blogiversary q&a
Oh, hey there. Remember that blogiversary post from over a month ago? The one where we proposed a Q&A and then promptly slacked off on answering the questions?
Yeah. Woops. To compensate, we bring you the answers – novella style!
Q. Anything that you would do differently if you had the chance? Favorite spot in the house? Do you know the name of your bed? I have the same one and for the life of me can’t remember it. [from Monica]
A.
KZ – We knew the living room was going to be tight, but decided it wasn’t in the budget to expand it at the time. Now we want a bigger living room, so we’re thinking about doing a bump-out with a fireplace nook.
LZ – Oh yes, the bump-out. I rolled my eyes at first, but then started to get pretty excited about the idea. It’s low on the priority list right now and who knows, we’ll probably change our minds again. Favorite spot in the house? It actually tends to change – right now we’re loving our 2nd bedroom (aka “the flex room”) as a cozy TV room, but the kitchen is probably the space we spend the most time in. We bought our bed frame from IKEA about 7 years ago – I can’t remember the name either (I knew I shouldn’t have thrown out those old IKEA catalogs!).
Q. My question would be about what kind of architecture you guys do for daily life — schools, malls, prisons? Are you workaholics like all the other architects in my office? It seems like for those of us with creative careers where hours are billed, there can be a tendency to work longer and longer hours. How do you come home from a day of work and have the energy to do all this planning, design and hard work on your own house? It’s kind of the shoemaker’s children have no shoes kind of conundrum. I’d love to hear your take on it. [from CT]
A.
KZ – I have always specialized in custom residential homes, everything from kitchen remodels to multi-million dollar homes. (I might be doing a remodel to a veterinary clinic soon though!) I used to work at a firm that required a lot of overtime without pay, so I moved on! I sought out a new firm whose office culture is not to overwork their employees and still did respectable work. (I know that’s hard to find, especially in this market.) I do think that in general, most firm owners tend to devalue their work which eventually trickles down to the bottom where someone ultimately has to take up the slack. It’s a problem that occurs throughout our profession.
LZ – I do mostly single-family, but also some multi-family and small public or non-profit projects like libraries and community centers. I rarely put in extra hours at work, but I wouldn’t totally reject the workaholic label (it just manifests itself in different ways, like working on the house, blogging, etc.). =) After five years of architecture school (and countless all-nighters), we made it a priority to have a better life-work balance. As far as how we sustain the motivation, I think it helps that there’s a lot of overlap between what we do at work and what we do on our house. Often times, our home has been a test lab of sorts to try out products, design ideas, etc. But that’s not to say that we don’t get burned out or tired of remodeling. We definitely do. Over time, you just figure out when it’s worth it to push through and when you should stop and take a break. (And having the blog is serious motivation as well.)
Q. I’ve been *dying* to know more about the art work (wall hanging?) in your bathroom! I love it but can’t find any information about it on your blog. [from vee dub]
A.
LZ – I regret not documenting the process of making our bathroom art. I think I was just in a hurry to get the bathroom done so we could start a new project. The good news – it’s really easy to make. Basically we just saved a bunch of toilet paper rolls, cut them into varying widths, creased the edges to get the leaf shape, then arranged them in a pattern on our dining room table before gluing them together. The yellow is just acrylic paint that I picked up from a craft store and we sprayed all the pieces with a clear acrylic finish to protect them from moisture.
Q. Here’s my question… what’s the project that you most want to do but suspect you never will? (cost prohibitive, etc) [from Kevin]
A.
KZ- Hmm, believe it or not but at some point I had really tried to convince Lauren that we should do a pimped out remodel of the garage/workshop before we did the house…you know, so I could have an efficient space to work out of 😉 The garage is still a p.o.s. but it works. It will probably never be a luxury garage but I would like that very much. Instead we will probably add a second story and make it a guest house.
LZ – Yes, I am glad that we did not pimp out our garage first – we’d probably still be living with our old kitchen if that were the case. But yes, the garage/shop is still a big question mark. We’ve got tons of ideas, but who knows what we’ll end up doing. At one point we also talked about a small addition off the back of the house – so before we built the deck we revisited the idea and decided it probably wasn’t going to happen (which meant we could do a bigger deck!).
Q. How did you choose your house when house-shopping? Was it neighborhood first, then house? Which neighborhood did you choose? What were your criteria in choosing a house/neighborhood? Basically, what was the before-remodel process like? [from John]
A.
KZ – Neighborhood and simplicity for remodeling. We knew we would be on a budget so we tried to find a house that was relatively simple in plan. We also tried to find a house with good “prospect-refuge” – by that I mean a house up off the street with a place for a stoop.
LZ – First of all, our house-hunting process was nuts. We were looking during the height of the housing market, trying to find an entry-level home in a highly desirable city. Our house was the 6th offer we made and each house was in a different neighborhood. We did keep our search to within Seattle city limits, since it was important to us to live in the city and not have a ridiculous commute. We started out with a list of things we wanted and didn’t want, but I’d say that list evolved during the process. Obviously, any house we made an offer on had to be livable and something that wasn’t a tear down. Beyond that, we were looking for something that had good bones and hadn’t been botched too bad over the years. The thing we liked about our house (despite all of its flaws) was that it had a simple shape and good proportions and was in an up-and-coming neighborhood.
Q. You’ve made such great progress on your house. What big projects are next on the list? [from Kit]
A.
LZ – In our minds, we have three major projects left: 1. landscaping and misc. outdoor projects, 2. finishing the basement (adding a 3rd bedroom and 2nd bath), and 3. the garage/carport (probably in that order). We’ve also talked about changing up our bedroom (because y’know…it’s been 3 whole years since we gutted it!).
Q. We recently took your Seattle food suggestions while on vacation up there 2 weeks ago.. Bastille was fantastic! Do y’all have any other city-guides? [from M]
A.
KZ – I would check out the Seattle Restauraunt Week that is about to happen. Most of the ones I would name are on there!
LZ – In terms of non-food guides – you know all we do is remodel! =) Actually, we’ve done a lot in and around the city, but there is so much to see and do that it can be overwhelming. If I was going to recommend things to someone visiting, the list might include: Lake Union ice cream tour, Theo Chocolates factory tour, one of our awesome parks (like Discovery, Shilshole or Carkeek), one of the nearby islands (like Bainbridge or Whidbey) and the Ballard Farmer’s Market on Sundays.
Q. I’ve been following (and enjoying) your blog for quite a while, but my question is Pinterest-related. I’ve noticed that you’ve “pinned” clothing. I guess that surprised me, because that’s a subject I haven’t seen on your blog. But I like your fashion “pins”! I’m just curious if you are interested in fashion from a pragmatic, “what should I wear,” perspective, from a design perspective, or both? [from Kim]
A.
KZ – I need to start pinning.
LZ – We try to keep the blog content house (or animal) related, but like most people in the design world, we’re both into fashion, art, industrial design, etc. But don’t think we have a closet full of black turtlenecks! (In fact, maybe it’s the Pacific Northwest culture, but neither of us wear much black. We don’t have funny glasses either. Huh.) I’m going to speak for Kyle here, but I’d say we’re both pragmatic when it comes to clothes, but like architecture, we look for things that are well-made, aesthetically pleasing and have good proportions. Hmm – I was kinda joking with that last sentence but it actually is what I look for in clothes. [Side story: when we were first-year architecture students (and before we knew each other), I remember Kyle color-coordinating his outfit to match his presentation board. Future husband qualities? Check!]
We’re also both pretty picky so even though we like clothes, shopping can be a frustrating experience. We also don’t shop for each other and we both prefer to shop by ourselves (although Kyle’s been known to text me dressing room photos from time to time).
Q. So this might be a long silly question but here it goes….
[Im a senior in highschool and trying to figure out my future. x)] Did you enjoy studying architecture? Was it everything you expected it to be? I’ve been really looking into it lately because I LOVE art and design, and I love math. So I though architecture would be the best way to combine it!
Would there be any pointers you would give someone looking to go into architecture? [from Tracy Ann]
A.
KZ – I could probably write a book about this. Don’t get me wrong I don’t want to downgrade the importance of math but since I hear the reference to math a lot I’ll address that first. Basic geometry, algebra, and trig all come in handy when designing, but I’ve never actually used the calculus I tried so desperately to wrap my head around in college. I see higher math as being important for the sole reason that it helps you think more abstractly, maybe all that calculus helps your brain to develop new neuron pathways or something? You will need math to get through all your structural classes, but once you start practicing you’ll be hiring a structural engineering consultant. My structural engineering consultant went to M.I.T. and I’m pretty sure she does math for fun sometimes.
Art and design will mostly likely be a larger part of your architectural education. If you’re serious about getting a feel before diving in, I would ask for a tour of the architecture school that you are considering and try to talk to some upperclassmen. Also maybe taking a tour of some local architecture firms. Feel free to e-mail us for more specific questions.
LZ – This is definitely a subject that any architect has strong feelings about. First of all, I don’t think there’s anyway you can go into architecture school knowing what to expect. I too went into architecture because I liked math and art and it’s a profession that continues to fulfill those two interests (especially if you think of math more in the realm of complex problem solving). Did I enjoy school? Yes and no. Did I take it too seriously? Maybe. Architecture school requires an incredible amount of dedication and it’s easy (and often encouraged) to spend every waking moment in studio. Looking back, I wish I would have taken the time to have more college experiences and travel, but I also believe that I received a solid education that prepared me well for the real world of architecture (which is usually very different from school).
Like Kyle said, I would encourage you to visit schools (if you don’t have one picked out) and find the best fit for you. School is certainly the time to embrace theory and design principles, but a school that has some basis of practical teaching is important. Beyond that, your education is really what you make of it. Self-discipline and passion are two things that you’ll need from day one through the rest of your career. If architecture is the right fit, it can be a gratifying career path. If it’s not, you’ll know.
Q. 1. I am curious about your design process and values. Care to share how you guys hash it out amongst the two of you and maybe some of your inspirations, heroes, etc? 2. Since your current blog doesn’t go all the way back to the beginning, how much time did you spend in planning and research before your first projects? Did you develop a master plan that you have pretty much followed (with minor adjustments as necessary or desired), taking breaks after projects to plan the next one in detail before tackling it, or did you have general goals that you only planned as each was completed? [from Nate]
A.
KZ – Fortunately, we work really well together and usually make each others designs better! We collaborated on projects in school and in professional practice and still consult with each other on our own projects. I can’t recall us ever having a fight over a design decision…there was a period when we had a hard time selecting furniture so we just didn’t buy any;) We’ve settled on getting some Eames chairs which frankly isn’t a hard choice. If we don’t agree on a design direction we’ll just think about it longer and one of us will see the light and come around to the other persons idea.
Inspirations: my first job was working for the office of Bohlin Cywinksi Jackson. Peter Bohlin is the most inspiring architect I’ve met to date. If you haven’t seen their work, check it out. We don’t have a set of defined core values that guide us, but I would say a few key ideas are: being sensitive to the site, use of natural modern materials, designing from the inside out. (I think it’s a rookie mistake to start designing from the exterior!) Design in perspective. Listen to your clients even if you think they’re wrong. Sometimes the architect is wrong too, but not often. As young architects I think it’s also important to hang out and make friends with people that aren’t architects. It’s nice to talk about other things besides architecture!
We had a pretty good master plan before diving in. Remodels by nature evolve and you adapt. For instance after we did our big demo party, we decided to finish out the loft space. Most of the details get figured out on the fly unless I know it’s going to impact something else then it get’s figured out. This can only happen with experience so to those without experience I would suggest more planning up front.
LZ – Maybe it’s because we have similar backgrounds, but we generally tend be on the same page, design wise. If anything, we disagree about the way something should be done more so than the design itself. We’ve spent a lot of time planning for projects, work that doesn’t always make it onto the blog. In fact, we spent the first year in our home getting to know the house and figuring out the master plan. We went through so many design iterations, a process that was complicated by the fact that we’d have to phase the work and live in the house while doing it. We definitely take breaks after finishing projects, but it’s usually only a month or so before we start thinking about what’s next. Fortunately, design is free so we’ll spend several months trying out ideas, sketching, researching, etc. while we save up money for the next project.
Q. I would be interested in learning more about your design background as well as where the DIY skills come from. I’m a new reader so apologies if you’ve discussed this. My shortcoming is not a lack of great ideas but more lack of execution. Always interested in where and how folks learn to cut a straight line, mix and pour concrete, tape and mud drywall, etc. [from Zane]
A.
KZ – Both trained as architects. My grandpa was a master woodworker and I inherited his wood shop when he passed away. That was a great start for me to work with his tools. I did some framing with my dad when I was younger but that’s about it. Mostly self-taught. Craftsmanship can really only be learned by making mistakes. Regarding execution, it always takes more time and money than you would optimistically hope for. I’ve learned to just slow down and if it takes another week then so be it, better to do it right then rush and want to re-do it later because it’s ugly. We bought lots of self-help books. Also I guess we’ve picked up a lot of knowledge from our previous apprenticeships as architects. It’s one thing to draw a construction detail, but then to see it built is even better. Of course the best is when you build it yourself. 😉
LZ – Kyle and I both went to Oklahoma State University. We graduated with a 5-year b.arch in 2004 and have been practicing in Seattle since then. One of the main reasons we came to Seattle is because we loved the residential vernacular style of the design firms here and our professional experience has been focused primarily on this type of work. In terms of DIY skills, I believe that some is natural talent and the rest is learned. In school, Kyle built the most beautiful and well-crafted basswood models, so it’s no surprise that he could translate that to “full scale”. While I don’t mind a little manual labor, I get more satisfaction out of the designing, planning and organizing side of things. Over time, we learned where each of our interests and strengths were, and came up with a strategy that made the most sense for us. As Kyle mentioned, even though we went to architecture school and have been practicing for 7 years, no one teaches you how to pour concrete or hang drywall. So yes, we own many of the Taunton Press how-to books and even Google can be a valuable resource. The best advice is to take it slow and don’t get frustrated. Also – start small. I remember one of the first projects we did was to install a fan in our old bathroom. It took an entire day to install and was so frustrating, but we learned some valuable lessons that helped us out as we took on larger projects.
Phew! Are you still reading? If anyone has any other questions just shoot us an email: info(at)chezerbey(dot)com.
deck reveal
Over 6 months ago, we posted our big plans for 2011 which included a large backyard deck. Since the original SketchUp renderings, we decided to make it a bit wider and showed you our progress in a series of posts (found here). Construction was more or less done by early August, but the last thing on our to-do list was to apply the oil finish.
Ipe does not necessarily need a finish (it grays out over time similar to cedar), but the aesthetic difference is totally worth it. We used Penofin for hardwoods, which is a Brazilian rosewood oil that penetrates deep into the wood and turns it into a wonderous reddish-brown color. One gallon covered the whole deck (just under 400 SF) and we applied it using a bristle brush for the horizontal surfaces and a hand brush for the vertical surfaces.
Here’s what she looked like before. The product suggests that you pressure wash or clean with a mild detergent to remove dirt, debris or any mill glaze. We opted to pressure wash since we had rented one for the foundation work several weeks ago.
The best thing about Penofin? Instant gratification. (The exposed framing on the sides will eventually be covered by steel planter boxes.)
Although it’s still wet in this mid-progress shot, the finish actually dries to a very similar color.
The directions also suggest wiping any excess away with a nap-free cloth but we didn’t find it to be necessary since our wood soaked it all up. Working from the back door out, we were able to cover everything without walking on the wet surface.
(Of course we turned the lights on for the task – party lights make everything better.)
For the risers on the steps, I used a hand brush to apply an even coat. (As seen in the photo below, we dealt with the grass by placing boards under the final riser and then pulling them back out after we were done.)
Surprisingly, it only took an hour or so from beginning to end. Not bad for a weeknight.
Ipe can be pricey, but we saved about 50% by purchasing boards that had some type of imperfection. Was it worth it? Heck yeah. The Penofin really helped to blend everything together and mask any discoloration between boards.
I snapped the photos below this evening. It was cloudy and rainy (Fall is here!), but you get the idea.
We also experimented with applying the Penofin to our IKEA deck furniture. The wood is Acacia and it took the oil fairly well, turning it a bit more yellow than we would have liked, but better than what it was. We still have 3 more chairs to complete and then realistically, probably time to put them back in the carport for the season. Ooh…fire pit time?
The terrarced design provides informal seating and allows us to avoid handrails and guardrails. With eastern exposure, it’s a great place to sit and sip coffee on a Saturday morning.
Oh hey, what’s this…
Raw steel panels! In that post from March, we talked about building planter boxes to flank the deck out of corten steel. Well, corten steel is $$$ so Kyle’s been scoping out Craigslist for other options. A few weeks ago, he found a seller south of Olympia with a stock of 4×8 steel panels for a really reasonable price. So we bought them. Last week, Kyle took them to Ballard Sheet Metal (gotta love living in a historically blue-collar ‘hood) to have them cut to size and now they’re back and ready to be welded.
Although we planned on adding soil and grasses to the areas of the driveway that we jack-hammered out earlier this summer, we have since decided that plants are no longer on the 2011 agenda (next year!). But no plants = giant mud pit. So we put down filter fabric and a layer of pea gravel for the meantime. I’m not usually a fan of temporary solutions, but I am a fan of maintaining my sanity this winter by not constantly mopping up paw prints. And Bailey understood. He has already taken to sprawling out in this new zen garden of his.
Finally, in the spirit of progress, he’s a reminder of what the back of our house used to look like:
And here’s what she’s looking like today:
Yay for progress! We still plan on adding an awning over the back door and window to protect the door and allow for inclement weather grilling. Maybe 2012?
Five years in and still so much to do.
birthday weekend
A few months ago we made plans to spend my birthday weekend in Eastern Washington and well, the timing couldn’t have been better. After 5 weeks of dirt digging it was a perfect (and much-needed) excuse to relax and restore our sanity.
We left early Saturday morning, stopping by Whole Foods for coffee and breakfast (courtesy of that Living Social deal that was all over the interwebs last week). Two hours later, we were on the other side of the Cascades – the mountain range that officially separates the state between east and west. Since it was on our way, we made a quick stop near Roslyn, WA to check out a project that I’m working on. It’s a single-family home that’s just getting out of the ground. There’s not much to see yet, but it’s going to be rad. (Even though Kyle and I both work for Seattle firms (he works here, I work here), many of our projects are in the eastern half the state. We can’t always get over there as often as we like, so when we do, we tend to make an architectural field trip out of it.)
After leaving my site, we made our way further east to Cashmere, where a project of Kyle’s was recently completed. The owners had invited us out for the weekend and we graciously took them up on it.
Much like other parts of the country, the land here is incredibly dry right now, but the colors did make for some nice photographs.
I love everything about this shot. The house is modest in size, but completely warm and inviting. I know I might be a tad biased, but I am constantly impressed how every little detail was thought through. It’s a beautiful home that is well-sited and well-designed, but what I love most is that this is a house that really works for the family. For instance, there’s a retractable movie screen that is hidden behind the wood trim between the upper and lower windows. A projector on the opposite wall is remotely connected to a DVD player for nighttime movie watching (y’know, when you don’t have a panoramic canyon view to keep you entertained).
Oh, and Eames chairs with the fiberglass shells and dowel bases, how you taunt me. I need you in my life.
A small garage is tucked down the hill a bit, taking a backseat to the main home as you approach the site.
The four dogs got along great and Bailey was elated to run around the site, unrestricted by fences and leashes.
On Sunday morning, we drove about an hour and a half southwest to the Cave B Inn near Quincy, WA. We decided to tack on this little one-night getaway as a birthday/anniversary gift to ourselves.
The view from our room! Seattle may be all lush and green, but this part of the state is much more arid and desert like. The development sits up on the bluff, overlooking the Columbia River.
I couldn’t get over the rich colors (I’m also practicing shooting only in manual mode.)
Designed by Olson Kundig Architects and completed about 6 years ago, the inn is actually comprised of a main building (which includes a restaurant), a dozen or so Cliffehouses, 12 cavern rooms (which is where we stayed and is what you see above), and a smattering of yurts that dot the edge of the property and serve as overflow for larger events.
The stone was sourced from the site and used throughout the buildings. Normally I’m not a big fan of this style of architecture, but it totally works with the site and natural colors. Barrel vaults, I think we might be back on speaking terms.
Cave B also has an on-site vineyard and tasting room, which we hit up shortly after our spa treatments. Oh yes.
On Monday morning, we slept in(!) then made our way up to the lodge for breakfast.
One interesting aspect of the site is that there is no parking directly adjacent to the buildings. The different structures are accessible via foot paths, many of which wind through the vineyards. I took a little extra time to take photographs and when I finally made my way to the restaurant, I found this…
…with a mocha ordered and on the way. I’m a lucky girl. (P.S. – the place is very dog-friendly as well!)
After breakfast, we hiked around the property for a bit before heading back home. It’s usually still quite warm this time of year, but a weekend “cold” front meant it was in the mid-70’s and more or less perfect.
A picture of us together – crazy! My long-arm camera skills might need a little work, but we got it.
Eastern WA is known for their orchards and you’ll find all sorts of stands and trucks along the highways. We stopped at this one for some late season peaches and nectarines and some early season apples.
We were also surprised how many wind turbines we saw along the way. Go Washington, go!
Bailey passed out in the backseat, tuckered out from a kitten-free weekend of fun (we had some family in town that kittensat while we were gone).
We got home early afternoon and I continued my birthday celebration by opening a gift from my mom. The contents of the box included: Dwell Studio kitchen towels (in yellow and gray, my favorite), another homemade quilt, a copy of my hometown’s local magazine (y’know, so I can stay abreast of the small town happenings from 2,000 miles away) and some candy from our Alma Mater. Completely random, completely perfect. Moms are so awesome.
I was so surprised to see that my mom had whipped up another quilt (we got our first one not long ago). When I talked to her later that day she told me that as she started making squares, she kept seeing Lauren-related names pop up in the U.S. cities fabric so she decided it was meant for me. She then took the liberty to include as many subliminal messages as possible (hint: how many times do you see the words “Oklahoma” or “Tulsa”). I get it Mom, I get it. =)
Basking in the glory of being off on a Monday afternoon, we hit up happy hour at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. Two braised pork tacos and a strawberry margarita later, we headed home for birthday hats and cake!
Yep, 31 candles on that lemon butter cake. Hard to believe I was 25 when we bought chezerbey.
Anyhow, it was a great birthday and a relaxing weekend and even though this post has nothing to do with our house we thought you all would sleep better at night knowing that we haven’t forgotten how to be normal. If only for a weekend.
drainage report: installation and backfill
Work weekend #4 began Friday afternoon when Kyle came home early to get a jumpstart on the waterproofing.
Normal people go to Happy Hour on Friday afternoon, crazed homeowners apply waterproofing.
First he applied a thin coat to the cold joint between the existing foundation wall and new concrete footing “enhancement” that we poured last weekend.
Next he used a heavy-duty roller brush to apply the thick substance to the concrete wall. A chalkline snapped 6″ below the shingle siding gave him a clean line to work with. [Apologies for the crazy harsh light, but you get the idea.]
The product we used is, technically, a liquid cold-applied elastometric waterproofing membrane system. Yeah. Basically it dries to form a durable membrane to keep water out. It was thick, smelly and cumbersome to work with. By the time he was done Kyle had (without question) ranked it in the top 5 least-pleasant home improvement projects. To make matters worse, we missed a friend’s gallery show that night because he literally couldn’t scrub the splatters off until I made an emergency run for paint thinner. [Tip: if you take this on yourself, wear long sleeves. Or better yet, a disposable jumpsuit that can be thrown away when you’re done.]
We let the waterproofing dry overnight and on Saturday began installing the drain mat. We used a produce called MiraDrain – the mat comes in a large roll with a dimpled-plastic material on one side and a felt filter-fabric on the other. The dimpled side goes against the foundation wall and helps relieve hydrostatic pressure buildup that can come from an increase in groundwater after a heavy rain. The roll we purchased is 4′ wide but can be easily cut with a utility knife.
Kyle bought a rubber cleat that gets fastened to the wall and helps hold the drain mat in place. In short, it was a pain to install and didn’t really hold the mat in place so we removed it and let the pressure of the backfilled dirt do the job instead.
With the drain mat in place, we installed our EZ flow drains and connected them to the tight-lined pipe that we installed two weekends ago. [Water that collects in these drains will flow to a perforated pipe located 10′ away from the house in the front yard.] The pre-assembled drain can be cut to fit – you just need a zip tie (as seen in the drain on the left above) to wrap back around the netting to keep the foam aggregate in place.
The final step before backfill was to install the drainage for the downspouts. We chose to use a 2″ white PVC pipe for the portion that would stick out above grade and then connect that to the black ABS pipe with a rubber coupling. This allows us to easily remove the downspouts for yearly maintenance or if something gets clogged. From the north side of the house, the pipe wraps around the west side and along to the south, sloped at 1/4″ per foot and tying into the porch downspouts to pick up the flow in one single run. [We have one downspout on the backside of the house that is already tied into the drainage system.]
And finally – bobcat. This time we rented a front-end loader since our main objective was to push dirt back into the trenches. After about 30 minutes of work, Kyle got the sneaking suspicion that once again, something wasn’t quite right. Turns out that there was another problem with the hydraulics, but this time they sent someone out to our house with a new piece of equipment. Phew.
And no, it wasn’t all fun and heavy machinery – lots of good ol’ fashioned manual labor was employed. At some point I simply gave up and embraced the dirt. I think I need a post-drainage spa package. Spa Nordstrom has that, right?
We ran out of time to return the bobcat on Sunday evening, so Monday morning it was. What better way to start off the work week than a bobcat ride across your front yard? Good morning neighbors!
So here we are – the south yard. Are you feeling it? Can you envision a small seating area surrounded by lush native plants?
And the north yard – a blank slate for our recycled large-scale pavers and a tree or two?
We’ll get there.
We still have some “micro-grading” that needs to happen and then we’re going to focus on the hardscaping before the rainy season is upon us.
baby animals
A week or so ago I caught Felix snoozing on the IKEA Poäng chair that we bought when we moved to Seattle. It reminded me of another baby animal…
When Bailey was 11 weeks old we were renting a small house and had just started looking for a fixer-upper of our own. A lot has changed in 5 1/2 years and lucky for Felix, he missed out on all of the craziness in between.
Or maybe not. Can you imagine how much fun a kitten could have in a gutted house?
In other news, we’ve been so busy with the yard project (updates coming soon!) that we haven’t had a chance to write our blogiversary Q&A post. So in the meantime, if you have any other questions feel free to send them our way!
