Home reno/redecorating support group

[quartz]

taf, I am right in between Toronto and Detroit, about two hours either way.

I love Rehab Addict. Nicole Curtis is my hero, and I wish more renovators were like her and attempt to save the old and reuse everything possible. Most seem only want to tear the old down and put up new. Not only is it wasteful, but so much history is lost in the process.

If I ever do need to replace a sink or toilet in my house, we would definitely check salvage places before purchasing new. I'm a thrift store junkie, so I am always on the lookout for old stuff that can be repurposed.

My kitchen sink is also original, and it's a big farmhouse style type, but the enamel is very worn and stained. When we do our reno, I will look into seeing if it is worth re-enameling it before purchasing a new one.

 

[alexikeguchi]

quartz, your sink sounds beautiful. We were able to save one of the original bathtubs (90 years old) in my NY apartment and had it re-glazed. It looks fabulous! I would never have found anything new that looked so beautiful, and it was much less expensive too. Otherwise, none of the appliances worked any more, the floor was warped in several areas, and the electric and plumbing were 60-90 years old and nowhere near up to code... The contractors even found a lead pipe in one of the bathrooms! However, we replaced with the exact same classic pre-war look, and it makes me sad when old items that are in perfectly good working order are jettisoned. My Oklahoma real estate agent's husband is a contractor, and I think I will see if he wants to salvage anything from my house, built in 1948, before it faces the wrecking ball.

 

[Rob]

If you have anything that is usable, and you don't want to keep it, it can be donated to a ReStore if you have one in your area. http://www.habitat.org/env/restores.aspx
That is where my turquoise cast iron (but not footed) bathtub and sink, my turquoise toilet, and my brown Formica vanity went -- my house Is 1948 too. Hopefully some mid-century modern buff picked them up cheap or someone re-enameled the bath/sink white. If the bathtub had had feet, I would have used it in the backyard as a planter -- would have been too funny. We kept the retro tiny medicine cabinet with etched mirror. It is now in use in a 1/2 bath in my husband's workshop.

We are taking down an old rotting wooden shed, and my husband is having the reusable wood kiln dried (for bugs) then he is using what he can for our backyard fence. It is gorgeous -- totally weathered grey with streaks of white paint (most of the paint has peeled off).

I am obsessed with Fixer Upper and the shiplap that Joanna Gaines likes to use. Trying to figure out where I can use shiplap in my house. Perhaps around the fireplace. Hmmm.

 

[quartz]

@alexikeguchi, Well, I have priced farmhouse sinks, and the ones that I like are in the $800-$1200 range, so I am hoping my existing one can be reglazed!

@Rob, my upstairs bathroom still has the little etched glass medicine cabinet too.

 

[Rob]

quartz, you have me thinking about an old pitted stained pedestal sink we have in the guest bath. It is so thick and solid with sides wide enough for hand soap, guest towels. I bet reglazing would make it perfect for the new powder room in the house (where I don't need a vanity). With black and white basketweave floors......and a shiplap wall, wheeee! And a mirror sort of like this (which my husband already made from old tin ceiling tiles we bought for a fraction of the cost of the mirror): http://www.bambeco.com/Mirrors/Bambeco-Antique-Tin-Weathered-White-Mirror.asp

 

[quartz]

Lol....Rob, I have a tin frame mirror like that as well. I picked it up on clearance for less than $10 and gave it a weathered purple paint treatment.

eta.....and now Rob's mirror is coming up in my Facebook ads.....

 

[Rob]

LOL! It is on mine too!

 

[taf2002]

quartz, you have me thinking about an old pitted stained pedestal sink we have in the guest bath. It is so thick and solid with sides wide enough for hand soap, guest towels. I bet reglazing would make it perfect for the new powder room in the house (where I don't need a vanity). With black and white basketweave floors......and a shiplap wall, wheeee! And a mirror sort of like this (which my husband already made from old tin ceiling tiles we bought for a fraction of the cost of the mirror): http://www.bambeco.com/Mirrors/Bambeco-Antique-Tin-Weathered-White-Mirror.asp

I love that mirror.

 

[alexikeguchi]

If you have anything that is usable, and you don't want to keep it, it can be donated to a ReStore if you have one in your area. http://www.habitat.org/env/restores.aspx

Apparently, there are ReStores in my area. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[reckless]

@flyingsit and @alexikeguchi (and everyone else can chime in too! ), I'd love to hear about your experiences getting the right paperwork together for reno/building projects.

I JUST started a new job at the Dept of Building and Safety in LA, working on the public-facing website, and my first few days was a self-driven crash course about just what the heck happens around here. They're set to launch in mere weeks, so there isn't enough time to pull together focus groups, so I'm trying to pick up as much knowledge wherever I can. I'm more familiar with what happens in the organization, but I have no clue about how they work outside of the dept, LA or not. I've only lived in apartments, so...


As for me, Alf wants to move again, but we have a very specific location we're set on (we want to stay at the same metro stop, just somewhat closer to the station so it's further away from what he perceives as gangland), so it's just a matter of waiting until a listing that allows pets shows up. Which doesn't exactly inspire me to FINALLY put art up on the walls or anything like that.

So if I need someone to hack the system and say I was approved for a variance. . . .

I'm just starting to investigate that. My house has a detached garage with a room (used for storage) and bathroom attached. Those were permitted, but to get from the garage to the house, I have to: (1) unlock the garage door into the storage room; (2) lock that door; (3) unlock the storage room door that enters onto a patio; (4) lock that door; and (5) unlock the door to the main house. It's ridiculously inconvenient, especially when I have groceries. I want to build out the storage room and attach it to the house, but the back of the garage (the opposite side of where I would be building) is less than 15-feet from the rear lot line.

And update on new architect. She is fabulous and very collaborative. I think we have the general design of the house figured out. Now I just need to figure out how to pay for it.

 

[alexikeguchi]

Any updates, Quartz?

I'm closing on my Oklahoma house 5/27 and just got word today that I do actually need to clean it out because the buyers may end up leasing it for a while before they ultimately tear it down and rebuild. I found out because I wanted to confirm with my real estate agent that is was okay to donate my perfectly good appliances to Habitat for Humanity or Salvation Army, and it wasn't. I hope the new owners will donate the items when the time comes. I also want to give them a heads up at closing about the bunny family and cardinal pair that live in the backyard... It's their home too! I'll miss the wildlife when I am entirely an apartment dweller.

 

[quartz]

updates?? Ha.
Although just last night my husband asked me what type of furniture I was thinking of for the bedroom we are redecorating....so I showed him some ideas I had on my Pinterest.
He then showed me an antique walnut dresser on an online auction site that he had seen earlier, that was pretty close to what I had in mind. And I told him I want an iron frame for the bed.
That's all I have done lately!

 

[made_in_canada]

I inherited my grandma's bedroom set and it finally was delivered yesterday! It's 60 years old and in pretty rough shape so I have a refinishing project on my hands. The bed is going into the guest bedroom but I'm keeping the dresser and vanity in my room. I've always loved that vanity and when I was little I'd sit and brush my hair at it and pretend I was a princess

 

[Rob]

I just filed about 50 pieces of paper with the county because I need a variance from the setback rules to rebuild my house exactly where it stands today (built before zoning laws were in effect). We could remodel the inside as long as we don't take down the rotting, buggy wood outside and redo the foundation (which is nonexistent - the back of the house is built on a couple of bricks.). We just can't take it down, fix the foundation, and rebuild it without moving it 35 feet into the yard (out of the water view and on top of the septic tank? non!) or getting a variance from the commissioners. My neighbors all wrote letters of support. Hopefully the commissioners do not want to perpetuate wood rot, mold, wood boring insects, and a safety/flooding issue. Did I mention I have grass growing in the attic? But it puts us back a month. Hopefully just a month. All the county shenanigans last year put us back 3 months on building the workshop. I need to get the wood off the exterior so I can get it to the kiln to try to save it for my fence.

 

[alexikeguchi]

Hopefully the commissioners do not want to perpetuate wood rot, mold, wood boring insects, and a safety/flooding issue.

Several houses ago, we backed up to the railroad tracks and built a 6 foot fence rather than 4.5 after getting a verbal green light. Then, our neighbor who was on the town council protested, and we had to cut off 1.5 feet. I guess they wanted to keep the view of the train tracks.

 

[rfisher]

Painting your kitchen cabinets isn't that difficult, but it's not a weekend job. The problem with paint is you need enamel for wear and tear and it's difficult to do smoothly without brush marks, but, there is a good alternative if you develop good spraying skills. Spray paint comes in enamel which will wear well in the kitchen. You can get a variety of sheens (I'd opt for a semi-gloss in the kitchen). My laundry room and downstairs bath had ugly stock cabinets. I painted the laundry room white semi-gloss with blue walls and the bath black with turquoise walls (it's a small bath and the color makes a big impact). I took the doors off, all the hardware, and laid them down flat. I practiced with the spraying. The key is multiple thin coats and let them dry between coats. Use 0000 steel wool between coats to catch any tiny drips. Take your time and they'll look great. Now, spraying the base is a bit more challenging as you need to tape everything off or cover the floor and counter tops, but you can get a good finish if you take your time. Quality cabinet finishes are always sprayed to avoid brush marks. Buy a can of cheap paint and practice the technique until you're satisfied and then spray away. If you get carried away and get a drip, just sand and respray. A can of quality paint is about 7$. It would take about 100$ for paint for a large kitchen which is pretty cheap compared to replacing cabinets or hiring a painter. You can paint your hardware including hinges. There are multiple metallic finishes in spray paint. Again, the key is to clean the hardware first, use a light touch and be patient. I bought two small chests at a flea market, sprayed them a deep burgundy, painted the drawer pulls and they are two of my favorite pieces. My dining room is painted Buxton Blue (a Benjamin Moore color) which has burgundy as one of its base colors and the pieces are perfect together.

Which is a good tip, when you buy paint, always watch what colors and how much goes into the base. This will tell you exactly what colors will go together. I learned this trick from a professional painter. I always have the store write the exact formula on the can along with the name.

 

[quartz]

@rfisher, thumbs up for the turquoise and black bathroom! Sounds fab!

 

[Spun Silver]

I just made some turquoise and black jasper earrings. Great color combo!

Rfisher, thanks for the painting lesson. I've been wondering for ages how to paint cabinets. What about the frame? I guess there is no avoiding the brushmarks on those.

Also, do you do the work outside or inside and how do you cope with the negatives of either one (e.g., bugs/falling pollen vs. fumes and lack of space)? Also, how long does it take the paint to dry between coats, and roughly how many coats did you need? Did you do anything to prep the cabinets before painting them?

I understand if you don't have time to answer all my q's. I got a little carried away. We may need to get our house ready to sell and I've been wondering about the impact of the current crummy cabinet paint job. (They were factory-dipped but it didn't take at the corners.)

 

[rfisher]

I work outside or in the garage if it's windy or cold. It's best to do this when the weather is warm, but if you keep the coats thin, it only takes 20 minutes or so to dry.You need sawhorses to put the doors on then you can get the edges as well as the flat. It's good to start with the inside of the doors until you get the technique down. I've sprayed the frames, but you need to cover everything to avoid the fine spray. If you spray in the house, wear a mask like the pros do. If you brush part of the job and spray the other, the colors won't be the same. You can spray any type of paint, but don't waste your money buying a cheap sprayer. Rent a quality one and discuss how to thin the paint at the paint store. I always buy quality paint (my current favorite is Sherwin-Williams) and buy it from a dedicated paint store because the people who work there actually know what they are doing. Sometimes the paint people at big box stores know, but not all of them. Cheap paint will cost more in the long run than good paint. And those paints with the primers built in are a rip off. A quality primer is also a key to a good finish. One thing about spray enamels to remember is to wear gloves. The paint won't wash off your hands. You have to use a solvent. Gloves are a lot easier.

 

[made_in_canada]

Were you using an air-powered sprayer, rfisher? I've been considering buying one for a couple of my furniture projects coming up. I have a compressor which is the expensive part, but I'm having a hard time finding anyone who can tell me much about them.

 

[rfisher]

For the furniture and cabinets, I used a good quality canned spray paint. Most of the cheaper air sprayers will clog. I'd just see if I could rent a better quality sprayer if you only have small projects. You have to practice a light touch or you'll get drips and runs. As I said, multiple thin coats are the way to go. Professional painters will use a sprayer if possible because you get a smoother finish.

 

[made_in_canada]

Thanks. I hadn't really thought about renting one but that might be the best option at least initially.

 

[Spun Silver]

Thanks for the fabulous tips, rfisher. You sound like a total pro.

 

[quartz]

Well, if rfisher was looking for her next career......

 

[quartz]

So, I went into my local antique store, because my favorite thrift store was closed today. Wasn't looking for anything in particular, just browsing.
Somehow I managed to purchase a circa 1940 solid oak pedestal table, 2 leaves and 6 chairs for $250!

I sent a message to my husband while he was out in his new fishing boat, that he needs to go pick it up for me on Tuesday.

 

[Spun Silver]

Wow! You're one of THOSE people who just happens on treasures. Congrats!

I love oak dining room furniture. So heavy and well made. (Is there any such thing as badly made oak furniture?)

 

[alexikeguchi]

Everything ended up okay today, but I need to vent... My buyers were a little flaky the first couple weeks after I accepted their offer, but then everything seemed to proceed smoothly. I got the HUD summary yesterday to go over in preparation for closing planned at noon today. Then, around 9am, my agent called that the buyers had decided not to close, no reason given. I practically flipped given that all my possessions are now in transit, and I am living in a hotel. She suggested a real estate attorney, who was very helpful and honest, and I had kind of settled on a plan B. I met my agent about 2 to discuss re-listing, and as we were talking, she got a call from the buyer agent that they were going to go ahead after all, at 4. Meanwhile, the lawyer called back with not just advice but another buyer from among his clients. I decided to go ahead with the original deal just to get this over with, since I have a job and other responsibilities after all, and thank goodness my house is now officially sold. Sipping some Scotch now to calm my nerves.

 

[Debbie S]

Congratulations, @alexikeguchi! You have earned that drink!

My house sale went haywire at the 11th hour, b/c the buyers didn't have a loan approval by the day we were supposed to settle. Which was a breach of the financing contingency they had added to the contract - they were supposed to notify me if they didn't get an approval within 30 days, and that deadline had passed. I blew up at their (nice but inexperienced) agent, who blamed the credit union that was doing their loan and the title. In the end, we settled 9 days late (and at one point, I told the agent I was going to start taking back-up offers) and the buyers reimbursed me for loan interest, HOA fees, utilities, and taxes for each day after the initial date that we didn't settle (if they ended up walking, I could have sued them for losses if the house sold for less than their offer).

What really ticked me off was that I had suggested pushing back settlement when it became clear that things likely wouldn't be ready (appraiser didn't come out until a week before closing) but agent insisted the loan would be ready. So i passed on a less expensive apt that wouldn't have been ready until 5 days after we were scheduled to close.

The credit union the buyers used was somewhat incompetent and there were delays that wouldn't have occurred if they knew what they were doing, but the buyers clearly had some credit issues, based on what I was able to pick up. Oh well, not my problem. I was very happy to finally turn over the keys.

 

[flyingsit]

Ugh, ugh, you people are scaring me!

We had multiple offers on our house and we chose the one we did (the second-highest) to try to avoid problems. The highest offer was using a mortgage broker rather than a regular lender and our agent has had a lot of issues with mortgage brokers over the years. The buyer we selected is a realtor herself and should keep everything smooth... last week she had her inspections done and released the contingency; now we're waiting for the appraisal which will probably be next week. So far things have been very friendly with her; we sent photos of things we thought she might want (extra supplies for the hardwood floor, master bathroom tile, kitchen backsplash, paint, and a couple of shelving units in our storage room) and she thanked us and said she'll be glad to take all of them.

 

[quartz]

So many complications! (((Hugs))

When we sold our previous house, we had an offer for asking price the day after we put it on the market, which we accepted. Our listing agent was also the listing agent of the house we purchased (current house), which we offered $5,000 less, and that offer was also accepted. Because that was an estate sale, we had a quick close on it, and got the keys 3 weeks before we had to vacate the house we were in. It was only 4 blocks away, so whenever I had a carload of boxes I just went over and put them in the new house. Then one Saturday we had the movers come and move the furniture. Easiest sale/purchase/ move ever. But I still never want to move again.