We’ve been remodeling our house for the last few weeks (not counting the two we were out of town) and we have finally gotten to a point where we can see some real progress.
We started taking down wallpaper the first night and that ended up going on for a couple of weeks. Since it didn’t get done as quickly as we had wanted, Del went ahead and started demolition. We had planned at first to just add a door to an existing closet.
Now, we’ve knocked out all the plaster on one wall in the older boys’ room, knocked out a door in our room to access the bathroom, and knocked out a wall in Delbert’s room to add a closet. We also knocked out part of the wall of the existing closet for a game room and parts of two walls to add storage. Let’s just say the upstairs of our house is about 2 tons lighter from all the plaster we took down.
The next thing we have to do is frame the doors for the closets and the opening for the game room. We’re planning on doing an exposed beam and post look, and we’re planning on leaving two sides of the chimney exposed upstairs. We’re adding lighting that will be easy to construct puzzles by and also good for reading. We’re adding storage above the stairs, but it will also help with heating as it will eliminate the current high ceiling.
After all the framing is done, we’ll be installing gypsum board where we need walls. While gypsum is heavy, it’s not near as heavy as plaster. We have at least 30 bags of plaster out in our garage–we can’t even fill them halfway because of the weight!
After the upstairs rooms are done (and I have to mop them at least 5 more times to get up all the plaster dust) we’re starting on the kitchen. It’s currently not to my taste at all–the single basin sink is a workshop sink–and there’s not enough counter space and too much unused space. We’re planning on making the kitchen a U instead of the current L, with handmade cherry-stained cabinets lining the south and east walls and having a breakfast counter extend from the east along the north side of the kitchen. We’re going to integrate Cassie’s crate into the breakfast bar portion of the structure, so we’ll have to work with her on riding in the car without her crate.
I’m planning on posting photos, but with everything we’ve been doing lately, I haven’t had time to get them uploaded and posted. We’re taking pictures of every step of the remodeling process, so I’ll have plenty of before, during and after photos to share.
Next summer, we’re planning a bathroom renovation. Even though the previous owner just had the bathroom renovated, the setup doesn’t work so well for us. We’re going to make the current two-room bath back into a single room, extending the bathroom about 3 feet toward the dining room to integrate the linen closet into the bathroom. We’re also going to take out a door and wall up the opening to the downstairs room we’re using for the computer room. When we get all this done, I’ll get my sewing/spinning/craft room where the bathtub is currently. Until then, I’ll just have to use the dining room table (which we don’t have yet) for my sewing and crafts. I still have to save for my Kromski Symphony–it’s been placed on a back burner for now until I can pay to have the piano tuned.
When we bought the house, there was a 100+ year old piano–late 19th century–that was left with the house for us. I want to teach my children how to play, but there are several sour notes that I want tuned first. I don’t know if there are going to have to be any repairs, but I want my instrument to sound nice when I sit down to play. I have to purchase some books for the kids and some exercise books for myself so I can get back into practice. I love playing, but I really need to get back into exercises and not just the fun stuff.
Anyway, it’s late and I’m needing to get to bed. We’ve got a full day tomorrow. The piano tuner is coming at 10 to look at the piano and assess the condition and treatment; Del is working on disassembling a wooden platform in our yard–there is at least one woodchuck living under it–and we have to start framing the doors for the closets.
We also have to build the storage and closet space over the stairway, as well as a couple of bookshelves for space dividers. Of course, this isn’t all going to be done tomorrow, but we’ve got a really busy week with remodeling, doctors, and church. Del has to go in Tuesday, so that’s a day that we won’t get too much work done in the house. Cassie has to go to the vet for her rabies and distemper shots on Wednesday, and we only have two days until the weekend to work on the remodeling. Saturday I’m reading at church, so that’ll cut the day short.
Next week is just as bad. My SIL and BIL will be coming into town next week. My nieces and nephew enjoy playing with my kids, so that will be a huge distraction from work. We also have to take Delbert to the dentist–a 2 hour drive away–in Essex Junction on Friday. Sarah, want to meet at Zachary’s for lunch? Saturday, our youngest niece (born July 7) is being baptized, and Sunday we have a birthday party for our 2-year-old niece. We’ll eventually get everything done!!!
