Restoration Project

Just after Christmas, Kirk and the boys tore part of the top bedroom closet out that looked like an afterthought at the time the house was being built in 1906. It hung into the stairway and blocked lighting so that it was dark and dangerous at times. They also tore out the arches in the doorway into the living room with the plan to add a transom and finish it out with molding.

Our house is in constant demolition and repair. We discovered that there is an enormous space behind the closet. So we removed, We, meaning the men of the house, not me. I am the clean up and cook crew. So we removed the back wall which will end up being a walk in closet. It will be really nice,

Unfortunately, tearing out part of the entry way and the closet, opened up the can of worms that we were expecting. We had to rewire the dining room and the kitchen because the wiring was still the dangerous stuff that was wrapped in cloth. That wiring keeps me up at night if I start thinking about it. Now I don't have to worry. We spent almost 3 hours trying to figure out which breaker went where and which one we were going to attach to where.

It required Jared to shimmy up the hole in the kitchen. The good part is that he pulled insulation into the space as well and insulated our bedroom walls. I do have to say that our room is a little warmer now that two of the outside walls are better insulated.

This picture looks a little washed out but really it is the fact that Jared is that dirty of dust. We have spent weeks with dust everywhere. We clean constantly. I am so tired of the constant dirt and the constant cleaning. Sigh.....I know it will be worth it when it is all done.

In the middle of tools and parts of one room into the other, Jasper finds a little space to chill.

Jared and Kaleb built a ledge for them to stand on that extends out over the stairs. It freaks me out to see them trusting what they are standing on. Here they have a board in one end of the ladder and then on this piece of wood supporting the other end. Out of this project, we now have a light in our coat closet and a can light over our door. The new closet upstairs will have a light, a barn door for a closet door, and, I'm really excited about this one, we will have lighting in the stair way for the first time ever with a light switch at the top of the stairs and at the bottom. How cool is that!?