Mud Room Part 3

To the left, we have what will be a wall of glass block bringing in the light of the back yard, and the exterior door. To the right, we have a wall that conceals the stairs to the basement. Can you picture it yet?

Nitty, Gritty and Grouty

Now that I have my technique down (and realized that Verdi's Rigoletto was a better backdrop than Beck's Odelay), there will be no more grouty with the grout! Bring on the tile projects!

Stalling on the Stall

I, like many, am one of those people who puts down "detail-oriented" as a positive character trait on job resumes. I, like many who claim to be detail-oriented, am completely deluding myself. This photo clearly illustrates that I care nothing about top being bottom, and that I (as Sister Aletha in the 2nd grade first discovered) don't care to be bothered with reading directions: that part that says "cement board" should be against the wall.

Ah well. At least the rubber bottom has proven non-leaky.

Mud Room: Not So Muddy

Somebody's been busy in this little back room! Requiring a blowtorch, too? New floor is nice level and sound, and framing has begun for the walls and new back entrance. It still looks a bit rough around the edges, and visitors still aren't quite too sure what to make of it, but trust us...it's gonna be great!

Vanity Lights

Still searching for the perfect wall sconces, though.
Let there be light! Thanks to my Pops.

Kitchen by IKEA

After drooling over gorgeous early 20th century cabinetry at our various local salvage yards and antique shoppes, we decided that we would rather gamble with a more contemporary (read: far less expensive) kitchen set up. I, for one, would completely freak if I learned that the new owners of this home ripped out painstakingly restored beautiful old stuff to replace it with something more contemporary or something better fitting their style. So we leave that part of the urban renovation up to the new owners.

For now, they will live with IKEA. Lighted glass cabinets. Wooden countertop. Funky drawer pulls. It's no surprising fact that I prefer the solid construction of yore, and greet the quality-challenged new with a raised brow, but even I was starting to get overly excited at how nice these cabinets will look.

Now if I can just figure out what the heck a Ulricksdahl is, I'll be able to put this stuff together and get it out of our living room!

W.C.

The very definition of the word.

To make the tiny Cabin a 1 and a half bath, a toilet will be installed in a "closet" of one of the bedrooms, with a sink just outside, creating a pretty sweet master suite!

New Wall

Another door that's becoming a wall. This is in the Cabin, and is a room that will become the kitchen. This is D showing off his fine and precise framing technique!

Goodbye, Old Friend

The urban, pizza eating squirrels will need a new address. The pair of kestrels that return year after year to raise their family have already taken up residence in the cottonwood across the street. The woodpeckers will dine elsewhere.

We'll miss your glorious summer shade, your dreamy springtime tufts of cotton, and the sound of the wind tousling your leaves on a cool autumn evening.

Older and taller than our homes, with roots deeper in this city than any of our families, you will be missed Dear Old Friend!

Cottonwood

60" in diameter, taller than our three story house, somewhere in the 80-100 year old range.
Sadly, disease and several lighting strikes brought us to the decision to cut it down today. It was a very cool old tree.

Mud Room

This is the entrance to the house from the backyard. My husband thinks it should be a "mud room". I'd say it already is!

PS. With the exception of the dirt floor, this room is exactly as we found it upon purchase of the house. Prior to yesterday, only a rotting sheet of plywood covered the ground. We really have no idea what the original purpose was for this room.

Flea Market Find

Nifty brass dining room chandelier for $10 bucks. Champagne tastes, beer budget.

24" wide staircase

For those of you not in the know, code is 36". Minimum.

A new staircase is our goal, but try getting a contractor out to do it. I could answer the door nekkid with several $1,000 bills plastered to my forehead and they would still not get back to us with a bid. I hear this is pretty much par for the course with contractors. What gives?

More Bad Plumbing

The plumbing itself was not bad, per se. Let's just say it lacked "aesthetic integrity" having been mounted to the outside of the wall (yep, you read that right: ye olde nasty poop tube as a bathroom visual centerpiece). Charmin! Er, charming!

This photo illustrates our "furring" technique.

One Heckuva Score

Brand new windows purchased at a warehouse fire sale that J sniffed out. We cleaned them out. Quite a bargain!

New Rafters

Our nice and sound new 10 foot ceiling, with recessed lights in place. Tall people welcome!