Be gone, carpet

Right before Dave left, he pulled up the last of the carpet in the house.  Although there weren’t hardwood floors underneath the carpet in the den, it had gotten extremely dusty during all the construction and simply had to go.

Being the clean freak she is, my mom offered to buy me an area rug if I’d just consent to ripping the dusty carpet out (which at first I was opposed to).  With this offer in place, I couldn’t say no.  So out went the carpet.

Underneath the carpet lived a long-hidden gem of a linoleum tile floor that resembles terrazzo.  See for yourself:

While the long range plan is to eventually lay ceramic tile in the kitchen and den, I am out of money in the short run, so I’m going to be living with my linoleum floors for now.

All contributions to the “Tile Thomas’ Kitchen and Den Fund” can be mailed to 402 East Monroe.  Donations are not tax-deductible but will be appreciated all the same.

At last, the angled bookshelf

Dave finally completed his work today and the finished product is just great!  He left me with a lot of neat things to show you over the next few days, but I’ll start by showing you the project that he completed last (today).

Now, I’m kind of partial to the angled kitchen bookshelf, in part because I came up with the idea for it and designed it on my own (with some help from the good folks at the Not So Big House), and in part because it turned out so well.  If you forgot how the idea came about, read my earlier post.  Once you’ve refreshed your memory, check out the finished product:

Once my countertops arrive, they will extend to cover the top of the bookshelf.  This will add additional square footage to my overall counter space, but also (and perhaps more importantly) to the counter height bar that will be to the left of the bookshelf in the photos.

As previously discussed, I think the bookshelf will be both functional and will be a nice added design detail to the kitchen.  Of course, all of this will look much better once I get it caulked and painted.  All in due time.  Nice work, Dave!

How I became a homeowner

I guess I never really told you how it happened that I became a homeowner.  Perhaps I got a little ahead of myself by jumping straight to the fun stuff.  I should have told you how I made it to the point of owning a house to renovate in the first place.  So, let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.

I’ve lived in the Fountain Apartments for right at two years with my wonderful cousin Malone.  This has been the perfect situation for me as my apartment is exactly two blocks from City Hall, my place of business.  Each weekday morning I commute to work on my two feet in less than two minutes.  In fact, my morning commute is arguably my favorite part of the day.  There’s just something peaceful about an empty downtown street early in the morning.

Nevertheless, as I’ve gotten settled in Greenwood and warmed up to the idea of sticking around for the long term, I began to get the itch to buy a house.  Now, I’ve already told you how and why I decided to buy.  What I didn’t tell you was how I landed at 402.

House Hunting

I started looking pretty seriously at houses in March of this year with my realtor, Tish Goodman of Bowie Realty.  The first house I became interested in was actually a house my dad lived in years ago.  It was small at 1,200 square feet, but was big enough for me.  It needed some work to both bathrooms, along with a general overall freshening up.  With that in mind, I made what I thought was a reasonable offer, which was quickly rejected.  Although I felt a bit defeated, I didn’t let it get me down.

From the get-go, I decided that I wasn’t going to get desperate and buy something that wasn’t right for me.  And with my sweet setup downtown, I had no incentive to settle.  I kept telling myself that the right house would come along at the right price at the right time for me.

The next house I really liked was owned by friends of mine.  It was an older home with all the charm in the world.  Three bedrooms, two baths, an updated kitchen, a beautiful back yard, and a front porch to die for.  I knew that I was looking at it alongside others, so I tried to make my decision quick and put my offer together, but in the end I was too slow moving.  It turns out that the other party made an offer and it was accepted before I could pull the trigger.  This also turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  The house was really too big for just me, and as it turns out, it is the perfect size for the couple that bought it.  In fact, I am happy that the couple that bought the house are friends of mine, so I can go and sit on their awesome porch!

The third house I really liked was also owned by friends of mine.  It was really a great house for me, with three bedrooms, 1.5 baths, a nice kitchen, a double carport, and a huge back yard.  It just happened to be slightly out of my price range and we weren’t able to reach a price point that worked for them and for me.  No hard feelings.  They ended up selling it a week or so after I first made my offer.

The Road Home

Finally, feeling a little worn out from the stress of looking and thinking and offering and starting the process over and over again, I got a glimpse of hope.

One afternoon, I was texting my friend Brett, who had talked to our friend Patrick, who had told him I had been looking at houses.  I told him about the tough time I’d had finding something and then, out of the blue, mentioned that if his family ever got to the point of selling his grandmother Lucy’s home to let me know.  As it turns out, Brett’s mom was in the process of finding a place for Lucy to live closer to them in Florida and was considering putting the house on the market.

A few days later, I spoke with Mrs. Person on the phone, met her over at the house, and made an offer, all before she ever listed the house with a realtor.  After looking at every home in my price range in Greenwood, I knew the moment I walked in that it was perfect for me.  With two large bedrooms, two baths, a large living room and dining room with a den and a kitchen, all it needed was an update. Before she left town that day, we signed a contract on a coffee table in the lobby of The Alluvian Hotel.

It was then that I knew that I would be the proud owner of 402 East Monroe.

Stretch it out, Allis

Take them out; open it up

The picture on the left is the kitchen that I started with.  At first, I thought that the cabinets suspended from the ceiling over the counter on the left were fine, but the more I looked at them, the more I realized that something just wasn’t all right.

The first time co-worker and building inspector Victor Stokes came to look at the house, he immediately suggested that I take those cabinets out and hang some pendant lights over the counter, opening the kitchen up to the breakfast area that lies just beyond.  I told him I just didn’t think I wanted to do all that.

The more I thought about it, however, the more I realized he was right.  Taking the cabinets out between the kitchen and the breakfast area would really open things up and I wouldn’t be losing too much cabinet space.  Especially considering that it’s just me, and I don’t cook all that often anyway.  At least not yet.

So, I told Dave to take them out and open it up.

Boy, I’m glad I did.  Looking at the photo on the right, you can see how removing those cabinets took down the visual barrier between the kitchen and breakfast area.  In doing so, I was able to work in a counter-height bar on the breakfast area side of the counter, as well as the nice angled bookshelf addition to the end of the counter (see three posts down). Photos yet to come.

What you don’t see in the “during” photo on the right is the mirror image bookshelf that Dave constructed opposite the one to the left of the sink. It will really balance out the weight of the cabinets visually along that wall.  Dave did a really nice job tying the new cabinets into the existing cabinetry (you’ll have to wait to see photos).

What you might notice in the “before” photo that you don’t see in the “during” photo is the wood grain Formica wainscot along the walls of the kitchen.  I had Dave take that out, only to reveal a thick layer of textured glue that simply could not be sanded down and worked with (see “during” photo).  So we ripped the sheetrock out from there down and replaced it with new rock.

The sheetrock work was the first unsuspected expense, but it needed to happen and it looks really nice now that it is floated out and blends with the existing wall seamlessly.  It will really look nice with a coat of paint on it!

Patience.

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.