Life at home

It has been days since my best gals from college came to visit, and shamefully, months since I last wrote. Every fall the ladies and I reunite to catch up on a year's worth of life. We spend the time exploring our local scenery and enjoying the friendships we are so thankful to have. It was my honor to host this year's get-together at home, and a weekend I had planned for since we started moving in.

Once walls were painted, faucets, interior doors and hardware were installed. The garage was painted inside and out, and new utility pipes were trenched from the side of the house to the alley. I guess the one positive of a long, warm summer is that we had time to seed dirt with new grass before the first frost! As appliances were installed, the master closet put together, and dimmers put on light switches, the painters were touching up. In fact there were many days that I thought the painters might stay with us forever. I felt bad that their careful work was sometimes neglected by other subcontractors, but in the end, everyone's work shined through. The last component added to the house was audio/visual equipment and boy does it make entertaining fun! We have the power to control all audio zones from our phones and marvel at watching shows on a sleek, 3D TV. I am glad our security system is of equal design and intelligence!

We moved in mid-August with a caravan of friends hauling pieces of our apartment to the house. Many existing pieces of furniture were put up for sale and items no longer needed were thrown away. Clothes, one king bed frame and mattress, two occasional tables, kitchen items and a washer and dryer were the only items that made the cut. We have had fun picking out patio, living room and guest room furniture; and our dining table is a piece of art which beautifully accommodates up to 8 people. Tip: When picking furniture for a small area, look for light material or glass top surfaces that can reflect light and enhance the size of the room.

There is no feeling like being a home owner, and the pride you have for that space. Life at home is wonderful, and I am so happy to see family and friends around our table every weekend. And as I reflect on the visit from our first guests, I smile knowing that the bathroom mirror easily allows four women to do their hair and makeup at the same time; the grill and smoker cook delicious meals that can be enjoyed with Frank Sinatra playing on the outside speakers; and the kitchen can not only accommodate cooking and morning coffee but also serves as a mini nail salon.

front porch with my gals

my family in the new living room


cleaning the kitchen for move in

Becoming a home

Though it's been a month since I wrote, it has not been slow at our home. We are officially in the "finishes" stage which means the elements that we see and use are being installed. It began with a trip to one of our local tile manufacturers where the shower, floor and vanity tile were selected for the bathroom. Our exterior doors were installed shortly after that, and the hardwoods received the first of three coats of water-based, high traffic clear sealer. We liked the lightness of the floors because it continued to open up the rooms, verses a darker shade that would make this house seem smaller. Chad and I saw our beautiful floors for a few days before they were covered to install cabinets, add base boards and begin the painting process.

Color update - we selected Martha Stewart's "Sisal" for walls, doors and cabinets. Our ceiling will be designer white, and the two window walls in the guest room will be Martha's "Tea Olong."

The summer heat and drought has been tough on our yard so Chad and I have been spending weekends watering (and trying to keep ourselves cool). We cleaned the attic of debris to get ready for the cocoon insulation, and Chad has continued adding to our photography archive. Don't be surprised if you see a before and after slide show one day; it will be impressive!

back shower wall with glass tiles:


clear stain on the hardwood floors in dining and living:

Sisal on the living room walls:

our new kitchen cabinets:

kitchen island and pantry:

Tea Olong in the guest room:

It's a new house

I am very happy to share the latest addition - walls! It's an exciting time when you start to see your living quarters defined. Over the last two weeks, my home has been been packed with recycled insulation and perfectly applied sheet rock. Tip: There are many types of insulation and the most recognized is likely pink which loses its effectiveness over the years. We chose "cocoon" insulation because it it sprayed in to create an airtight seal around the house and keep a comfortable temperature inside.

Drywall has also been applied to the new walls, and we are ready for primer. We are now starting to add the noticeable finishes to the house. Paint and floor stains will need to be picked in the next week and window treatments are already being discussed. We have also started to visit local estate sales and pick up special decorations and utensils. Chad and I will be home sweet home very soon :)

A very special thank you to my Dad. I'm so fortunate to have him do what he does and give us this gift. Happy Father's Day!

in front of the fireplace:

living room:

kitchen:

hallway to guest room (credenza on the right):

master bedroom:

discussing the amazing master bedroom:

Anniversary

Chad and I celebrated our four year anniversary on June 2. I surprised him with a popcorn basket at work, and he gave me beautiful orange red roses on our way to mom's house. We ended the day with a delicious dinner with my parents and grandpa and some very special gifts. I bought him a chiminea for an outdoor, wood-burning fire during romantic dinners at home or nights entertaining family and friends. He gave me something dear to my heritage and a reminder of my favorite culture - an Italian cypress tree. We are very excited to move into our new home and enjoy our gifts!

The garage is straight?

The words muttered by Chad surprised all of us. Dad, Chad and I were so used to ignoring the garage's slanted stance, bowed door and low ceiling that we almost did not notice the improvements that May evening. It might not look like much in pictures, but the garage is fully functional again. With a new roof and proper restructuring, it can now cover my car and protect our tools and lawn equipment. We will soon complete our restoration project by painting inside and out; and although we have plans to build a new structure and access from the alley, we are proud to preserve the existing building for many more years of use.


original garage:


improved garage:

Colors, cabinets and chairs

I never understood why color selection was such a difficult decision....I now understand. Choosing the right color combination was a struggle. I searched through magazines, and Chad set up a method on the Sherwin Williams website to test colors on the house through pictures. I sat in the lawn and in the house stretching my arm out and holding samples. We met with our architect friend Bentley to review popular samples and asked for his thoughts by room. Although they were fun, these options did not produce any complete selection. What did help? The window selection made weeks prior. Dad and I were roaming the house and looking at the new windows when we realized the best selection was one that complimented existing colors of the house and its surroundings. I don't know the exact shade, but I can now confidentially say that the color scheme has been decided. It will be a combination of subtle sand, white and barkish-gray to warm up the house but not taking away it's natural openness and light.

We also made cabinet selections during this time. Kitchen, living room credenza and bathroom cabinets have been customized for our needs and hand-crafted. They will be paint grade verses wood with cabinet doors as the exterior finish. All drawers will fully-extend with self-closing hinges. I'm very excited to see the new additions that will be installed later this month!

Lastly, I wanted to introduce everyone to the first piece of furniture bought for the house - a zebra chair! Chad and I have decided to have a non-traditional living room with chairs and possibly a small loveseat. The room will comfortably fit 6 people and be light enough to move around and add to as needed. We will likely have a his and her recliner facing the fireplace; more details to come soon.

first piece for the new living room:

Sweat equity

The value of this house has largely increased due to the craftsmanship added on a weekly basis. However, it has also improved from the efforts of two, weekend worker bees and one dog overseeing their progress. Per the title of this blog, Chad and I frequently shop vacuum the house's nooks and crannies to keep it clean and dirt and bug free!

One project that we did not anticipate when buying the house was reviving the lawn. We were not afraid of the maintenance but did not realize the crabgrass that covered the lawn and begged us to attack it. We spent hours plucking weeds so the existing Bermuda and St. Augustine grass had a chance to grow this spring, and we had victorious smiles every time we grabbed one of the "big clusters." This will be an ongoing effort, but we have made significant progress. And, I'm happy to report that our crape myrtles are also growing well since our lawn care started . Tip: If you have a house, anticipate buying one or will attend a housewarming party in the future, buy something like this: http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202832533/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053. It's well worth the money and makes weed control so much more productive.

After purchasing my great weed puller, Chad split his time on another heavily layered project. We had a hexagon louvre in the front of the house with multiple coats of paint. It took two different products and three weekends for Chad to clean, but the result is a bare louvre ready for the paint of our choice!

Boyfriend is the supervisor:

shop-vacuuming the kitchen:

shop-vacuuming the living room:

fresh and clean louvre:

one of two blooming crape myrtles in the front yard:

Happiness

I toured my house of new windows after work last night. They are so impressive and well worth the wait. This is one of my favorite views in the world...I can believe it's my living room.

A new view

I picked out windows and a new fence within the first week of renovation. Both have such a positive impact on the view from in and outside of the house.

There was some discussion about adding the fence only because our intention was to access the garage from the alley one day, but everyone agrees that the 8ft cedar fence has completely transformed the view - it's very serene seeing tree limbs above and removing views of neighbor's clutter and alley roads (good pick Mom and Chad!). Tip: You should apply sealer to the front and back of your cedar fence each year to persevere it. Sealer should be used two or more times the first year since the wood is generally very dry.

The windows have been in production since late March, and I'm happy to say they are being installed today! Dad and I are as happy as kids in a candy store. We have been looking forward to the new additions for a very long time and can not wait to start using the casement windows in the front of the house. The large one in the kitchen reminds us of having lunch at a European cafe. A special thank you to my Grandpa too for allowing us to have all new windows.


Original backyard with chain link fence:


new cedar fence:

backyard gate to alley:

kitchen facing south - our bistro style casement window:

corner kitchen windows:

new guest room windows:

For the love of attics

My Dad has a fascination with attics. I tease him about it mostly because I'm not a fan of climbing up there, but his completely sensible rationale is to make the most out of every space in the house. Not only does Dad ensure its an asset, he makes it a stylish, livable space. Chad and Dad bond over the attic layout - how the HVAC unit is off to the left and vents tied to the ceilings, the lights that are positioned over the highest part (also the walkway), and even the minor step up that could not be avoided because of my recessed lighting in the shower. I found them up there again the other day as I was vacuuming the house! While I truly appreciate what Dad is doing, I will leave attic discussions to them. Tip: Attics are great places for storage. Proper insulation and a good roof will ensure your belongings are well protected.

Updates to the attic have always been thoughtfully planned out. Early in the process, we found out that the house and garage roofs had to be replaced. I had two layers or wood shingles plus a layer of regular shingles on the house alone! Therefore, the attic and anything below were not updated until shingles and roof particles were done falling. I'll be the first to admit that the new attic and all the house mechanics up there shine like new pennies. I'm a happy homeowner!

New HVAC with exposed house roof:

Tearing down the garage roof:

New weathered wood roof for the house:

The new floorplan

My golden (26th) birthday was always a big milestone for me. I knew at an early age that it meant adulthood and had high hopes for those experiences. Given such an anticipated year, one would think that I treated myself to a lavish gift. What you (or I) didn't anticipate is that gift would be filing for my construction permit.

After a half hour wait outside the city building followed by 40 minutes explaining renovation details, Chad in his business casual attire and I in my three inch, black heels walked out with a permit and our contractor IDs. We were excited because it meant the new floorplan could begin to take shape.

Demolition started in mid-March and was the first official phase of renovation. I thought the tearing down of my newly purchased walls would be the hardest part. It was the BEST part! I was happy to see the diner-style kitchen tile go away and the vinyl record pattern ceiling crumbled on the floor. Seeing this house so exposed made it feel more like a place willing to be a personalized home. That was when I really started to fall in love with this precious house.

Original floorplan:

New floorplan (modifications made along the way):

Original kitchen looking at south window:

South side of kitchen in demo phase:

Let the transformation begin!

In February my level of home renovation expertise comprised of locating the nearest Home Depot. I had always visited job sites with Dad; but when you are seven, you are more interested in playing with the owner's dog than examining the subfloor's condition. Tip: The subfloor is the layer of plywood on top of the floor joists and below your "floor" (carpet or hardwood). If your subfloor is not level and stable, it will negatively impact your entire flooring system.

Luckily we had good subfloors, but there was still a lot to do in this little house. The excitement made it difficult not to tackle everything at once. What would happen first? As it turns out, I would start like everyone else building or renovating a house...manual labor.

Before demolition could begin the basics had to be stripped and/or exposed. This included a completely drenched Chad after 8 hours of pressure washing all brick and concrete; an oddly pleasant experience to the city dump where 4+ truck loads of interior doors, miscellaneous furniture and scattered trash were taken; and the removal of jail-style window screens and Cookie Monster-blue carpet. We had a blast getting rid of the grim and seeing the cleaner result!

Original state of Morton:

Screens removed, pressure washing complete:

Second bedroom looking at the den with blue carpet:

A Family Affair

My closing was February 17, 2011. I started the day in a conference room with my Realtor, loan officer and one supportive Momma, and signed my name on well over 100 documents. After a brief meeting with the previous owners and getting my keys, I stopped at a local eatery in the new neighborhood and headed home to use my housewarming gifts from Dad (a broom, contractor's trash can, dust pan and rake). Chad joined me for lunch on our front porch, and I spent the rest of the afternoon sweeping floors and throwing away belongings that were left behind. Before I knew it, we were gathering the family and pets around an aged coffee table to have the first of many family dinners at home. This picture shows on of the most cherished memories I'll ever have, and I'm so grateful to have it.

It all started in January....

As I began another day at the office, an excited family friend (and my Realtor), Ryan Streiff, called to tell me about a listing that hit the market about 24 hours prior to our conversation. I should preface by saying Ryan had indulged my recent interest for learning about Dallas' peak real estate areas. We would visit homes of interest so he could tell me about their advantages, and Dad could teach me what to look for structurally. Rarely did this experience result in purchase consideration. That was until this gem entered our lives....

The home is part of a post-war neighborhood built in the 1940's for soldiers and their families. Pier and beam foundations and better quality materials (mostly) are to credit for the longevity and strength of these homes. Tip: Pier and beam is commonly referred to as a poor foundation and associated with cracking walls. In reality, pier and beam is a great option because it offers a convenient crawl space for utility repair, and it's less affected by climate changes and shifting ground. It's unfortunate that the garage was not built with the same intent; but we were lucky that the dilapidated building was included since you have to have an existing structure and/or slab to build a garage in this neighborhood.

With a good understanding of the exterior, we were anxious to see what awaited us inside. As you breathed in the musty smell of old insulation and moved through rooms with walls thick from years of over-coated paint, you saw a house that never really changed from the day it was built in 1949. Sure, there was newer tile here and updated light fixtures there, but that was only makeup. Just as a gemologist can find a diamond in the rough, so could my Dad see the full potential of this home. That knowledge mixed with support from Chad, family and friends gave me the push I needed to make the final decision - bid on this house!

There were many bridges to cross before closing, but it was a great feeling to see my name next to the Owner's line at the end of the process. This house has already given me more than I anticipated.