For New Visitors

Welcome to my somewhat neglected blog. In it, I document our research and restoration of our 1912 Arts & Crafts house in Laurelhurst, Portland, Oregon. I am deeply honored that American Bungalow has chosen to include our house in their well-respected magazine and I welcome all you folks who got this blog address from that article.

If you are visiting to check out my original source research that I've posted, the best way to see is it to click on the "Inspiration" label on the right side of this page.

If you are interested in individual topics about our restoration, I tried to add tags about the relevant topics. Again, it is best to simply click on the relevant labels.

I do have a few projects I hope to tackle later this year, including making and applying period stencils in our living and dining rooms. I've just got a couple hurdles to get over first (i.e. broken computer with the files we need to recover first).

I'd also like to finish stripping the paint in that final bedroom so we will be DONE. In fact, just thinking about being done almost makes me go pick up those paint stripping tools. Too bad my sewing room won't pack itself up so I can get to the woodwork. LOL

Feel free to leave comments to help motivate us and to follow the blog (so I feel obliged to post new content). :D

Thanks all for dropping by. I hope I can help you find inspiration for your home restoration project.

Pergola Assembled

Jeff paid his friend Eric to come help him finish assembling the pergola last month. Sadly, we did not get it finished this past summer and the wood just sat outside getting dirty. Oh well. Once the weather improves, we'll pressure wash it all down and finish staining it. Hopefully this spring we'll find the motivation to do it.

Jeff and Eric cut out the brackets until they got to the curves and then they needed to find help to get them finished. Jeff hired that last cut out on each bracket. Those were cut to the same specs as the house, which I think is pretty neat.

This Time For Sure

I was just interviewed again by American Bungalow. They say the article about our house should be in the next issue.

I've also been working on a few minor projects. I'll try to find the camera and post a few photos later this week.

Going to Print

Well, I have heard from the American Bungalow magazine and our house will be featured in the issue after next, so I guess it's time to find some motivation. There are actually lots of projects I still want to do, but I just haven't felt like it. I'm hoping this latest news will give me the needed kick in the pants I've been lacking.

I've been eyeing that empty frieze in the living room for several weeks now. I think it may be time to try and tackle another stencil project. I got stalled on that one because I had actually had found too many period stencil options and I couldn't pick one.

Last month we FINALLY managed to move our stuff out of storage. (Only took us two extra years beyond the remodel, ha ha.) We spent a day organizing the basement and garage and much of the stuff went in those spaces. Pictures would mostly be piles of boxes, so I think I'll pass this time. It would be nice to get started sorting this stuff, but I'd rather do almost anything else than unpack boxes that include misc. boxes originally thrown together when we moved in 2006! Somedays it's very tempting to just call some charity to come take the pile away. Afterall, these boxes haven't been opened in years. How much do we really need this stuff?

UPDATE: I finally heard back from the writer who worked with me last year. Apparently the chief editor didn't like the article she wrote and so the article has been delayed until they get another article written.... I have no idea when something will be published, but American Bungalow has assured me that since they've paid for photos eventually something will. Oh well.

2013 Project List FAIL

I was amused to run across my list detailing my ambitious plans for 2013. Boy, did we ever fail. We'd spent too many years fixated on this one project and we really needed a break. We did get a couple projects finished:

1. Plan/Install master bedroom closet interiors
2. Plan and build side fence

I am really happy with how both those projects turned out. The fence is in but we still haven't finished staining it. Now that the pergola is started, I am prepared to stain the fence white (as I originally planned).

And we mostly finished building our closet inserts. The cube side of my closet is on hold until we make the final plan of our bathroom remodel. I'd hate to spend a lot of time and expense installing the cubes in my closet and then decide we want to move that wall over 6 inches. So, for now, we're just using portable racks.

We do have some projects we'd like to finish this year, but I'm a little less confident we will actually do them. Here is my current list.

1. Empty storage
2. Plan and build pergola at back patio (started)
3. Clean bricks and install back patio
4. Install backyard path
5. Put in rain barrel behind garage
6. Plan and build raccoon/rat-safe chicken coop
7. Plan master bathroom remodel
8. Prime/Paint/Stain basement bathroom
9. Install flooring/fixtures in basement bathroom