The snow has melted

The snow has melted and look what it left behind

Under the snow was a yard. After the melting there was enough of a mess to know we had more fun on our hands. 

So the side yard was an old swimming pool that was filled in with rocks and then soil. Sadly they didn't take all the concrete so that is now just sticking up like a waste pit. The steps (left in the photo) need to be removed and the ground re-sloped to allow for better drainage and aesthetics. 

Lots of junk remains behind. Time to get a machine back there and clean it all out! 

 

We figure sometime in the 50s this was all put in. The drainage needs a complete overhaul and the concrete evacuated. The retaining wall needs a bit of help, to the dumpster that is. At one time you could tell this was a great entertain space. We need to bring back that welcoming space. 

Didn't get your V8 today? Say goodbye, it is all going away. At least they used the Xmas tree to help stop erosion. It's a real thing read here.

It is not a very bright picture but all that concrete is going away along with that "lovely" chain link fence. 

The really awful fence in need of a makeover. Make that the rest of the yard too lol. 

Not sure whose idea was this but trees need mulching, not concrete to grow. Yea...

The hope is that we can get all the concrete out of this area and truck in about 4 loads of top soil and make this area a morning garden and grassy entertainment area. I don't have a picture of the view over the field beyond the chain link fence but it is almost like living on the edge of the woods. Sadly the woods moved into the backyard here. Not sure who is living under the tarp but that has to go too. 

So we are going to replace this area with a massive entertaining deck where we can have a great morning breakfast watching the sun rise. It will also be a great spot to grill or just hang out. The house might need a coat of paint. Or 3. 

Work will begin quite soon... Can't wait to see it get worse before it gets better! 

Until next time! 

To the Master

To the Master

A little update on the progress:

The house is now cleaned out so the pictures with all the junk in them are no longer current. It only took two dumpsters and a week, but hey it takes time to get rid of 50 years of junk. 

This post we will attack the master bath which is connected via an interesting hallway to the master bedroom.  

This has been dubbed the "Hobbit" door which will get a massive makeover. We will eliminate the rounded top and have the trim match the rest of the house. The two doors and the bar are gone. Not sure exactly how to light this space or make it useful. I am not a fan of wasted space but this might just be a simple walkway that we can't do much about. 

The Master bedroom doesn't have any closet space so we need to fix that quickly. The door to the right in the above picture will be sealed off and give us more space to work with. Besides, I don't want the kids to have access to our private bathroom. We need at least one place of peace to take a bath :)

Isn't that wall paper "special"? The door will be done and we will keep the trim. Because of the small hallway it didn't make much sense to have a single door. 

 This will get sealed off and the door and window saved. We will use this door when we renovate the 3rd floor area so it will match the other two doors with widows. Lovin' that light switch. 

Another view of the room with a lovely sink that is getting relocated to the basement. The sealed doorway will be the right side of a massive closet that will take up the left wall in the picture.

Having a new wall will make the space smaller, but we have some creative ways of using the space. First the storage cabinets will actually go all the way to the sink giving each person a space of their own to get ready and their own doors and drawers. 

The toilet will then go on the section of the wall where the chimney used to be. The stand up shower will be put in the corner and enclosed in with glass. There is a clawfoot tub that we are moving from the hall bath into our master. 

The 3D program is a bit wonkey but this gives you an idea of what we are proposing. The walking gap between the counter and the tub is another foot after laser measurements were taken this week. It looks weirdly close in the picture. 

The closet doors will be a bit smaller as the toilet will stick out from the wall and keep the openings smaller. 

 It will take a bit of custom fitting for the shower to make sure it can all fit so cross our fingers and hope for a few more inches here and there.


Until next time!