On Hundred Percent

Our first blog entry is dated November 26, 2010; almost eight years and 319 check-list items ago. This entry commemorates the final item checked off of our list. The final item was to “unpack all of our things from storage.” DONE! We emptied the final box. We shared a bottle of champagne to celebrate the fact that we finished – and we met every single goal:

·         To stay sane

·         To stay together

·         To stay solvent

·         To finish before we have to move to an old folks home

We would add another item here; “we did it our way.” Every surface in the house has our mark on it and each day we enjoy living here. So with the sweet, sad tune of Frank Sinatra wafting through our minds, we end this blog.

Final Details - 2

We began this journey seven years ago. Our house had great bones but everything in it was worn out and shabby. We wanted to clean it all up and create something of our own. We wanted to do the work our selves. This blog has allowed us to realize everything that has entailed. It is full of plans, lists, decisions, tasks, and WORK. The project morphed along the way. We did not do it fast, but then it never was as much about the goal as it was about the journey. But now that we have reached our goal we are very happy! All along we kept a task list. It proved to be very clunky, with some tasks taking an hour (install heat register) and some tasks taking days and days (repair cracks in plaster).

We still need to repair the wood trim on the interior stairway where the floor re-finisher scuffed it up, and there is one item left to check off on our original task list, to finish moving all of our stuff back in that has been in storage for seven years. But, those things will not happen until after we return from our cruise. We feel the project is complete and it is time for some R&R!

Here is a photo of the next-to-the-last item on the check list; "install fireplace doors."

Of course we have begun a new list. Don has decided to build some furniture for the living room and dining room, and we want to finish fixing up the basement. But that is for another blog and another list. We have truly reached the end of this one. And we did indeed manage to fix up our old house, stay sane, stay together, and not go broke.

Final Details - 1

We can hardly believe that we are very, very nearly done. There are check marks next to 316 of the 318 items on our to-do list. Here are pictures of a couple of things that we accomplished in the last couple of weeks.

This very comfortable recliner was a treat to ourselves.

This simple cherry dining set is what we finally we settled on.

These photographs also show how the oak floor looks after having been refinished. We may have to add an audio file to our blog to demonstrate how our old piano sounds. A piano tuner was here this morning to tune the piano. The piano was the first "new to us" piece of furniture we ever acquired after we were married. It had led a long and colorful life prior to that, and was on the way to the dump when we rescued it. It continues to have a new lease on life, as does our whole house! We are feeling pretty snug.

Hello to Old Friends

Sami is busy unpacking boxes that she packed up seven years ago when she cleaned out cupboards and drawers in anticipation of the remodel. Two observations; 1). We have a lot of stuff! 2). It is nice to see some of the lovely things we have done without for seven years.

The upstairs landing has been finished, complete with a new light, Venetian blinds, paint and hardware. It looks clean and bright, don't you think?

But Wait – There’s More!

Yes, we are nearing the end of our 385 item to-do list. We are working hard on the two remaining areas; the living room and the upstairs landing. We have also been shopping for some additional needed furniture; bookshelves to replace the partial board ones we have acquired along the way, and a hutch for the dining room to replace the one we dropped and broke over a year ago. It dawned on us that we have yet another unfinished project that will give us all of the new furniture we want. Let us explain...

About forty years ago Sami gave Don a table saw and with it Don set about building furniture to replace the motley selection of hand-me-downs with which we began our married life. He designed bedroom and living room furniture; including a bed head, dressers, bedside tables, bookcases for the bedroom and living rooms, end tables, and a storage trunk. Based on the plans he bought a truck load of quarter-sawn oak and plenty of hardware. He finished the sides of the rough-cut wood and sawed it up into “furniture kits.” In the mid-70s he got as far as finishing the bedroom pieces, and we have enjoyed them ever since. Now, we have decided, it is time to finish the rest. What is left are two tall book cases; one will become the dining room hutch, the other will go into the living room. Two end tables, a low book case, and a storage trunk.

Before computer assisted drawing software.

 We have been eyeing the end of August as the finish date for the remodel, but with this new project our remodel will go on for a few more months. It will be wonderful to have all of the hand-made furniture – finally!

The Final Frontiers

We push ahead, Don with the fireplace project and Sami with the upstairs landing. Our last two big projects!

The tiles will come on a mesh backing. Although to get the exact pattern we want, Don will need to cut many of them apart. Here are samples of the colors we have chosen.

Another new skill to learn. Mortared tile removal.

A super messy job.

The naked fireplace.

One thing we like about this house is the generous about of storage it has. We have cleared out all of the linens and sewing things to refresh this bank of closets.

Big Bucks, Little Bucks

To finish up the project we have spent several big bundles of money. First we bought a new hot tub. Our old one was just worn out. We enjoyed it so much and so often, we decided to replace it.

Oliver helps cleaning out the old hot tub, to prepare for it to be taken away.

Another good sized purchase was buying tile from Pratt and Larson to re-do the living room fire place face and hearth. After that we selected a dining room set that we really like. This one is made of cherry wood. The final big project of the remodel is to have our wood floor refinished, so we have contracted with a fellow to get that done.

When we were not out shopping, Don was installing new windows in the living room and refinishing all of the mahogany trim. Sami placed the final order for the remaining Venetian blinds.

With Oliver's help we painted the living room a warm, happy golden.

A few years ago we were gifted with lovely new fireplace tool set. Over time the broom fell apart. We found it would cost a lot to have it rebuilt, so Sami bought a small Asian household broom for $2.49 and fashioned a new broom in the metal handle. Its not perfect, but it will do the job.

Don says the light at the end of the tunnel is getting mighty bright. We will be so happy to come out of the other end!