Progress So Far - Part Two

December marks the one-year anniversary of when I began the remodel/restoration of my bungalow. This continues the review of the progress I've made so far in order to reflect on how much has been accomplished.

5/06
* Not a lot of work this month due to my graduation. However, I did host my father and sister who were in town for my commencement.

* To date all rooms are functioning - excluding the kitchen, nook and laundry. Lots of boxes still as I need to downsize and organize my things in bookcases, storage units, etc.

* I finally get my Dish receiver installed at the house. Though I saw some great shows on public television, I missed my HGTV and DIY daily fix.

6/06
* Big month for the house. In about a weekend the kitchen, nook and laundry have new floors and new or repaired walls and ceilings.

* The walls are painted Kennebunkport Green from the Benjamin Moore Historical Colors line. It's a deep green with sort of a gray undertone.

* A door that I purchased from Silverlake Yards in installed at the back entry. The doorknob is an existing Baldwin in oil-rubbed bronze with a Schlage deadbolt to match.

* The Schoolhouse Electric and Rejuvenation light fixtures look great in the new space. I also had a reproduction schoolhouse fixture in the nook installed that matches a fixture that was installed in the hallway.

* Kitchen cabinets are selected, purchased and installed. I have a couple of glass fronted upper cabinets for display and I added a pantry cabinet for additional storage.

* I went with a subway tile for the backsplash and same decorative tile to cap off the top. I chose a gray grout for contrast and to avoid trying to keep white grout clean.

* All appliances are installed. I scored a dishwasher for free that works great and purchased a stainless steel range hood for the gas oven. My side-by-side fridge was a graduation gift from my parents. Due to a mishap I was able to upgrade my model at a nominal cost.

* Purchased a D-ring shower curtain ring for the clawfoot tub. Ring is installed and I added two sets of shower curtains and liners to enclose the tub area.

* Glass shelves for the bathroom niches are installed. My washer and dryer are finally back in the laundry room. No more laundromat for me!!

7/06
* With the interior under control, though not yet "done" I start to focus on the exterior. I had the trim painted a warm beige and the window sashes a deep red. I like how the sash is emphasized now instead of blending in with the trim.

* I replaced my failing wood fence with another wood fence made of redwood. The posts are pressure-treated lumber and were secured with concrete. Also the fence boards do not make direct contact with the ground to avoid subsequent decay and rot.

* Installed a timer for my sprinkler system. For fun, I had it installed in the box where the old knob and tube wiring used to be. Now I don't have to go outside in the cold and water my lawn - I can just program a watering schedule and it's good to go.

8/06
* On a much needed break due to school and restoration overload.

* My break is short lived as I begin to think about what projects to tackle next. Interior? Exterior?

Progress So Far - Part One

Progress So Far - Part One

I decided to look back at the progress I've made so far in order to jump start my motivation to finish some lingering house projects. So here it goes:

12/05
I am eager to get started at this point, but who knew what was lurking behind the walls . . .
* I created a spreadsheet to spec out all the materials and fixtures I need. I follow my list pretty closely, though more items are needed to address issues I am not yet aware of.
* One of those issues is a bathroom with a leak that has rotted a large portion of my subfloor. The whole room has to be gutted to the studs in order to start over.
* Go to Lowe's to buy my pedestal sink and toilet only to be captivated by a picture of a clawfoot bathtub. Decide on the spot to purchase a tub - either salvage or reproduction.
* After researching the net and salvage yards for a clawfoot tub, decide to go reproduction. Purchase a tub that blows my original budget, but it looks really, really good.
* Start storing parts and materials in my living room because my house has no garage (it was torn down by a PO). The entire month is dedicated to installing copper plumbing for the entire house, new electrical for the bathroom, hallway and bedrooms (2) as well as replacing the bathroom subfloor.

1/06
* Bathroom tile work is put on hold because I ran out of a black trim tile for my Art Deco inspired bathroom. Picked up my clawfoot tub, which is the focal point of the room.
* Move on to the bedrooms which need the "cottage cheese" on the ceilings removed. Post removal, discover the ceilings have significant cracks and need to be replaced.
* Repair plaster walls for the bedrooms where new electrical was installed. Add more outlets and integrate the phone & cable/satellite jacks for a cleaner look.
* Replace crown molding in the bedrooms with a similar style due to the ceiling replacement (the original crown could not be saved). Add new crown molding in the bathroom.
* Start choosing colors for the rooms. Decide to go with a Benjamin Moore palette using some of their Classic and Historic colors.

2/06
* Still no trim tile though most of the wall and floor tile is on, just not grouted. Install a new window and add casing to match trim throughout the house.
* Decide to add niches with glass shelves based on a picture I saw in a magazine. Realize my bathroom looks very similar to a bathroom shown in a Rejuvenation catalog.
* Add door casing and baseboards to the hallway that match trim throughout the house. Original trim was removed by a PO. Some of the cuts are challenging, but it's all in and looks great.
* Living room is demo'd to the studs. Plaster had a lot of cracks and couldn't be saved so took the opportunity to add insulation. Ceiling is also replaced and discover the room had a faux fireplace.
* New range oven is delivered, but no kitchen yet. So the next three months are spent moving it in and out of rooms as work progresses - a real pain.

3/06
* Hallway is painted. Install schoolhouse light fixture for hallway.
* Purchase a new Craftsman style door made of Douglas Fir and an entry set from Baldwin. New oak threshold built and installed along with replacing portions of front door casing with Douglas Fir (original casing damaged beyond repair after moving metal security door).
* Hardwood floors are sanded and refinished. Living room floor is patched where a large grate for an old, non-working furnace was removed.
* My sister has a baby! His name is Alfredo (Jr.). Work continues at a fever pitch as my parents will be visiting in about a week.
* Replace doorknobs and hinges on several of the interior doors. Doors are solid, 5-panel style. Purchase a rare amethyst glass doorknob from a salvage yard for one of the bedrooms and a green reproduction glass doorknob for the bathroom.
* Living room is wired for electrical, phone and satellite. Install vintage sconces purchased from eBay though not fully functioning yet.
* Trim for all windows (qty=4) and door openings (qty=2) are created for the living room to match what was removed by a PO. Walls and trim are painted. A portion of the baseboard trim is also installed.
* New leather sofa is delivered as well as an Art Deco end table from eBay. Start moving some of my things from my apartment in preparation for my parent's visit.
* Enter the makeshift kitchen of a coffeemaker, microwave and a mini fridge. I use it mostly to heat up food and store my drinks and leftovers.
* My parents visit and see the progress made up to this point. After their visit, I move into the house to stay full-time.

4/06
* Work is sporadic and moving slowly. Focus shifts to completely moving out of my apartment even without a working kitchen.
* Pack my apartment and I am overwhelmed by the amount of boxes I need to move. After pulling several all-nighters, I'm all packed and moved out.
* Get help to move boxes to storage and the house. Start thinking about kitchen cabinets since the salvaged ones I had got ruined.
* Obtain the original building permit for my house. Learn that the house had no original built-ins and cost $2200 in 1924.
* Purchased some great fixtures from Schoolhouse Electric and Rejuvenation for the laundry and kitchen.

Long Time No Blog

I know it's been a while since my last post, but I have a lot of progress to share. When I last left off, I was just starting the kitchen. I am happy to report that the kitchen is essentially done - except for a few lingering projects. I was able to add some new appliances - dishwasher, range oven and a side-by-side fridge with a water dispenser. I also added some great lighting from Schoolhouse Electric and Rejuventation along with some accent lights for my cabinetry. Since my former kitchen consisted of a mini fridge, microwave and a coffee maker and I was washing dishes in my bathroom sink I am thankful to have the ability to cook (and eventually entertain) like I used to.

Here's a picture of the kitchen after the tenant moved out:

And here is the kitchen during the ugly demo phase:

And here's how the kitchen looks today (with adding blinds being one of those lingering projects):

The first picture is a view of the sink and dishwasher. I added copper plumbing and used white subway tile for the backsplash. The second picture is a partial view of my breakfast nook and shows the new Rejuvenation ceiling fixture that coordinates with the fixture over the sink. The third picture shows more of the cabinetry (I have halogen fixtures in the glass fronted cabinets) and my new range oven.

Next Up ... The Kitchen!

Despite my trepidation, I am glad that the restoration has progressed to the point that work on the kitchen has begun. My kitchen is currently a mini fridge and my bathroom sink, so regaining kitchen functionality will complete the interior transformation and allow me to feel truly at home. I have some great fixtures from Schoolhouse Electric and Rejuvenation that I can’t wait to see installed. I will also have a door I purchased from Silverlake Yards installed. I bought a great amethyst and clear glass doorknob set from there as well. I used the amethyst for my bedroom door and the clear glass will be for my linen closet. I went eclectic with the doorknobs, mixing colors here and there to fit the décor of the room instead of going for a uniform look overall. For the bathroom, I have an emerald green glass doorknob to go with the Etched Glass walls and I chose an amber glass doorknob for the Office/Den which is painted Wythe Blue.

For the back door, I will use an existing oil-rubbed bronze egg-shaped doorknob from Baldwin along with the matching deadbolt. Somehow the original deadbolt “disappeared” from the time that I moved out and the last tenant moved in. I’m sure the lock was not defective, but then again I was able to replace it without a problem so I’m moving on.

I’ll post a picture or two of the kitchen work in progress shortly. It was discovered that the ceiling had some curvature in the center – but that has now been corrected and the ceiling looks great. At least I didn’t have to deal with the acoustical ceilings in these rooms. The rooms (kitchen, nook and laundry) should be painted and the floors installed this weekend. I can’t wait to be able to use my own washer and dryer. It will be great to stop stalking the communal laundry room at the apt and wash whenever the mood strikes.

Restoration Update

Around the end of March, I began the transition of moving into the house. I haven’t moved all of my belongings, but since my bed is here and I have a functioning (and larger) bathroom, it made sense to make the transition now. Not that there were no setbacks though. Try 2 broken windows, no attic door and enough rain and wind to make me question my decision to remove my wall heater in favor of installing central heat at a later date. Those setbacks either resolved or set aside, I am enjoying being in the house again. Jolie has finally acclimated as well though she doesn’t venture to the living room and the kitchen as she did initially. I didn’t want her to get hurt crawling around tools and materials so I waited until at least half of the house was livable. Since I didn’t want to leave her alone days at a time, leaving her at the apt was no longer a workable solution either. The eBay sconces are up in the living room, but not functioning yet. The switch needs to be connected to the new wiring. My style throughout the house has evolved – combining art deco, vintage and modern with an arts and crafts flavor. It makes for an eclectic mix, but I’m really pleased with the results.

Restoration Westhaven?

After witnessing the final installation of my front door, I was inspired to try to obtain the original building permit for my house. Who knew it would be so easy? The district office for the County Assessor is nearby so I took the opportunity to track down a piece of my home’s history. The original permit is short, yet informative given it is only a single page. The permit describes my home as a bungalow, built in 1924 and owned by A.W. Grant. No fireplace existed (except for the decorative one) and no built-ins were listed. My house is modest in size (less than 1000 sq. ft.) so this makes sense – there just is not a lot of room to accommodate them. What caught my attention was the street name – Westhaven. Why not Harcourt? Then I recalled during my online library research that several streets in Los Angeles were renamed in the 60’s, so it would not be uncommon for a street to undergo a name change. There still is a Westhaven in South LA, but it is not in the general area where my house is located. I was also intrigued to find out the original cost of my home - $2200. Comparing this amount to prices listed in old Sears home catalogs, homes of a similar size and detailing to mine were generally around $1000. I think the cost on my permit includes the land along with the structure although I’m not certain.

We Have an Entry Door!

After a lot of research and a few visits to lumber yards, I finally purchased my new entry door last week. I went with a T.M. Cobb in the Stickley style made of Douglas Fir. I chose this door because it is a simple door - fitting for a more modest bungalow - and I liked the 3 windows at the top. I will have the door stained to match the floors and will use a Madison entry set by Baldwin in an oil-rubbed bronze finish.

Faux Fireplace Discovery

Upon checking out the demo of the living room, I discovered that a faux fireplace existed at one time. This finally solves the mystery of whether or not my bungalow had a fireplace. Most of the houses on my block have wood burning fireplaces with exposed chimneys along the exterior. Even the real estate ad that led me to the house listed a fireplace in the description.

From my preliminary research, it was not uncommon for houses in the 1920's to have decorative fireplaces along with the woodburning variety. Seeing the ghosting of the mantle and the trim for windows along the wall was definitive proof that a decorative fireplace did exist. It also answers the question of "Why would you have a window over a fireplace?" I have a transom or piano window over the area where the mantle used to be. Since the fireplace is decorative, a window in that location would not be an issue.

I also pulled up the carpet in that area and you can see where a tile hearth used to be. Now it just has a few planks of old wood covering the space. My plan is to use some reproduction Malibu tile I purchased a few months ago as accents along with a colored coordinating field tile. A link to a tile that has the same design (but differenct color) as my accent tile is here.

I happened upon a web site for a foundation dedicated to historical tile by doing a Yahoo Search on Batchelder. The foundation also sells tile catalogs from Batchelder, Catalina, Malibu, etc. I plan on getting a few catalogs to research fireplace designs that I can use or modify to recreate my hearth.

Before and Almost After

Now that the vast majority of the electrical and plumbing work is out of the way, I can focus on decor and getting the house back together. I am very eager to get things finished in time for my parents' visit (they are expected at the end of March!). Sometimes I stress out on what I still have left to do, but I also need to take a look back on what I've accomplished thus far. So here are some before and almost after shots for inspiration as well as motivation:

Bedroom1 Before:

Bedroom1 Almost After:
I went with a cheery color to get me going in the morning. The shot is kind of dark, but you get the general idea. The wall color is Country Comfort by Benjamin Moore. The trim is painted White Opulence and the ceiling Grand Teton White also from Benjamin Moore. I had the carpet removed and the original hardwood floors refinished.

Bedroom2 Before:

This is more of a "Work in Progress" than a "Before" picture.

Bedroom2 Almost After:
This will be a den/home office since I'm short on space. The wall color is Wythe Blue from the Benjamin Moore Historical Collection. The trim and ceiling paint are the same as Bedroom1. I will use this combination for all the rooms for consistency. The great thing about the bedrooms is that the original baseboard and window trim were not removed. I'm also keeping the original windows as well.

Hallway Before: I don't think I have a picture of this particular area. As far as its prior state, all of the trim and plaster in this area were removed by POs and replaced with faux "wood" paneling and trim. Most of the mitre edges did not meet and it unfortunately looked more like a bad picture frame instead of the craftsman-style trim that is in most of the rooms in the house.

Hallway Almost After:

I had all of the new trim recreated to match the existing trim located in other rooms of the house courtesy of my sister and brother in-law. For a small area, there are a lot of doorways! I think the trim makes the space look great now. Here's another shot that shows a somewhat closer view of the trim:

I plan to post more pictures when I've completed these rooms. I'm working on the Living Room now so look for a similar "Before and Almost After" post soon.

Work In Progress

So what have I done so far? My house is a modest bungalow - 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, single story. My focus has been on the interior, namely the bathroom, 2 bedrooms and a hallway. The bungalow's layout is such that these rooms are on one side of the house with the living room, kitchen, breakfast nook and laundry area on the other half. By focusing on the bathroom and bedrooms first, I can move in and continue work on the other living areas with minor disruption to my daily routine. Or at least that's the plan.

Here are a couple of pictures of my bathroom after the tenant moved out:

The first picture is the view of the bathroom looking from the entry. The second picture is of the former shower/tub fixtures. On the opposite side of the bath fixtures is the toilet.

Now the work in progress:

This is the current bathroom layout. It has a more open feel despite the small space. The toilet and pedestal sink are Repertoire from American Standard. I had two niches built in to store frequently used items and to use for display. The shelves are not installed yet, so it may be hard to visualize. I really love my clawfoot tub. It gives the room a period feel that harmonizes well with the other fixtures. I went with white subway tile with black accents along the walls and black and white hex tile for the floor. The wall color reminds me of the old tub.

This is a closer look at the pedestal sink and medicine cabinet. The faucet is American Standard and the towel ring and soap dish are from Rejuvenation. Excuse the dust - I'll do a final cleaning once the bathroom is ready for use.

Inaugural Post - Restoration Harcourt

This is the inaugural post of my new blog - Restoration Harcourt. Here's a condensed version of how I got here: I bought my 1924 bungalow in November 1999. I'm a first-time homeowner and the house had a lot of charm and was also in my price range. I moved in and began small DIY projects - painting, installing dimmer switches, swapping out bathroom fixtures and hardware. I wanted to do more, but was constrained by my budget - or lack thereof.

Fast forward 4 years later and I decided to try my hand at being a landlord and live at the beach. Beach life was fun and I learned a lot being a landlord. Upon close examination, I realized something was missing. I never really settled into my new surroundings and I missed my home and my old neighborhood. As a result, I began the process of planning what it would take to restore my home to its true potential.

But first I had to deal with the condition the house was left in. Years of benign neglect had taken their toll due to the house being a rental property. Now I have the time and more of the financial means to do what is necessary to bring the house back to its former glory.