Stripped - UPDATE

So many other things in the way of small, "less important" projects, but this weekend I was able to put an hour into finishing the stripping of the front door.

We still haven't decided whether its going to be a flashy color (chartruese, orange, royal blue) or whether we are going to stain it.  Part will depend on how the garage door strips.  If we can get both in decent shape, we'd like to stain and allow the natural wood to come through.

Grasseth Ruineth, Grasseth Groweth

So, short version -- the failure of our sprinkler system combined with our absence from the "new house" has taken a toll on the lawn.  Its died in a bunch of spots.

I recently had a company out to aerate and slit-seed . . . and now we are growing some grass back!

Its not ALL good news . . .

. . . so, I think I'll have to make a second "re-seed" attempt, but we are making some progress in repairing the damage that I've caused.

Kitchen Color Palette is Set

So, not much happening at the house that is "showable."  We are moving ahead.  Framing of the kitchen is nearing completion.  We are waiting on the skylights before cutting holes in the ceiling, though.  Plumbers will be in this weekend and next week to do their stuff. But none of that really photographs well.

Last week, though, Laura and I, along with our Architect, Mason Miller, decided on the final color palette for the kitchen.

Along with the Abstrakt White Gloss (for base cabinets):

It was tough finding an image that showed it properly -- the bottom cabinets here from IKEA's catalog show them rather well.  Their web site didn't show any gloss on the faces.  We got gloss.

Also, we are going with the Sofielund light gray for the uppers:

The whole effect will be somewhat like this (with different counters and no top lighting):

The Island, which will be topped and wrapped down the sides with Caesarstone is getting their "ginger" color, which also didn't really show up well in their promo photos:

Essentially, its this color:

I'll see if I can dig up a sample of the tile floor that we are going with for the mud / laundry / powder room and post that soon also.

General Update

A whole bunch of things happening these days -- not many as dramatic as the rip out of the walls.  Although the removal of the ceiling in the great room was pretty excellent:

The ceiling in the Living room / Dining room is now gone all the way up to the roof boards.  Its in a pile there in Margot's play room on the floor (behind the yellow-topped ladder).  Note on that wall to the right of the doorway, there is a cut out hole.  That is the GC exploring to see if there are going to be any issues in installing one of the two support posts (there weren't).

Another shot of the ceiling -- in its current resting place on the floor.

Looking toward the Kitchen.  Most of the ceiling removed.

Similar view, but now with the massive support beam and supporting posts installed.  One beam is to the right of the doorway.  The massive beam is above the ladder.  The other support beam is behind the ladder.  The newly framed wall is temporary, to hold the beam while the supports were installed (i.e., so the house didn't fall down!).

Another shot of the massive new beam.

Some other stuff:

1.  The kitchen from IKEA (most of it) arrived:
 

When I picked this stuff out at IKEA, I asked "how big" thinking that I might want to put it in the back of my wife's small SUV to save some $$.  I was concered and scared that IKEA described its home delivery as starting at $69.  I wondered where that quote would finish when they tally'd up all of this.

IKEA said that they couldn't estimate size well until after everything was pulled and palleted because it was all flat packed (for later assembly).  But they did estimate it at about 995 kilos.  For the metrically challenged, that's almost exactly a ton.  So, literally, a "TON of IKEA cabinets."  Then, she asked for my zip code.  I told her 60022.  To which, she repsponded that I was in "Zone 1" and the shipping would be $69.  So, IKEA shipped and unloaded a ton of cabinets for less than 75 bucks!

As an aside, I asked what if I were a billionaire and bought the whole store -- the entirety of its contents -- would it still cost $69 to ship it to my house?  She said it would.

Well, beyond the kitchen, we got our LED-friendly recessed lighting delivered also:

And, one of the two Kraus sinks arrived for their eventual placement in the kitchen!

Finally, the electricians were at the house last week:

The old panel has been replaced with this snazzy new monster.  And, the old 100 AMP service has been upgraded to 200 AMPs!  As soon as they turn the power back on, we'll be able to plug a whole lot of stuff in all at the same time!!  Blow dryers, microwaves, attic fans, electric heaters, you name it!!

There won't me much happening visually for a while.  Electricians and plumbers mostly for the next couple of weeks.  I will, however, keep posted on the "before" photos and early photos of the lawn renovation.  More on this later.

Dude, Where's My Walls?

My GC brought in the "big guns" this Saturday.  As I was explaining to Laura, there are only about a half dozen "high impact" days, visually speaking, in the renovation project. A lot of the time, though, things don't look any different day-to-day even though things are happening.  Electricians come and upgrade my service and my panel.  Plumbers come and change out galvanized steel lines for copper lines.  They re-route waste lines. They run new lines for sinks and faucets that move.

But there are some seriously "high impact" days.  When floors go down, there is a dramatic change.  When walls are finally painted -- big impact.  When our ceiling (tongue and groove redwood) goes in, it'll be major.  When three skylights are installed - huge.  When kitchen cabinets are place, that, along with counter installation are "big" visual days.

Also, a big day is when wallboards come off.  That was Saturday.  And did they come down with a vengeance!  I'll just let the photos do the "talking."

Adam's crew, filling the dumpster upon arrival.

In the LR/DR looking to what will be Margot's play room / family room.

From the front hallway, looking back to the garage door and through the walls to the laundry and powder rooms.

From the end of the front hallway looking north towards the Living / Dining rooms.

From the NorthEast Corner of the LR/DR - looking through the wall that will be where the Kitchen Island will go.

Same vantage point as above, looking through the wall of where the powder room will be and beyond it, where the laundry will go.

Standing in the kitchen, looking through the wall that will disappear completely and be replaced by an island.

Same vantage point, looking towards the family room and fire place.

Same vantage point as above, looking towards the powder room and laundry room.

In kitchen looking up a bit -- LR/DR ceiling will be tongue and groove redwood.  Three sky lights will be where the pink insulation is right now.

Adjacent to the kitchen front window looking at the old kitchen wall, which will move back three feet and open to create a hallway to the laundry room.

The old third bathroom with the tub removed, toilet gone and tile removed.

Margot running through the house -- FAR less freaked out than we thought she'd be.

A shot of the LR/DR "tray" ceiling structure -- the right side downslope is cosmetic and will be removed to create a higher, flat ceiling all the way to above the island.

Another shot of the existing "tray" ceiling.

And another.

Margot's room with sky-blue painted wood paneling stripped from the walls.

Behind Margot's bedroom wall, the second bath plumbing and also the massive wall-installed vanity.

Another of Margot's room.

For some contrast, compare these of Margot's room in stages:

Let Me See You Stripped Down To the Bone

One of my favorite Depeche Mode songs, very strong version of it live here (song beings about the 1 min mark if you want to skip David Gahan in his skivvys).

Come with me 
Into the trees 
We'll lay on the grass 
And let the hours pass 

Take my hand 
Come back to the land 
Let's get away 
Just for one day 

Let me see you 
Stripped down to the bone 
Let me see you 
Stripped down to the bone 

Well, the door doesn't really have "bones" but to be fair, I don't think that Gahan was literally saying that the object of his affections should strip literally to the bones.  Also, people do say that houses have "good bones" from time to time.

Anyway, the start of the door renovation project was blogged here.  I've since been able to complete the stripping and the door now looks like this.  Sanding next, then we'll have to pull the trigger on whether to stain versus paint.  What color to do for either choice, and then the question of hardware . . ..

Or maybe just leave it "as is" . . . ?

Game On! UPDATED - LOTS OF DESTRUCTION PHOTOS

We have officially started.  No more of the homeowner's own demo.  The pros came in starting this morning.  I had asked, at last Friday's Architect/GC/Owner's meeting that the GC take photos of the demolition as much as possible to allow me to see what was happening.

Ask and ye shall receive.  Here is the kitchen, minus a kitchen (except the Sub-Zero fridge we are keeping).  Stuff should start getting dramatic soon!

That fridge wall will move back about 3 feet.  The wall on the right side of the photo will go away.  Skylights will replace those two fluorescent fixtures.  And the full bath in the distance will shrink to a powder room, losing about 3 feet of space as well.

UPDATE:  I went over to the house to take a few more photos (and attend to my compost pile):

Existing 3rd bath, sans toilet, sink and vanity.

Same from a different angle.

Former laundry room with all cabinets, including uppers, removed.  Compare here, at this link.

Washed out shot of the former kitchen.  The back right corner will be mud room.  The left side will be counters and part of the new kitchen.

3rd bathroom fixtures in their current resting space.  Margot's art on the wall to be removed.  Dead aerobed in the background.  Laundry room upper cabinets to the right.

Fridge, stove, and cabinets removed.  To the right of the door on the far left (which leads to the basement), there will be an opening leading to the mud/laundry room.

Old kitchen sink and dishwasher removed.  We still don't know where the switch for the disposal went.

Removal of the old shop-style fluorescent fixtures.  They won't return.

The old duct work to the stove exhaust.  That wall will go, so we'll have a new duct to handle the 1400cfm blower that I'm eyeballing.

Acouple of shots of the layers and layers of flooring in the kitchen.  To the left, the original plywood subfloor.  On top of that, the black mastic (yeah! no asbestos!!!) which fastened those glorious yellow faux marble tiles.  On top of that, a paperboard underlayment.  Glue on top of that to hold down the brick tiles that were existing.

Kitchen in its new / temporary home . . . my garage.  Seen left, the double stove (one of two, making quad stoves).

Kitchen cabinets in their holding area until their next home . . ..