Walls and Floors!

Well, it's a miracle, but the house is starting to look like a place that humans could inhabit! Meaning, of course, there's lights that turn on, paint on the walls, and as we speak, the floors are being resurrected from a very shabby state. Ben and I spent a great deal of the weekend painting, while Jack helped out in the entry way--putting a skim coat of plaster over the ceiling, and beginning to patch the walls in that area. We all worked very hard and got a lot done. Kim came over and magically made the sinks work, too, which is a big deal.
The floor refinishing will be done on Tuesday, meaning we can walk on the floors in socks Tuesday night. We'll need to give it more time before we can put down area rugs and furniture, but that's okay. We'll start gradually moving our things in the back part of the house, where we can access the kitchen, basement, and laundry room, which can act as a storage place while we're waiting for the floors to do their thing. Behold, photos:

Remember Last week?

Paint and some lights make a big difference

Painting the den.

Jack's work in the entry way

Am absolutely thrilled to see a working outdoor light! (back door)

Painting the downstairs bathroom.

 Quit a difference between the sanded and un-sanded floors!



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The next big thing!

Well, the last few weeks have seen monumental progress! Kim has finished the plumbing, electricians have come and gone, insulation has gone in, doors have been dipped (more on that later), wainscoting has been put in, and now---sheet rock! Glorious sheet rock. Never have I appreciated the beauty and allure of gypsum and paper, and never would I imagine how strange it is to have walls! Ben and I walked around the house after work yesterday, after the first day of drywall installation, and we just can't believe the transformation. It's obvious to say, but it's such a change in so short a time, it's downright disorienting. In a good way...

Ben's been working away at creating a shower pan that won't leak for the new upstairs walk-in shower, and I've been hard at work stripping the old lead paint off of the windows, and uncovering some beautiful copper finished window hardware (why of why did anyone ever paint it brown?!) Pictures below.

So pretty without the paint!

All the window got re-roped, courtesy of Doug

Shades of new electrical

Before and now

The Bathroom upstairs!

And now, the story of the front door:

So, the front door, is, in my opinion, stunningly beautiful. But, it had been painted a dispiriting brown color (this has been a running theme both inside and out of the house, and it is a shame). Well, we were told of a place that 'dips' doors so as to remove the paint, and restore the wood to its natural state. We took off the front door, and replaced it with an attractive piece of plywood and had to use the back door for a few days. We also dipped the door that will be used in the upstairs bathroom. Below, you'll see a photo of how the entry looked before (I wasn't able to find a picture with 'just' the door, but look right, and you'll see it open).

Well, here's two shots of it after it was returned to us as bare wood, and as I stained it (the blue on the beveled glass in the stained picture is just painter's tape to protect the glass--nothing fancy.

Pretty nice, eh?

Here's a shot of it hanging where it lives:

I love my door, so thank you for following me through that digression.
Now, to the exciting part! Sheet rock! Here's some before and after shots for you!

Here we have Mom, Ben, and canine construction crew member Sophie, after we installed the insulation and archway between the dining room and living room this weekend.

Here is the same room last night!

Below, you'll see a VERY 'before' shot--this was on the day that we had the home inspected before we'd actually bought the place and started this journey...this was the dining room then:

This is the dining room now:

It's at a slightly different angle; but I hope that you, dear reader, will appreciate the absence of the faux wood paneling and the higher ceilings. I'm wild about the archway as well.

The paneling on the walls are the beginnings of our wainscoting, which will be painted and trimmed. It was common for houses of that era, and we like the effect.

So, that is the current update for the Loftis House on 32nd Place! The place is changing so rapidly now, tonight's project is paint selection and we've already purchased the main light fixtures for each of the downstairs rooms. It's so much fun to start forming the personality of the house, and it's becoming easier and easier to imagine the outcome--which is a much-needed light at the end of the tunnel. Speaking of the end of the tunnel, it now has a date! We move out of our apartment by December 31, so we will be at our new address full time in no time! The prospect of moving is daunting in itself, but I find solace in the idea that it will be our last big move for quite a while. The house is coming along beautifully, and I don't imagine I'll want to live anywhere else in the foreseeable future!

Thanks again to everyone who has given so much time and energy to helping us! We've had wonderful support from family and friends, and the outcome is really emerging as a lovely place to call home. We'll have more pictures to come soon--and I anticipate being all the more motivated to post them as the house looks more and more finished!