggest one has been that the kitchen island is just TOO BIG. It cuts off the access from the kitchen and the new back entry, so it will have to be cut down and re-engineered. I have no idea how long that will take, but at least it is on the project list.

The one I'm going to describe now is just FUNNY. I think it illustrates some of the difference in the way men and women think.

When I bought the house, thermostat and the doorbell were smack in the middle of the wall in the hall. I suppose from the old, circular design of the thermostat and the old-style doorbell that they were original to the construction of the house. My complaint was that I would be unable to hang any artwork there -- unless I cut through some painting to allow for those things to poke through -- NOT!  So, Contractor Extraordinaire Jerry Snow and I made arrangements to move both of them over about a foot, closer to the door jamb so that the wall would be free of obstacles for any size artwork.

At some point, the HVAC fellows came and now I have a new, digital thermostat, placed in the right location, and the doorbell is over there, too! The holes were patched and the wall was painted and it looks really nice! And there is a nice long wall where I can hang art.  Thank you.

Okay -- now fast forward a bit. The attic space is being improved. Access to the attic is via pull down stairs in the hall. Shelves for storage, rods to hang out of season clothing, more space to walk around and, later, more insulation will be put up there. I am also happy to report that the old, creaky (probably original) wooden pull down stairs have been replaced with nice, sturdy metal ones.

Now, of course, all this requires that I be able to SEE when I am up there, right? So, nice lighting was put up there to illuminate the shelves and rods. (Do you see where this is going --??)

Went into the house yesterday (Saturday) and yes, right there, in the center of the wall near the pull-down attic stairs, is a LIGHT SWITCH!  Almost dead on to where the thermostat was just a week or so ago!  I just laughed and laughed. I'm sure that Eric the Electrician (I assume he is the culprit here) thought that would be the most convenient place for the lights for the attic. And, yes it is. But it just cannot be there.

Now, as far as I know, there was no communication to him about this, but I just think it is funny. Guys see a big ol' wall and put a light switch RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE. Gals see a place to hang art and why the placement of the thermostat and the doorbell (and now, the light switch) will be in the way.

Maybe I need to commission some kind of art that will incorporate a 3D light switch into the subject of the painting, and then just cut out around it.

More later -- thanks for following along with me.

Love, Carolyn

Footnotes

Hello -- just learned that the remaining appliances will not be delivered until February 19th. Which is fine, actually -- that will allow time to cut down the very large island before they arrive. Now, no appliances will be installed in the island -- everything is on another wall, but I think it will help with the perspective if the island is a good size and then the appliances go into their proper places.

Now Jerry and I are fiddling around with paint schemes for the new front door. I think I need a dark door (thinking a sort of dark Williamsburg red) and a light entryway "frame" around it.  But the first efforts are odd -- the wooden entryway, which I envisioned as light green, turned out almost a lemon color. Well, no. Then, the first paint samples for the door itself were almost purple! Oh, no on THAT, too! The shutters are dark, dark green, almost black. I'm a visual sort of person, but I can't envision colors and coordination until is SEE it ("yes I like it" or "no I don't like it"), so trying to imagine what I should do on this front door is a problem. If any of my artistic- and architecturally-minded friends want to weigh in, your suggestions are welcome. Drive by and take a look. (Susun Coleman Miller and Andy Sykes come to mind immediately!)

I am meeting with Melinda ("Mel") Dickey on Monday to select some fun stuff for the interior. Yay!

Carolyn

Some new inside stuff and some new outside stuff

Hello, everyone!  Here I am again, on the NeverEnding Story of the house renovations. Sometimes I think it will never be completed.

 

Yesterday, on one of the soggiest, wettest days, Duke Power came with TWO huge trucks to replace the pole in the corner of the back yard. (The power supply has been buried already.) I was surprised when Jerry said they were coming to do that -- and so were the fellows on the trucks!! They were hoping for an assignment in a nice paved parking lot, but instead they got to work in my mud bog! Here are some photos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Despite those big rubber mats under the back tires, the huge truck pictured above got thoroughly stuck! So, what do you use to pull a big truck out of the mud? Answer: another big truck!

 

 

That tiny little cable -- seriously, it was about 1 inch in diameter -- pulled that huge truck out of the mud and up the driveway! Here is the process:

 

 

 

I hid behind a tree and just peeked out to snap these photos. I was convinced the cable was going to snap and kill me.

 

Okay -- so, the guys switched trucks and the pulling truck went down the driveway in reverse (yes, it got stuck, as well) and the crew installed a new pole.

 

Now, the scariest part (to me -- the Duke Power fellows didn't even flinch!) was that when one of the crew was up in the bucket up in the air, the weight of the boom on the back LIFTED the front wheels of the truck right off the ground!!

 

 

Yikes! How much does that truck weigh??? Scary. But, somehow, everyone (and the trucks) finished unscathed, just muddy.

 

Okay -- onward to inside stuff:

 

The new stove (gas cooktop but electric oven) was delivered. The fellows had to come through the back door (yes, through the mud bog) because it wouldn't fit through the door at the front door foyer. These guys were funny and nice. I really appreciate their hard work -- they had the most interesting harness system - it sort of distributed the weight between the two guys and made this bulky thing maneuverable.

 

 

 

 

 

And, here it is!  No, it's not blue -- that is a protective film that covers the stainless steel.

 



 

 

P.S. on this -- other appliances (dishwasher, refrigerator, microwave oven hood) are due for delivery on Friday, February 7th.

 

 

And!  More inside stuff -- Eric the Electrician (such a nice fellow) installed all the can lights in the kitchen -- here they are!

 

 

 

 

There has been one setback in all of this- - the island, in the photo above. It is just TOO BIG. It cuts off the flow from the new back entry and just dwarfs the new space. So, the massive thing pictured above will be cut down to a more manageable dimension. Well, one stumble in all of this is not too bad.

 

 

Okay -- that's it for now! Thanks for following along! 

 

Carolyn





Short and sweet -- just a photo of the new front entry

The photo I posted of the door yesterday showed the entry way, but the door was not visible. Well, I happen to like the new door, so here it is!

And here's a closer look:

 



 

 

The white thing is a sticker on the glass. The glass has some nice details - columns in the glass, bevels, etc., that I think coordinate with the look of the entry.

 

 

Signing off for now! More later!

 

 

What happens when you leave town!

I took about a week's vacation to be with some family members in Key West, but the work on the house continued. I am so happy to report that lots of good things happened while I was gone! Maybe I should leave again -- ?????

The most dramatic thing, I think, is the new front entry.  Here is what the original entry looked like:

 

The entry had two doors, but the one on the right is fake. It looked okay from the outside, however dated, but it was really confusing the first couple of times you entered. It just didn't make much sense.

So, Jerry Snow, (contractor extraordinaire!) has worked his magic once again!  Here is the new entrance -- with my lovely new door!

Yes, yes, yes -- the panel on the right is a bit wider than the one on the left. But I figure if I put a plant there no one will notice the difference. And I'm planning to paint the panels and the white "column" features that are in front of them some nice color. And paint that triangle of space above the door the same color. It will make the entrance look a bit more important, don't you think? (Color yet to be determined.) A really pretty door has been installed there, but since the door is open in this photo it's not completely visible. I'll get a good photo of it tomorrow.

Also!  Look at the "new" fireplace!  Here is a "before" photo, on the day I first saw the house, with Mrs. Stanfield's cherubs and statues still on the hearth. And that silly desk area to the right.

 

 

So, here is a "during" view, with all the demolition completed and the drywall in place.

 

 

And, voila!  Here is the "after" photo. It's all painted and clean and looks so much better than the brick. (Contractor Jerry Snow is doing the Vanna White imitation here...) Look at the bookcase! And just to the right of that is a pantry with really cool roll-out shelves. The refrigerator will go just to the right of the pantry.

 



 

 

 

Another view, sans Jerry this time. The door goes to the hall -- and the doors to the foyer are barely visible back there.

 



And -- while I was away, the kitchen cabinets were delivered!!!! Of course the granite countertops are not there yet, nor are the cabinet knobs and pulls. But I think you'll get the idea.

And -- the island! It's not permanently attached, and it's SO big! It might need some alteration before it's anchored. 

Here's another view.  The new back entrance is in the back corner, and you can just barely see the door to the utility/laundry room.

Okay - that's enough for now. Enjoy the Super Bowl, if that's your thing. I am going to a friend's house, but I'll arrive after they start the engines. And I'll probably leave before they play the last wicket.  Cheers, everyone!