Storm After Storm

Like everyone else in the eastern half of the country, we've been slammed with storm after snow storm. If you are on the sunny west coast or some other mild climate, I hope you are soaking up the heat and laughing all the way to the beach as you read this. If you are in the thick of it like we are, I hope you are bundled up by a fire, taking a snow day and staying out of this mess! Please enjoy this sampling of shots from the eye of it.

Snow piled on the house, the garden taken over	Fields of snow
Brown and white, the winter palette	Snow banks have reached the barn windows
Rode out one storm at my weaving teacher's house	And loved the contrast of her sun porch garden against the snowy outdoors
Riley among the mounds	Deck view
3' composting bins just about buried	Birch branches against the winter sky

Before & After: Covered Porch DIY Remodel

After a good 6 months of DIYing it, we've finally finished the covered porch remodel, or at least finished enough that the photos are worthy of sharing.  The covered porch space at our house started out as a concrete slab with rough plywood walls, open window holes covered with chicken wire, and a chain link door. The previous owner used the space as a dog kennel for two large dogs, and it showed. Here's what we started with:

BEFORE:

Let's just say it wasn't the best.

Our plan was to add windows, doors, and walls, tile the floor with natural stone, and finally install a ceiling and lighting fixtures. Here's a small glimpse at a what happened along the way...

DURING:

And now can I get a drum roll please?

The AFTERS:

And there you have it!

I don't think I can adequately convey here just how relieved we are to have this project finished. We may take a break from remodeling projects for a spell while we enjoy our finished spaces and non-construction zone house.

In the spring I would like to add a bistro-type table and chairs so that we can use it as a breakfast/coffee/newspaper reading spot in the mornings during warm weather. This porch is also adjacent to a guest bedroom, so when guests come they can use it as a private spot to hang out and relax. Who wants to come visit?!

Before & After: Covered Porch Entryway

Although we are still finishing up the last details inside the covered porch (we work at snail pace, I know), the outside entry leading to the porch is now complete! Let's get right to the shameful "before' photos. We had chicken wire covering open window holes, a chain link entry door, and junk everywhere. There were times we could barely walk through the space because of all the tools, supplies, and clutter. Sometimes it felt like we were one bag of clearance merchandise from Pic-N-Sav shy of a feature on Hoarders.

BEFORE

AFTER

What we did in the entry area:

• Poured a cement step
• Installed bluestone pavers on the concrete patio and step
• Sanded, primed, reglazed, painted, installed, and trimmmed out salvaged windows
• Sanded, primed, painted, and installed door
• Installed weatherstripping around door
• Added a fresh coat of red paint to the exterior
• Built a railing
• Wired and installed new wall sconce at the start of the patio (not shown in the photos)

You may be wondering what is happening to the left of the step where there is currently dirt. We are planning to add a few bags of gravel to that spot, then perhaps some nice potted plants or larger flower boxes on stands. All of that will wait until spring.

The inside of the covered porch needs a few pieces of furniture and some tweaks before it will be ready for photos. We also painted our boards for the house foundation eyesore mentioned here, but have yet to install them. Hope to make that happen this weekend.

All in all we are pretty pleased with how it turned out. It seems to flow with the style of the house, and you can bet we are glad to have one more piece of this remodel puzzle in place. Yahoo :)

More Covered Porch + What's Next?

We didn't get as much done as we would have liked yesterday, but I still have a few more tidbits from the covered porch project to share. The ceiling is wired up for a new light.

I ordered the below ceiling light from shadesoflight.com. I've had my eye on star pendant lights like this one, but our ceiling is not really high enough for something that hangs so we needed more of a flush mount fixture.

The bluestone turned out better than I thought it might at the start of the project. We had a hard time lining up the edges and getting the pattern to look uniform due to the fact that these stones are natural and have slight variations in size and thickness, but after a few rows we got the hang of finessing it. If we had it to do over, we'd definitely use a two over one pattern, but all things considered it turned out quite nice. It's very neutral and seems to blend right in. (I will share more pictures of the full space once the power tools and construction supplies are moved out of the way. With all the materials hanging around it is still hard to get a sense of how everything flows together. For now a close up shot of one of the few clear areas was the best I could get!)

Once this space is complete, Josh will be using it as an entry/waiting area for chiropractic and nutritional counseling patients who come to the house. We are planning to add seating, a Keurig coffee/tea machine, plants, and maybe even a small trickling fountain. One of the first "finishing touch" pieces was added to the space this week when Josh mounted his brochure rack.

When the space is finally "open for business" the next phase of our life starts. We've been working so hard on the house to make it not only functional for us, but also a home practice for Josh. Once patients start coming over I imagine there will be a more lively vibe around here, and I'm certainly looking forward to that. I can't wait to have people coming and going. Just a little more action, you know? More noise in the house, more faces to see. It should be a very good thing, indeed.

Covered Porch Reno Home Stretch

The insulation has been installed, the ceiling boards have been primed and painted, and the ceiling is now IN. Earlier this week it was warm enough to finish sealing the bluestone floor pavers, so we are truly honestly in the home stretch now. Our electrician came this morning to add a ceiling socket inside the porch as well as a wall light outside the porch, and this light has been ordered for the ceiling.

Tomorrow ceiling trim and baseboards go up and we may even bring some furniture in. Exciting stuff! More pictures to come soon of all the progress, maybe even tomorrow. Can't wait to share the final product!

It Gets Worse Before it Gets Better

While we attempt to finish the final projects under the covered porch (grouting, sealing and insulating the ceiling, etc.) we've covered the exterior in tarps to block rain water from entering the space. It's a classy look, this whole house-wrapped-in-a-trash-bag thing. After we put the tarps up, Josh and I turned to each other and said, "We should just leave it like this."

I am hoping to have the porch ceiling installed, foundation facade up, and bluestone sealed by the time the tarps come down, so that once they do it will be like a grand unveiling. Imagine the final scene at the end of a What Not to Wear episode where the shockingly fantastic makeover executed by a team of top notch hair, clothing, and makeup stylists is finally unveiled. It will be just like that, except with stone pavers, whitewashed ceiling boards, and a foundation facade.

Until then, you may see a few more pictures like this:

The Week in Instagram

Images above:
1. New bluestone patio under the covered porch getting a coat of sealer. We are rushing against winter now to finish the last bit of grouting and add a second coat of sealer.  Josh has been waterproofing and insulating the ceiling this week as well and the electrician is scheduled to add more sockets for lighting. More pics of that soon.

2.  First snow came way too soon for me.

3.  Brussel sprouts from the garden. I read somewhere they could only take a few frosts and promptly cut the stalks of 5 plants. Came to find out the next day that I could have left them in the ground through January or beyond. We will be eating and pawning off brussel sprouts on friends and neighbors all month.

4.  Requisite picture of me holding brussel sprouts.

5. Vinyl skirt board to cover the house foundation waiting to be painted. Thank you all for the suggestions on this project! I wold have loved to plant a garden or build a little wall here, but this spot is  the drip line where snow falls heavy off the roof and piles high every winter. Any plants/low walls would be crushed/knocked over in no time. Plus, this area gets plowed frequently and we didn't want a flower bed or low wall in the way. A skirt board painted a neutral grey and nailed to the foundation seemed like a decent fix for now. We can always update to masonry work later if the board doesn't feel right. The vinyl, while not my favorite, is completely weatherproof and has a wood grain texture. Hoping it will not look completely faux once installed. Fingers are crossed on that one. We'll install it later this week or next week.

6. Fun mid century chairs spotted on Sunday a junk shop outing.

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