Emerson Heights 1919 Bungalow

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.