Restoring the Center Hall

While Jennifer and I are waiting on the architect to finalize plans, I started removing cabinets, doors, and other semi-permanent structures we no longer wanted. The first things to go were the double closets placed at the end of the main hallway, toward the front of the house...

The first closet, facing the living room.

(There's a gap between the back wall and the floor that's hard to see in the picture.)

The back wall of the closet was a thin board of sheet rock that easily came down in one sheet when I kicked it...

Closets with back wall and second door removed.

Behind the sheet rock board was the second closet and a door that opened onto the hallway, its frame attached to two-by-fours nailed to the wall. After spending several hours prying the frame off, I was able to restore the original hallway...

Hallway without closet, looking toward front of house.

Now you can walk in a straight line from the front door to the back of the house.

CRB

On the Thunderdome

We're still waiting on the architect to finish up the plans.  Hopefully, we'll have something this week.  In the meantime, let's talk about the Thunderdome!

Our house has a second story that originally functioned as an attic.  The previous owner converted the space into a studio apartment and rented it out.  It's a pretty big space (approximately 800 sq. ft, i.e. the size of our Foucher St. house!!) with a separate bathroom and small kitchenette. 

We are going to leave the area as it is for the time being and use the space as an attic.  During Mardi Gras time, it will function as the Blackwelder wing of the house, where all of our guests can stay with plenty of space.  

The namesake of the Blackwelder wing.

Eventually, when we have children, we envision the space as a mild-mannered Thunderdome.  

Just in case you need to refresh your memory.

We won't provide actual weapons, obviously.  But it will be nice to have an entire area just for the kiddies where they can sleep, play, and iron out any differences on their own.  Growing up, we had a play room where my sister and I would play Barbies, record made up songs, and generally hang out.  The Thunderdome will function the same way, only it will be upstairs and out of our earshot should someone cut Barbie's hair off.  We'll keep the decor casual and easy to clean, too, so if someone writes on a sofa cushion or spills some red drink, it won't be a big deal. 

So what do you think is essential for the Thunderdome?  Soundproofing on the walls and floors?  I would love your opinions!

JLB

It has begun!

Work has officially begun!  On Wednesday, the roofers started repairing the roof. 

There they are, working away.  I hope they stay hydrated!

And here is the progress, after the first day of work:

Here's a little history about the red tile roof: 
The origin of clay roofing tile can be traced independently to two different parts of the world: China, beginning around 10,000 B.C. and the Middle East a short time later.  From there, the use of clay tile spread throughout Asia and Europe, where the ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks. and Romans roofed their buildings with clay tiles.  European settlers brought the roofing tradition to America where it was established in many places by the 17th century.  In New Orleans, both the French and Spanish settlers used the clay tiles.  Clay roofing tiles fell in and out of fashion in Colonial America, but experienced a resurgence of popularity in the 20th century, when our home was built.  Source.


Whew.  Now that we got our learnin' out of the way, I'll wrap up with some fun stuff.  On Tuesday, we welcomed our first visitors.  Jessie and Miller stopped by to take a quick "before" tour.  Miller and Nancy Pants became BFFs right away, with Miller laughing uncontrollably at Nancy.  It was really, really cute. 

Here's the lady of the house enjoying her front yard.  Again, excuse the poor photography and bad camera position.  I promise I'll get better!

Up next: I'm hoping the architect will have our plans finalized soon.  We will share all the "before" pictures of the house along with the plans.

JLB

Our own little money pit

Hi and welcome!  Christian and I decided to start a blog to document our house renovations.

On Monday, we purchased a 1920s style crafstman bungalow in Uptown.  It needs a LOT of work, but we are excited to tackle the project and transform the house.  The house has a lot of potential and great bones, but it just needs some (major) TLC.

Here's a shot of the exterior.  Excuse the wonky angle.

We are going to eventually paint the exterior and the front door, and add a porch swing and furniture.  But for now, here is our own little money pit, on the day we purchased her.

Up next: roof repairs, shoring work, and installation of central air and heat. 

JLB