Planning an Expanded Garden for 2012!

Friends,

We wish you a happy new year!  What are your goals for 2012?

For us, one of those goals is to produce more of our own food.  We look forward to planting an additional square foot garden in 2012, as well as add a rain barrel to conserve natural resouces.

Below, a few photos from the garden in 2011....

Square Foot Garden, June 2011.  Left to Right, Back to Front, Tomato, Cucumber, Carrots

Tomatos

Carrot Harvest

carrot/cucumber harvest

Not in the garden...but we did have quite a showing of butterflies this year on the butterfly bushes!

That's all for now!

-Ryan & Kayla-

Shedding Past Remodels - Removal of a 1940's Bookshelf in Favor of a Coat Closet.

(October 2011)

Well, in the course of a busy summer/fall this year, we forgot to post a few updates.  At this point, we are basically done with all of the projects we set out to do in bungalow.

From the start, this home, and neighborhood has been an incredible place to make a home for our family.  As we enter 2012, we will continue to post updates from around the bungalow, but they should be focused more around the community, gardening, and decorating updates.

Thank you so much for the time you have shared with us on this blog!  We hope these project updates have given you confidence in the ability of a casual DIY couple, to tackle many rewarding projects around the house.  Additionally, we hope that they have given you an appreciation for the time period in which the home was built...from the solid craftsmanship of the homes, to the design of the neighborhood with esplanades...it has been a great journey and we look forward to the coming year!

This past year, the coat closet project was finally completed.  After sourcing a 100-year old 2-panel door at Audrey's Place in Indianapolis, we were able to convert a 1940's built-in bookshelf back into it's original life as a coat closet:


Before:

Before, Coat Closet entry is covered by a bookshelf which we believe was built in the 1940's.

This vintage 2-panel craftsman door was the perfect size and style for this coat closet.  The door handing was reversed from the original 1919 handing.

 

Inside, the closet now boasts room for shoes and extra layers

-Ryan & Kayla-

Restoring Bedroom Hardwood Floors

(October, 2010)

Well, it's been a few months and as usual, things have been busy.

One of our projects last year that we did not post was the refinishing of the flooring in the bedroom and hallway.  We held off on the second bedroom because it required sourcing replacement flooring.  Then, during routine cleaning, the carpet cleaner leaked several gallons of water while it was shut off.  The drain hose on the rental unit had a pin-hole leak.  By the time we noticed it, the carpet had to be pulled up to mechanically dry the padding and floor.  After realizing the carpet had stretched, we decided to replace it...but the replacement carpet quote would be higher than refinishing the hardwood floors...if only we could find about 100 sq. feet of replacement flooring for the room.

But our luck was about to change.  We found replacement flooring at Doc's Architectural Salvage in Indianapolis this month, and after spending time prepping that reclaimed wood, we ripped up the final pieces of blue carpet in the home.  We could not source enough of this wood to stagger the seams of the new wood.  This is a tongue and groove sub floor which is also the finished floor.

For this project, we used a belt sander, palm sander for detail, wood putty, Minwax brand "Special Walnut" stain and an Oil-Based semi-gloss topcoat.  The topcoat was sanded between coats for an ultra-smooth finish.

Below are the before, during, and after photos:

Long way to go...

Replacement subfloor/finished floor is layed.  Next, the entire room will be sanded with a belt sander.  Pre-conditioner will be applied to the wood floor, followed up by two coats of Minwax Special Walnut stain (for a dark, distressed look) and three coats of oil-based poly

The finished product

Finished product

Back to normal, but with a lovely, rich flooring...and no more blue carpet!

All for now,

-Ryan & Kayla-

Time for a break

(April, 2010)

After the bathroom remodel, it's time for a break.  We hit the road to see family and visit the beach in April.

"Vintage Modern" Finished Bathroom Worth the Wait

(March, 2010)

The bathroom remodel is (basically) complete.  We are very happy with the finished product.  The lesson learned was that Kayla is much better at work requiring attention to detail, like tiling.  She did a great job with the shower surround!

Our shared tile job is finally completed!

Another view of the tile job

We will later add a vintage-inspired shower curtain and darker towels.  The bathroom as of 2011 is shown, below:

Finished Bathroom includes vintage style shower curtain, dark towels to match the marble shower border, a subway tile shower surround, "vintage modern" octagon floor tiles, and chrome hardware throughout the room

Planning and Beginning a Bathroom Remodel

(January, 2010)

Happy new year!

It is winter, and Ryan needed a new project to keep him busy and learning.  During a re-grouting this winter, Ryan noticed that a couple of tiles were loose.  Oops!  The previous bathroom remodel utilized drywall behind the shower walls.  We decided to use this as an opportunity to renovate the bathroom.

To recap, this was the last update to the bathroom, before the demo work:

This bathroom style does not reflect the 1920's.  In our remodel, we hope to use period-appropriate colors, hardware finishes, and tile for a "vintage modern" appearance, rather than a 1990's ranch style.

But first, Ryan had to gather some valuable inspiration at The Tile Shop.

Then, the demo:

Kayla Pulls the First Accessories and Tiles--and we are committed to a month-long process, with no extra bathrooms in the house!

Another secret uncovered is an old window frame and top sash, which was covered by tile in a previous remodel.  We decide to leave it covered because our neighbor's dining room is directly across from the window :)

Ryan celebrates the easy removal of the old tongue and groove flooring.  Next will come the new subfloor and hardiboard.

A new toilet and cast iron tub are introduced to the room. 

We will post the finished bathroom pictures soon.  So far, the hardest lesson has been the realization that replacing a bathroom in a one-bath home is a sacrifice, from start to finish.  But the results will prove to be worth it, we are sure.  We just picked out subway tile and a contemporary glazed octagon ceramic tile floor.  marble inlays will be added as a border for the subway tile in the shower surround.  Time period sensitive chrome hardware will be used throughout the room, and a pedestal-influenced vanity from Home Depot with bottom drawers will finish the room off!



Del Mar Vanity from Home Depot.  What we like: Vintage styling cues from the pedestal sink, with modern bathroom storage needs taken into account with the handsome shaker cabinets, below.


We also consult a vintage Aladdin paint color brochure found online, to pick a light blue paint for the room:

Evercote House Paint Color Chart from 1917:

Check back soon!

-Ryan & Kayla-

Weekend Warrior: Historic Red Paint for the Front Door

(October, 2009)

It looks great!  We used a Historic Preservation color from Lowes (Listed below).

Replacing the Back Door

(September, 2009)

Friends,

We hope this message finds you well! We are still becoming accustomed to the bungalow.  This month, we decided to update our back door (before winter) and add a door with full-lite glass.  The kitchen was remodeled sometime between 1919 and 2008.  Several windows appear to have been re-framed, and covered on both sides...though if you look hard enough, you can tell that there is a different texture to the plaster.

This made it possible to install a modern kitchen with TONS of wall cabinets, compared to other similar bungalows in this floor plan, but also made the room darker.

Also, the back door appears worn after years of rain hitting it from the west side of the house.  It was warped and we wanted something more weather-tight and secure.  (Storm doors really do help--preferably, before the damage has been done!)

Before: Old Back Door

Ryan purchased a JELD-WEN Premium Steel Door with Mini-Blinds from Home Depot and will be putting it in.  Because we love historic products, and were torn about the alteration, we did find a way to re-purpose our historic back door...a neighbor will be using it as a replacement door to his garage, next door.

Kitchen with the new back door installed, and the wall plastered and re-trimmed and re-painted.

That's all for now!

Happy 4th of July!

(July, 2009)

We celebrated the 4th with a cookout, fireworks and a pit fire in the yard.  What a beautiful summer evening!

That's all for now...

-Ryan & Kayla-

Making your mark

(June, 2009)

Friends,

As we have lived in bungalow a while, a desire grew to make a mark on the home.  Some ideas have already come up:

• a bathroom renovation
• restoring the coat closet
• pulling up the bedroom/hallway blue carpet and restoring the bedroom hardwood floors (which will require replacing the floor in some areas)
• curb appeal

This month, we decided to pull the hedges out in the front yard.  Wow, the house looks so much more prominent from the road now!  We are looking at adding a lilac, ground cover and butterfly bushes to replace the hedges.

In case you ever try to tackle this, be prepared to spend some back-breaking hours pulling the roots out after the scrubs have been cut to ground level.  Poor Ryan underestimated how long this would take one night, and used the headlights of the Jeep to "light" the work zone.  Our neighbors probably think we are nuts now! (Sorry!)

We also refreshed the master bed room.  An antique trunk was given to us by a family member and gives the room added authenticity.  

Enjoy your upcoming 4th of July!

 

Around Indy

(Early 2009)

Friends,

Love the Indy Indians ball park.

Living so close to downtown Indianapolis has been incredible.  We enjoyed a trip to a ball game today, and were only a 5-minute or so drive to the Indianapolis Indians ball park today.  Ticket's were reasonable, and we had a really fun afternoon.  And because it's minor league, we had pretty good seats, too.  We love Indy!

No photos today, so I decided to put one up from a visit to the ball park last year.

-Ryan & Kayla-

It's Been a While...

(April, 2009)

Friends,

It's been a while since we posted, but we have been busy in bungalow.

While staying with Ryan's family for the holidays, I came across this awesome antique scale.  It's now a fixture in the kitchen:

Vintage Scale from the East Coast.

This winter, Ryan also re-grouted the shower tiles, repainted the walls, and found a new color scheme.  We will probably redo the bathroom later down the road, but for now it has really refreshed the room.

Minor maintenance of a bathroom, and new colors really help change the look and keep it clean and fresh!

Finally, we have discovered that the built-in bookcase on the west wall of the living room is really a coat closet which has been enclosed.  Ryan is itching to open up this closet so we can use it for coats and boots in future winters!

 

Hidden behind this built-in on the left, is a coat closet!

Below is a picture of our trip out East this past Christmas.  We LOVED being on the beach in December!

 

Maryland Beach Christmas in Ocean City, MD

That's all for now!  Enjoy the beginning of Spring!

-Ryan & Kayla-

Baby it's cold outside! Hardware Restoration is a Fun Winter Project

(January, 2009)

Friends,

It is very cold outside, but I'm anxious to get started personalizing bungalow.  This home has many unique features, and some are painted over.  After reading a blog about boiling window and door hardware to remove paint, I am ready to try the process myself.  

If you try this, check to make sure that you do not have lead-based paint first.  Be sure to connect with an experienced contractor if you have concerns about lead, or visit the EPA website on how to handle surfaces with lead-based paint.  

Here is what I can tell you--this process is very tedious.  It includes boiling water to soften paint on metal hardware, removing it with a brush and specialty tool, and then removing the failed finish on the metal, sanding to a satin nickel appearance, and spraying the metal with a topcoat (a colored paint could also be substituted here--or, if the metal finish is still in good shape, you may be all done!)

Paint Removal on Window and Door Hardware Reveals True Beauty...Why would anyone paint over this?

Restored hardware

Wishing you a warm and peaceful winter!

-Ryan & Kayla-

First Tour Inside....

(December 2008)

Hello Friends!

Well, below is the first tour of our new home.  We really enjoy the built-ins that this home provides--so much less furniture is needed, and the built-ins add so much warmth to the home!

Our apartment furniture and decor looks much different in the bungalow--we will make some changes in time, check back soon!

Living Room hosts built-ins and gas fireplace

Dining Room-We found this cute dining room table with cherry, mission style inlays this month!  Yay, a place to eat!

Kitchen

Master Bed Room

Bathroom

Second Bed Room is a Study with Pull-Out Bed for Guests

This is a random photo of Ryan being a wierdo at Wally World, in the discount Halloween aisle.  He's crazy sometimes! :)

Back Deck, Room for Animals and Entertainment

Merry Christmas!

-Ryan & Kayla-

Starting the Journey

Hey friends!

Like most first time home buyers, we spent a great deal of time looking for the right area to settle down.

Our journey began after our move to Indianapolis in the Fall of 2007.  After spending some time in an apartment in Castleton, on the Northeast side of Indianapolis, it was time to move to a more homey and authentic part of town!  Castleton is a great area that is well known for shopping--and traffic!  It is one of the best areas to shop for those folks living in, or around the North Side of Indianapolis, or neighboring suburbs Fishers, Carmel and Noblesville.

So, in the Fall of 2008 we set out to look at some of the older, more authentic neighborhoods in Central Indianapolis, near Downtown.  Neither of us worked downtown, but we enjoyed the prospect of being close to the city, and yet just a hop, skip, and jump off the major transportation arteries of Central Indiana.

We set our sights on a few neighboring communities on the Near-East side of Indianapolis.  Eventually, we fell in love with a 1-story bungalow in Emerson Heights.  We loved the fact that the homes in Emerson Heights had great front porches, original built-ins, plaster walls, fireplaces, and hardwood floors and basements.  The other bonus in Emerson Heights was the esplanades in three major streets, providing great shade trees and the feel of living in a park.  Also, as forever parents of a Black Lab, Cora, we loved the idea of living just blocks from Ellenberger Park.  Later, we would learn to love that closeness even more, and would have fond memories of Symphony-in-the-Park events, long summer afternoon dog walks, and Sunday Farmer's Market in neighboring Ellenberger Park!

Below is a shot of us right after taking possession of the home:

Ryan & Kayla enjoy the front porch after closing, October, 2008

Neighboring Ellenberger Park, Indianapolis, IN

Cora enjoys her forever home!

Listing Photo of Bungalow, September 2008

We eagerly await our adventures and what the future brings!

-Ryan & Kayla-