Phase MMXI: living room, vestibule and stair gut-rehab

... has begun.

Scope:
+ complete demo (existing walls, ceiling, floors, fireplace... down to the studs)
+ repair floor and ceiling joists
+ install new subfloor
+ install new ventless fireplace, floor plate and fireplace surround
+ install new electrical (fixtures, switches, outlets, phone jacks, doorbell)
+ install new insulation
+ install new drywall (walls and ceiling)
+ repair stairs (rebuild stringer, new treads and risers, sand/refinish wood paneling)
(when budget/savings permit: install handrail and guardrail)
+ install new wood floors
+ refinish front door and vestibule door
+ retile vestibule
+ misc. (paint, install trim, fit-out closet under stairs, install window shades, make it pretty, etc.)

Schedule:

... no more ghetto living room... hard to believe... with your duct-taped carpet, surface mounted electrical conduit, track lighting from the 70s and stairs that are 'this-close' to collapsing... I'm actually going to kind of miss you... but not really...

weekend to-do list

FINALLY, summer... you have arrived!
... it took you long enough... for awhile, I was starting to think that you were going to pull a spring with a no-show... it's okay... all is forgiven, as long as you stick around until late October... deal?

Lots to get done this weekend...

GO TO:
+ Home Depot (sand, grass seed, mulch)
+ Target
+ grocery shopping

OUTSIDE:
+ plant flowers in all the planters and pots and feed roses
+ re-plant Cotoneasters
+ re-plant jade plant and green leafer into larger pots
+ level pavers / fill gaps with soil and grass seed (Bryan's working on it... )
+ paint lampost and housing/casing (July 4th weekend project)

GENERAL:
+ meet with A/C subs for estimates (3 scheduled)
+ figure out back deck design and complete drawings (in-progress)
+ call fence sub to find out if they could pour footings for deck (save us from renting an auger)
+ organize bookshelves (dining room, bedroom, study) (to be completed during the week of June 6th)
+ organize/clean out closet
+ install hardware on basement cabinets
+ organize/clean-up laundry area
+ bag-up items for Salvation Army
+ clean house
+ laundry
+ catch up with emails
+ finish at least 1 of the 4 books I'm reading (realistic goals here... )

8 years of floor plans...

This past March marked our 8th year at 4408... eight years... EIGHT YEARS?!?!

... hard to believe... so much has happened during the course of those eight years... yet... we are STILL not finished gut-rehabbing!

... then again, when are you ever truly finished? I'm starting to wax philosophical...

We have a very ambitious (and exciting!) to-do list planned for this year (and, most likely, into next), hinging on finances, time and no major unforseen hurdles or potholes (... there will always be the unforseen, we just don't want major...).

While assessing what still needs to be done, budget and schedule, I compiled before/after (or rather, current status) plans of the house... basement, first floor, second floor and roof. They are somewhat schematic... I opted not to include electrical, mechanical and plumbing info on this post... who wants to see that stuff anyway?! I'll try and pull together a photo before/after series sometime soon as well...

BASEMENT

FIRST FLOOR

SECOND FLOOR

ROOF
(btw... the plans are flipped, in case you were a bit confused/disoriented... I clipped them from our Green Roof Grant Proposal document... )

... and still going strong!

some backyard eye candy...

A few beautiful NYC urban gardens by Foras Studio.

... yo, warm weather... anytime you feel like making an appearance...

bookworm

... in keeping with spring-cleaning efforts, I've been busy sorting thru/organizing books... lots and lots of books.... so very many books... we have too many... we're addicted...

In managing the addiction, I'm always on the hunt for library storage ideas... one of my favorites is Kartell's Bookworm. It's pricey... and it doesn't hold many books... but it's beautiful! 

powder room sink options

Option A:
Duravit Happy D. Handrinse Basin
$180.00

Option B:
Whitehuas Wall Mount Basin
$275.90

Option C:
Duravit D-Code Bathroom Sink
$92.00

... faucet options forthcoming.

the April to-do list...

... Charlevoix's April to-do list?
+ Lounge on couch... done and doing.
+ Shed winter coat... getting it done while lounging on the couch.

Mine is a little longer...

GENERAL:
+ Assemble Ikea Kassel storage boxes
+ Organize books/bookshelves (front bedroom, study, dining room)
+ Sort thru boxes upon boxes of STUFF from the Michigan house (IN-PROGRESS)
+ Figure out what to do with textiles
+ Wash windows (inside and out)
+ Deep clean the house (top to bottom)
+ Spackle misc. attention areas of walls
+ Finish hanging artwork (downstairs and upstairs)
+ Schedule Salvation Army Pick-Up
+ Spring clean
+ Purchase a few planters/pots and replant plants that are currently in leaky pots

STUDY:
+ Adjust shelves in closet
+ Organize (IN-PROGRESS)
+ Paint and hang pin-up boards
+ Figure out, and purchase, a wood top for hairpin desk legs (budget choice = Ikea; to be picked up next trip)

LIVING / DINING ROOMS:
+ Assemble coffee table
+ Assemble pendant light fixture
+ Replace burnt-out light bulbs
+ Figure out when the Craigslist dude is picking up the giant wood ceiling panel
UPDATE: The Craigslist dude has gone M.I.A. (GASP! No... REALLY???) Oh well... the search for a new Craigslist dude has begun... 
+ Do a bit of creative re-arranging with some of the furniture
+ Figure out what to do with the tv/media console hideousness 
BASEMENT:
+ Organize laundry zone
+ Move misc. items to the basement (sewing machine, tool cart, glass panel)
+ Install cabinet hardware
+ Purchase and Hang smoke/CO2 detector
+ Finish outfitting basement powder room (mirror, shelves, hooks)
+ Construct/Install hook rack
+ Clean-out/Organize front-half (IN-PROGRESS)
+ Coordinate with Craigslist dude as to when he is picking up the 2 skylights

OUTSIDE:
Front Yard
+ Repair bird house that fell from branch and re-hang
+ Clean up front yard (rake up dead leaves, trim/cut down rose bushes, sweep and clean out basement stairwell)
+ Trim tree branches
Back Yard
+ Rake clear all dead grass in backyard and plant grass seed
+ Plan of action for backyard (walkway, tree, plantings, etc.)
UPDATE:
Grass seed is not taking... more drastic measures will be required come May.
2011 Landscaping Plan complete. Follow-up in May.

FEELING AMBITIOUS AND IN-THE-MONEY:
+ Pick up Enje shades from Ikea and install them (needed in the dining room and upstairs)
+ Price out, purchase and install sink/faucet in first floor powder room.

basement update...

photo taken looking east... towards closed off nasty other half of basement.

Looking good... with our crazy tight budget, definite improvement... except for:

1) The electrical and plumbing connections for the washer and dryer.
They bother me to no end... visually, they disturb me. I'd even go so far to say that they are flat out offensive. They scream, "HEY THERE, YOOHOO! YEAH YOU... LOOK AT ME!!! I DISRUPT THE ENTIRE BASEMENT WITH MY INTESTINAL APPEARANCE...".

2) The mammoth piece of ductwork running the entire length of the basement.
How ugly can you get? ... why oh why, dear previous owner, would you place that thing smack down the middle? WHY?

... well, we needed the washer and dryer connections to be accessible... and as for the ductwork, it is just way too expensive to move... so, I'm just going to ignore them. You can too...
photo taken looking west... towards door to backyard.

The bathroom still needs a little attention:

... along with a somewhat long list of other items still to be addressed:

... not to mention some finishing touches, such as cabinet hardware, hooks, some additional shelves and storage solutions, artwork/posters, etc.... aka. the fun stuff!

basement progress...

... slow... but getting there.

Plumbing roughed in. Electrical roughed in. Insulation in. Drywall is up, taped and mudded. Brick wall sanded and primed. Concrete floor patched. Tile floor starting to go in...

... yet still so much to do.
... not loving the tile... but it doesn't offend me, so I think we can learn to live in harmony. Budget ($1.07/sf) beat aesthetic (approx. $3/sf) this time around. It's the basement... I'm keeping perspective.
... we almost gave up on the bathroom. The existing WC booth was raised on a plywood platform... below the plywood was a sand subfloor... yes, sand. Actually, the entire basement floor has been quite the challenge... the existing concrete floor is only about 1" thick... Ideally, we would have loved to have just a nice, high quality, smooth and sealed concrete floor throughout the entire basement... we seriously considered digging up the existing floor, dropping it about 8" and re-pouring the concrete... that way we'd get (much needed) extra head clearance and a finished floor... but budget doesn't allow... $$$$$. Alas, the patching and $1.07/sf tile solution...

Washer and Dryer are scheduled to be delivered next week... stay tuned.

the basement - finishes

Flooring: Home Depot - Marazzi Ceramic Tile, 12" x 12"= $1.07/SF

Ceiling: Home Depot - USG Ceilings, 2' x 2' Panels = approx. $2.00/SF

Paint: Sherwin Williams - Dover White

Washer/Dryer: Home Depot - Amana = $780. for both (super sale!)

Cabinets: Ikea - Akurum base cabinets with Applad panels, white

Countertop: Ikea - Pragel, white = approx. $6.00/SF

Sink: Ikea - Boholmen = $105.99

Faucet: Ikea - Alsvik or Ringskar, both $159.00

Shelves: Ikea - Lack = approx. $20.00/ea.

Doors and Hardware: Home Depot, tbd.

Basement Powder Room Faucets and Fixtures: Home Depot or Ikea or Fixture Universe.com, tbd

the basement

existing plan

new plan

reflected ceiling / electrical plan

... it's time.

I've avoided talking about the basement... I've shirked from posting photos of it... it's a frightening, and embarassing, place... but, it's time to tackle it...

We use it to access the backyard... we use it for doing laundry... we use it as a construction workshop... and we could use it for organized and clean/dry storage (instead, it's a dumping ground)...

So, we have decided to tackle the back half... it will serve as kind of a 'mud room' entry from the backyard, with laundry area, storage closets and powder room. The front half, which houses the furnace and water heater, will be used as our 'workshop' and overflow storage, and will stay unfinished for now...

backyard landscaping - step one

backyard fence