By the way...did you notice how cute my page was? I found this great designer who worked on it (and she is currently working on my other 2 blogs) Her name is Jenny and her company is Pink Armchair Designs...look her up! She is very reasonable and fast. I guess I figure that even if I am not that great of a writer (the only person who really reads this consistently is my Gramma in Oklahoma...hi Gramma!) - at least I can look good in the process!
XOXO
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!
I never knew the prep work before framing could take so long! The plumbing was a major ordeal...I had to decide where EXACTLY each sink and ice machine, etc would go before the space is laid out at all. I did kind of nose my way into the conversation...they all love it when they catch me at home! Before long we were moving windows and sinks and all kinds of stuff. And of course, all that requires city approval, so Clint threatened to send ME to the city to wait in the 2 hour line for a permit!
On my last blog, I asked for ideas for the double hung pully window...well it just so happens that it matches the size of another window in the kitchen so we are going to reinstall the original window in a new location. To open up elbow room between the sink and Range, we are moving the sink from under one window to between two windows, giving more room and counter space near the appliances. I guess I will start looking for a cool mirror or something great to go above the sink (in between the windows)...come to think of it, I may already have one hanging on a wall that will be taken out next week anyway....I will post a picture of it.
The plumbers we are using brought a camera to snake all the pipes under our house and make sure everything was looking good. It was cool ( and kind of yucky) to see how it all flows under the house. They are connecting PVC pipe to the old cast iron pipes. Thank goodness everything looks pretty good - no major issues. They are going to snake it all and clean out any roots that have grown in between the fittings of the pipes. It is just a peace of mind to know that it will look good from above AND below ground.
Today we WAITED a good portion of the day for the concrete guys to come install the rebar that lays under the concrete. They got here just in time for it to pour down rain...but they finished. Now we get one more inspection tomorrow before the concrete...pray for no rain!
We went today to look at options for sound and media stuff. All the wires for that have to be installed while they have the walls of the house open...more decisions that have to be made BEFORE you actually have the space to look at.
On Friday, I am going to a few showrooms to look at marble and tile, lighting and appliances, etc. I am excited! I am pretty sure of what I want, but it will be nice to see all the options that are out there to help confirm my decisions...decisions, decisions, decisions!
On my last blog, I asked for ideas for the double hung pully window...well it just so happens that it matches the size of another window in the kitchen so we are going to reinstall the original window in a new location. To open up elbow room between the sink and Range, we are moving the sink from under one window to between two windows, giving more room and counter space near the appliances. I guess I will start looking for a cool mirror or something great to go above the sink (in between the windows)...come to think of it, I may already have one hanging on a wall that will be taken out next week anyway....I will post a picture of it.
The plumbers we are using brought a camera to snake all the pipes under our house and make sure everything was looking good. It was cool ( and kind of yucky) to see how it all flows under the house. They are connecting PVC pipe to the old cast iron pipes. Thank goodness everything looks pretty good - no major issues. They are going to snake it all and clean out any roots that have grown in between the fittings of the pipes. It is just a peace of mind to know that it will look good from above AND below ground.
Today we WAITED a good portion of the day for the concrete guys to come install the rebar that lays under the concrete. They got here just in time for it to pour down rain...but they finished. Now we get one more inspection tomorrow before the concrete...pray for no rain!
We went today to look at options for sound and media stuff. All the wires for that have to be installed while they have the walls of the house open...more decisions that have to be made BEFORE you actually have the space to look at.
On Friday, I am going to a few showrooms to look at marble and tile, lighting and appliances, etc. I am excited! I am pretty sure of what I want, but it will be nice to see all the options that are out there to help confirm my decisions...decisions, decisions, decisions!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Taking Shape
Yesterday the framers came to set the forms for the space we will add on to the back of the house. And they set the forms for the front porch. The front porch does make me nervous - doing anything to the front of the house makes me nervous. Hopefully on Monday, the inspectors and surveyors will show so we can get the house framed in the next 2 weeks. It will be exciting to see it all take shape.
I will check in again when we have made some head way!
I will check in again when we have made some head way!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Smores, anyone?
Yippee!!! The fireplace and the back patio are finished. The team we used was great - very gracious as I handpicked each stone and gave them scores of magazine pictures to show what I liked about each one, but not wanting to just copy any of them. None of the guys spoke very much english, but were all very polite and pleasant to be around. The kids and I enjoyed bringing back treats from the store for them after school - cookies from a mexican bakery just outside out neighborhood, coca-cola...lots of coca cola! We actually miss not having them around. They will be back when the project is wrapping up to do the grill and outdoor kitchen. I don't know if you can tell in the picture, but our fireplace and stairs are mixed with brick, arkansas moss stone and flagstone. The bricks we pulled up from the driveway and placed them in like we had chipped away the stone to find the brick underneath. We blended the two with exposed mortar - just slapped on and smeared. The only thing missing at this point is the mantle, which Clint is fitting over the the two stones that are sticking out.
We spend so much time in backhouse now, that it will be so nice to enjoy the patio as well. Since we are facing the opposite direction, you can kind of forget that behind you it looks like a war zone! The framers should be here tomorrow to place the forms for the back of the house so we can get it inspected and re-surveyed. THEN, we can start the building on the back. The countdown is on - I am hosting my sisters baby shower here on June 14th...we probably won't have a kitchen yet, but i am hoping to use the outside. Only time will tell. We might have to get creative to cover up the dumpster!
Clint pulled out a window from the part of the kitchen we tore down...he said this house was built well - they had installed "high dollar windows" for the time - double hung with pully weights on the top AND the bottom. I hate to throw the window away, but it so bulky...does anyone have any creative ideas?
We spend so much time in backhouse now, that it will be so nice to enjoy the patio as well. Since we are facing the opposite direction, you can kind of forget that behind you it looks like a war zone! The framers should be here tomorrow to place the forms for the back of the house so we can get it inspected and re-surveyed. THEN, we can start the building on the back. The countdown is on - I am hosting my sisters baby shower here on June 14th...we probably won't have a kitchen yet, but i am hoping to use the outside. Only time will tell. We might have to get creative to cover up the dumpster!
Clint pulled out a window from the part of the kitchen we tore down...he said this house was built well - they had installed "high dollar windows" for the time - double hung with pully weights on the top AND the bottom. I hate to throw the window away, but it so bulky...does anyone have any creative ideas?
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Waiting Game
The backhouse is finished with the exception of the cabinet to cover the small refrigerator and the lights on the outside. We dug the 2 ft. trench to lay the electric lines (actually Clint dug the trench! - digging by hand thru the underground sidewalk we didn't account for!) and Clint rented a bobcat to pull up the back patio and steps. He was so great to give the kids rides on the bobcat...he even let them drive! They loved it! What a fun memory to have.
So, the inspector came to inspect the trench before TXU came and decided that it needed to be dug 2 inches deeper. SO, all the pipe and wire that had been laid had to come out and the digging started again. Then, the waiting game began...waiting on TXU to come in the midst of storm restoration. The days turned into weeks until finally we decided to go ahead and start the back patio and fireplace.
Fun! This actually something tangible that will be finished in a couple of weeks. I went to meet the landscaper at the stone place and tagged the exact stone that I wanted. Since I didn't want anything copied from a picture - we had to draw out what I wanted....a mix of Arkansas moss stone with old bricks pulled up from the driveway and exposed mortar. I also asked for an inset arch of bricks to hang a cross and a rustic piece of wood for the mantle...oh, and a hearth!
I am so thrilled at how it turned out. The guys working on the project are really talented - it was amazing to watch them pull it all together.
I came home yesterday to check in and Clint said he found my mantle when he went out for lunch. It looks so neat - its actually a rail road tie with a stake driven through the middle. The wood seperates quite a bit so we can grow moss in the cracks. Clint and I want to try a recipe we have heard about for growing moss - I will let you know if it works! The masonary guys placed 2 stones sticking out to place the mantle on. Clint is going to notch out the wood and place the mantlr flush with the stones.
We have gone round and round on where we would put the grill and what that would look like.
So, we have decided to wait until the pergola is built and the house is finished so we can make a better decision. It would be nice to have it for the summer, but it is an expensive mistake to make if we don't get it right. And it would be nice ot actually buy the grill on sale after the season. Plus ,the original spot we had maked for the grill is now going to be my outdoor bed! I woke up inthe middle of the night dreaming about this cool bed we could have outside by the fireplace...I hope I can pull it off! I haven't gottent eh courage up to ask Clint if he will make the bed. Maybe he will read my blog and offer!
So, the inspector came to inspect the trench before TXU came and decided that it needed to be dug 2 inches deeper. SO, all the pipe and wire that had been laid had to come out and the digging started again. Then, the waiting game began...waiting on TXU to come in the midst of storm restoration. The days turned into weeks until finally we decided to go ahead and start the back patio and fireplace.
Fun! This actually something tangible that will be finished in a couple of weeks. I went to meet the landscaper at the stone place and tagged the exact stone that I wanted. Since I didn't want anything copied from a picture - we had to draw out what I wanted....a mix of Arkansas moss stone with old bricks pulled up from the driveway and exposed mortar. I also asked for an inset arch of bricks to hang a cross and a rustic piece of wood for the mantle...oh, and a hearth!
I am so thrilled at how it turned out. The guys working on the project are really talented - it was amazing to watch them pull it all together.
I came home yesterday to check in and Clint said he found my mantle when he went out for lunch. It looks so neat - its actually a rail road tie with a stake driven through the middle. The wood seperates quite a bit so we can grow moss in the cracks. Clint and I want to try a recipe we have heard about for growing moss - I will let you know if it works! The masonary guys placed 2 stones sticking out to place the mantle on. Clint is going to notch out the wood and place the mantlr flush with the stones.
We have gone round and round on where we would put the grill and what that would look like.
So, we have decided to wait until the pergola is built and the house is finished so we can make a better decision. It would be nice to have it for the summer, but it is an expensive mistake to make if we don't get it right. And it would be nice ot actually buy the grill on sale after the season. Plus ,the original spot we had maked for the grill is now going to be my outdoor bed! I woke up inthe middle of the night dreaming about this cool bed we could have outside by the fireplace...I hope I can pull it off! I haven't gottent eh courage up to ask Clint if he will make the bed. Maybe he will read my blog and offer!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
One Thing at a Time
So, Clint has single handedly taken down every wall of the garage/guest house, re-leveled the entire structure, and jack hammered the old garage floor....all into the dumpster! Now we have a new - LEVEL garage floor with out cracks ( not just cracks...sink holes big enough to lose a child in!) All the siding has been replaced and a new interior has begun! We realized that the ceiling on the guest house could be left open and so we designed a sleeping loft with a set of stairs/ladder. We used galvanized pipe for the railings. The floor was inspired by a conversation I had with Clint (and the fact that he CAN make anything!0 and one thing led to another....and he found himself cutting 1'x1' squares for 3 days straight! He called in the troops and his cousin, Scott, came to assist. After all, we were planning to move our temporary kitchen to this back house space until the house was finished. So Scott and Clint cut and sanded hundreds of wooden squares, stained them, dry brushed half of them, installed them (with hand cut square head nails that Clint found for me...he knew I just had to have them!) and then stained over them again before they sealed them! I love it!!!!! I walked around with a smile on my face for days. Instead of installing drywall, I asked Clint to make a bead board ceiling and clapboard style walls...yes, that meant more cutting and sanding - but it turned out great!
Here's another cool story: I had been looking for a farmhouse sink - the new ones were too expensive to put in the back house, the old ones were either too rusted or already sold.....I needed a sink! So one day, Scott, who lives in another historic neighborhood around the corner, found an add from a lady who lived by him "FOR SALE - 1920's farmhouse large basin tall back sink - $40" The next day, I got a call from Clint with total excitement in his voice..."I found you a sink and your gonna love it! And by the way, it only cost 40 bucks!"
He took it home with him that weekend and refinished it, along with our original pedestal sink from the bathroom we tore out - and now its installed, looking just how I had imagined! YIPPEE!
We took the old cabinets from our kitchen, painted them, changed the hardware and cut them to fit the back house. The counter top was made by Clint (of course!) and we stained it to match the dry brushed floors and the ladder. Next, he installed the open shelving with the brackets I got at Hobby Lobby for $3 each(1/2 price). Oh, and by the way, the hardware...also Hobby Lobby - 1/2 price for $1 each....I am hoping to have enough left over for the real kitchen!
We are now fully using it as our kitchen...old fridge and stove don't really do the space justice, but it works well for now! My plan is to have a super comfy pull out couch and small table for guests (or for me to escape to when things get too rowdy around here!) I already love doing my quite time in there. We put the TV upstairs for the kids to watch movies...they are dying for a sleep over! If anyone has an extra twin mattress they want to let go of- let me know! I think I will put it upstairs in the back house without a bed frame...just pile on comfy bedding and pillows.
Its busy everyday around here - I will check in with more updates soon.
hugs and kisses!
Here's another cool story: I had been looking for a farmhouse sink - the new ones were too expensive to put in the back house, the old ones were either too rusted or already sold.....I needed a sink! So one day, Scott, who lives in another historic neighborhood around the corner, found an add from a lady who lived by him "FOR SALE - 1920's farmhouse large basin tall back sink - $40" The next day, I got a call from Clint with total excitement in his voice..."I found you a sink and your gonna love it! And by the way, it only cost 40 bucks!"
He took it home with him that weekend and refinished it, along with our original pedestal sink from the bathroom we tore out - and now its installed, looking just how I had imagined! YIPPEE!
We took the old cabinets from our kitchen, painted them, changed the hardware and cut them to fit the back house. The counter top was made by Clint (of course!) and we stained it to match the dry brushed floors and the ladder. Next, he installed the open shelving with the brackets I got at Hobby Lobby for $3 each(1/2 price). Oh, and by the way, the hardware...also Hobby Lobby - 1/2 price for $1 each....I am hoping to have enough left over for the real kitchen!
We are now fully using it as our kitchen...old fridge and stove don't really do the space justice, but it works well for now! My plan is to have a super comfy pull out couch and small table for guests (or for me to escape to when things get too rowdy around here!) I already love doing my quite time in there. We put the TV upstairs for the kids to watch movies...they are dying for a sleep over! If anyone has an extra twin mattress they want to let go of- let me know! I think I will put it upstairs in the back house without a bed frame...just pile on comfy bedding and pillows.
Its busy everyday around here - I will check in with more updates soon.
hugs and kisses!
In Need of TLC
Poor garage! What an eyesore. When we first read about our house on the web, it stated "charming little guest house out back" How exciting!- I thought. Until I saw it ...Yuck! Mold growing up the walls, a resident racoon, and plumbing, yes...but no toilet to sit on! I would not have let my worst enemy spend the night there.
And really, if we are going to do the garage, we might as well add a much needed laundry room/mudroom to the back of the house....and if we are going to do that, we might as well update the kitchen, and what about that space on top of the laundry room...playroom? And since its cheaper to go up, why not build out the attic (after all, more square footage = better appraisal!) And since they are tearing up the backyard anyways, it would be great to have a pergola and patio...and to top it all off, we definitely need a front porch to watch the kids playing with the neighbors!
Wheeew! Now comes time for appraisal...and luckily our neighborhood has not been hit by the mortgage crisis as hard as other areas. We made it..it all fits into the budget.
So, who is going to do all this fabulous work? Well, God allowed us to meet a wonderful builder who has been patiently guiding us through this process from the beginnning. His name is Clint Wright and his company is IEC (Interior Exterior Construction) His company name says it all...and he does it all!
Most people, from what we have heard, don't have anything nice to say about their contractor. Alot of the guys out there are dishonest, harsh, they never complete a job...you name it and we have heard it! But God protected us in this area - the hardest thing about getting our project started has been from the detail side (city inpections, variances, construction loans needing surveys, etc.)
While the architect was drawing and Clint was measuring and the city was inspecting, we got to painting! The house was a beautiful shade of mauve with baby blue trim when we bought it. The roof (which we thought was real slate...its not!) is a mix of colors. We tried all kinds of color combinations, but the one we got locked into was charcoal and white...not too exciting, but it will do. It is definitely better than what it was. There was also an overgrown "english garden" with rosemary roots down to China! We took most of that out and replaced it with grass.
We are excited to get things going!
And really, if we are going to do the garage, we might as well add a much needed laundry room/mudroom to the back of the house....and if we are going to do that, we might as well update the kitchen, and what about that space on top of the laundry room...playroom? And since its cheaper to go up, why not build out the attic (after all, more square footage = better appraisal!) And since they are tearing up the backyard anyways, it would be great to have a pergola and patio...and to top it all off, we definitely need a front porch to watch the kids playing with the neighbors!
Wheeew! Now comes time for appraisal...and luckily our neighborhood has not been hit by the mortgage crisis as hard as other areas. We made it..it all fits into the budget.
So, who is going to do all this fabulous work? Well, God allowed us to meet a wonderful builder who has been patiently guiding us through this process from the beginnning. His name is Clint Wright and his company is IEC (Interior Exterior Construction) His company name says it all...and he does it all!
Most people, from what we have heard, don't have anything nice to say about their contractor. Alot of the guys out there are dishonest, harsh, they never complete a job...you name it and we have heard it! But God protected us in this area - the hardest thing about getting our project started has been from the detail side (city inpections, variances, construction loans needing surveys, etc.)
While the architect was drawing and Clint was measuring and the city was inspecting, we got to painting! The house was a beautiful shade of mauve with baby blue trim when we bought it. The roof (which we thought was real slate...its not!) is a mix of colors. We tried all kinds of color combinations, but the one we got locked into was charcoal and white...not too exciting, but it will do. It is definitely better than what it was. There was also an overgrown "english garden" with rosemary roots down to China! We took most of that out and replaced it with grass.
We are excited to get things going!
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