Archive for the 'Architecture' Category
Beefy Moldings
“We are running about a week ahead of schedule.” How many times have you heard that during a renovation project? I’m guessing not very many. Yet that’s how Christian Winkley of Oxford Builders began the (unsolicited) update email he sent us on Sunday morning. The kitchen project is now squarely in the putting-it-all-back-together phase and it appears that we’ll be getting back into the space sooner than anticipated. Yippee!
Today’s activity was door frames and moldings. The doors all needed new frames since they were either larger than they used to be or in new locations. The windows had moldings, but they didn’t really match with the rest of the house. One of the decisions made early on in the process was to replace the rather plain backband of the moldings with something a little more beefy. We snuck into the work site after everyone had left to check it out, and definitely noticed the difference.
All of this progress actually has Amy nervous. She’s very excited to get the kitchen back, but is concerned that we don’t have a kitchen table yet. Our initial idea was to have a built-in bench and table that had lots of storage and shelving. Unfortunately our budget didn’t match our imagination and the bench seating was the first feature cut. Instead, we’re going to be leaving that space for a free-standing table and chairs.
Amy knows that we’re not going to have a table by the time the project is done (how will we know what to get without seeing the space?). And she also knows that I’ll make us use some temporary (and wholly unacceptable) table until the real deal is selected. Her concern is that the “temporary” table solution will be there for quite a while.
And she’s probably right. After all, my timelines for home improvement/decoration projects are not nearly as reliable or efficient as Mr. Winkley’s.
Here are the previous posts about our adventure:
Remodeling Our Kitchen
Budgeting for a Kitchen Remodel
Designing a Kitchen
Our Before Kitchen
Our Temporary Kitchen
A Remodeling Surprise
Our Kitchen Remodel – A Progress Update
3 Regent Street, Hartford’s West End
This fantastic American Foursquare in Hartford’s West End is move-in ready with numerous updates. The home offers 4 bedrooms and 1.5 baths over 2,671 sqft.
An enclosed porch across the front of the house welcomes you to 3 Regent Street with its rich architectural details. Inside, a foyer with stained glass and marble tile leads you into the oversized living room complete with fireplace and original moldings. The large dining room is perfect for entertaining and features a built-in cabinet, stained glass window, and sliders to the outdoor entertaining area on the rear deck. Completing the first floor is an updated kitchen and half bath. Upstairs, the second floor offers a large master with two closets and stained glass, two additional bedrooms, a remodeled full bath with Jacuzzi tub, and a separate walk-in closet. The third floor has been completely finished into a single large room that could be the master bedroom, family room, or take on numerous other uses.
Outside, the grounds have been meticulously landscaped with Belgian block lined gardens, slate walkways, and full fencing. The main seating area on the rear deck can be covered with a retractable awning. Finally, the oversized garage has additional space in the back.
Most of the home’s mechanical systems have been recently updated, including a new furnace, central air, roof, windows, and 200 amp electrical system. It is a unique opportunity to step into a fully updated historic home in Hartford’s West End.
3 Regent Street is offered at $339,900. If you’d like to see this home, please have your agent set up a showing, or call me at 860-655-2125 to schedule a visit. Both floor plan and photos are available.
This Old House Magazine
The magazine version of This Old House arrived in the mail yesterday. It was a very good day.
There are only 2 magazines that I immediately sit down and read cover-to-cover, and this is one of them (the other is Wired). It is a perfect mix of interesting stories, tasteful design ideas, and moderate skill project suggestions. Each issue is full of useful tips and addresses issues that relate to me, since we actually live in an old house.
This month I learned that…
1. We can grow purple shamrocks (four-leaf clovers) in our yard since they require indirect light. We’ve struggled to grow something other than hostas in the part of our yard shaded by the ginormous maple trees, so this might be a way to add some color and interest to the area.
2. After looking at pictures of kitchens both in the ads and in the articles, I’m more comfortable that darker knobs will look good on our white cabinets. Although Amy found some interesting crystal knobs yesterday afternoon, so it may be a moot point.
3. The article about “the best place to buy an old house” really shows how interesting and diverse residential architecture was throughout the country 100 years ago. One of our clients actually commented on this yesterday after we showed him a very unique brick tudor within walking distance of West Hartford Center. We were sitting in the car debriefing and he pointed out that all the houses would have looked nearly identical if the street had been developed since 1960.
4. Spring comes early in the This Old House world. There were two articles about tidying up outside which will need to wait at least two more months for those of us in the Hartford area. Even our friends in the warmer climates are getting slammed with winter this year, so I’m not sure if there is anywhere entering spring at the moment. Washington DC is a mess, and apparently it’s snowing in Atlanta today.
I picked up all of these tidbits in the first half of the magazine. But wait, there’s more! Secrets to Curb Appeal … Reader Remodel of an American Foursquare… Garden Junk … All About Wood Windows. This Old House is terrific for homeowners interested in learning about little things they can do around their place, inside and out. And there are ideas on just about every page for those who aren’t likely to pick up a hammer themselves.
Now, about those wood windows…