by Heather -

The Grand Plan V3.0

We’re back! Did you miss us? Boy, did we miss you… and making progress on the firehouse. When we last left off Aaron was battling a year of random health woes that bled into our busiest time of year (fall wedding season). But, now, dear readers, things are ramping back up and we’re all kinds of excited.

A reader (Hi Robyn!) suggested that I give you an update on the grand plan in light of our impending 4 year firehouse anniversary (Feb 14th for anyone keeping track and planning to send us a gift) (And by a gift I mean wine.) It’s been three years since we took a broad look at what we’ve done and what’s to come. So here goes nothing… err everything.

One quick note: I didn’t do ANY staging for these photos except to make our bed and pick up the bra that was laying in the bathroom, because I’m not an animal.

 

Exterior
30% done
% change: -10% I think I was being generous calling our exterior 40% done last time. We have LOTS of plans for our outside space and we hadn’t even finished the garage. Since then we’ve picked up even more land (thanks to buying the extra lot) and another list of projects.

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Front yard

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Back/side yard

Extra lot

Other/Overall

  • Seal the roof
  • Tuck point the building (likely in stages)
  • Replace the bad second story windows
  • Landscape (another tree or two, ivy, tall grass)

 

Studio
95% done
% change: +15% for some minor additions

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Entry cube
15% done
% change: +15% for getting the fire hose lights out of the way and ordering a new fixture for the space

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  • Replace the fire hose lights <– The lights are gone and the new fixture is on order!
  • Finish the drywall <– In progress!
  • Paint
  • Install new door between cube and studio
  • Hang art and/or coat rack system

 

Downstairs living room
25% done
% change: +25% I don’t think this room looks 25% finished, but we did tackle the major renovations: windows and fireplace.

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The plans for this space have expanded quite a bit, here’s a current list:

Dining room
16% done
% change: +15% for fixing the ceiling, adding a window and buying the slab that will become our dining room table

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  • Secure the fire pole at the bottom with more bolts
  • Patch all the holes, including the large one that was possibly a coal door. We decided to add a window to this space. It is a little overshadowed by the changes we made in the living room, but we still love it! Also it was an easy solution to removing the ill-patched section of this wall that we think may have been a coal door. See some before and after shots in this post.
  • Skim coat the ceiling
  • Finish the duct work
  • Run more electrical outlets
  • Put the dining room lighting on a different switch than the studio lighting
  • Build a new door for the basement stairwell
  • Re-do window casings
  • Paint
  • Install new flooring
  • Build a light fixture that’s been floating around in our heads for years
  • Build a large dining table <– We bought the slab!
  • Hang art

 

Kitchen
2% done
% change: 0% It’s crowded. It’s ugly. But it’s functional.

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Half bath
10% done
% change: 0%

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  • Replace the bricked over window
  • Replace the ceiling <– This is in progress… in that we have no ceiling and guests are forced to use a lantern when using the facilities at night.
  • Add a new light fixture and fan
  • Paint
  • Re-glaze the sink
  • Restore the toilet paper holder
  • Restore the door
  • Add art and accessories, like a mirror and storage

 

Stairwell
95% done
% change: 95% We made a lot of progress in this space, but it’s a bit of two steps forward, one step back. For the sake of only explaining it once, see notes below regarding the living room.

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Upstairs living room
75% done, but with a big project still looming
% change: 75%

011Four_years_in 012Four_years_in

 

Captain’s bedroom and bathroom
95% done
% change: +94% We tackled just about everything in this room over the winter in 2015. It’s one of my favorite spaces!

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Awesome bathroom
0% done
% change: 0% Nothing has changed in this room except for the fact that I use it to dry laundry sometimes…

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  • Replace fixtures as necessary to make sure everything works
  • Replace the lights over the mirrors
  • Remove the plaster
  • Paint
  • Build/buy a storage solution for towels and other necessities <– We scored a cool shelf which is covered by a sweater above. I think it will probably stay in this room.
  • Build an LED drop ceiling
  • Get a new door
  • Add a Great Dane washing station in one of the showers

Hallway
100% done
% change: +5% for adding some art

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Workout bedroom/extra bedroom
5% done
% change: 0% Not much has changed in here.

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  • Remove the “stage”
  • Remove the pole closet
  • Build a Murphy bed and extra storage along the south wall
  • Extend the laundry room by stealing the closet space and a window
  • Fix the window sills
  • Finish the trim
  • Build out the exercise area (mirrors and a weight rack)
  • Mount the TV
  • Replace the flooring
  • Remove the plaster
  • Paint
  • Replace the fan and add lighting
  • Install storage and a Murphy bed

 

4th bedroom
0% done
% change: 0% I “re-organize” this room about once a year.

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To be honest, we’re not entirely sure what we’re going to do with this space. Originally, we thought we might make it into a closet for our master suite. Now I’m leaning toward keeping it as a bedroom just from a value standpoint.

 

Laundry room
0% done
% change: 0%… not much to see here, folks.

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  • Expand the laundry room by stealing space from the workout room
  • Build storage and a clothes drying rack
  • Paint

 

Master Bedroom
0% done
% change: 0% We painted this room a few years ago and it was enough of an upgrade to keep us happy for now. This is pretty low on the priority list.

018Four_years_in

  • Remove the half wall
  • Remove the double closets
  • Seal the brick
  • Adjust duct work
  • Install a new door
  • Update slide dimmers to something more modern
  • Replace the flooring
  • Redo the lighting
  • Build a platform bed
  • Buy/build side tables
  • Add a fireplace (maybe)
  • Buy additional furniture as needed (chairs, dresser, etc) – maybe some vintage pieces
  • Paint
  • Add light blocking window treatments
  • Hang art

 

Master Bathroom
0% done
% change: 0%

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We actually discuss plans for this space quite a bit, maybe because we use it a lot, maybe because we stayed at a hotel in Kansas City over the holidays that had a huge shower that we both want? We haven’t settled on a layout, mostly because we’re not sure if we actually need to keep a tub (not that tub, that tub is going no matter what). Any thoughts on that? Will someone NOT by my firehouse some day because it doesn’t have a tub?

Basement
50% done
% change: +40% for finishing the workshop
Plan changes: Not much as changed down here, but thanks to some water issues (read all about it here) we invested in a water proofing system that should keep things nice and dry

020Four_years_in 021Four_years_in 022Four_years_in

  • DryLok walls
  • Replace the sump pump
  • Cover the sump pump hole
  • Run electric and build a platform for the chest freezer
    <– We actually swapped out the chest freezer for an upright freezer with a lot more space. That was our exciting purchase with the bonus I received last year. We’re wild like that.
  • Assemble shelving and organize our personal stuff and business materials
  • Spend more money than I’d like to publish on a water-drainage system
  • Build a workshop
  • Add a light to the stairwell
  • Install a door for the stairwell
  • Build a wine cellar
  • Paint the stairwell

Overall updates

Whew! I feel like I need a nap after reading all of that. Per usual, we’re tackling things in smaller segments and the kitchen/living room/entry cube/half bath are squarely in our sights. Aaron is working on some of the less glamorous elements, like drywall and fixing the duct work. I hope to have some progress photos to show you soon!

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by Heather -

You’re healthy until you’re not

Before you get too excited, we’re both essentially fine – nothing life threatening is happening. This was just the sentence that kept playing through my head last night and spurred me to start a blog post on my phone. (That’s normal, right?)

One of the last times we visited Kansas City, I remember sitting (nearly falling asleep, really) on Aaron’s grandma’s couch as the elders of the tribe discussed their various ailments. At one point, I was called out on not participating in the conversation. I was awake enough to retort “I don’t have any health issues to discuss.”

Such is the way of life. You’re healthy until you’re not. If this year has a theme it is certainly “Aaron is not healthy.”  His injured foot, which ultimately led to canceling most of our spring camping plans and buying a different trailer, is mostly healed.

Thankfully, his foot was healthy enough for us to enjoy a few days on Bourbon Trail in late May. But when we came back, he promptly got poison ivy from the extra lot. Two things you should know: 1. Aaron is highly allergic to poison ivy. 2. Urban poison ivy is a serious issue… at least in our extra lot. In this case, he got poison ivy on his hands (Yikes!) and it was bad. (You’re welcome for not sharing pictures.) Without going into too many details (again, you’re welcome) the poison ivy just wouldn’t go away. It wrecked his hands to the point that it hurt to hold a hammer.

He finally heeded my advice and visited the doctor. The diagnosis: (probably) psoriasis that was triggered by the poison ivy. Medications have been procured and I have nearly every finger crossed for a quick recovery.

I mention all of this because firehouse progress has been slow… actually that was generous. Firehouse progress has been nonexistent. You may have noticed…

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We’re also facing our busiest time of year: fall wedding season. I counted and between both jobs I have 5 (FIVE!) days off during the entire month of October. Dear Lord…

So, I was wondering if there was anything I could blog about in the meantime – anything you’d like to know or see? Maybe you want an update on the fence? Maybe you want to hear about our Bourbon Trail trip or my excursion to Paris (ahhhhhh! I still don’t really believe it!)? Maybe you’d be satisfied with random dog pictures and videos? (Example below where they prove that through teamwork they can block the entire kitchen floor.) Maybe you have some burning questions for us – firehouse or not-firehouse related. Tell me, friends.

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by Heather -

Meanwhile in the half bath

Many a joke (and even a few drinking games) have been derived from the common requests of people featured on House Hunters. While I find most of them laughable (can you really NOT share a sink in your master bath?!), personally I wouldn’t want to buy a house without a bathroom on the first floor. It just seems so inconvenient to send guests up a flight of stairs when nature calls. So, while we haven’t focused much on the half bath on our first floor, it’s a feature of the firehouse that I’m really happy we have.

It’s also been a bit ignored because we’ve done zero updates. That’s all changing as part of the downstairs redo. Let’s take a look at what we’re working with.

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It’s a pretty narrow room, which makes it hard to photograph.

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But it does get style points for the original slop sink!

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It loses major points for the ceiling.

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It’s a hodgepodge that has been made worse over time (and many owners). It features a light bulb socket (“fixture” seemed like it was giving it too much credit), fan, HVAC duct (which is not actually connected to the HVAC system), hole (I’m assuming that was used to install the HVAC or the fan) and an hole that allows a length of conduit with a large ground wire to connect to the water line.

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Also it’s made of plaster, so fixing the holes would be a giant pain. So we’re taking it out, adding some framing and putting up drywall. This will also give us a chance to reconfigure the placement of the light (like, maybe centering it!) and HVAC as well as replace the fan.

Aaron started by removing everything and then basically beat the ceiling with a hammer until most of the plaster was on the floor.

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I came home to this:

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008half_bath_ceiling

The next step is remove the wire mesh. Then we can frame, drywall, add a light and have our first floor bathroom back in action while it awaits the other critical steps before paint.

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by Heather -

6 tips for finding a wood slab

I honestly don’t know when we decided that a live edge slab table would be perfect for the dining room. For me it may have taken root when we were featured in Alive Magazine along with some other owners of unusual homes and peeped Charlie Smith’s beautiful table. Whenever it did take hold, it grabbed on and didn’t let go. We’ve been picturing a gorgeous slab of wood for that space for awhile. It will add the perfect natural, warm element to the white space (are you new here? We love white paint) and black chairs.

The search for the slab was one of the most time intensive processes we’ve undertaken for the firehouse to date. It was complicated by so many variables, some usual, some unique to the particular item we sought. We looked at so many slabs, inquired about several, and lost a few due to timing or miscommunication. So by the time we found the one we bought it was almost a fever pitch of “let’s get this done! SeriouslyHURRYbuyitnow!!” So here I am, well past the point when an enormous piece of wood came to live in our studio and ready to tell you about the hunt, but with basically zero real examples of slabs we loved and lost. #badblogger

What I can share are the lessons we learned along the way. Let’s start with what we wanted: A large, live-edge slab of wood, preferably walnut, rot/holes/knots that added interest welcome, budget: $1,200

1. Measure first
Yeah, I know. This should always be the first step, but we started this process assuming we knew what size we needed. Aaron launched into a search with a rough idea in his head, pulled lots of options and THEN we measured. It was a very scientific effort involving a card table, chairs and some painter’s tape.

table-measure

It turned out that the space could hold a pretty large table: 48 – 50″ wide by 120″ long.

2. Start early, like really early
It probably goes without saying that something natural like wood slabs have a limited and often changing inventory. Also, once you find the perfect piece it may need some time to dry. A green slab air drys for about 2 years and then it goes in a massive kiln for 3 – 5 months, which leads me to the next point.

3. Learn the lingo
It’s critical to understand the steps involved in prepping a piece of wood to live in your dining room because you can buy slabs at every stage. Ultimately, it will affect the cost and how much work you have to put in once it arrives.

After a tree is cut into slabs, those pieces of wood must be dried to be used for furniture. See process above. We knew we wanted a slab that was already kiln dried.

A particular slab can have some cupping, bowing on either side that doesn’t make it totally flat. This is why it’s helpful to get a slab that has been planed to flatten it on both sides. Unless you have an industrial-sized woodshop with an equally industrial-sized planer, you want a slab that has been planed.

Then there are more finishing steps like sanding, adding epoxy or otherwise reinforcing any holes as needed, and coating it (oil, stain, etc). Sometimes you can do these yourself, sometimes they are offered for an additional charge. Know your skill set and choose appropriately. We were comfortable with doing most of these steps on our own if needed.

You can also get sets that are book matched. Basically these are consecutive slices from a single log that are joined to make a wider surface. They look like this:

1765-bookmatch-slab-set-jewell-hardwoods

Source: Jewell Hardwoods

4. Don’t live in the Midwest
Kidding… although it would be easier to buy a HUGE tree chunk if we lived near HUGE trees. There aren’t many slab sellers in the Midwest so you’ll have to accept the fact that you won’t see your slab in person before it arrives. You’ll also want to budget some money for shipping.

5. Be flexible about material and size
Originally we were looking for black walnut, but realized that claro walnut (pictured above) lacked the lighter growth just below the bark. It’s a more consistent look and also more expensive. (Because of course we want the more expensive thing…) We realized pretty quickly that a slab of walnut – of any variety – was cost prohibitive.

That left us open to looking at different species, but none of the tones fit our vision. So we went back to claro walnut and looked for a bookmatched. We don’t love the look as much, but it was cheaper. We actually had a few we seriously considered, but when we were ready to buy after only a few days of consideration the pieces were gone. At this point we jumped the budget to a max of $3k.

Next we moved on to teak options from Origin Teak Cabinet Company.

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After weeks of emailing, there was a serious miscommunication about the budget (the updated budget) and we had to walk away.

Parota, a tropical tree, kept popping up as an option because of the massive slabs that come from this fast growing species. Originally we discounted it because the finished pieces looked so red. We went back to square one with our search, and unwilling to yield on the overall size, we did some research and discovered the redness comes mostly from the popular way to finish parota. So we turned back to the world wide web.

6. Google, Google again, Google some more
Slab vendors are on the interwebs, but only the biggest shops are good at SEO. Don’t stop at page 1 or page 20 of your search. Go deep down the list and if you start over, get more specific. Look for a particular type of wood (you’ll know what you want because you followed all the tips above) or search for vendors in a particular area. A friend recommended we look in Canada thanks to the favorable exchange rate.

Eventually we found the perfect vendor in CaliforniaWoodSlabs.com. This small company was established by two friends, one in Costa Rica where huge Parota trees grow, and one in California with warehouse space in Colorado and inkling to start a business. They offer sustainably harvested, kiln dried, sanded Parota slabs, and they include epoxy work on any imperfections for free. Remember why all these things are important? It means less work on our end. Basically these slabs are ready to finish.

Thanks to an old email chain, here are some slabs we actually considered:

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California Wood Slabs – G15551

This slab is a really nice size – very uniform width and fantastic length for the price. The grain pattern is very even, a little on the boring side.

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California Wood Slabs – G15612

Nice size, even a bit on the long side. Really pretty grain and wide enough to work.

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California Wood Slabs – J16302

This one stopped me in my tracks. This is the kind of uniquely grained, imperfect piece I wanted. Sadly, even with the upgraded budget, at $3775 it was a budget buster.

We settled on a slab that was perfectly sized for our space: 48″ x 120″ with enough visual interest in the grain and a price that actually came in below budget.

Slab15840

So now we live with this beautiful piece of wood that is just quietly waiting for us to finish the dining room and give it a home. When the time comes we may need to host a table moving party. Who’s in?

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by Heather -

Workshop dust collection

As with any space that is being built from scratch, systems (electrical, HVAC, etc) are always the starting point. The workshop got an extra system: dust collection. It’s a series of PVC pipes that ring the space and connect to a heavy-duty suction machine.

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It’s kind of hard to tell what’s what in the photo above, so here are some handy arrows.

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Dust collection in a workshop is important in terms of cleanliness and health. This space has zero outside venting so it was critical.

Besides the vacuum itself, the system is mostly built from 6″ PVC DWV pipe and fittings (which are remarkably hard to find.) Aaron started by creating a trunk line with one run for each side of the workshop. He used 45 degree angles for better air flow.

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PVC can be glued, but he opted to use the same brand of pipe to ensure things would sit snugly. The screws give a little extra security and can be removed if the system needs to be cleaned out.

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Here’s the trunk line in place.

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Blast gates section off the air flow. They keep the air running in one direction and to one tool to ensure maximum suction.

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These parts don’t fit perfectly with the PVC pipe because they’re made for metal piping that costs twice as much as PVC. Obviously, PVC is much more economical for home workshops. The blast gates just need a bit of a hack. Aaron wrapped the fitting of the blast gate with electrical tape to give it a good seal.

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Once the blast gates were in place on the trunk line, he extended PVC around the left side of the room, adding a wye connector at each tool. These connectors offer better air flow than a T connector because of the softer angle.

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Every tool comes with a different type of hose to attach to a dust collection system. Aaron created custom adapters to reduce the line so that each tool’s hose could connect.

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He continued the install by running PVC across the space and down the right side of the room. This required some funky angles thanks to all the things on the wall in this area.

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Here’s the full line installed, just waiting for tool attachments.

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Here are some of the tool attachments in action.

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Everything gets sucked back to the machine and collects in the bottom bag for easy removal.

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So far the system works great on most of the tools, except the miter saw, which is an older tool. We’re blaming the tool, not the dust collection and Aaron is working on an adjustment for that.

As with most systems, this one was super necessary… but not super glamorous. What’s on your summer reno list? Anything more exciting?

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