Now, I know what you're thinking, and... No, it's NOT what you're thinking. I'm not getting involved in an extramarital affair; I'm not someone's mistress (mister?), and I'm not the proverbial "piece on the side." This blog has nothing to do with that... It does, however, have to do with breaking up a home in a very literal sense.
I have been hired by a man whom we shall refer to as "Dr. X" (no, not of X-Men fame... though wouldn't that be AWESOME?!) to renovate his home in return for free room and board. It seems like a match made in heaven, really... He needs work done, I need a place to live... I have a great eye for design and a rudimentary understanding of home renovations... a basic understanding... a crude understanding... I watch a lot of HGTV, does that count?
The reality of the matter is this: I do know what I'm doing when it comes to most projects around the home, but there is going to be a very STEEP learning curve for a few of them. I'm not really great with power tools (to be frank, most of them scare the piss out of me), I can't tell you the difference between a hacksaw and a bone saw (I know one of them is used in a hospital setting... I'm guessing the hacksaw), and I am not the most adept when it comes to plumbing and electrical wiring (I was always taught you hire people for that). I guess it's a good thing I'm a quick learner.
I'm about a month into the project and thus far, it has been a great experience. I've gotten to re-plaster a ceiling, remove some baseboards and flooring (I'm handy with a crowbar, in case you ever need backup in a gang fight) and I've just started painting the room (the color is Sherwin-Williams' "Leather Bound," which, when in the can, could easily also be called "Baby Shite"). I thought maybe it would be fun (or stupid, or insane... only time will tell) to start a blog to show my process and keep track of my adventures in homewrecking... homewreckery?
In the beginning, there was dust... lots and lots of dust...
A
few remnants of old wall paper and protective paper from the floor.
Fun story: This house was built in 1850, and wasn't insulated. In the
1950's, as a way to keep the house warm, the homeowner CARPETED the
walls in this house... seriously. Every room. This room had a blue,
sculpted carpet.
There
used to be a wood stove in that little alcove. The previous homeowners
(of carpeting fame) started to remove the chimney years ago and instead
of properly removing the debris just dropped the bricks down inside the
remains of the chimney... This space will have a vent-free gas stove or
fireplace... that has yet to be determined.
The beautiful bay window that faces the street.
The
corner that has all those bits of old wallpaper (there were LAYERS)
will have library style built ins with architectural molding and accent
rope lighting (behind the moldings).
See
that crowbar? I used that to pry up layers of awful linoleum tile...
and possibly asbestos tile... the jury's still out on that one... But I
did it! And remember: call me if you need backup in that gang fight... I am fierce and mighty!
More of my lovely little mess... this is fun! :D
Did
I mention LAYERS of wallpaper? And horsehair plaster/lath walls... And
I've been cutting out and installing electrical boxes... they're a bit
crooked, but... I'll fix them!
The
radiators in this room have been removed... one of them was filled with
a LOVELY brackish water that went all down my leg and shoe... I looked
like I had juts survived the BP oil spill...
A little blue box? No, it's not a TARDIS... it's one of the electrical boxes I installed! I USED POWER TOOLS! :D
Radiator be gone! This is the little devil that made me look like a baby duck in an oil spill...
Textured
plaster ceiling. I did all this work by myself. It covers a multitude
of sins (did I mention the ceiling was cracked?) and it adds visual
interest to the room.
Another view of the ceiling (and the accent light over the fireplace area).
The
first tragedy... this is the molding that I broke when I was removing
the baseboards from the area surrounding the fireplace... with the crowbar... Bollocks!
Nothing a little Liquid Nails, some wood putty and a fresh coat of paint
can't fix... right? And if I did that to woodwork, well... just remember two words: Gang. Fight.
First
coat of the wall color! It fits with my
theme for the room... You can also see where I removed the plaster over
the chimney... I love the look of the old, exposed brick. Going to
clean it up a bit and seal it so it doesn't erode... more than it
already has.
I
can't wait to get the built ins installed... this corner makes me
sad... But see that little area with that dreadful wood paneling? We're
going to put one of the radiators in there and hide it behind some
decorative grating... second heat source for the room! :D
And... more of the paint color. Thanks to the good people at Sherwin-Williams for this wonderful color! One more coat and we'll be golden! Or, rather... brown. Golden brown... Something like that.
Stay tuned for more shenanigans!
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