Barred

The bar top was installed this weekend. What used to be a wall is now a table. Do you remember the wall that separated the kitchen from the dining room? See pictures in this post. This is how we’ve been using it for the last few months…with the counter, but no extending bar.

 Stephen had to drill up through the cabinets to catch the counter. Wood counters are so easy.

The wood pegs are just to hold it in place, so I didn’t have to. 🙂

I’ve been looking for the perfect re-used corbels to use under the bar, but for now it has small wood supports.

They woke up early just to eat breakfast in the new spot.

Siding complete!

The house is now snug in its patched skin of siding.

This is a chronology of the old “front” door that was really on the side of the front porch. We removed the door and installed a window.

Its ready for color!

New Bath Window

Man, my titles are creative, eh? Here’s the old bath window.

I decided I wanted a matching window in the bathroom. Two reasons. 1. Continuity. 2. I’m convinced the old garden window smelled. #2 was really the deciding factor. I’d hate for guests to use our facilities and think I don’t clean properly! And, well, I guess I didn’t. It was impossible to clean the old window putty and screen in the old one. Pride demanded the switch.

If you haven’t seen the house in person, let me explain the unique situation that occcurs out our bath window. A shed is built right below. The garage is built 8 feet away. So, our window looks out on a roof and metal wall.

Lovely, right? I think I’ll hang shutters inside.

The long term plan is to demolish the shed and walk-out, so there is a distinct alley between the house and garage. It will help the asthetic a little.

But, for now, it looks like this!

Siding, Yard and Paint Colors

Our goal is to finish the exterior of the house before the weather turns. After the window trim, there was siding to patch. We we were lucky to find the exact lap siding at a local cedar lumber yard, so we didn’t have to cut and paste from the old leftovers. Here is a before picture of one of the holes in the siding created from the old heating vents. You can see the old windows and trim as well… and the out-of-control lilac.

While Stephen works with the wood, I’ve been keeping busy with the yard. Here is a shot of the front of the house before the daisies took over. The wild daisies grow to 4 feet high! And their stalks are thick and hard to pull up. They had taken over the entire front bed.

We transplanted the evergreen at the corner of the house from elsewhere in the yard, as well as another peony. I left one daisy clump (I’m sure it will try to take over again next year.) and planted a few new bushes and ground covers.

In the picture below, the siding is replaced, and the lilac is emerging from its spring chop. I can’t wait to give it a new shape over the winter.

And drum roll… here is the paint color. It’s a medium gray, with white trim. The foundation is going the window color…a tan/taupe.

I did a test paint of the front of the porch. The shakes are painted a dark charcoal and the lap siding is the same gray as the vertical siding. White trim is all around the windows, soffit, fascia and porch railing. The porch floor, steps and sides will go the same as the windows and foundation- a tan/taupe.

Exterior trim is almost done.

What’s been happening here is trim. The windows and doors are almost done. This bedroom window was tricky.
The top curvy crown piece is on special order, so its not 100%.

Here is a shot before the windows were done.

And the after (except that white slider, ugh)…with a blue sky!