Weekend Update

We finally got started on the fireplace this weekend. we decided to make a bench on each side of the fireplace...16" high about 16" wide and the length of the fireplace. We had to elevate the slab outside so it would be level with the inside slab. That way we can build the block hearth straight inside out. then drywall the sides and top of the fireplace.

We moved the 2nd tangelo tree from the side of the house...now we can park cars!!! Well...almost. We have to tamp down the dirt where the trees were to ensure the cars don't slide into the earth! Once we tamp, 2 old cars will stay on the side...leaving 2 in garage and one in carpot.

We decided that after talking to Trent and Cody that we should try to build a steel cover for this little square patch of dirt. Should give more of a walkway to the front door.

Another gorgeous sunset. Almost the best yet!!!

The start of the fountain... We starting laying out the block for the fountain/pond. We already have electric from the original owner's grecian-style fountain...we just have to add GFCI. It will be about 36" square, with a flexible liner. Then, there will be pillars or some sort of sculpture to have water trickle down. We are going to seal the block and add river rock to the bottom. A submersible pump will be covered by the river rock in the pond. We are going to paint the fountain orange...or at least that is the plan right now. The benches will be added in the 2 L-shapes. We are considering adding fire to the fountain...saw in a sunset book something about kerosene fire in a fountain...Looked bitchin!

Kitchen Electrical

We just started having our electrical re-worked in the kitchen today. We had to tear down some drywall to put up insulation where all the formerly outside areas are now inside. We're doing 3 lines of lights essentially. 2 rows will be recessed lighting and 1 row will be above the island. We're trying to find some very period lights to hang over the island....probably globes or something of the like.

We had to redo all our switches to make all the new lights work.

Here's a closer look at our current hell-hole kitchen. Yikes!!!!

We are going to be doing tounge and groove wood ceilings throughout the house. We are leaving the beams white and doing a mid-tone wood for the tounge and groove. These globes would look super over our new island. :)

We're going to paint the dining room wall a shade of aqua, similar to this one. Tounge and groove is pretty groovy in this photo, but our will be the grooviest ever.

Address Numbers

We bought our house numbers from www.customhousenumbers.com when we closed on the house last May. We have had so many other projects to work on that we just put the address #s on the back burner...

Today Matt took time out of his busy schedule to work on this tiny project. We took plexiglass, cut it down, then routered the edges round. After that, we sanded the plexiglass to give it a frosted glass look.

Then Matt drilled holes for the numbers using the provided template. Once the holes were made, the numbers could be attached.

Matt is very talented. This is the finished project.

Here it is inside the house.

This will be where the house numbers will go. We have to get some bolts to make the numbers stay on (they weren't provided), then we have to attached the glass to the wrought iron. We'll backlight it which will look sweet at night. Now people driving by will know the address of our ever-changing home!!! Yay!!

More photos of the house before we owned it...

The original owner had a love affair with the color blue...and wallpaper. Literally, blue tile....blue floor tile....blue and white wallpaper...blue kitchen counters...blue mosaic pool....blue,blue,blue!When we 1st saw the house, we went to turn on the water in the bathrooms, and there was barely a trickle. We had some plumbing work done, and now we are in good shape. Can't wait til the hall bath is done. Just need to put up drywall, tile, finish the vanity, chose a countertop, install the toilet and fixtures, and viola. Easier said than done. We've been using one bathroom for the last 9 months...mistake #1....never demo a bathroom unless you know you can put it back together right away!

Awww....the gold-flecked popcorn ceilings. I loved them, Mat hated them. So...they're gone. We really didn't have a choice, now that I think about it. There was some staining on the ceiling from before the roof was replaced, and it would have been impossible to cover up....I beet that's why the stains were there when we moved in.

We still have the old Village grove sign that leads to our house. Pretty cool!

Here is what the guest bedroom looked like when we first saw the house. YIKES!

Here is what the office looked like before we bought the house.....after we cleaned it for our appraisal!!!

More shots of the back of the house...

We have left our mark on the house in several areas. Notice my name is in front of Matt's...he he he. He did it, not me. :)

Here's Matt trying to show me what the back of the house was going to look like. I had no idea just how rad the back would turn out. Matt always tells me to "trust him". I have learned to just have faith in his mad skills.

More shots of the new house paint...just painted today.

Another shot...I love the contrast of the dark blue/gray and the white.

I effin love it!!

Back of house is finished!

Here is what the back of the house looked like last year. Small patio off the kitchen and dining room. We decided that since our kitchen was in such rough shape and our view out to the backyard was restricted to a TINY window, that we would expand the house to the edge of the existing roofline.

We had a structural engineer review our plans for expansion, bought the lumber and materials, raised the slab, added a 50' patio, and knocked out the back block wall (approx. 35').

Then we had the house boarded up for about 2 months while we waited for our windows to come in.

Then we finished the back expansion by bondoing and painting the wood framing. We also primered the back of the house so we could paint the house back to the original color.

We just finished painting today. We caught the sunset today-beautiful as usual. ON TO THE LANDSCAPE!!

Random photos

I can't wait for swimming season!!! BUT, it is getting hot outside, and I hate it. I think I probably would have been tempted to swim today if I wasn't so busy. I stuck my hand in and it wasn't too cold.

Sunsets....Never cease to amaze me. (don't mind the dirty glass and burnt out light bulbs...he he he)

This is an original 1960s vanity from a valley tract home. I will be veneered and brought back to life, in our house!!!

Matt is a dork. He just had to be in my picture. :)

We changed the cushions on the loungers above the pool, and put our umbrella in the built-in umbrella hole. Perfect area for afternoon sunning.

Backyard landscaping photos-BEFORE

Our lot sits at over 13,000 square feet. We have a very large corner lot, with an odd-shaped backyard.

We have a side yard off our master bedroom, which looks like this presently. We envision a master bedroom oasis, complete with fountain, lush trees, benches, and landscape lighting.

This is the view looking towards the pool, from the back gate. We already have our landscaping plan designed, but we are looking for the right installer at the moment. We have to make several trips to the dump, in order to get rid of all our demo materials, as seen in the bottom portion of the picture. We just got done painting the back fence today. We still have to paint over by where Matt's workshop is (we has building cabinets, so we couldn't paint over there) and the back and side of the house.

We have another landscaping area to the East of our newly extended patio. We have plans for a BBQ set-up and a bar. Also a plot of grass, landscape lights, and some agaves and other succulents.

This is the difference in the paint colors. The new color is an almost-exact match of the original color of the house. The color when we bought the house is the color on the right-a periwinkle/lavendar color. What a difference paint makes!!! Hopefully we'll have the house painted this week!

This is the main landscaping section. We are going to build a cool 60s inspired bench seat all around the 40 year old Acacia tree, install a geometric plot of grass, put in lots of landscape lighting, and add small plants throughout. We'll also be building a wood fence to conceal our pool equipment.