RENOVATION NO. 5 : UPDATES

Remember how I said renovations take longer than you think? Yep, I am still correct. What we thought was going to be a quick project has really turned into something larger. It took the contractor almost three weeks alone to get in and out and we under estimated the work for us after on top work working full time. So here we are: WEEK 5!

That being said we have made huge progress! All EIGHT windows have been replaced, all new trim is installed, the new closet is huge, and our future breakfast nook area is looking cute as button. TWO WEEKS ago we began painting and WOWOWOW it’s a lot. We considered for a minute in hiring someone but with covid and us not wanting any additional outside people in our home and longer-lead times we decided to once again: to paint ourselves.

I was hoping to kick off the painting the day after the contractor packed up and left since it was going to be a long weekend but we didn’t have everything we needed as we thought. Our fault for not noticing earlier (and I just wouldn’t know) but they did not PVA the drywall. Easy trip to Home Depot. BUT then it snowed..a lot (See Portland Snowpocalyse) and we couldn’t get our car out for FOUR days. So we had a slight delay. It happens.

Once we got the painting started it hasn’t stopped. We decided to focus on the office and hallway first. After painting the living room last year I thought the office would be a breeze! I painted it before right after we bought the house and I did it in two days. But with all the new trim and details: it was taken forever. TEN DAYS TO BE EXACT. My lovely friend, Nikole, was kind enough to come over to help again to get me started and I am forever grateful. Then I got the call that our new sofa is ready for delivery so I really kicked things into high gear, took a deep breath, found my inner zen, slowed down, and took on the rest of the painting all by myself. I never thought I could do it but I can do anything, right? I conquered edging and painting the crown, baseboards, and window trim without using ANY TAPE! I rule! I even took it the next level and used a teeny tiny brush to hit the details on the baseboards and moulding. We are even giving the very awkward closet a bit of a facelift with some small changes and fresh paint… it needed it.

Though it’s been A LOT of work.. the results have been worth every back-breaking minute. We cannot be more pleased with what the office is becoming. And.. sofa is delivered tomorrow! I can’t wait to move my workspace back in there! It may be the best room in the house…for now!

Due to the main and closet doors being warped, we also made the decision to get new doors to match the existing style with using our original hardware and mortise. Yay… more painting!! But turns out.. painting doors is kind of my favorite. I love it. I used a super smooth roller and it was breeze! Pro tip: go easy on the paint to prevent dripping underneath on the other side. Always roll over the backside edge when the roller is in need of paint to smooth out! Don’t forget!

As I said, we used the original hardware. My beloved vintage glass knobs! I would never let you go!! The hardware… was a mess. So I did some interneting and found that I could easily remove the paint by soaking them. So, we went down to the Goodwill, picked up a $3 (it really was $3) crockpot, because lead…, put those cuties in there with some water, and let it soak for 8 hours. Before removing, I recommend wearing a K95 and gloves because lead… I dumped the water and carefully removed the pieces and used a flathead screw driver and the paint literally just fell off! Viola!! AND turns out our hardware are original Stanley Work Sweetheart brass hinges! How dare anyone ever painting over these! Shame on you, previous owners! I plan on shining these up this weekend with a little baking soda and steel wool!

OTHER UPDATES!

Our cutie breakfast nook is coming along! Though neglected lately.. the change is so drastic. And to have opening windows… I can’t wait for summer! Once we get to working on this spot I’ll post more. But for now, it’s cozy as is and great place to store all our paint supplies.

Another neglected area of the home: The Hall. Also looking super fresh. Though we heard our contractor ask her assistant “Why would anyone put crown moulding in a hallway?” I am 100% happy with our decision. The rest of the house has it (or will) and now it looks finished! We also removed the ugly, weird vent between the hall and our bedroom which makes it look clean and now it’s more quiet upstairs. Double win!

Lastly, the upstairs windows! We replaced those, too, but it’s small potatoes to everything else. We went with Marvin’s double-hung rather than casements because I worried about birds flying into them and the hot summer nights we use a fan. But sadly the one in the landing doesn’t open so we are waiting for a Marvin tech to come and fix it. Whaa-whaaaa.

Yesterday a friend of ours commented on how this “house is lucky to have us taking care of it” and it really warmed my heart. This is a great house. And I happy to take care of it.

Until then… thanks for being here!

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RENOVATION NO. 5 : THE OFFICE, WINDOWS, & MORE // WEEK 1

Here we are in the first week of our fifth renovation: ram board everywhere, zipper walls, and furniture and plants shoved into corners. I’ve never been able to be home to witness the actual work being done so I was excited but also working from home during this has proven to be very difficult noise-wise and somewhat frustrating, especially during Covid. Remembering to wear a mask everywhere you go in your own space has been a change while also packing meals for the day to stay out of the way while they work in the kitchen. But luckily this will be a short renovation with them wrapping up hopefully a week from now.

Last weekend Danny and I began to prep for the project by some demo ourselves to save a little time and money. We started by removing the interior trim around the old windows which is usually easy peasy but when we got to the kitchen’s bay window bump out (aka our future breakfast nook) things took a turn. At some point, which we can only assume was the 70s, a previous owner expanded the kitchen by adding in this area. And though we are grateful for this extra space, it also proved to be DIY project with poor measurements and shoty work with tons of shortcuts. So when we finally finished removing the layers-on-layers of wood around the windows we thought we were done and began bringing all the old trim outside. But when we closed the back door… CRASH! One of the old windows completely fell forward and shattered everywhere! Turned out these windows were only being in held in with the trim and the pressure of closing the door pushed it forward! After the shock of the crash and hour long clean up we were able to secure the other two for the meantime. Happy none of us were hurt during or after. What a pain.

Thankfully work began two days later so we weren’t without a window for long. They got to work on this portion first ,and once again, our new windows made a major impact on the space! We went with Marvin’s Elevate (formally Integrity) collection in a cottage style window to match the others in the living room and they are gorgeous. They really give that classic bungalow feel while being energy efficient. For the kitchen bay we made the two side windows operational casements and the center being stationary. We cannot wait until next week when this space is finished and trimmed and we can start planning out the breakfast nook.

The other major change took place in the office - the space that set off this entire project. Watching that disgusting, moldy, garden window come out was like ripping off a band-aid. Literally. This window was GLUED onto the side of the house and also not properly installed. No wonder it leaked water and so much cold air. This room is getting the most work done with smoothing the ceilings and changing out the baseboards and adding in the new crown moulding.

We also changed the height of this window to align with the other and give us more flexibility of that wall. My only regret is making this a picture window rather than operational awning window. The old window was so large that I knew it would be too big to make it open but failed to consider the function of the smaller size. The other window is a casement and opens almost 90° so we are covered on the egress but still. I have heavily considered re-ordering but the cons on that outweigh the pros. So maybe one day if it breaks or something, I will get the awning. I mean, we don’t open the windows THAT much here in Portland. Next week the remainder of the dry wall work completes as well as all the trim. AND my green velvet sofa has officially shipped and should be arriving in a few weeks just on time! Really looking forward to getting my office back together!

And lastly and really exciting: progress on the hall closet! We have added in another light on the slope and will be installing shelving, cute hooks, and a rail for coats. I am so excited to see this space finally get finished and to actually have a real closet in this 1924 house! It won’t be the cutest space but it will be functional.

More updates coming soon!

Thanks for being here!

xo

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THE OFFICE / GUESTROOM : THE PLAN

Here we are at the homestretch of 2020 and we are preparing for Home Renovation No. 5: The Office / Guest Room!

I started working full time in here since the pandemic has required us to WFH. The windows in this room are the same as we replaced in our living room, but worse. It didn’t really bother me too much since weather was warming up and drying out but as soon as the rains came back with Fall it was clear: we need to replace these ASAP. The giant garden window not only let cold air in but also leaked creating a perfect storm for mold to grow. So, I am now working from the dining table, again.

Our only spare room in our tiny home was always meant to serve as a guest room. Danny and I used to love hosting our friends and family who would come up from LA quite frequently so having our extra queen bed set up in here was perfect for our parents and friends traveling in twos. But with travel and visitors being on hold and the need for a dedicated space for me to work until further notice, we started to re-evaluate the use of this room and having a giant bed in here just didn’t make sense anymore. So, we decided to lose the bed and invest in a nice sofa sleeper that will still be large and comfortable enough for our guests while also creating a more office-like feel.

Since Danny works out of the detached studio and uses our basement as his music space, this room is MINE. And though we typically always agree on how we decorate and curate our home, this is an opportunity to create a more fun and bold - colored space. With that - I am excited to announce that we have finally purchase the velvet-green sofa of my dreams!!! But since it’s still 2020 and everything is a dumpster fire, the delivery of it has been delayed until March. But, that’s okay - we have work to do….

This renovation stretches farther than this room… We have decided to replace ALL remaining windows in the house which include the two upstairs and the four in our kitchen. We will also be smoothing the ceilings, adding in crown moulding, and replacing the trim in both the office and hallway. And lastly: finishing our “new” closet under the staircase that we have put off for two year… but more on that in another post, soon.

Below is a photo of the room when we bought the house. Since then, we have and changed the lighting to a beautiful surface mount from Schoolhouse Electric. Little changes made a huge impact.

I threw together a mood board for the room to get my vision in line. I will be using a lot of my existing furniture as can see above with adding in a few more accents to make the room both functional and styled. My color palette will be more rich than the rest of our house but still keeping in line with my heavy use of woods and neutrals (using the same paint colors as the living room) to keep my natural inside-outside vibe.

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Work is due to kick off mid-to-late January (I hope) and will sharing updates as the project moves along!
Thanks for being here!

Inspiration Photos: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

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