|
In working on the one open wall -the couch wall- in our basement library, I decided to add my favorite piece of millwork to the wall: picture rail. Not to be confused with a picture ledge, this sits at the top of the wall or below the crown with a small gap to provide a spot for hooks that hold artwork without tampering with the wall itself. It's fantastic for flexibility, and saves the wall from hanging holes. My functional brain loves this molding: the purpose in its use makes it a perfect fit for our house, even if I had to get some custom milled. The folks with the knives for what I ordered were on Etsy, and they are identical to the original picture rail in our living and dining room. 
0 Comments
While I have no plans to leave my current house any time soon, we have been working behind-the-scenes to get my grandparent’s house ready to find its next family. This weekend, we dropped off the keys and closed the door on this midcentury gem for our last time. My grandparents moved in on my mom’s 14th birthday. And like any home, it’s been a huge part of the family. After nearly five decades, it’s time to say goodbye.  The new doors are done, and they are in! When I decided to change this to a bedroom and move the doorway, the biggest challenge was figuring out the doors to the room and the closet. While I had the doors on hand, I wasn’t worried about getting them refinished (I’ve refinished every door in our basement.), I was concerned about how door swings would project into a small bedroom. With these two doors swinging into the room, the light switch would be behind the bedroom door, or the door would swing awkwardly into the middle of the room -an issue remedied last year in the upstairs bedroom. I wanted to make sure how we installed the door really worked for what we needed in the room. So, I decided to hang these as pocket doors!  After having our new-old front door for over a year, we finally have it installed! I worked on stripping and refinishing last year, and with the burnout and restart of projects... I finally doubled-back to this one. We've made a lot of door moves this summer, and even have a few more coming down the line, so getting this one moving was a really big step. With it being an exterior door, it was also a tricky one. Getting this door to fit in our slightly crooked original jamb was not as simple as swapping hinges and putting it in.  Surprise! Other than a quick front closet storage revamp and tool storage makeover, I have barely touched a tool in my house since finishing the garage. Last year, we did SO much, that I just needed a little break from all the planning, working, and cleaning that came with the near-constant renovation over the last six years. I took a break! And we're all better for it. So, where have I been? There has definitely still been planning, data collecting for long-term follow ups, and designing some smaller projects (among these a bathroom in another house... details coming!) while I figure out the best way to handle the attic. I did come to the conclusion that adding soffits to my original eaves is going to be the best course, and I'm a little sad about it. So, I'm working out how to make that happen without compromising the original look of the rafter tails even though those are already covered by the fascia and gutters.  |
Katie SwansonI am a parent, creative spirit, and old house lover. My big passions are sustainable design and preservation. Bringing these together is key to moving existing homes into the future. * By subscribing to the monthly newsletter, you consent to receive links this month's blog posts and other relevant blog updates, a round up of things I love, and as a throwback to my DIY days, I may toss in an exclusive knit or crochet pattern of mine. Archives
January 2025
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed