and the kitchen is starting to come together

I hung a few kitchen doors and put the drawers back in. Some of the hardware is in place.Now that it's in the bright kitchen, I realize I have some touch up work.
Next call, flooring. Oh, and I will be painting the kitchen walls a soft yellow called Pineapple Fizz.

I have also decided to sand the original bread board down to fresh wood, put some tung oil on it, and leave it 'au natural'. Not to use it, just to honor it; after all, it's 55 years old.

Almost as old as me.

And the upper cabinets are going to be open. I have to put a 3rd coat of paint, but they look pretty good, don't they?

Windows to be installed on Friday, July 27.

The Patio Comes Down

My little house came with an extra 400 square feet in the form of a "California Room". If you don't know the term, that means an enclosed patio room, like a screen porch only uglier. This particular room had screens, plastic coverings, mismatched glass windows, funny interior wood siding, icckkk... See the 'before' pictures.

Helpful but silent brother Matt hired a friend, Mitch, to help him take it down. I wanted to keep the big beams that supported the ceiling/roof, because they'd be expensive to replace, and I can use them for building a new patio cover. And by "building a new patio cover", I mean asking good brother Matt to build a new patio cover.

In a very short time, Matt, Mitch and son Tim tore down more than half the structure; they will finish this weekend. The backyard will be opened up.

Oh and next step, haul it all off to the dump, along with that funny little shed. Termite's will have to look elsewhere for dinner.

The room coming down is the one that is attached to the house. This view shows the little shed as well.

And this is the room after much of it has been torn down.

It'll be great when it's all done. Honest.

A Sawzall is a Terrific Tool...

...but when you're cutting down a wall, watch out for electric wires.


Tim closed the pocket door and from the kitchen side, kicked it. Came right off the header. That's how we got the demo started.


Then he took the hammer to the plaster wall and whacked away. Plaster walls (not drywall, plaster) are about 1 1/2 inches thick, and the plaster is strengthened with chicken wire. So he pounded and cut and plaster rocks flew off the wall. Luckily, Toni had thought ahead and folded up the old drapes, so we used the drapes to protect the hardwood. Plaster rocks are heavy and sharp and I'm sure, if I'd wanted a distressed oak floor, July 2nd activities would have gotten me one.


After hammering awhile, he took the Sawzall (how does one find a trademark or register symbol on Blogspot?) Like friend Irene Batch, Tim's not afraid to use one, and voila! And we didn't cut the wire, either.

The Beginning

This month, I bought the smallest Allied Gardens house built by Bollenbacher-Kelton in 1957...2 bedroom, 1 bath, total of 850 square feet. I want to improve it to make it my dream house to live in for retirement. It's 1 story on a fairly large lot...exciting for me because I have tons of ideas for both back- and front-yards.

I want to do all this with a sense of green...whatever I can reuse, I will. On Thursday after work, I went to the Habitat for Humanity Restore in Mission Valley, and found some inexpensive knobs and electric covers. I was hoping to find an exterior door (for the kitchen) and lighting,but it's one of those places that must be visited frequently. I hope to find bathroom tile over the next year to ready for a remodel there (the bath is original 1957, pink. Flamingo pink. The sink had a pink skirt).

I closed escrow on Thurday, June 28.

Saturday, June 30, Tim, Toni Chase, and I tore out the (fake) wood paneling from the living room, tore down the valance and 30 year old drapes, took the kitchen cabinet doors and drawers off the frames.

Sunday, July 1, I sanded the cabinet doors and drawers and frames, readying them for priming.

Tim came in the afternoon, tore off the old metal from the original screen door. He'll attach new screening next weekend. I'll sand the wood frame this week after work.

But the most impressive change on Sunday was ...wait for it...WE TORE DOWN HALF A WALL! Yes we did. So...the living room is now open to the kitchen! I'll post pictures as the half wall is framed and finished. Thanks to Toni Chase for the great idea!