RELOCATING THE ATTIC ACCESS

Everyone aboard the time machine! 

Buried in the land of pre-baby draft posts, I found this little gem of dust and debris and necessary roughness. There was no text, only these before and during photos. No after photos either, so I'll have to run and take those. But it's all coming back to me, like the foggy nightmare that it was...

The attic access panel used to be located in the kitchen, specifically in the odd little laundry/office nook. We knew once we removed that wall, the panel would have to go somewhere else. It's not exactly ideal to have a huge hole in your brand new kitchen ceiling. And might I add, once we removed the plaster and lathe from the ceiling, because it sagged just so, we discovered the original panel was done all wrong. Certainly not to code size-wise and I highly doubt the City of Oakland is okay with cut rafters. So we had the rafters replaced and determined a new locale. The hallway made the most sense to me.

Before we drywalled the kitchen ceiling, we took quick advantage of the easy access. Mike crawled around up there and I yelled from below and together we figured the perfect spot. The furnace sits up here too (my dad can NOT figure out why our furnace is in the attic and all our returns in the ceilings. I tend to agree. It must be a California thing?) and we needed to work around it.

I did some research about code and what size the final opening needs to be. Happily we discovered our opening fit perfectly between two beams and because the ceiling is supported by two walls on either side, we would not have to compromise it in any way. Hooray!

Draw it out and git to cuttin.' I think that says "Boats & Hoes"? Step Brothers must've been on.

This part was all Mike. I was hugely pregnant so I just tried to stay out of the way of the falling dust and cussing husband. It was not easy, for anyone. But the general idea, cut a hole, frame it with 2x4s, trim it out and add a door.

That piece of wood in the front is part of the board that the furnace sits on. It cuts into the space a person needs to fit through the hole, but there is really no way around it. I figure if and when we need to replace the furnace, we can scoot it over a bit.

Like I said, messy.

But looking good! 

Now here is where I might lose you because I have no images of the framing. But trust, we wrapped it in 2x4s and Mike called it a day. 

I was happy to trim it out and make the door. See? Happy. (I debated whether I should post this horribly flattering photo, the belly hanging out under my shirt is a nice touch, then thought, heck with it. Pregnant Renovation Ladies Unite!) And yeah, Trams Am tee.

The trim is set in an 1/8" if I remember right to support the door. I added a knob because I can not stand dirty handprints. No excuses contractors of the future! I also added a strip of window insulation along the seam to keep drafts out. Seems to work just fine. It's painted the same as all of our trim, Benjamin Moore's Aura Satin in Simply White.

And there you have it. Our new attic access tucked discreetly in the hallway and in no way threatening the stability of our home. Pat on the back to us! Boats and Hoes!

VCT IN THE KITCHEN? WORKS FOR ME!

After the drama surrounding the drywall, I needed a simple project. Most people would not say installing flooring is simple, but in all honesty, this was! You may remember that I had found a great deal on wood floors for the kitchen. The contractor came highly recommended, his price was right and I really wanted them. But last minute expenses ate into the budget and even though they were a good deal, we could no longer afford them. I came to this realization on a Tuesday. By Wednesday I had designed and purchased alternate flooring, and resolved to do it myself.

The only aspect of this project I wasn't comfortable doing was leveling and putting down a subfloor. The folks at the flooring store gave me good direction, Mike and I went shopping for supplies and we called Steve for the labor. We used 1/4" luan board for the subfloor. Steve installed this using gold screws every four inches at the seams, then every 6 inches across the field. After he was done, Mike spackled all the screws and seams, then gave it a light sanding.

I chose to go with VCT flooring. Is this controversial? Maybe a little too taste-specific, as my realtor might say? Perhaps. It either conjures positive memories of your grade school (as it does for me) or a fear of long hospital corridors. But I think it's all in the application. It seems to be in the middle of a resurgence for residential use, no longer relegated to 70's basements, hand-in-hand with dark wood paneling, it's okay to bring it front and center. And it comes in so many colors!

Side note: I generally hate most tile. It's too typical, especially what we could afford and with our timeframe. I went to the big box stores and tried to get myself to like something, anything in the porcelain or stone variety. It all said "blah" and "eh" to me. As I walked the aisle, I believe I mumbled these phrases out loud.

We went with Mannington Essentials in three colors; Silver White, Pewter and Night Black. I did a little internet research to define my pattern and was inspired by a basketweave I had found. Once I decided on my pattern, I hit up my digital kitchen floorplan that I had created in InDesign and started laying it out. I wanted to make sure I had the least amount of cutting to do–that the perimeter would be nice and visually even. I think this was a key step in making the process simple. That little printout of my design was critical during layout!

First step was to determine my 45 angle. I used a carpenter's square in the corner, then snapped a chalk line the length of the room. I used that line to roughly lay out the tiles to make sure they matched my computer drawing, which mine did, I couldn't believe it! I then chose a single tile as my starter and with a Sharpie I carefully outlined it. You start laying tile in the middle of the room because if you can help it, you don't want to touch the glue! I stepped on it once and lost a sock.

Next is to trowel on the glue, pay attention to manufacturer's specs. You want to do half of the room at a time, starting in the corner and working toward the middle. Oh crap, I let the extension chord sit on the glue! That was fun to remove I tell you.

Believe it or not, this glue is nontoxic with no-vocs. I was told it was safe to use while pregnant, but it is some stinky, not to mention sticky, stuff!

Wait impatiently for glue to dry from yellow to clear, which indicates it's ready for tile.

Starting with the outlined tile, carefully start placing tiles, butting them TIGHT. I referenced my printout often to make sure I didn't screw up the pattern. If you make a mistake and need to take up a tile, it's really difficult and the tile will break. Growl. This part goes fast and once complete, repeat the process on the other half of the room, then retreat to the couch with a piece of cake. I waited to do the perimeter and any cut tiles the next day, the glue gives you 24 hours to set tile.

I forgot to take a picture of my template! It was a cardboard contraption that I used to measure my cuts, and made the process fairly uncomplicated. It's okay if the tiles aren't tight to the wall since this will eventually be covered with baseboard. The tiles cut easily by scoring with a utility blade, then carefully snapping. Not gonna lie, this was simple but tedious. My fingertips were pretty raw by the end.

Once it's done, stand back and stare at it. Leave the room then comeback, just to make sure it's still there. Go ahead, let your cats crawl on it, they will be mesmerized. All that's left is to wait 24 hours for glue to set, give it a good clean using this, then coat it 3 times with this. Let it dry and you are DONE!

Skinny legs and all

Oh the kitchen. Probably the most important room in the house and ours is destroyed! One thing I've learned about us during this process, we like to tear stuff down. It feels good. It feels successful. The catch though, what to do next!

We are first-timers after all. I've never built a kitchen. But I do have a very distinct idea of what I want this kitchen to be: all white cabinets (since eternity I've wanted this) with dark countertops, a black center island with two turned legs and industrial stools. I want dark stained wood floors (against the better judgment of nearly every contractor I've met) and a sliding barn door to the back studio would be keen. I'd like to incorporate my old farm table. I want a backsplash made from Heath tiles and an entire wall covered in chalkboard paint. How about a sun tunnel? Better lighting is a must of course, likely some recessed, plus pendants from Schoolhouse. Stainless appliances are a no-brainer. There there's a new window... I entered a raffle at the Temescal Fair, cross your fingers!

Okay Tonya, time to climb off that cloud. Those are all fantastic dreams, fantastical really considering the current state of our wallets. Termites and all that, expensive. But while we recoup funds for this kitchen makeover, we decided to finish demo so that when the time comes, we're ready. Anything we can do ourselves, we do.

{my beloved farm table, you will have a place here!}

This being the old house it is, our walls are plaster and lathe. Which is charming in its own lumpy way, but some of it had to go. In certain areas it was literally falling from the wall in massive chunks, namely behind the old washer/dryer. So down it went.

The house lacks insulation on all exterior walls. When we repaired the fireplace wall in the living room, we added insulation. Not only does it warm up the place but it also helps cut noise from the street. Value! Anyway, I figured since this kitchen is a gut, might as well take the exterior wall down to studs too. You learn so much about your house doing this. We found both windows were wider and taller. The door to the back studio (which used to lead outside before the addition) was also wider, or maybe it had a window panel down its side.

 {exterior wall, to the right of the fridge is our pantry}

The kitchen had a double-bowl stainless sink that worked fine. We thought we'd be able to demo around it and prop it up with a couple 2x4s. Ha! The ignorance... of course it came crashing to the ground. So we took this opportunity to buy our first cabinet and dream sink. I've been pricing about town and like so many of us, landed on Ikea. We're going with Lidingo for the most part (intend to customize somehow, mix it up a bit) and the Domsjo sink can't be beat. To help support the sink and give us more liveable space (I expect we're going to be in this state quite a while) I built a couple makeshift countertops. It's simple 2x4s, MDF and particle board. Both counters cost about $50 with paint. Mike wasn't a believer and I'm still trying to prove this was worth it. I figure when it's all said and done, my fake counters will make the perfect worktable in the garage.

{DIY build on the fly. Its function: support the sink and provide valuable workspace}

 {view up the steps from the "back studio", that's fancy talk for addition, and "addition" is fancy talk for porch with walls.}

There are two vents for a stove. The one hanging out of the ceiling is current, but the behemoth behind is from the olden days. Still not sure if we plan to remove it, it really isn't in the way. Right next to it is a little built-in cabinet we plan to keep, either as a broom closet or giant spice rack. The drywall on the right is the back of a closet in the dining room. The left wall is repairable, just uneven from poorly done patches. Can you picture the entire span of that wall as a chalkboard? I can...

{opposite view walking in from the dining room}

Ugh, those floors and that ceiling! The ceiling is a nightmare. I need to call in reinforcements. There is drywall on top of plaster in SOME spots, plus that header from the wall we took out, plus that entrance to the attic is getting moved to the hallway. It's going to take a lot of work to level it out, a project for the pros. I want to swap out that door for a sliding barn door, in a vibrant color maybe? Still no verdict on that window. I need the light big time so I don't want to wall it in necessarily.

I wanted to leave you with something pretty. The window above the sink gets crazy light, so it's lined up with plants that currently have no where else to go. Adorable, yes?

So there you have it. Our little kitchen, skinny legs and all. We still don't have a stove, we still use the old basement refrigerator. But we're actually enjoying the log cabin feel of our exposed skeleton. Don't worry kitchen, we have big plans for you...

Raising Vegetables

Ahh... this was fun. Once we tore out all that concrete, the next big thing was to build a raised vegetable garden. Pretty standard idea around these parts: have dirt, grow vegetables. I had been fantasizing about this since the first time we saw the yard. The back corner is the perfect locale as this spot gets sun all day long.

Other blogs got me motivated. It seemed everyone was out there building, growing, even harvesting! Time to stop thinking and just start doing. My default resource for anything garden is Sunset and their method of building the box seemed reasonable. I wanted mine to fill a corner so I did a little modification to the design. My box ended up being 8', both ways, from the corner and 3' wide so I can still reach the far back.

This was too easy. We were able to cut all the wood using a borrowed table saw, then you assemble it upside down on a hard surface. For the beams, we used redwood as suggested, and the 4x4 posts were salvaged from the part of the pergola that we tore down. The 4x4s are chemically treated wood, a big no-no, but since they are so old and have been outside for years I'm not concerned about them seeping into my veggies. The redwood is gorgeous. (I would like to point out that I went alone to purchase this redwood from the Home Depot. The beams were on a high shelf and not ONE employee helped me. I gathered the big yellow metal staircase myself and dragged each board down one by one. Thanks guys!)

{a couple of my corners aren't perfectly square because the 4x4s were wavy. I'm trying not to let this affect my OCD.}

Then you screw everything together with 3 1/2" wood screws. This was the only hard part because sadly, my drill that I've had forever and a day is dying. Even with new batteries, it won't hold a charge. I was in denial and stubbornly refused to accept its death. This meant I could get about 5 screws in at a time, then have to wait a day to charge the battery. Ridiculous. Mike stepped in as the Voice of Reason and we checked out a drill. Once I had that, I banged the rest out in minutes.

Positioning the box was harder than I thought. That mother is heavy, and leveling the ground is no picnic. It became really obvious how NOT square our fence is too. I'm pretending its imperfection is beautiful in a way. Right? No? Oh well.

Next up was placing the mesh screen. The idea being to prevent rodents from digging up and eating the goodies. Crafty little buggers they are.

After that, dirt! We got all our dirt from American Soil & Stone in Richmond. LOVE this place. They suggested a combination of dirts to aid in drainage and nutrients. One was called Local Hero, genius. It took two truckloads with the S10, but cost less than $80. We don't own a wheelbarrow so Mike hauled all this in using our trash cans. Thanks honey!

All set for planting! There's something about this new dirt I find cleansing. I take pride in enriching soil that had been neglected for so long. We literally have no worms, you can dig and dig and find nothing. That's amazing to me.

We chose a combination of seedlings and seeds. I wanted to feel a certain amount of instant gratification, but also need to hone seed skills.

Our ready-mades:
Artichoke
Green Beans
Green Peppers
Red Peppers
Jalapenos
Romaine Lettuce
Yellow Squash

Our seeds:
Carrots
Yellow Onion
Beets
Broccoli
Lettuce
Spinach

Melissa, one of my dear friends, hooked me up with an EarthBox. I planted two tomatoes here, a cherry and a sandwich variety (Big Boy maybe?). So far so good, the plants have doubled in size!

You can also see the crushed granite we used to fill the gap between the box and the old concrete. Also from American Soil, I chose Blue Pathway. I like the permeable qualities of crushed granite as well as it's modern aesthetic. I plan to use the same stuff along the side of our house currently being taken over with weeds. Growl.

Ta Da! Isn't it lovely? I couldn't be happier. So far everyone seems happy except the green pepper, which has wilting leaves. I'm thinking it's too cold at night so I need to come up with a way to keep the roots warm. Otherwise, all seems well. I come out every morning to water and just stare at it. Happiness.

Oh hey, you can see the pergola all painted black. Swanky right? Don't tell anyone, but we still need to paint the tops. I need to do this before they update the Google satellite pics.

First Things First

After we closed on the house, we did some rent back with our seller then had two weeks before we had to be out of our apartment. With limited time, and both of us working, how to prioritize? It doesn't take a genius to know: remove stinky dirty carpet to reveal beautiful hardwood floors. Just like on tv.


The entire main floor of the house had wall-to-wall textured carpet from the early 80s is my guess. It was everywhere and emoted a pungent smell of someone else's life (and dog). It had to go. So we bought contractor bags, work gloves, masks, a mass quantity of razor blades and our first shop vac. I've always wanted a shop vac of my own, ever since I spent a summer vacuuming my parent's leaky basement, wild teen that I was. Anyway, it looked like this:


The foyer...


Looking from the foyer into the living room. We'll get to that paneling later.


The dining room. Want to bet there was once a built-in cabinet where that useless closet currently resides? I smell the Alameda Flea Market for a hunt.

And this is the hallway dividing the two bedrooms (also carpeted), the bathroom and two hall closets. Hey, that's a lot of doors!

Overall the process was arduous, but getting the carpet itself up was a breeze. Slice, roll, put it in the pile.


Some of the padding chose to stick to the wood and I knew that would be a party cleaning it up. The worst part was the staples and tack strips. I sprained my finger. But whatever, we had wood floors and they aren't in bad shape! Sure, the finish is worn away in traffic areas, there are some pet stains, water stains, gouges, but all in all, quite lovely. And it's starting to smell better in here!

The house has an addition which leads to the basement. It's bonus space and righteous and perfect for our work-at-home lifestyle. But it had carpet too, of course. And when we pulled it back...

ants!!! Gross, gross, more than words. They came out like an explosion and swarmed the entire perimeter. I screamed, flailed my arms about and split. We ran out for bug spray and destroyed, successfully. The floor here is concrete and the room needs a lot of work. But that's later. For now, let's waddle in the glory, shall we?