Monday, March 23, 2009
Remodelers Showcase April 3-5
Well, we are now house #30 in the upcoming Remodeler's Showcase in the Twin Cities. Hours are Friday, 1-7 and Saturday/Sunday 12 to 6. We are busy hiding all the junk we haven't put away yet, getting the last minute things up (like the tile backsplash and the stained glass in the kitchen cabinets). Michal Crosby is looking at accessories to make the house look it's best. And we have a lovely golden backyard (sorry no photo yet)! To keep the mud in place - until it's time for sod - we have spread 3 bales of straw around the backyard and playset. We have told the boys that we need to keep the gates closed, or else we will have horses wandering in to snack. AJ isn't quite sure if we are joking or not. I'll post photos when the house is ready to show - or better yet, stop by!
Monday, February 9, 2009
BDA: The Mudroom
Before: With the old back porch being added to the kitchen configuration, we needed a new back entry. So an 8 by 10 foot addition to the house's footprint was added for a mudroom. Above it would become part of the master bedroom. I lost a little gardening space. Here's the view just after the digging started.
During: AJ wondering what he could do with a wheelbarrow. The crawl space was dug and the foundation blocks put in. You can see the hole in the basement wall on the left. The "bump" on the house is the back of the built-in-buffet in the dining room.
The framing for the new back of the house went up in a day.
Here's the back of the buffet again. We didn't strip it any further for fear of possibly damaging it.
Here's the upper shelf we ended up with once the buffet was sheetrocked in. On the right side is the ductwork to the master bedroom.
After: The new back door with salvaged door knobs.
Closets go all the way to the ceiling for off-season storage and a convenient bench for putting boots and shoes on and off. The window faces south.
Look at all the room for footwear storage... And you would not believe how fast it filled up! The red/brown tiles hide the dirt and mud really well.
AJ demonstrating how he gets ready for school in the morning, one boot at a time. You can see we have plants on our shelf above the buffet.
AJ on the new back entry steps - he says "Thanks for visiting!".
While this is the last room I have to blog, it may not be my last post. I will try to thow up a photo or two of the remaining finishes (stained glass in cabinets, tile backsplash, etc.) as they occur. Also, we will be the White Crane Construction home in the Spring Remodelers Showcase, April 3-5. There will be some great photos then - our house will look like we don't live in it!
During: AJ wondering what he could do with a wheelbarrow. The crawl space was dug and the foundation blocks put in. You can see the hole in the basement wall on the left. The "bump" on the house is the back of the built-in-buffet in the dining room.
The framing for the new back of the house went up in a day.
Here's the back of the buffet again. We didn't strip it any further for fear of possibly damaging it.
Here's the upper shelf we ended up with once the buffet was sheetrocked in. On the right side is the ductwork to the master bedroom.
After: The new back door with salvaged door knobs.
Closets go all the way to the ceiling for off-season storage and a convenient bench for putting boots and shoes on and off. The window faces south.
Look at all the room for footwear storage... And you would not believe how fast it filled up! The red/brown tiles hide the dirt and mud really well.
AJ demonstrating how he gets ready for school in the morning, one boot at a time. You can see we have plants on our shelf above the buffet.
AJ on the new back entry steps - he says "Thanks for visiting!".
While this is the last room I have to blog, it may not be my last post. I will try to thow up a photo or two of the remaining finishes (stained glass in cabinets, tile backsplash, etc.) as they occur. Also, we will be the White Crane Construction home in the Spring Remodelers Showcase, April 3-5. There will be some great photos then - our house will look like we don't live in it!Thanks for following along. Looking at the pictures tonight, I almost can't believe it once looked like it did. And we all lived through it... happily ever after. Mostly. :-)
BDA: The Master Bath
Before: Well, we really don’t have a “before” picture for the master bath. It was the flat roof area (could be called a balcony) above the old back porch and kitchen in the picture below.
During: I’ve already blogged the shower construction here. And the funky body jet plumbing here. So just a couple more photos:
Here is the floor tile going in...
And the vanity with a marble top, both from Restoration Hardware.
Medicine cabinet, light fixtures, plumber and niece.
After: Le Spa.
Handheld shower and body jets.
The vanity and sink. Note the frameless medicine cabinet is now surrounded by a frame mounted to the wall. The heat vent is under the vanity, so warm air blows on your feet in the morning.
Another of the dual-flush toilets, this is a bathroom after all…
During: I’ve already blogged the shower construction here. And the funky body jet plumbing here. So just a couple more photos:Here is the floor tile going in...
And the vanity with a marble top, both from Restoration Hardware.
Medicine cabinet, light fixtures, plumber and niece.
After: Le Spa.Handheld shower and body jets.
The vanity and sink. Note the frameless medicine cabinet is now surrounded by a frame mounted to the wall. The heat vent is under the vanity, so warm air blows on your feet in the morning.
Another of the dual-flush toilets, this is a bathroom after all…
Saturday, January 17, 2009
BDA: The Back Bedroom
Before: This was AJ’s bedroom, and before he came, an office. There were windows on 3 sides and a door onto an unused flat-roof “balcony” over the kitchen and back porch. We had grand plans for our Master Suite (or to be gender neutral, the Owner’s Suite) here.
During: This room all but disappeared.
The wood floor remained and on one day was simply hanging out into space without wall above or below (no, we didn’t get a picture of this). The space expanded over the new mudroom entry to the south (bedroom) and covered the old balcony to the north (new master bathroom) with a closet in between.
The view into the closet, and through to the wall of the shower. Yes, we've got a window in our closet!
The old wood floor and new wood floor meet in the bedroom.
After: What a great space! The beautiful batik that you see when you come in is a gift from my Aunt Mary. A small spotlight in the ceiling illuminates it.
The sun pours in through the windows in the afternoon/ evening – you’ll have to trust me on this since I took these pictures at night (it's winter here in Minnesota, the daylight is limited).
Boudicca was annoyed that I disturbed her nap on the bed. We have two small windows on either side.
The niche fits my dresser perfectly (it was planned that way of course).
And a view of the closet pocket door and into the “spa” (to be blogged next). The wallpaper and curtains are a William Morris Arts and Crafts reproduction print. We can’t believe all the space we have - it's our own private retreat!
During: This room all but disappeared. 
The wood floor remained and on one day was simply hanging out into space without wall above or below (no, we didn’t get a picture of this). The space expanded over the new mudroom entry to the south (bedroom) and covered the old balcony to the north (new master bathroom) with a closet in between.
The view into the closet, and through to the wall of the shower. Yes, we've got a window in our closet!
The old wood floor and new wood floor meet in the bedroom.
After: What a great space! The beautiful batik that you see when you come in is a gift from my Aunt Mary. A small spotlight in the ceiling illuminates it.
The sun pours in through the windows in the afternoon/ evening – you’ll have to trust me on this since I took these pictures at night (it's winter here in Minnesota, the daylight is limited).
Boudicca was annoyed that I disturbed her nap on the bed. We have two small windows on either side.
The niche fits my dresser perfectly (it was planned that way of course).
And a view of the closet pocket door and into the “spa” (to be blogged next). The wallpaper and curtains are a William Morris Arts and Crafts reproduction print. We can’t believe all the space we have - it's our own private retreat!
BDA: The Middle Bedroom
Before: The middle bedroom at the top of the stairs became quite involved in the remodel. This was Christopher’s room. With the changes in the roof, a massive header beam had to be placed above the windows to support the new roof joists. Only one wall remained intact. Here you can see the sloping ceiling where the old roof line cut in. This will be going away.
During: this was the space behind that slope with cardboard insulation.
This is the big beam over the windows for the new roof.
After: This is now AJ’s room!
With a new Big Boy Loft bed! (and unfortunately, still the little boy mess)
During: this was the space behind that slope with cardboard insulation.
This is the big beam over the windows for the new roof.
After: This is now AJ’s room! 
With a new Big Boy Loft bed! (and unfortunately, still the little boy mess)
B&A: The Front Bedroom
While this wasn’t technically part of the remodel, we needed to update the front bedroom to be more suitable for an 8-year old boy. About 18 years ago, I sponged and ragged my (it was just me then) bedroom in 5 shades of purple. While Christopher was excited about the larger bedroom, he was not enthusiastic about the color. Here is Before:
After: Christopher suggested many times that we should remodel our house to be like Hogwarts. So for the young Harry Potter fan, I painted him his own castle. We have since added some torch lamps from Ikea on either side of the windows and are planning an appropriate window valence.
If you are interested, I painted the darker grout color first, then taped the gout lines (which took hours). I roughed up the edges of the tape with a utility knife to make an old stone look. Then I could sponge and rag on the lighter stone colors (just 2 shades), adjusting the design block by block. Lastly, I painted a few strokes with a feather to add a little more dimension.
After: Christopher suggested many times that we should remodel our house to be like Hogwarts. So for the young Harry Potter fan, I painted him his own castle. We have since added some torch lamps from Ikea on either side of the windows and are planning an appropriate window valence.
If you are interested, I painted the darker grout color first, then taped the gout lines (which took hours). I roughed up the edges of the tape with a utility knife to make an old stone look. Then I could sponge and rag on the lighter stone colors (just 2 shades), adjusting the design block by block. Lastly, I painted a few strokes with a feather to add a little more dimension.Sunday, December 28, 2008
BDA: The Kitchen – Work Area
Before: We had a small porch for the back entry which was on the foundation. Above it was a flat roof balcony, with a door off the back bedroom. Probably had been a sleeping porch, but more about that later. 
Our least favorite window, above the sink, actually stayed, but had new sashes put in. And you can see how much pink-with-gold-flecks counter top we had.
During: Demo!
This is when the flat roof went missing. The window is still the one over the sink.
Framing for the two new windows facing the back yard. The one on the left is where the booth will go.
Stuffed…
And rocked.
After: This is the corner where the stove used to be, now the “baking center”. I still need to make the stained/ patterned glass inserts for the upper cupboard doors, though it is very convenient to just reach in. The tile backsplash is being planned. The under cabinet lights are great. We have our tray/cutting board storage right next to the sink. It was a small, leftover, space, but was made very useful. In the corner is a “super-susan” – there is another one in the other corner.
The window looks and works much better with the new sashes. The faucet has a spray option, rotates and detaches (NOT for water fights). The boys think the flip-down front on the sink for sponge storage is very cool. Curtains for the windows are on order and should be here in a few weeks.
The dishwasher (yessss!), stove and microwave. The pendant lights, fan light, recessed light, and light over the booth are all on dimmers. It’s wonderful having light where you need it. You can see the other set of cupboard doors awaiting my glass creations. We are still (almost 4 months later) figuring out where to store things! But the kitchen works great – we managed to cook Thanksgiving dinner without getting in each other’s way.
The last remaining things are a movable cart (we have an outlet in the middle of the floor for power), and some shelving for Steve's Squeezebox along the wall next to the dining room door. Currently, we are using one of the bookcases, which works just fine for now.
Our least favorite window, above the sink, actually stayed, but had new sashes put in. And you can see how much pink-with-gold-flecks counter top we had.
During: Demo!
This is when the flat roof went missing. The window is still the one over the sink.
Framing for the two new windows facing the back yard. The one on the left is where the booth will go.Stuffed…
And rocked.
After: This is the corner where the stove used to be, now the “baking center”. I still need to make the stained/ patterned glass inserts for the upper cupboard doors, though it is very convenient to just reach in. The tile backsplash is being planned. The under cabinet lights are great. We have our tray/cutting board storage right next to the sink. It was a small, leftover, space, but was made very useful. In the corner is a “super-susan” – there is another one in the other corner.
The window looks and works much better with the new sashes. The faucet has a spray option, rotates and detaches (NOT for water fights). The boys think the flip-down front on the sink for sponge storage is very cool. Curtains for the windows are on order and should be here in a few weeks.
The dishwasher (yessss!), stove and microwave. The pendant lights, fan light, recessed light, and light over the booth are all on dimmers. It’s wonderful having light where you need it. You can see the other set of cupboard doors awaiting my glass creations. We are still (almost 4 months later) figuring out where to store things! But the kitchen works great – we managed to cook Thanksgiving dinner without getting in each other’s way.
The last remaining things are a movable cart (we have an outlet in the middle of the floor for power), and some shelving for Steve's Squeezebox along the wall next to the dining room door. Currently, we are using one of the bookcases, which works just fine for now.
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