step right up...

....and guess the grout!

Yessiree. One of these floors has been grouted and the other has not. Hurry, hurry, hurry! Guess correctly and you win a Kewpie doll, or an ookpik perhaps, this being the Great White North and all.

Can't decide? Well that was a waste of a well planned decision, then wasn't it? We poured over a carrying case full of more grout samples than I've had hot grog. We tried first this one, and then that one to see which would be the best choice for the Hollywood bathroom floor.After a fair bit if deliberation we went with "pewter". Dark enough to hide the dirt, but light enough to hide the dirt. Our needs are simple.

I can clearly now the rain has gone!

Well, it's October in Vancouver - what the heck are we supposed to sing to make ourselves feel better about Autumn weather? As it happens we can see clearly now but it's not just because the rain has gone, today anyways. The sun is currently streaming through the new windows that have been installed throughout the entire house.
Old

New

Old
New

Replacing the old, double glazed but aluminum windows that let out as much heat as possible was one of those 'should we or shouldn't we?' decisions that had to be made before the renovation project began. The expense was the big issue and we wrestled with the option of having vinyl windows to keep costs (and future maintenance) down. Vinyl has come a long way and there are some attractive options, but we knew exactly what style we wanted and that was sadly just about the only style not possible with vinyl. We could have done a hybrid (part wood part vinyl) or chosen vinyl for those that would open as casement windows (upstairs for saftey in case of fire) or those that wouldn't open at all (in the closet) but in the end we sucked it up and ordered wood for all of them. Critical mass helped a bit with getting a decent price (we're talking 15 extra windows here) but the main influencing factor was knowing we'd regret not going with what we knew and loved. Sorry vinyl, your attractions are many, but wood is king!

The real gem was replacing the paino window in the living room. We imagine that it would have quite possibly been originally of stained glass, but we've only ever known it as aluminum. Once we were given guide measurements we hunted around at antique stores until we found an old stained glass window that would work (we found three actually and had a difficult decision choosing which one). It needed repair and cleaning before a frame could be built for it, and we lucked out at finding a woman who totally 'got' us and who we totally 'got', and who did a great job. It was then taken to our window guy who built the frame. One of the pieces of red glass had been repaired years ago with an inferior piece, but this was impossible to fix at this point and we decided it added to the charm. It also made the choice of orientation clear, as one way the red pieces point up and look like arrows and the other way they point down and look like hearts. We are arrow pointing up kind of people. Now when the sun hits it just so, we get red and green and gold dancing on the wall opposite.

With the windows now in, the house is warmer and quieter, not that noise was ever a big issue at Touchwood (at least from without!). Some work still needs to be done on the old casings and the previous metal venetian blind hardware needs to be removed and we have to figure out what kind of coverings we will get, but we don't even see those things.

Old New

We find ourselves just gazing at them with a sort of hypnotic euphoria.

decisions decisions

One of the more enjoyable decisions to make is what colour to paint the walls. However, to do that one must decide upon cabinetry colours/styles, flooring choices, countertops, trim, doors, etc. etc. first. Or vice versa.

We've gathered several potential options, painted boards and moved them round each space to see how the light affects the colours, during both the daytime and the evening, under natural and artifical lighting, considering furniture and artwork that might impact on them and squinting to imagine expanses of floor and wall from little bitty pieces. Here's a selection of options we like. Any thoughts?

The finishing has begun

It's exciting when the first piece of something that will actually be seen after the renovation is finished is added. It's not much but it's big. The basement bathroom has received its floor and wall tiling.

We were given an evening's advance warning to prime the walls and ceiling, so it was a scramble to get the paint and materials and do the job. An added benefit is that the priming, with the tiling, provides a hint of what the room will look like.

We chose a silver metallic strip edge over the choice of white and black, as the use of silver is something we think we might use for an accent later, when we get to that part. Besides, all the plumbing fixtures, door and cabinetry hardware will be of that hue, as well as the appliances - at least those that have any colour at all.

We scored with the tile cost, finding it at Home Depot for about $6 per tile, each of which measure 1 foot by 2 feet. Laying them in a brick-style formation works well in the shower, especially when trying to determine where the niche (for holding shampoo, soap, etc.) should be placed, as the layout afforded more options. This pattern will look even better in the larger laundry, storage and entry sections, which will house the same tile.

something to be thankful for

We always like it when we can keep from turning the heat on for the first time in the Autumn until after Thanksgiving and this year there has been no problem with that, for which we are thankful particularly given the renovation project and all the tramping in and out. The whole week and weekend were beautiful, warm and sunny during the days, with cold, crisp nights full of bright moon.

And when the colours start to turn and a hot bath in the evening is welcome, cooking a big turkey dinner is just part of it. And for Martin, ensuring he gets several during this paticular weekend is less a challenge and more a goal. He decided to get a head start and cook one Friday, to be shared with whoever was here and working on the basement. The word got out, and some of the regulars turned up in their lunch hour from anotehr job that wasn't too far away. For one helper it was bizarre as it was his furst day on the job and he was wondering how common this was. Not, he was told emphatically!

We were eight, sitting outside under the pergola, also something to be thankful for as there was no way we could have fit inside. After the last of the pumpkin pie was gone and all the dishes were carried around the house to the front and then into the kitchen (I really miss our back stairs!) and the guys had gone back to work, there was a knock on the door and in came a huge floral display, a gift from the contractor.

Happy Thanksgiving indeed!

stucco

While we were away in New York last week, the stucco was done and the house looks so much happier in its protective coat. Most of this work was done on the back porch, stairs and new french doors area: (before)

(after)

(before)

(after)

(before)

(after)

but there were also patches between the new windows: (before) (after)

There are still a few gaps around the east windows which were moved above their old locations, but these will be covered with the framing that has yet to be done.

There is a slight difference in depth between the new stucco and the old surface, which is noticable only between the west windows as that is the only bit at eye level, but this should be pretty invisible when it all gets painted.

There will be a slight patchwork quality to this aspect of the house for awhile as we can't afford to do the painting this year (the whole house is due to be repainted anyway - let's hope for a good work year next year!)

space defined

Framing out a space requires a bit of imagination to 'see' where walls will be when one can still see right through into the next room.

After a week in the big apple on a family trip, we returned to find the gyproc walls now in place, and suddenly the space becomes real, the whole project seems real. Our footsteps do not echo as they have done when we walked on the cement floor, now that the insulation and gyproc absorb the sound. All we hear during the day is the scrape and smear of the mudding guy as he slowly walks through and applies his white substance to the joins, making the surface smooth enough to paint.

A message to the future

When we started taking down walls and ripping up floors we found all sorts of thing left behind (besides the dead rats and mice that is). An old razor blade, a live rifle shell, a tin key box, a test tube full of mercury, a metal playing card case, a postcard postmarked August 6, 1927 that read "Dear Gertie, Arrived at Seattle. Gosh it's a bum place. Why didn't you come down to the station to see me off? Fannie"

Gee, if Fannie had been a little nicer maybe Gertie would have made the effort!

We also found an old Roger's Golden Syrup tin full of brown paper wrapped prophylactics labeled descreetly "Durex - British throughout" as well as two pristine tins of wrapped Sphinx brand condoms from Toronto. We do wonder what was going on in our house in the late '20s and early '30s!

No doubt the best find was several hand painted theatre posters promoting plays produced by the team of actors who lived in our house from 1930-1938, 'The British Guild Players'. We've had the best of these framed, along with other found posters advertising sweets that presumably were displayed at Vancouver's Empress Theatre (demolished in 1940) for intermissions.

We have also sourced and framed photos of five of the actors we know lived or stayed in the house and have placed them in a Hollywood-themed bathroom, also being renovated as part of this project.

So when we knew the gyproc walls were going up in the basement we decided to add our own message to the future. We wrote a note and put it in an envelope along with a pin commemorating the upcoming 2010 winter Olympic Games and a modern condom (just to continue the karma). We also added our business cards in case we are still alive and using the same email address (!) when the next person decides to redo what we are doing.

daddy dearest

A lot of firms say they are a "father and son" operation, but this one really is. If there was any question as to the veracity of their advertised "two generations of excellence", it was answered with the to-do notes son Brian left for father Ben dotted around the place.