Allis in Wonderland

My contractor, Dave Pritchard, has a Weimaraner named Allis.  She is the prettiest dog and a joy to have around the house.  She is so obedient, and mostly hangs out under the construction trailer in the driveway.  She is also very protective.  Even though it’s my house, she still barks when I come up the driveway.  I guess that is because she has spent more time there than I have.  It’s no wonder she feels a sense of ownership of the property.

Yesterday when I went over to visit with Dave, I took Allis a rawhide bone.  I did this to thank Allis for guarding my house during the day, but also as a way of saying thanks to Dave for all the great work he has been doing. I figured by making his dog happy, I’d make Dave happy too. Allis sure did appreciate the bone.  She immediately took it in her mouth, made a loop through the house, and then ran outside to begin working on it.

Above are a few photos I took of Allis and her bone.  She doesn’t know it yet, but I have another one in the car to give to her the next time I see her.

Family, friends, and floors

I have the best family and friends.  And the best hardwood floors! On Wednesday night, my mom, Melissa Tribble, and I ripped out all the carpet and pad in the house to reveal some of the most beautiful hardwood floors I’ve ever seen.  Mom says they are white oak, but all I know is that they were well preserved under all that carpet.

Melissa and I came back after dinner and began pulling up the staples and tack strips that kept the carpet down.  We were able to finish the master bedroom and the hallway.  I have contracted with Victor Stokes to screen the floors, fill the holes, and re-seal them once Dave is done with his construction work.

The photos above show mom with a piece of carpet pad in her hand in the living room, as well as the floors that were hidden underneath the carpet in the master bedroom.  These are the floors even before they were swept and mopped, much less refinished, so you can get a sense of the condition they are in.

A big thanks to mom and Melissa for their help with the floors.  I have a feeling that before this house project is over with, I will be indebted to many, many more people than just the two of them!

The angled kitchen bookshelf

In order to add some length to the counter-height bar I am building in the kitchen, I decided to add 13” to the end of the counter in the form of a bookshelf.  With the refrigerator recessed into the wall, there will now be some wiggle room on that end of the counter.

I was inspired by a photo I saw in Inside the Not So Big House by Sarah Susanka and Marc Vasallo (see photo) to design the bookshelf with an upward angle, an interesting architectural detail, I think.  This bookshelf will be perfect for storing cookbooks and keeping other kitchen-related items out of the way.

Work to be done

I’m a very detailed person. And so, naturally, when it came time to select a carpenter for my simple project, I asked around, checked references, did my due diligence, all in an effort to find someone who was honest, fair, and skilled at what they do. At the end of the day, I selected Dave Pritchard from Black Hawk to be my contractor.

Dave was recommended by my friend Andy Hackleman, has worked for several trusted people in town, and has a reputation for quality work. Above is a list of work that I gave to Dave on his first day on the job. Although there have been a couple of unsuspected events to come up in the process of tearing out walls, he and his Weimaraner, Allis, have been a joy to work with thus far.

The list will serve as a sort of “Table of Contents” for this blog. It lists most of the projects I will be undertaking on the front-end and provides a sense of the types of changes being made to the house.

To buy, or not to buy

I own a home.  Well, technically Trustmark Bank owns the home; I just make monthly payments for the privilege of living there.  Until yesterday, though, even that was something I could not say with a straight face.

Don’t ask me why I decided to buy.  I’ve lived in Greenwood for two years now.  I have a stable job and a great living situation with my cousin in the nicest apartment building in town.  I’m talking New York-style loft apartment nice.  I don’t have to cut the grass, fix the leaky toilet, or take the trash to the street.  I split my bills.  So why buy?

I guess the decision was part financial and part hopeful.  First things first.  I’m a real estate guy.  I know why it makes good financial sense to buy a home versus renting (equity, tax deductions, return on investment, blah blah blah).  All it took, I guess, was for me to decide that Greenwood was going to work out for me long-term.  And it has.

The second reason is a bit more vague.  The hope I have in buying my first home is that I will set roots of my own in my hometown and open future possibilities that are unknown to me at this point in time.  I hope that my house will turn out to be a blessing in my life and in some shape, form, or fashion, a blessing in the lives of others as well.

So let’s get this thing started.  Hopefully, if I don’t flake out, I’ll fill the pages of Four Zero Two with before and after photos, design inspirations, and ramblings that reveal how it feels to buy, renovate, move into, and live in the first place where I get to make all the decisions.

The House at Four Zero Two