Demo - we don't know when to say when

Feb, 2014

So I should probably start off by apologizing for taking such a long break. There has been quite a bit going on and that's kind of caused this little diary to take a back burner to everything. So I'm going to pretend that I haven't stopped writing for 6 months and continue on. It's just easier that way. Just for my own sense of when things actually occurred, I might put a little time stamp somewhere, if that's ok! 



I have a thing about plaster. I really really love it, and embrace the cracks as character. I understand the craftsmanship that went into it. I understand the benefits of soundproofing and the acoustical qualities. But, I have a big issue when it comes to plaster ceilings. I just don't like all of that weight above my head. I worry about the potential for it to fall on my head as I lay sleeping in the middle of the night.

Because we needed to update the electrical, and because the ceilings were in such bad shape, after testing for asbestos, we went into demo mode once again.

First we needed to demo some plaster too far gone in the basement stair area, to allow for plumbing and electrical chases.

Why I thought wearing my favorite scarf and coat is beyond me, but luckily everything comes out in the wash!

Then we headed upstairs to tackle the ceilings. Most of the walls will be left intact and patched and repaired. I have to say that tearing out plaster is a seriously intense, backbreaking job. Wow!

We worked well into the night, comforted that our children were safely at a friend's house, and stopped only to admire the gorgeous sunset over the valley.

Demo part 2

At about the same time we opened up the living room entry, we felt like it would only be proper that the opening to the kitchen and dining room match.

To get into the kitchen was a little bit of a shimmy through multiple doors. The doors were narrow and the traffic flow poor. Once again, these entry ways were added later since the house was built.

We also decided to open up the space between the kitchen and dining room because the kitchen was tiny, the dinette well used and the dining room rarely used. We wanted to make that space a part of the kitchen and use every bit of the main spaces on a daily basis.

The arch is a later addition, as were the built in pantries.

After: this is where the music kind of screeches to a halt. The before pictures DO look nice, but it was very dated, and we were faced with many holes from the duct removal. It's always darkest before the dawn, right? Here we go:

Taking out the pantries revealed the "servants" stairs. We'd like to preserve that bit of history, but the jury is still out on how that will happen.

The blurry Iphone picture makes me the happiest!

One could argue that taking out some of these doors and pantries takes away from the coziness of the rooms in the farmhouse. And sometimes I walk through the house and wonder if this was the right call. But ultimately, gaining the dining space and widening the kitchen for times when we want to gather with friends and NOT be cramped and away from the fun solidifies that decision. As for the wide openings between the eating and living spaces, there is the main entrance separating the two areas. Should the large openings begin to cause a problem, we'll look into large sliding doors or heavy drapery as a solution. Either would be typical for that era.