An Geimhreadh 2005-2006

On to the second floor. The home was designed as a 2-family dwelling, and the second floor houses a roomy one-bedroom apartment, accessed by a single entry directly through the front door and small foyer, then up a flight of stairs. Converting the house to a single-family one was as simple as taking down (and storing) the access door inside the foyer. The second-floor bathroom is tucked into the eaves. The original marble-patterned linoleum shows in the picture; however, it had to be removed due to water damage.

An Fómhar 2005

A shot from the back door looking into the kitchen. This one marks the last of the first floor room tours. Poor planning and a borrowed digital camera, resulted in no pictures of the first floor bathroom, bedroom 1, and bedroom 2 (which actually became the office).

An Samhradh 2005

This view shows the remaining original kitchen cabinetry, one tall pantry cupboard in the corner and the outline of the built-in ironing board cabinet to the right of the door. The guts of the ironing cabinet were removed, but were located in the basement. This cabinet may be restyled as a spice cabinet, because there’s a second, intact built-in ironing board in the second-floor kitchen (and that room’s going to be reused as a sewing room). The transom above the door to the sunporch will most likely be retained, although the door (now missing) may be rehung to open into the porch rather than the kitchen.

An t-Earrach 2005

Although the picture is rather dark, you can see the original exhaust fan. It’s still in working order and is a candidate for rehab and retain. Woodwork in the kitchen is painted, and of course the kitchen windows are painted shut. Scraping a few test patches indicate some or all of the woodwork my originally have been stained mahogany, as in the rest of the first floor rooms.

An Geimhreadh 2004-2005

This entry marks the point at which I abandon my original plan to post text and photo for each month in the new-old house. The whole purchase date (Samhna 2003), move-in date (Lunasa 2005), blog initiation date (Eanáir 2006) disconnect and documenting in retrospect was a bad idea. Until I reach the point where the postings reflect current dates and projects, I’m consolidating, summarizing, and posting one entry per season. So, one more room on the first floor tour. The first of these two pictures was actually taken prior to our move in date. For reference I’m including a few more kitchen shots even though they were taken after we’d moved in. In the second shot, the lovely red carpet visible in the earlier dinning room shots has been yanked up. Plans for this room include incorporating the original painted pine cabinets, although the shallow sink and drainboard original to the kitchen will be replaced. You can only maintain those purist standards up to a point. A dormitory-sized fridge, microwave, and 24-inch electric range make the small space functional until the other priorities are crossed off the list.

An Fómhar (Mí Dheireadh Fómhair)

Often wondered why no matching cabinet on the right side. But to accommodate that, the leaded glass bookcase would have to open onto the dining room side. Since that decision was made by the builder, so be it. Besides, the space works well for a Christmas tree.

An Fómhar (Mí Mhéan Fómhair)

A 180 degree turn to face the backside of the colonade and a fireplace fireplace flanked on the left by a built-in cabinet. Fireplace brick facing is in great shape and someday may be fitted with a natural gas insert. (Burn wood? No, been there, done that, ‘nuf said.)

An Fómhar (Mí Lúnasa)

Panning left, this view shows a portion of the second colonade, dining room windows, and a great view of the red kitchen carpet—removed immediately after the living-dining room carpet. This tasteful floor covering was glued down to the original 1920s blue and ochre checked linoleum. Interesting to see the original stuff, the colors had a great Maxfield-Parrish-esque quality. It was also patched multiple times with hundreds of small tacks.

An Samhradh 2004 (Mí Iúil)

Backing away from the dining room china cupboard, one of two matching bookcase-colonades with leaded glass. The bookcase door, not shown in this shot, does have one cracked pane. As with previous pictures, this one was taken before any work was started, but does show one of the first items to go—the off-white, wall-to-wall carpet.

An Samhradh 2004 (Mí an Mheithimh)

The built-in dining room china cupboard, like all the woodwork in the home, is constructed of Douglas fir and stained a rich mahogany. Cupboard doors are leaded glass, none of which is beveled, all of which remain intact. Framing for the cupboard also surrounds the door a small hallway, which opens to the bath and front and back bedrooms.