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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Screen door!

The screen door is in. It's essential because this 1952 bungalow was designed with zero opening windows in the living room.

Ka-pow! Yellow.








Also, DIY light cover.



And ugh...I still have to paint the gutters and soffits on the sides of the house. Boo.


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Location:Screen door!

Paint!

Front of the house is painted!

(Painting gutters is misery.)


Body color is Benjamin Moore Gunmetal and trim is Benjamin Moore Graphite. The soffits are painted Sherwin Williams' Plymouth Green.
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Exterior design help, continued.

Well, this is never ending.

We still don't know what to do.

So far we've talked with contractors about tearing out the front steps ($600, even without replacing them), pouring new concrete (a problem because of the crawlspace access), building a wood deck around the existing steps (the contractor spent nearly an hour here, then I never heard back) and, finally, cladding the existing steps in flagstone and tearing out the walkway to also create a flagstone path. Whew.

And it's all expensive.

On top of that, we determined that we indeed have lead paint so the cost just to prep the house properly (requiring removal with an infrared heater) is as much as I thought it would be to do the whole job. We have opted to let the professionals prep the house and remove the lead paint, and we will get to paint it. Yay! (feigned enthusiasm)

Back to the porch though. I think we have to live with it as is for a while. We can move the crawlspace access for $500, which will allow us to landscape the small plot next to the stairs more easily and wait another year or so to build a porch :(  I guess there's no rush, but still....

Here's the mockup:

Upcoming: we are almost finished selecting paint colors!

Exterior design help wanted, Part 2

Here is another mockup of the front porch, this time enclosed in wood painted to match. We like it!

Landscaping success!

After wrestling out 2.75 stumps left behind from the total front bed chainsaw massacre a couple of months ago, we planted a beautiful shore pine and were a little underwhelmed with the results. We needed a professional.



My buddy Doug from Gardenmakers came and removed the last of the stump I couldn't excise and came up with a game plan for us. This weekend, in just 7.5 hours, the front yard was totally transformed!

Here is the rock that went in the bed. Turns out two of the three local stone dealers went out of business and the one that was left wanted a ridiculous amount for a basic rock. Five hundred dollars for a fairly average looking rock?? We went to some other garden shops looking for a "counterpoint to the pine," as Doug put it, and found nothing but birdbaths and gnomes. Then, my buddies and I happened upon a construction site and spotted a rock just sitting there in the mud next to the street... So.....we picked it up and put it in the trunk. Turns out it is some sort of classic local olivine or something, finding new life as a little mountain in our quiet garden.



I really don't think the construction site will miss it.


Another productive weekend at our little bungalow!

I am so excited to get this house painted, but we're getting so much rain it's not going to be possible for a while. Once the painting is complete (I'm budgeting four weekends--one per side of the house, which might be optimistic--I really have no idea) we can start in on the back yard!

Exterior design help wanted!

As spring finally approaches, we are ready to begin planning some exterior renovations. Paint is coming soon, as it's needed badly, but the more exciting planning is around landscaping. We are tackling the northeast bed this weekend, so I'll post pictures of that soon (a landscaper friend recommended building up a bed for our beautiful tree to sit higher up, so that's the goal in the next few days).

The design question now is about how to get rid of the awful handrail that splits the picture window. It's such an eyesore for me and I can't wait to tear it down. (See how much better lifting that tree will look?)

I want to extend the front steps so there is a longer platform/patio beneath the picture window. I am hoping we can resurface the concrete that is there so it will match the new. Here are two mockups: one with poured in form concrete and one in which the vertical walls are clad or created in brick.

(concrete)

(brick)

(Ignore the roof peeking up behind the house--that's a future addition and another story!)

I think the brick keeps the house more inline with the "mid century modest" style that it is.

My questions are:
1) What kind of costs am I looking at here?
2) How much more expensive would it be to use brick?
3) Is it even possible to find brick that matches?

Any input is welcome. Thanks for stopping by!!