We've been busy/Welcome guesthouse!

I've been utterly consumed for much of the past year with planning and building a guest house and regrading the back yard. It's been my intention to do a bunch of step by step posts but I never get around to it!

Here's a little summary.

First a before/after:

Polished concrete floors!

Exposed fir beams! Skylights!

Before window coverings...

Tiny bathroom.

Custom shower!

Pebble shower floor!

Gradient stairs!

I built that table! 

Microclover just starting come in; rain garden.

Microclover spreading and rain garden starting to come alive!

Oh, and we got a puppy!!

Finally, a hood!

It took weeks to get it then we discovered that the previous owner had, in keeping with the way he'd done EVERYTHING, only vented the previous hood directly into the attic :( so we had to install a new vent through the roof, etc etc.
But now look! 600cfm and quiet. Yay!











Things I've learned in the hood-buying process: there are basically next to no deals on hoods unless you find them on closeout at a place like "homeclick"; never buy anything from homeclick (terrible customer service and even when something is "in stock" you may not see it for two months(!), hire an appliance installer who can do everything (electrical, roof stuff, etc.)

Meet Berta (the Bertazzoni)

We were on the lookout for a 1950s O'Keefe and Merritt or Wedgewood range but decided that buying something modern would be the safer and ultimately more practical purchase.

Craigslist to the rescue again.

A nice couple wanted to get rid of their brand new gorgeous Italian professional-grade range--they bought a new townhome and wanted something different. I spent no time arguing that selling it for 60% of retail was totally crazy and instead just wrote the check.

We had the gas line extended and happily removed the crappy electric range we'd been cooking on for nearly a year. And then THIS arrived:

I'll put a better picture up when we aren't so busy cooking perfectly-cooked things. (Note the "Forearm Forklift" straps still on the floor. I have to say, these straps were INCREDIBLE. We lifted a 200lb range like it was nothing.)

But back to the Bertazzoni: this thing is an amazing machine!!

Now, to find a hood.... Sigh.

In the meantime:

I was unsure either was done because neither was brown enough, but both were cooked perfectly. I mean PERFECT.

Front Porch! +Sculptura!

After many ridiculous bids, the highest being $5K, I designed this little porch and hired my handyman to frame it. We love it.

Before:

After:

Keep in mind it will blend much better in a few months after it "silvers out" a bit. We are so pleased with it and so are the neighbors. It made my day that a contractor/designer who is going to be building the guest house (spoiler alert!) asked who designed it.

Plus a little bonus I found at an estate sale today:
Russell Woodard Sculptura Chairs, now en route to be powder coated.
Yes!

Front porch

Painting the front of the house really highlighted how terrible the stairs look: failing paint, spalling concrete and that terribly-placed handrail. The quotes for removing the concrete ($700) and building a new front porch ($3000) were way out of budget. Back to the drawing board.

After many conversations with contractors and smart friends, plus a considerable amount of time spent on Houzz, I've just purchased the materials for a small porch. It might end up turning out alright. We'll see!

The general idea (mock up):



With this sort of relief:


The framing:


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Patio and garden

We built some simple cedar raised beds and filled them up with veggie starts. We were a bit late to planting but they are looking good!

The boxes are made of cedar fencing, which may prove not to be the most long lasting, but with major backyard changes coming next year we thought it best to keep it simple in case we have to move them anyway.

And here they are full of future food. 

(Note freshly assembled metal patio furniture from where we'll watch the garden grow. :)

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Location:Patio and garden

Studio design

I've met with two builders now to design a "studio" that includes a sleeping loft, bathroom and separate shed/storage area. The design will be simple, clean and hopefully cost-effective.


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