CHEZERBEY

basement progress: electrical + subfloor

I’m just going to say it – June in Seattle is depressing. While the rest of the country is swimming, sunning and generally embracing summer, we’re still wearing sweaters and crossing our fingers that our tomato plants don’t keel over due to lack of sun. (The joke is that summer in Seattle doesn’t start until after the 4th of July and that’s usually about right.) But, if there’s a silver lining to the gray permacloud at least it makes it easier to work in the basement.

So with the crappy weather on our side, last weekend was a productive one and Kyle was able to finish the framing and electrical and get started on the subfloor. 

For a small project like this, we just talked through where we would want outlets, switches and fixtures instead of producing an electrical plan. Our main goal was to come up with a layout that would provide the most flexibility whether the space is being used as a TV room or bedroom. Because of our short ceiling height, the biggest challenge to figure out was lighting. Obviously, you don’t want anything hanging down and recessed cans wouldn’t work with our exposed joists. So the plan is to install a couple of wall sconces (you can see the round electrical box for one in the photo above) that flank what will eventually be a built-in media/storage unit. 

Kyle also framed out the little closet that contains the sewage ejector pump and access to our under-the-mudroom storage.

To make the space feel taller we’re leaving the joists exposed but the actual detail is a bit trickier. Unlike our living room ceiling, in the basement we have to contend with all the exposed nails coming through the subfloor from the old oak floors above (that are now covered with plywood and cork). Our solution was to furr down with 2×4’s and then attach sheetrock to that. Finally, we’ll sand up the joists a bit and then paint everything super white.

Here’s a shot looking back the other direction. Above the window, we’ll have a soffit with three recessed cans. There is likely to be a couch or bed against this wall so a little direct lighting made sense. The round electrical box in the foreground is for a smoke detector (required in every bedroom!) and the rectangular duct goes to the nursery above. When we had our new furnace and ductwork installed nearly 4 years ago, we had a feeling this space would eventually get finished out and made sure that any ductwork was as minimal as possible (same goes for the electrical, which is run only along the perimeter where it will be covered).

On the opposite wall Kyle roughed in power, data and cable. The TV/DVD/Xbox are in the living room for now, but the plan is to eventually move everything downstairs. I’m hesitant to use the words “media room” or “man cave” but we do see this room as a cozy space to watch movies.

Poor Bails, spending his weekend watching Kyle work. He might be the only dog that willingly will nap next to an air compressor.

Before the weekend was over, Kyle also got started on the Dri-Core subfloor (he’s actually installing the last pieces as I type). The 2’x2′ panels are comprised of a layer of OSB over a black dimpled plastic. Even though we installed a moisture barrier under the new topping slab, the plastic backing provides an airspace and keeps any water that might find its way in from coming up through the floor.

The panels have a tongue and groove slot on all four sides so they click together and form a floating floor system. They can be easily cut on a table saw and the whole process took a couple of hours max. At the edges, Kyle used wood shims to hold the panels away from the wall (to compensate for any future expansion and contraction).

For a snug fit, he whacked each panel in place using a few 2x’s and a mallet. (It’s hard to tell in the photos, but the seams are staggered for a more uniform installation.)

At the edges, he used a pry bar pushed against the sill plate to ensure a tight fit.

Naturally, Bailey was on hand to supervise. (I know, he is SUPER shaggy right now and is going to the groomer on Saturday!)

“A little to the left dad…hey, watch my paws!”

Kyle finished the subfloor tonight so the next step will be to frame the rest of the small hallway at the bottom of the stairs and pour a leveling slab. This weekend he’ll insulate and install the interior doors and then we’ll be ready for inspections and sheetrock. My mom has a feeling that zerbebe will come a week early and she tends to be right about these things so no dilly-dallying for us.  

[Random side note – we were in the basement tonight hashing out a few details when Kyle nonchalantly tossed a pry bar on the floor. The sound made zerbebe jump, which is the first time that’s happened. Better get used to that kiddo.  =) ]

basement progress: framing

Despite our secret hopes, the basement fairy did not wave her magic wand while we were basking in the glow of our new front yard.

Blah.

I know it will be great to have it done (or at least partially done), but there is not a lot of motivation for this project right now (besides zerbebe’s impending birth). So before we dive into a rather lackluster progress report, here’s an updated floor plan that shows the new and improved design [click to enlarge]:

Our main goal for the half basement (which is only about 385 SF) was to have a space that could serve as a guest/tv room and maybe a future kid’s bedroom. This room will be directly under the nursery and about the same size. We debated whether or not the space should be open to the adjacent stair area (and thus feel more connected to the rest of the house), but decided that we needed more flexibility since the room would serve multiple purposes. Our compromise is to install a 36″ sliding pocket door so that it could be open for casual use but easily closed off.  

The rest of the space will be divided between a second bathroom, laundry room and a small unfinished space that will provide some storage and access to our crawl space. While the second bathroom is not a current necessity, we decided that as our family grows it will be nice to have and add considerable value to our home (most homes in our neighborhood seem to be 2 br/1bath). As Bailey gets older (something I don’t even want to think about!) it will also be nice to have a tub that he (and small kiddos) can more easily get in and out of.

The laundry room is fairly straight-forward and as we showed you in this post, the new appliances, cabinet, sink and countertop are already in place. On the opposite wall, we saved space for a small chest freezer. We have a rather compact 24″ fridge/freezer combo in our kitchen and while it works for us now, we know we might outgrow it in the future. Since we don’t use the freezer portion on a regular basis (it’s mostly nuts, ice cream and frozen waffles), the thought is to keep a chest freezer in the basement and buy a full-height fridge for the kitchen. While we don’t have any plans to buy a new fridge right away, we did go ahead and buy the freezer. Out of necessity you see…

Kyle just got back from a long weekend of deep-sea fishing off the coast of British Columbia (courtesy of a generous client) and this was his bounty:

King salmon, halibut and some lingcod. (They had it cleaned, filleted, packaged and flash frozen before the long drive back.) Even though we’ve been in Seattle for eight years now, we still haven’t gotten used to the luxury that is fresh fish so a sight like this has us a little giddy. The animals are equally excited and after a dinner of broiled salmon tonight, Bailey showed his gratitude by pre-rinsing plates as I loaded them into the dishwasher. [Psst…we’re always experimenting with different ways to prepare fish, so if you have any favorite recipes I’m all ears.] In addition to fish storage, the new freezer should also come in handy for all those nesting-induced meals I plan to make next month. Yup.

Oh right, the basement. You again.

A few years ago Kyle and I got a great deal on some windows that were leftover from a local school project. Most of them were long and skinny, but we made them work in our mudroom and in the “slot” window in the dining area. Since then, we’ve had one remaining window hanging out in the basement with no home. Until now.

At first I was hesitant about adding a window to the front of the house, but after realizing that our new plants would soon screen it from the street, I was on board.

Kyle’s like a window-installing wizard now. The whole operation took a couple hours max and I didn’t even have to lift a finger.

Even though the walls and ceiling are still dark, the extra window does wonders for the space and makes it feel much less basement-y. I can’t wait to see what a good dousing of white paint will do.

The downspout had to be relocated, but no big deal. (It used to come straight down from the porch eave above, but now jogs in and down before reconnecting to the existing inlet).

Like this:

In addition to the window install (which you’ll notice was done before the landscaping crew arrived), framing is underway in the bedroom. Kyle’s been gone the last two weekends so the space hasn’t seen a lot of love (hence this less than epic progress update), but I did manage to snap a few photos the other day:

Our concrete foundation wall (which extends up to the underside of the window in the photo above) needed to be furred out so we could insulate and have a space to run electrical. Although we could have extended this framing all the way to the ceiling, we decided to stop it at the top of the foundation wall (where it switches to original framed wall). This will make the space feel just a smidge bigger and provides a storage or display ledge around the two outside walls. The ledge is primed MDF that we’ll caulk and paint white.

Garden view!

Here’s a shot looking back towards the crawl. We decided it would be weird to have crawl space access from this room so the plan is to frame it in and close it off (after we get the new bathtub out of course).

Because our house is 102 years-old and not perfect, Kyle had to do some shimming in order for the future drywall to be straight and plumb. Sometimes I am in awe of the patience he has to work through things like this.

So that’s where we’re at. We’re keeping the next two weekends open to work on the house and hopefully make lots of progress before our schedules get too crazy. But it’s cool – I’ve already talked to zerbebe and asked her not to come till we’re done. I didn’t get a clear response but I think I felt a nod. Or maybe it was a butt. At any rate, at least it’s the solstice and we’re working with maximum daylight on our side. In fact, Kyle’s outside cutting lumber right now and I bet he has no idea it’s 9:30.

zerbebe nursery: dresser + curtains

With six weeks (+/-) to go, we’re continuing to make slow and steady progress in the nursery. Although the initial focus was on an overall concept and colors, I find I’m now splitting my time between the design of the space and making sure we have certain essential accessories – like a carseat and diapers. (Good news, we do!)

So let’s go back to the fun design stuff. A few months ago, we picked up this dresser on Craigslist for a hundred bucks. It was in decent shape, but in need of some TLC.

First we hauled it to the backyard where we vacuumed it out and removed the paper drawer liners. 

Next, Kyle gave the wood a good drink of Howard “Restor-A-Finish” that we had leftover from another project. (I later followed up with a healthy dose of Howard Feed-N-Wax for a little extra luster.)

The dresser is all wood with the exception of a not-so-sweet plastic laminate top.

So what does one do with worn-out faux wood grain p-lam? Cover it with better p-lam!

Similar to our stair cabinet/fauxdenza, we used an economical white plastic laminate for a clean and simple look.

After applying contact cement to both surfaces, Kyle laid the oversized piece of laminate on top of the dresser and used a roller to ensure it was fully adhered.

Once the cement had dried, he used a router bit specifically designed for cutting plastic laminate to trim the edges.

After the laminate was trimmed, he used a fine grit sandpaper to smooth the edges and rub off any residual contact cement that had gummed up at the seams.

Even though we let it air out for a while, the dresser still had a funky odor to it (probably a combination of cigarette smoke and general old age). To help get rid of the funk, I sprayed everything down with a mixture of vinegar and water. After it dried, I sprinkled baking soda in the drawers and dresser cavity and let it sit for a few hours before vacuuming it out. Big improvement and super cheap solution. Love that.

She still has a few scuffs and dings but we’re calling it patina. The dresser isn’t exactly an heirloom piece, so we felt our minimal restoration efforts were justified.

The inside faces of the drawers were bare wood, so as a final step I wanted to do something to clean them up a bit and add a little whimsy to the piece (especially after my idea to paint just the legs and trestle got vetoed). I thought about fabric or paper drawer liners, but instead decided to use some yellow semi-gloss paint (BM”s Natura in “luminous days”) that we had leftover from the kitchen window jamb. I brushed on two coats for each drawer while watching documentaries on Netflix. It’s a subtle effect, but I’m happy with how it turned out.

While painting and catching up on Cold War America, I also washed all the baby stuff. I always thought this step would feel like a huge milestone, but really it was just 2-3 loads of laundry. It was fun to organize everything and tuck it away in the freshly painted drawers though. I’m not sure if there’s a proper way to organize baby clothes, but I decided to allocate one drawer for 0-3 months, one for 3-6 and one for 6+ months. The drawers are actually just the right size for tiny human clothing.

With the exception of a few weak moments and well-marketed sales at Baby Gap, almost everything was purchased at consignment or garage sales. I’m actually really looking forward to shopping for cute little girls clothes down the road, but for now I’m focused on the more important items…

…like diapers. I was starting to get a little nervous that we didn’t have a single diaper, so I ordered enough for at least the first couple of weeks (the rest are stored at the top of the wardrobe). The plan is still to cloth diaper, but we’re starting out with disposables until she’s a bit bigger and we have the whole parenting thing under control. 

In other nursery news, I finally mustered the courage to tackle the wardrobe curtains last weekend. 

Using this Brett Bara post from DesignSponge as a guide, I took a deep breath and got to work. The last time I really “sewed” was 6th grade and it was a square pillow with teddy bears on it. After an hour or so of prepping the fabric and re-threading the machine, I cautiously put my foot on the pedal. Although hemming curtains isn’t exactly complicated, I did struggle a bit with feeding such a large piece of fabric through the machine while trying to maintain a straight line. They are not perfect, but I’m pleased with the results.

The ceiling-mounted track is from the IKEA Kvartal line. We bought two tracks that are joined in the middle and leave an inch or so on each to feed the curtains through. The ceiling in this room is drywall over lathe and plaster, but we went ahead and located the mounting hardware on a joist line just to be safe. Because the nursery (and this wall in particular) is highly visible from the living room and entry, my initial thought was to install a full-width track and a series of 3 panels so that we could quickly screen off the inevitable clutter that would be generated in this zone. I also wanted the wardrobe to feel less like a free-standing piece and more integrated into the room and thought something more cohesive would help in that department. But after sewing and installing the first two panels (a feat which took almost 6 hours, including all the set-up), I started to change my mind. Compositionally, I still like that the track extends the full width, but feel less strongly about the idea of curtains extending from wall to wall as well.

But back to the actual curtain construction. The track itself is a simple aluminum bar with a recessed channel on top and bottom. The bottom channel has a track that accepts the matching plastic rollers which attach to a length of gathering tape that I sewed to the top of each panel.

I even made sure that the chevron pattern would match at the seam between the two panels. I’m not sure how critical this step was, but I think Martha Stewart would be proud.

Overall, I’m calling them a success. I had also planned on tackling the roman shades last weekend, but after spending a whole afternoon making the curtains my motivation was zapped. My mom also reminded me that newborns do no require black-out shades, so I have a feeling that project will go to the bottom of the list for now.

As the nursery comes together we’ve also received more baby gifts and it’s been fun to find a home for everything. Right now, we have more space than we need and I think that’s probably a good thing.

My mom also sent us 3(!) more baby quilts. She made the one on the right out of scrap fabric before I even picked out the coral chevron pattern.

Mother-daughter ESP, it’s a real thing.

While taking photos of the nursery today I glanced over at my pile of reading material (someone’s gotta break in the glider) and laughed to myself. A little random, but reflective of where my mind is these days. 

As per usual, Bailey did his best to photobomb several of my shots. 

I may not remember all the hunger cues that newborns communicate to their parents, but this is definitely Bailey’s. Of course, it’s two hours before dinner time but he knows he’s charming and that I might succumb.

(I did.)

3 days of magic: front yard reveal

It’s been a while since we had a good old-fashioned project reveal, don’t you think?  Our front yard has been in a sad state for several years now, so we made it a top priority for 2012. In April we took the first step and hired a landscape architect. Then when made a few tweaks to the design and got bids from three installers. After selecting JP Landscape Services (based out of Duvall, WA) we eagerly waited for the magic to happen. They originally thought the job would take 4-5 days to complete, but with a last-minute delayed start on another project they were able to double-up up their crew at chezerbey. Best of all, what would have taken us at least two months of nights and weekends (not counting all the frustrated sighs and dirt-kicking) took the professionals 3 days. THREE DAYS. But before we show you the money shots (and there’s a lot), let’s get a glimpse of how it all went down:

Day One:

Work started last Wednesday morning, but while waiting for the crew to arrive Kyle was able to snap these “before” shots for a little context.

Weedapalooza? Check.

Sidewalk to nowhere? Why not?

Day Two:

On the first day the crew scraped the site clean, regraded, took away extra dirt (can you believe we still had extra after all the foundation work from last summer?) and set the salvaged pavers. Here’s what it looked like on a rainy Thursday morning before I left for work:

Truthfully, even this prep work was very exciting. It was also reassuring to see that the installers seemed to know what they were doing and weren’t cutting any corners.

We mostly let the crew come up with the paver pattern for the south side and think they did a great job! They had to compensate for a slight slope from one end to the other, but walking across the final placement it was impossible to tell.

While we were at work, the crew spent the rest of Thursday bringing in new compost and amending it into the existing soil (for a total depth of 4″-6″). By the end of the day they had also sourced most of the plants and delivered them to the house. There were a few varieties that weren’t available at the time so we did some last-minute scrambling to find replacements.

I didn’t have a chance to take photos on Friday morning, but the changes were less drastic than the previous day. Or maybe I was just thinking ahead to the surprise that would await us that evening. 

Day Three:

Friday was spent installing all of the plants and the final 2″ of mulch. After work that day, I met Kyle at the hospital for a pre-birth tour that I scheduled weeks ago. While it was certainly worthwhile, we both made a beeline for the exit as soon as it was over. The yard awaited!

Oh. Well, hello there. 

[We didn’t have enough salvaged concrete for the front strip, so we picked up these 2’x2′ pavers for about $15/each.]

For those with a good eye, that is indeed a new (though yet-to-be trimmed out) window. Although it makes a world of difference in the basement, it does look a little goofy from the outside. But good news – it no longer matters because we now have a screen of nature in front! Oh, and gas meter – no one will even remember where you are this time next year. Grow plants, grow!

Have I mentioned that we decided to make Felix a part-time outdoor cat? No longer limited to running the diagonal length of the house, he seems happier, has more of an appetite and is not nearly as snarky as he used to be. A win-win for all.

Overall, we are THRILLED with the results. There are still a few missing plants (some groundcovers and herbs) that need to be added and of course everything will fill in as it matures, but the current density is plenty to be excited about. We were also pleasantly surprised with just how well the salvaged pavers turned out. [Score one for the planet and our checking account!] Although there are still a few loose ends to tie up, the guys did a great job with both the install and clean-up and we would definitely recommend them to anyone in the area.

While you’re at it, you should hire our landscape architect too (Mark Garff at The Watershed Company) – he was involved throughout the installation process and helped us make last-minute decisions when certain varieties were out of stock. Kyle and I debated how modern to go with the landscaping, but in the end we feel like Mark struck a good balance that shares our design approach with the outside of the house. Although we took more freedoms on the interior of the house (and will probably do the same for the backyard), we decided to be more subtle in the front. This was driven mostly by budget (no sense in changing the basic 1910 form of the house just for the hell of it), but it was also a personal design challenge. Now that the front is really, truly done (hallelujah!) we’re confident that it is entirely possible to make a 102 year-old home feel modern, efficient and clean while fitting in with the existing neighborhood and being responsive to our climate. Not to be all self-congratulatory, but for us, this is what good design is all about. 

But back to the yard. This evening was warm and sunny so Kyle and I sat out on the stoop with pints of ice cream taking it all in and marveling at what could be accomplished in just three short days:

I confess that I still don’t know the names of all the plants (Latin or English), but I’m determined to learn. After all, we’ll be spending a lot of time together this summer.

zerbebe nursery: fabric, accessories and baby photos

Wow, I never thought picking out fabric would be so hard. Disappointed with the selection at my local fabric stores, I went back online last weekend and scoured the interwebs, pinning ideas as I went. After revisiting the yellow and white chevron fabric that I had in our initial design board and this post, I discovered that the pattern was also available in coral and white. I’ve always been resistant to pink (maybe because I look terrible in that color?), but coral is sorta like pink’s more sophisticated cousin and a color we talked about using from the get-go (Kyle actually suggested painting the two big sliding doors coral, to which I said “hell no”). To be honest, despite that ambiguous reference in our design boards, I didn’t really have a plan for how we would incorporate a more feminine color in the space. So at the last-minute I decided to get all crazy and order the coral chevron fabric.

The fabric came from Texas Susannie’s, an online shop that was recommended by a few readers and had the best pricing I could find. The fabric is a heavier weight, so I think it will work well for the wardrobe curtains. Curious to see how it would match with the wall color, I took it out of the packaging and awkwardly hoisted it up over the wardrobe.  

I held my breath as I stepped back to evaluate, but y’know…I actually really like it. It’s fun and girly but also modern and hey – there is a PATTERN in our house. This is progress!

About 20 minutes later, as Kyle was coming up from the basement I called him in for his opinion. His response: “oh yeah, already saw your tweet”. Trumped by social media yet again!

After the mutual thumbs-up, I cut the fabric into 3 equal lengths then washed and dried it to take care of any unwanted shrinkage. Next weekend, I sew. (I purchased an IKEA KVARTAL curtain track and coordinating RIKTIG gathering tape that will be sewn to the top of the curtain panels.)

For the roman shades, I bought some dark blue-gray felt, but wasn’t really feeling it. On my trip to IKEA last weekend, I picked up some simple blue-gray curtains that are a nearly perfect match to the wall color. I’ve got some ideas on how I can convert them to roman shades, possibly using the same hardware from our IKEA shades that we bought 8 years ago.

Before the big concrete pour last weekend, I drove down to South Seattle to pick up the glider and ottoman (which we ordered through Land of Nod). We went with the charcoal color which I thought might clash with the walls but now think it works just fine. The chair is really comfortable and I’m glad Kyle talked me into the matching ottoman (which also glides). In fact, I’ve already spent a few early mornings in that chair, thinking about how our lives are going to change in just 8 short weeks (+/-)…and wondering if we are really going to finish all these projects in time.

The floor lamp is IKEA (purchased last year), but previously had a larger diameter brown shade. I wanted something visually lighter so picked up this one at my favorite Swedish superstore. It’s a bit smaller than the one intended for it, but the scale feels appropriate for the space. The little side table was my very first IKEA purchase (ordered over the phone and shipped freight because the closest IKEA to Oklahoma was in Chicago) and has probably lived in every room of our house by now. It will eventually get replaced with the bench/cubby that Kyle is going to build.

I’ve also been collecting a few things for the walls and future shelving. It may not all make sense just yet…but it will (I hope!). In the realm of “artwork”, we’ve also been talking about framing a few baby photos of us for the space. It’s not the most original idea, but I think it would be fun to see how she resembles us as a newborn and as she gets older.

When Kyle and I were planning our wedding, we had our parents send us baby/kid photos that we used as table centerpieces (after converting them to sepia tone to keep things classy of course) and later put into a photo album for our parents. Since Kyle is only two years older than me and we both grew up in Oklahoma, it was fun to see the parallels in our childhoods and pair similar photos together. For this round, I asked Kyle’s mom to send us some more baby pictures of him. I spent some time this weekend scanning, photoshopping and analyzing. I’m not sure which ones we’ll go with yet, but it’s been fun to imagine what zerbebe will look like:

We both started out as fairly normal looking babies. I think Kyle might be wearing a baby leisure suit here?

As we got a little older our personalities started to come out. (Most of Kyle’s shirt was cropped out of the photo, but I’m guessing it says, “move over world, here I come”. His mom had a good sense of humor.)

People also frequently ask us if we think she’ll be a redhead. I think the chances are pretty slim, especially since I am the only one in my family. Being realistic about genetics and not wanting to get my hopes up, I’ve been imagining that she’d have dark hair like Kyle’s, but now I’m thinking she might start out blond. As for eyes, mine are green and Kyle’s blue so who knows how that will shake out.

Maybe we were typical babies, but we actually seem to have similar features here. Is baby Kyle not the cutest? You want to pinch those little cheeks, don’t you?

I love the foreshadowing in this one – Kyle moving dirt around and me in my “house wrecker” t-shirt (though taken in a completely literal sense of course – as in, actually tearing apart our house). 

We also went out in costume from time to time. This is one of my favorite photos of Kyle. Most adorable little brown bear ever.  

Finally, we seem to have developed a certain sense of style early on. Kyle in his rainbow belt, me in my patchwork pants.

One thing’s for sure, our kid is going to have some crazy and out-of-control hair. I can’t wait.