Sunday, December 28, 2008

Ugly Sunday

It's another rainy day here in NC. It's 60 degrees. The coffee is brewing. The cats are fed, and I'm trying to decide what to do today.

Since it's raining, I thought I would turn my attention to the inside of the house. Below are pictures of the house as it was when I purchased it.

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This is what the living room looked like when I first saw the house. It's a shame that a house with such character and bones was covered up by what has been said to be an "explosion of potpourri."

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I've spent some time remodeling the bathroom and living room over the past year. I ripped out almost everything in the bathroom. I replaced the original tub with a larger fiberglass unit. I installed ceramic tile to protect the walls around the shower. I removed and replaced the window trim with a pvc molding. Everything has been caulked tighter than a drum.

A work in progress - the bathroom.

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Have you ever tried to install a 60" tub in a space only 59" wide?

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The new tile - installed.

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And finally, the almost finished project. I still need to paint the 'crown molding', install the toe molding on the floor, and lay two small pieces of tile behind the toilet. I've got a new toilet seat too that just can't seem to get itself installed.

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With the bathroom finished, I moved on to the living room. I removed all the baseboards and installed new ones. I scraped and repainted all the window frames. At the entrance to the hall, the door and frame were removed to make a wider opening. I created an arch to match the existing one leading to the dining room. The front door was replaced this summer with one that matches the cottage character of the exterior. I'm very happy with the way it came out even though it was improperly installed by a local handyman.

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The finished room.

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Sorry about the blur. I was tired.

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Instead of crown molding, I painted a 2" wide strip around the ceiling. With plaster walls, it was impossible to get the clean, crisp line I wanted.

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Next on the agenda is the hallway, dining room, and larger bedroom. I'm not sure when I'll get to all of that as finances are running tight with a downturn in the economy and work. I have most of the materials, but as we know, we never have everything and it all costs twice as much. Still, I've spent just over $1000 on the interior so far. Money well spent in my opinion.

Time to get my butt in gear and remove the last of the wall paper border in the hallway off the kitchen.

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10:45am and the sun is out. The clouds are clearing and the temperatures are rising. Time to get dressed. The wallpaper can wait.

4:22pm. It's raining again - 67 degrees. Just a light drizzle. What happened to winter? Wouldn't you know as soon as I got outside, it started again. I did manage to get the wallpaper border down in the kitchen hallway. Now I need to clean up.

7:19pm. It's raining. Again. 65 degrees. Now I know we've been having drought conditions for the past couple years, but enough is enough. Come on.

4 comments:

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

I love your cottage and can see why you liked it when you first saw it. You've done great work on it, colors are soothing. Look forward to seeing the whole place finished and furnished.

Look forward to seeing your gardens as they fill in and mature. Keep up the good work.

Hope 2009 is a good year for you.

FlowerLady

Tom - 7th Street Cottage said...

Thanks. I'm really hoping to see it furnished one day too. When I lived in Charlotte, I had a condo. When I sold it, I sold most of the furniture too. It was just too much to carry with me not knowing where I was headed. Plus, it was bought for a different space and time.

I've found a leather sofa that I want. And a dining room table/chairs. I just don't want to buy anything until I'm done with sanding plaster and drywall.

It's raining again. I did get some nandinas cut down and pulled out of the bed in front of the dining room. I wish my gardenias were rooted well enough to transplant. I think they need another month or two.

Thanks for stopping by. I'll be here all day. :)

Signe said...

Your cottage is fantastic. You realy did a good job with it. I am sure it will be furniched some day to.

Dirt Princess said...

So when can you come to my house? lol!