living + dining reveal
Ok, disclaimer – the living and dining room are not 100% done. From a construction standpoint they are finished, but we still have lots of smaller things to complete. For the dining room, this means new chairs (we now have our hearts set on Eames fiberglass shell chairs in mustard with maple dowel and chrome legs – I’m sure we could find that on Craigslist…) and possibly a new DIY table. For the living room, we’re hunting for a large rug to go under the new couch and coffee table and one (or two!) Eames LCW chairs. Then there’s the media cabinet that needs to be built and art to be put on the wall (some we own, some we have ideas about). Of course the barn doors and loft ladder are still MIA, but one of those projects is in progress and the other is next in line.
Point being, it’s going to be a while before the spaces are truly done, but we figured we’d at least show you where we’re at now and then continue to update photos as things progress. (I’ve also been trying out my new camera lens. It’s a huge improvement over the old one, but I still have a ton to learn.)
We designed the dining room and pendant location so the table could work in its long position (as shown) or be shortened or turned 90 degrees. In the event that we have a big dinner party, we can scoot the couch down and add our fancy card table extension (hey, nobody knows when there’s a tablecloth on top!).
The couch and coffee table are from BoConcept. It was our first time purchasing something from them and we had a really great experience. Both the sales team and delivery crew were fantastic. The reason we went with a BoConcept couch is that they are highly customizable but not as expensive as other options we looked at. For our piece, we chose the configuration, size, fabric, legs and arm rest width (there is a lead time, for us it was about 3 months). We chose a sectional to provide a bit more seating space and help define the living area from the dining area. The fabric is a dark brown felt. We are trying to teach Bailey to stay off the new couch and while he is good about it when we’re at home, simple forensics show that he’s not so innocent when we’re not at home.
We still have our old dining chairs. Blah. I looked into buying new gray slip covers as a temporary fix a while back, but IKEA has changed the seat size of this chair so the new covers were too big. Oh well, the slip covers were also $40 a piece so I was glad not to spend $160 for a temporary solution.
By varying the ceiling shapes, we provided definition between the different spaces. The vaulted ceiling and skylights create a more open-feeling, brighter space, while the lower ceiling and exposed dark joists in the living room lend a cozier feeling to the living space.
After demo, we found the word “Carkeek” written on one of the living room joists. After a little research we discovered that there used to be a Carkeek lumber mill north of our neighborhood. Fun fact.
Our new coffee table is also from BoConcept. This is actually the first coffee table we’ve owned so we’re pretty excited about it, let alone its magical properties. Behold!
Extra storage plus couch-dining capabilities (which I think is funny considering the dining table is a few feet away). It’s still mostly empty but we’re planning on stashing magazines, coasters, and other odds and ends in its cubbies. It would also be an excellent place for remotes…if the TV was in this room. Instead, the pile of remotes sit on a chair in the flex room. Oh well.
Bailey kept forcing his way into shots, such a prima donna.
The flex room/bedroom is serving as a TV room for the time being. We moved our old couch in there and did our best to hide the college-era TV stand. Actually, of all the places we’ve lived this is the first time we’ve ever had a second bedroom and it’s a luxury we’re still getting used to.
Lots to do still but it feels great to finally be at a point where we can think about the little details and finishing touches. You never know…I might even get crafty.
2010 year in review
It seems like this week is all about year in review posts, so we’re jumping on the bandwagon too. This was a big year for us – we took on our largest project to date and lived to tell the tale. Here’s how it all went down…
In January we started collecting samples and finalizing the design for the kitchen/dining/living room. We also made a crazy Excel spreadsheet to help establish a budget. I’m pretty sure we don’t want to go back and compare it to how much was actually spent. Yes, it ALWAYS costs more and takes more time than you initially think. Still, we saved tons of money by doing the work ourselves and carefully choosing products and materials.
2009 was the year of the exterior, but by the time we were done painting we didn’t have the energy to finish the mudroom. So we gave ourselves an ultimatum to finish the space before we started demo in the house. Such a small space, but surprisingly a lot of work!
During March, we made final preparations for demo day and begrudgingly finished the mudroom (though we’re really happy with how it turned out, even if it’s still not 100% done).
In April, we DEMOED! We invited a bunch of our friends over to help and were blown away by their enthusiasm and destruction skills.
One of my favorite memories was watching the guys stomp out the ceiling from up in the attic. Lath and plaster dust for all! Sawing out the kitchen ceiling was not as poetic, especially when one chunk swung into the bedroom wall on its way down.
At the end of the day we had transformed our tired old house into…well, a barn.
We spent the latter part of April and most of May in framing mode, which included sanding and refinishing our 100 year-old joists and installing the painted MDO above to serve as a subfloor for the new loft. (FYI – the loft was not part of the original plan, but after demo we decided to just “throw it in”. This probably explains why it’s still not finished.)
Of course we couldn’t do something easy like flat ceilings…
In June, we focused on installing skylights, tension rods and rigid insulation in the vaulted ceiling.
Our friend Dustin spent several Saturdays helping us out and we were sad when he (and my sister) moved to Texas. So much for the “Everyone move to Seattle!” campaign.
July brought electrical rough-in, which is probably the most boring thing to blog about.
See what I mean? At the beginning of August it didn’t look too different. But this month was different, we were on charrette to meet our (revised) September deadline (charretting is architecture-speak for work like crazy and get little sleep until it’s done).
With the electrical work finally done, it was time to wrap our house in furry blue insulation.
We also installed the plywood vaulted ceiling and then the drywallers came to work their magic. Besides the Silestone countertops (which we couldn’t install ourselves), this was the one thing we hired out and it was worth every penny. (On a side note, the room seems especially narrow in the picture below. Weird.)
The first two weeks in September were spent priming, painting and installing the cabinet boxes, counters, lighting and appliances. We had planned a big party at the house for my 30th birthday and even though it wasn’t done, it was close (if you kinda squinted).
We kept working on the kitchen, but the big project for October was the cork flooring.
In November we focused on finishing the kitchen – custom shelving, plywood wraps, and a quick break for Thanksgiving (though thankfully, not at our house!).
It should be noted that Bailey was, for the most part, a real trooper and put up with all the craziness of this year. In the end, we learned that he didn’t really care what we were doing as long as he had a place to sleep and got fed twice a day (whether it was via two plastic bowls on the floor or a custom dog bowl holder).
And in December we finished the kitchen!
We also finished up the stair cabinet and decorated our house for Christmas. (Our new couch and coffee table were also delivered!)
As this year comes to an end, we’re finding more time to relax but also chipping away at the things that are unfinished. We’re hoping to wrap up the loft, loft ladder and barn doors in the next month or so.
So what will 2011 bring? We don’t have any more walls to knock down so we’ll be focusing on smaller projects. And really, we’re excited about that. We also have tentative plans to do some landscaping this summer. 2011 will also be about refilling our remodel penny bank so we’ll have to wait a bit to tackle the basement or the eyesore of a garage in our backyard.
Finally, a big thanks to everyone who reads this blog. Your comments and encouragement go a long way in motivating us to keep pushing forward. Seriously, how did people remodel their homes before the internet? Were there local support groups? Y’know…places where you could throw around words like Expedit and Akurum and people would know exactly what you were talking about? Regardless, we’re glad you all are out there and that we have this great forum for exchanging information and sharing ideas. Here’s to 2011 and all the projects it will bring!
back to work
I hope everyone had a great holiday and safe travels! We spent the week in Oklahoma with our families (the photo below was taken from the back porch of my parents’ house). Highlights included eating way too much, watching really bad Christmas movies (it’s a tradition), beating the game of Jenga, and our annual Christmas day scavenger hunt (let’s just say I now have a QR reader app on my iPhone). We were also fortunate to have only a few minor hiccups with our flights (I can’t say the same about my east coast siblings, but at least they made it back!).
So did anyone open any super awesome gifts? Maybe a new Kindle? (Five were gifted in my family!) I haven’t crossed over to the Kindle yet, but Kyle did get me a new wide-angle lens for my camera (yay!) and I also finally got a tripod so I’m looking forward to trying those out this week. Bailey got a fleece blanket from my mom – we picked him up yesterday and he was so tired from doggie Christmas camp (sounds better than “the kennel”), that he slept most of the day.
We both have this week off from work so in addition to some much-needed relaxing (we started the first season of Mad Men last night!) we’ve got a long list of things we want to tackle around the house. Maybe it’s a bit ambitious, but I’d like to undecorate the house, clean out the basement and finish painting the loft (amongst lots of other little things, like plowing through the 800+ posts on my Google reader!). Kyle cleaned out the carport last night and is prepping for a big project that he hopes to tackle this week. More later!
happy holidays!
Besides a tree, we have never really decorated our house for Christmas. Not that I don’t love the holidays (because I do!), but I just never felt that decorating our cracked plaster walls was worth the effort and I didn’t want to spend the money when it could be going to a house project. I assumed things would be different this year, with a virtual blank slate to have fun with, but I found myself instead feeling overwhelmed with a need to make it super awesome and “designed”. Fortunately, after much self-reflection, I think I figured it out – what I love about my parents’ houses and the memories I have as a kid is the pure eclecticism that is Christmas…a look that is the result of years and years of Christmases and the memories they include. It’s mis-matched and yet…everything works. It has meaning. Our house – it looks like I just picked up a few things from Target (which is more or less true). So I’ve resolved to treat our holiday decor like our house decor – choose carefully, take your time and let it evolve over the years.
More importantly though, is it strange that all of our Christmas decorations fit in one tub and yet we own three pairs of dog antlers?
Our tree is still way too generic and not eclectic enough, but we’re getting there. I think a reminder of home and squirrels is a good place to start.
Chuck is feeling quite dapper, but he’s not sure what to make of his new flat-pack friend.
This year I also picked up a set of two dozen snowflakes from Crate&Barrel. They’re simple and inexpensive (painted masonite), but I’m finding different ways to use them around the house. We’ve also started a new Christmas vinyl collection (which is totally eclectic…and awesome).
We’ve also talked about exterior lights, but haven’t had the motivation yet. So, a simple sprig of mistletoe and garland around the ol’ tension rod (didn’t get a good picture, but it looks pretty much the same as last year).
Happy Holidays everyone!
stair cabinet design – part two
Forever ago (August), we posted part one of the stair cabinet design. A second cousin to the fauxdenza, our stair cabinet is a series of IKEA wall cabinets that are fastened to a plinth made of 2×4’s, wrapped in vertical grain fir boards, and backed with painted drywall. Primarily, we needed something that would serve as a guardrail to the new basement stair, but because every inch is valuable in our small house, we decided to snag 12 extra inches and create a guardrail that also doubles as storage and display space. The basic unit has been finished for months, but we spent a long time designing and redesigning the finishes, which was challenging because technically, it is part of the kitchen, dining room and living room. But good news, it’s finally done!
In addition to providing safety and storage, the cabinet has one other feature – it collects the return air from the main floor and sends it back to the furnace. With only 800 SF of living space on the main floor, we just needed one centrally located return grille, so the stair cabinet location made a lot of sense. And then of course we had to design the grille. The photo above shows the final product. The toekick is actually two pieces – the solid piece on the left is attached permanently while the piece on the right is fastened with exposed screws so we can remove it and access the plenum behind if necessary. The two sets of slits were made (very carefully) with a 1/2″ wide dado blade on the table saw. Because we were limited in height, the openings had to be fairly long in order to equal the amount of supply air serving the rest of the floor.
Kyle had the brilliant idea to install a mesh screen on the back to keep Bailey fur and other debris from finding its way into the return duct (and hopefully we won’t have to clean the filters as often).
To do this, he kerfed out some groves on the backside and installed the screen the same way you would on a screen door. (Fortunately, due to a party faux pas by a certain big-headed golden, Kyle has had some recent practice.) Below is a shot of the finished backside, ready for install.
Honestly, the biggest decision hurdle for this piece was the counter. In some ways, it made sense to match one of the counter materials in the kitchen, but we couldn’t justify shelling out the money for a surface that didn’t need to be as durable. Since it’s long and skinny, another thought was to buy a 10′ board and just paint it. This would be an inexpensive, easy solution but unfortunately we needed 12.5″ in depth to cover the doors and common boards are only 11.25″ at most. Finally, we came up with the idea to fab up a countertop out of three different materials. This entailed first buying a nice piece of 5/4 vertical grain fir and a piece of low-cost MDF and then biscuiting and gluing them together.
This way, the long and short edges of the fir would be exposed and the MDF would be totally hidden by the back of the cabinet and side pieces.
The third ingredient – plastic laminate. Now, p-lam can be a dirty word in the design world, but we think if it’s done right it can be an attractive and practical solution. So we bought a roll (about $80 for a 30″x144″ piece), trimmed it down (leaving a little excess on all sides) and covered both surfaces with contact cement.
After the glue was dry, we flipped the laminate over onto the boards and used a small hand roller (same one we bought for the cork floors) to press it into place.
Then Kyle used the router to trim the excess and get a precision edge.
For the “backsplash”, we covered the MDO (which serves as the substrate for the drywall on the opposite side) with extra cork tiles. This took about 20 minutes to install and adds a little something while still being subtle. (We could use it as a tackboard, but since its low and recessed I’m not sure it would be that practical.)
We debated whether to use the white or gray high gloss panels for this piece (one of the biggest challenges with a small open space is how to match things without being too matchy-matchy), but after deciding on a white counter the gray seemed like the logical choice and adds a bit more color and richness. At the exposed sides of the cabinet we cut pieces from a botched dishwasher end panel and screwed them in place from the inside of the cabinet. (With IKEA cabinets, you can buy various cover panels that match the cabinets and are designed to go on the exposed ends of cabinets but also come in larger sheets for whatever your DIY brain comes up with.)
Obviously, it’s feeling a little sparse right now. In addition to extra display or book space, the counter could also be cleared and used as a buffet for once-a-year events like Thanksgiving. We also have ideas about a mail organizer that could sit at the left end of the counter (I’m envisioning a lacquered tray in mustard yellow).
The exposed fir edges of the counter still need to be finished with some benite and poly, but you get the idea.
Three of the four cabinets are filled with books. I was overly optimistic in thinking that all of our books, photo albums and maybe even a few board games would fit. I know there’s room for purging but it’s (for some dumb reason) really hard for me to let go of architecture books. So I’m just going to shut the doors and not think about it for now – we still have the basement!
The fourth cabinet (closest to the kitchen) is the mini-bar/cookbook storage.
Finally, for the hardware, we used the same pulls as the kitchen but in a slightly narrower version.
So there it is, the little stair cabinet that could. Our 1910 house may have been cheated out of the charming early 20th century built-ins that come with most houses of this age, but now it has its own and it better be around for 100 more years.
