Settling in...

We're settling in quite nicely;

I'll be getting some good, professional photos done when the house is really finished.  But for now, here are a few (slightly fuzzy) before and after photos.  You can click on any photo to see a larger version (or if you need to see Buddy's feet close-up).

Before; corner fireplace in the family room ...

After; new fireplace and built-ins, new windows above...

Before; kitchen nook...

After; new windows to the East, built-in banquette perfect for a crowd...

or a cat...

Before; dark cherry cabinets, granite tile counter tops...

After;  white painted cabinets, dark walnut island counter top, light walls and refinished floors ...

During; master bedroom was originally painted "sad brown"...

After;

Before; master bathroom wasn't bad, but there were signs of water damage, so we demo'd it...

Still a work in progress, but I'm loving the glass tile mural, the white painted wall paneling, the glossy carerra hex floor tile, and mostly the light pouring in;

I'll post more photos as I get more of the house finished!

El Porto des las gatos

My wonderful painters, Pablo and Fernando, helped me coin the phrase "El porto des las gatos."  I cut an arched opening in the door to the closet under the stairs for the kitties to access their litter boxes which will be housed there (right next to the new exhaust fan).

I like it because it looks like a large mouse hole.  Basil and Paprika took to it immediately, I'm happy to say.  El porto des las gatos es un exito!

The Move!

No, it's not done, but we've moved anyway.  The kitchen is functional and the bedroom is cozy and the kitties are acclimating.  I'm loving the new house, the neighborhood and the very quick drive to work in the mornings.

I think it's very important to match the stripe in the kitchen towels to the color of the painters tape that's covering the unfinished cabinets.  Gives it a certain flare, don't you think?  :-)
I'll post more photos soon, time permitting.  Well, I'll finish the kitchen and then post some photos...

Part 19: The Master Bath Progress

My excellent painters have been hard at work painting the master bath.  In this photo you can see all of the tile covered with plastic and the final paint color drying.  I'm loving how the soft white on the walls, ceiling and cabinetry sets off the tile mural.

Part 18: The Glamour

The glamour of renovation is unmistakable:  The ever-growing piles of debris, the thick coat of dust over EVERYTHING;

The revolving boxes and crates of supplies in the living and dining rooms;

The toilets sitting in the master bedroom waiting to be re-installed;

the old appliances and jetted tub sitting in the backyard, the holes in the wall where the future new windows will go... someday...

Early on, I bought two plastic Adirondack chairs and set them up for the occasional lunch break.  The crates can be used as buffet tables.  Best $28 dollars I spent.  I call it "Reno Chic."

It's human nature (at least mine) to focus on the pretty and exciting and interesting bits of the renovation process.  But the dust, debris and noise are definitely part of the process.  I'm very, very glad that I wasn't trying to live in the construction zone and advise anyone considering renovating to move out during the work.

Click here for Part 19:  The Master Bath Progress

Part 17: The Cherry Floors

Update:  The floors are looking beautiful!  They've been sanded, stained and had their first two coats of water-based poly.  They'll get the final coat in about another week, after the finish carpenters have motored through.  I'm really happy with the color;  a rich, warm brown that brings out the grain of the wood and shows it's character.

Original Post:
The original hardwood floors are solid Brazilian cherry.  The wood is gorgeous and very hard - but very, very orangey-red.  Not my favorite look for wood floors.

The raw wood is really beautiful.  It looks like oiled teak and if I could get it to stay looking like that, I would have.  Here's a shot of the unfinished cherry that was under some cabinetry we removed.  You can see how orangey the old, oil-based poly made it look;

But putting any sort of durable finish on wood (oil or poly) will "bring out the richness of the wood" - in this case, bring out the orangey-red.  I experimented with a variety of stains;

and decided on a 50/50 mix of Walnut and Jacobean, shown in the middle of the picture below.  This mix brings brown to the floor, which it needs to help cancel out some of the red, without going too dark.

The Real Hardwood Flooring team sanded and patched earlier this week;

The put down the 50/50 mix of Jacobean and Walnut stains, then the water-based poly on top;

The results are very pretty, but definitely more "RED" than I had expected.  My brain is crunching on this info, thinking about how all of the different elements will work with this very rich, browny-red floor...  I haven't decided if I need to make any tweaks to the other elements yet, or if I'm good to go.  I think I'll leave this as a background process for a week or so... Stay tuned....

Click here for Part 18:  The Glamour

Part 16: The New Fireplace Wall

Update:  The Montauk Black slate has been installed around the firebox and is looking pretty fantastic.  It still needs grout, but I'm loving this stone.  It has a "satin" finish, meaning the rock still has some clefts and variations in surface depth, but it's been sand-blasted to a satiny-smooth surface that makes you want to run your hand over it.  Really lovely.  The dark stone blends a bit with the black metal gas fireplace box, making it look a tad bit less modern-gas-insert-y and will be a lovely contrast to the white painted mantel and shelves with the dark wood floors.

Original post:
Hector's been installing bookshelves, a mantel and trim for the new fireplace in the great room, along with new trim for all of the new windows and new front door.  He has a good eye and great attention to detail and does beautiful work.  His nephew, Francisco, is quiet, likes to listen to Mexican dance music on his phone as he works and does an excellent job.  They've matched the new with the old and work so fast, it's blistering.

Here's the fireplace wall, mantel, bookshelves and new windows all trimmed,  It's just as I'd imagined when I first walked into the space.

Click here for Part 17: The Cherry Floors

Part 15: The front hall

Finally, the clumsy, tiny front hall closet is a thing of the past.  The structural support has been addressed (larger, longer beam above, sistered joists below), and the drywall is in.

Here's the hallway before;

And here's the hallway now;

Please ignore the old kitchen drawer boxes, which were on their way out the door.
The hall went from 3.5' where the closet use to jut into the space, to a comfortable 6' wide.
Salvador is an expert drywaller and did a fantastic job blending the new with the old.
I liked the glow of the color of gyp plaster so much, that I had it color matched and am planning on using this color for most of the main floor.
That ill-placed closet cost so much time and money to remove, but the space feels SO much better now.  Next is the new fireplace surround.

Part 14: The new front door

Big day at the house today:  Mike and Guy, my contractors, had Jose, Miguel and Jose of J&J Construction install the new front door, sidelites and transom.
As usual, they did a fantastic job and the results are lovely.  Big change from the original, crooked door.  This is the same team who built the new columns for the front porch, new windows at the kitchen nook and above the new fireplace.

From left to right:  Guy, Miguel, Jose and Jose.

They also did some work adjusting the height on windows, and trimmed the patio doors of the ADU. 

It was raining, but they were good sports.  Results are fantastic.  So nice to see finish work!  This means we're getting closer to the finishing the project....

Thanks, Guys!  Great job.

Click here for Part 15:  The new front hall