Downstairs Bathroom Renovation: Starting the Job

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Charlie had pulled out much of the 2 bathrooms that are on the first floor.

Charlie’s part.

Same view with all fixtures removed and wallboard partially installed.

On day one the contractor finished the demolition and started building walls.

The well pump was fairly inaccessible in the bathroom area.

Now a new well pump is easy to access in the garage.

They also moved the well pump from behind a wall in the bathroom to a space in the garage next to the water heater.

The downstairs bathroom before we gutted it.

The same space awaiting tile.

Extraneous framing from walls that will no longer be needed has been removed and new framing enclosed.

The former half bathroom has been removed.

Former half bath on the right and former bedroom closet on the left (soon to be a shower).

The floor including the shower area have been covered with materials from the Schluter system which allow for a no-threshold space.

Next step: tile.

Jo

May, 2025: Aims

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Just about a year ago we first saw the house on the Chesapeake Bay which is now our primary residence.

From the street the house is very ordinary.

Here’s the list I ‘m going to try to accomplish in May:

  1.  Celebrate Memorial Day.
  2.  Work on setting up my studio.

    I have a desk and bed set up in the studio — need to add a work space.

  3.  Decide on a name for the new house.
  4.  Begin to design a new kitchen layout.

    The only kitchen improvement we have made so far is a new lighting fixture.

  5.  Get ready for overnight guests.

    I need to decide on direction for the bed to face.

    I’m just not sure until the room is put together.

  6.  Paint a wall.
  7.  Pick up samples to try on exterior walls.

    The wood siding on the house is a boring camel color.

  8.  Get new tires for my car.

    Betty is still running strong after 10 years but needs new shoes.

  9. Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: HOSPITALITY.
  10.  Write a goal list for June, 2025.

Jo

April, 2025: Score

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April has been beautiful but still rather chilly after a wet, snowy, frigid winter.

The camellias bloomed beautifully until the first windy rain knocked all the petals to the grounds.

Unfortunately we both caught some debilitating bug that laid us flat for almost a week.

I started painting trim for the closet in the downstairs bathroom.

But ever a slave to progress, I looked at my 10-item list and focused on individual items I could work on.

Charlie moved my olive trees to a sunny spot in the backyard but I fear they succumbed to the harsh winter and are dead.

We worked on projects both on and off the numbered list below.

  • I cleared out the area next to the water heater for new well pump.

    The pump is supposed to go next to the water heater.

  • Dash tried out his personal flotation device on kayak trips with Charlie.  He loves exploring off-shore islands.

    Dash can float in his PFD if necessary.

Here’s the list for April that I worked on:

  1.  Update Dash’s rabies vaccine.  I got in touch with the county health department who usually runs a spring rabies clinic.

    Dash is very needy these days.

    They will notify me when it is available otherwise Dash will be vaccinated by the vet on his visit next month.

  2.  Pick a color for the downstairs bathroom walls.  I chose Natural Tan by Sherwin Williams.

    Natural Tan HGSW7567 Eggshell

    It goes with the marble insets on the tile floor.

  3.  Make a plan for the front entryway outdoor planting.  Charlie removed the weeds but saved the liriope which he will separate and plant along the edge.

    Our Sidewalk Supervisor surveys the work that has been completed thus far.

  4.   Empty 3 boxes and organize or get rid of contents.  I got busy early in the month and have emptied and put away at least a dozen boxes of household items.

    I tried to empty 3 boxes each day for at least the first week.

  5.   Hang at least 3 mirrors.  I have hung a full length on the back of the bedroom door, a medium size mirror in the living room that reflects the bay, and a small mirror near the entrance to the house for a final check before leaving.

    I use this newly installed mirror everyday.

    Our largest mirror is slated for the downstairs bathroom when complete and 2 others await with a question mark as to final placement.

  6.   Get a library card in the new county.  I popped into the library on a Saturday morning and was issued a library card after filling out some personal information.

    Ready for action in any of the counties on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

  7.   Celebrate our first Easter at the new house.  We stayed after church for the Easter breakfast and spent the day at home watching the changes on the bay.
  8.   Work on a paint or stain project.

    The darker tan is the new color.

    I started painting the walls in the downstairs bathroom and the trim that will become part of the closet.

  9.   Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: HORIZON.
  10.   Write a goal list for May, 2025.

Jo

A Hole in the Wall

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As we were taking out our downstairs ensuite bathrooms ultimately everything had to go because of the new design.

This area of the new design will be a clothing closet — the mirrored medicine cabinet has been removed.

Charlie removed a standard medicine cabinet which left a hole in the wall.

I wanted to fill this space with a hidey hole.

Instead of filling the hole with drywall I thought a little framed box might be useful.

The short pieces are for the box.

I painted some boards from the closet we had ripped out.

Charlie nailed the frame together.

Using our chop saw we built a frame and backed it with a piece of heavy cardboard.

This box will ultimately be unseen.

The box filled the hole.  I have some extra painted wood slats in case I decide I need a shelf or 2.

The box has been trimmed with wood that holds it in place so it doesn’t need to be permanently secured.

I’m not sure what I’ll stash in this hidey hole. And I probably won’t share when I do.

Jo

Downstairs Bathroom Renovation: Meeting with the Contractor

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Charlie demolished most of 2 downstairs bathrooms and I chose the new finishes.

The gutted bathroom — ready to be rebuilt.

After a month of trying to get together I finally met on a Saturday afternoon with the plumber/contractor who will do the work.

We’re using bronze fixture to go along with the house’s nautical theme.

I have already purchased and had delivered floor tile, wall tile, vanity, lighting fixtures, sink faucet, and closet bar.

Natural Tan HGSW7567 Eggshell

I also began painting the walls the new color so there would be no hold ups in installation of fixtures.  I figure I will have some touching up to do when everything is finished.

We have determined this well pump is original to the construction of the house — 1991.

Like every project there’s more to it than meets the eye. As we were discussing where everything would go the contractor noticed our well pump would be difficult to remove when it goes bad (which is likely).

The pump is supposed to go next to the water heater.

He suggested putting it in the entrance to the crawl space which is where they usually are found.  Then I showed him our water heater in the garage where there is room for the pump  — I only need to move the paint supplies.

Left — floor tile, Right — shower wall time, Marble — countertop.

Now I’m waiting for a proposal including the cost and time frame.

Jo

Spring Break — Adult Style

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Charlie and I headed out for a 5-day spring break in Asheville, North Carolina.

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel is a 17.6-mile series of bridges and tunnels.

We drove southwest by car and used the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel to take us into Virginia from Maryland.

I bought 4 underbed storage baskets at Ikea.

We stopped at the Ikea in Norfolk to pick up an item our local Ikea was out of.

The house was over 100 years old and furnished with antiques.

Our first accomodation was an AirBnB farm where we stayed one night, had breakfast the next morning, and continued on to our destination in Asheville.

In addition to all kinds of animals the AirBnB farm had a tiny store with fresh duck and chicken eggs among other curiosities.

My eating plan for the holiday was to enjoy good barbecue and southern specialties like chicken and biscuits and grits.

The Biltmore Estate originally encompassed 125,000 acres, but today it covers approximately 8,000 acres, with the remaining land sold to the federal government to create Pisgah National Forest.

We checked into the Biltmore Village Hotel in the afternoon then did a little exploring on foot of the nearby area.

Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina.

The next morning we headed to the Biltmore Estate with our pre-purchased day passes to explore the house and grounds.

I especially enjoyed the spring garden and extensive, fully-planted conservatory.

After 2 days in Asheville we drove north by a different route since this area that had been devastated 6 months ago by Hurricane Helene was now experiencing wildfires.

Before leaving Asheville we stopped for a southern breakfast which included a biscuit and grits.

Finally we headed home stopping for a night at Harrisonburg home of James Madison University.

He was missing us I’m sure.

We met up with son to pick up our homesick pooch.

Jo

April, 2025: Aims

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Now that we’re fully into spring I’m interested to see what plants and flowers might be coming up through the ground at the new property.

The olive trees took a bit of a beating in the move.

My olive trees have made it through winter and I’ll give them a little trim to help maintain their topiaried shape.

Our camellias are starting to bloom.

Here’s the hopeful list for April:

  1.  Update Dash’s rabies vaccine.
  2.  Pick a color for the downstairs bathroom walls.

    The wall color should be light and go with the floor tile.

  3.  Make a plan for the front entryway outdoor planting.

    Neaten and refresh this area.

  4.   Empty 3 boxes and organize or get rid of contents.
  5.   Hang at least 3 mirrors.

    I have a nice collection of both large and small antique mirrors.

  6.   Get a library card in the new county.
  7.   Celebrate our first Easter at the new house.

    I need to find my bunnies.

  8.   Work on a paint or stain project.  So much from which to choose.
  9.   Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: HORIZON.
  10.   Write a goal list for May, 2025.

Jo

Ikea Underbed Storage

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The space under the bed in the main bedroom is not carpeted.

This is what we discovered when we took down the built-in bed.

That’s not odd until you understand that the rest of the room is wall-to-wall carpeted.

The measurements would allow this item to fit under the bed.

I had seen underbed storage baskets at Ikea but when I went to get them at the store closest to us they were sold out.

Charlie and I put them together which was not too challenging.

While on our road trip to Asheville we passed through Norfolk, Virginia, and stopped at the Ikea which was conveniently off the highway and bought 4 basket kits.

Before

After

Happily they fit under the bed and hid the spot left bare by the lack of carpet.

I would order Swedish meatballs again.

And by the way we had a little Swedish lunch in the cafeteria.

Jo

March, 2025: Score

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O March — what a glorious month.  The weather was wet but warmer.  We finally got around to tasks we had started 6 months ago.

Constantly changing view.

I am loving looking out on our waterview even when the weather is cloudy — it’s always beautiful.

A bird’s eye view of the living room.

Not on the numbered list we accomplished a few fun items:

  • We closed on the sale of The Glade!

    Ready for the new owner.

    Charlie worked hard to get all of our stuff out of there and clean up the house, the cottage, the shed, the greenhouse, and the yard since I was about useless after my fall from the ladder in late February.

  • We had some small and large repairs made.

    The whole heat pump contraption looks complicated to me.

  • We rearranged small furniture to better, more useful positions.

    Out of the way but handy.

  • I hung a bit of oriole art over the piano.

    Metal oriole sculpture (left) and vintage sheet music (right)

  • I started creating my studio in the back bedroom.

    Eventually this room will be painted a beautiful color.

  • Charlie and son hung a large painting over the fireplace.

    The strategy was to get it hung on 2 screws that not exactly on center.

  • I got rid of my handmade baby clothes and children’s costumes to a family with children just the right age.

    Hand-smocked clothes for a little boy.

Now for the items I really meant to get done:

  1. Take a road trip. Charlie and I headed south to Asheville, North Carolina for 5 days of touring, just the two of us.

    Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina.

    We celebrated both of our birthdays with plenty of barbecue and unique accommodations.

  2.  Set up the primary bedroom.

    Coastal vibe and my favorite color

    This room is mostly finished — painted, papered, furnished — I’m sure it will improve as time goes on.

  3. Have contractor begin work on downstairs bathroom.

    The vanity has been delivered.

    I’ve contacted a local contractor who has put us on his calendar to start the work very soon.

  4. Research local theatre, activities, dance, and tai chi.

    Cast of The Wizard of Oz.

    The options are not great but I did see a fun musical at the high school especially enjoyed by the youngest audience members.

  5.  Start attending Bible study.  On Tuesday evenings about a dozen of us get together for a co-ed study of Genesis.

    A special coat/robe has significant meaning in the Joseph story.

    We are moving slowly to cover every nuance.

  6.  Begin Lenten devotions and fasting. Our church gave out a 40-day lenten devotion which I have been studying.

    I’m sure to be inspired by the time I finish.

    Also I fast from food on Fridays in Lent.  It throws Charlie off his game a bit.

  7.  Work on fireplace tiles. Finished!

    Harder than it looks.

    Most of the month was too cold or wet to get started on cutting the tiles but near the end we finally got started.

  8. Put shelves in back bedroom small closet.  Charlie accomplished this task in one day with some supervisory comments from me.

    Shoe boxes, sewing supplies, and off-season bedding among other things will be stored in this closet.

  9. Choose a word to focus on for the month. My word: BREATHE
  10.   Write a goal list for April, 2025.

Jo

The Cherry on the Sundae

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I updated, lightened, and coastalized our living room fireplace and the wall surrounding it.

Note the large empty space above the fireplace.

This is a big wall with a lot of potential.

The seascape is 42 inches by 55 inches plus a 4 inch frame all around ,  signed “Kolean” in the lower right-hand corner.

As soon as I saw this 2-story wall I had the idea to hang our very large piece of art that had been hanging in the primary bedroom of The Glade on it above the fireplace.

The black lines are the center of the studs on the fireplace wall, give or take.

I located the studs and screwed in 2 screws at 47.5 inches above the mantel which would provide for a 3-inch gap between the mantel and the bottom of the art. (That’s the same size gap as the mantel above the fireplace tiles.)

Charlie and I managed to get it to the fireplace but I’m not strong enough to lift this oil on wood painting.

Charlie and son hoisted the large and heavy painting up to the screws while standing on ladders. It was quite an undertaking.

The strategy was to get it hung on 2 secure screws that were slightly off-center.

They straightened the painting as best they could while trying to center it over the fireplace.

Art over the mantel — not an easy feat.

I’m delighted with the placement and how it ties into the decor of the large open plan ground floor.

Jo