The Back Yard: Before

As we've noted before, the back yard is totally private and relatively untouched, save for three established trees. The blank palate is exactly what we wanted so that we could create a yard that's environmentally sustainable, low-maintenance and filled with lovely things to eat. The basis of our horticultural plan is what's called "permaculture" which is essentially a contraction of permanent and agriculture. The idea is that the plants sustain each other and us without the need for chemicals, artificial fertilizers, frequent weeding or copious amounts of watering. The last point should hit a nerve with anyone who ever house-sat for our old place in the summertime (that would be you, Olsen and Kelda) and had to spend 1.5+ hours a day making sure our plants were nourished.

Master Bedroom: Before

It's hard to believe we can't find a better photo of the second floor bedroom, so this'll have to do. This is looking South from the entry way. The backyard is off the photo to the right. The closets are to the left and behind the photographer and to the left is the master bathroom. We're going to remodel that later this year, so we'll include 'before' shots of it when we get to it. By the way, that goes for the basement, too. For now, we're focusing mainly on the first floor, stair tower, front porch, and deck. At the moment, the only thing we're doing in this bedroom is some entry way re-working to make it fit with the new stairs and we'll eventually be laying down some new carpet. It's not that we didn't appreciate the continuation of the hunter-green theme to the second floor. It's just that we're not really into golfing in our bedroom.

First Floor Bathroom: Before

This photo does no justice to the disproportionately large floor plan of the first floor bathroom. The other half of the bathroom is to the right of the toilet, where there is a gorgeous cast iron claw-foot bathtub. When we measured the bathroom and kitchen dimensions, we found that the kitchen covered almost the same square footage. Our project calls for reducing the size of the bathroom, repositioning the fixtures, tiling the floor, and using the commandeered floor space to increase the size of the kitchen. We also scored ourselves a dual-flush European-style toilet off of Craigslist which will replace the one you see. It saves water by allowing the user to determine how much is needed to adequately clear the bowl. The "big flush" uses 1.6 gallons, and the little a mere 0.8 gallons. Plus, it's far more styling.

Walnut Tree

This view is from the driveway in front of the garage, looking south. The large tree in front of the fence is an English Walnut, more correctly called a Persian Walnut. The Persian Walnut is a non-toxic cousin of the Black Walnut, whose leaves contain a substance called juglone, which gets into the soil and creates inhospitable soil for most plants (thanks for the factoid, Dad Kurynny). We figure that this tree is roughly 75 to 100 years old.

East Face: Before

The window in the foreground will come out and be replaced with what we're calling a "pop-out" or "bump-out," but which is essentially a cantilevered (i.e., no supporting foundation) extension to the kitchen. It will house pantry space and a pair of new windows overlooking the front walkway.

You can see in this photo the original and newer electrical hookups (left and right, respectively). Both of those will be ripped out (and a new meter relocated) to make room for the bump-out.

The far window, along with the two smaller kitchen windows, the bathroom window, and a window on the South wall will be replaced with low-E double-pane versions. When we bought the house it already had new windows in the basement and second floor. After the remodel plans came back we realized that the finished house would only have five original single-pane painted-shut (ech!) windows. One of the goals of our project is to keep the house warm in winter using as little energy as possible, so replacing those last original windows is now part of the scope.

East Lot: Before

Our general contractors will hand the project over to us at approximately 2/3 completion. We have so many skilled friends and friends-of-friends that we wanted to general the last portions: interior and exterior painting, flooring, tile, cabinets and concrete counter tops. We're hoping to take over sometime in April, and depending on how effectively we manage our portion, we should be done just as the summer begins. We have a hard deadline for everything except the final touches as we're hosting a bachelor/ette party for our lovely friends Matt and Karen (holla!) at the end of June.

Exterior East Side: More Before Shots

The time line: We moved into the house on July 2nd, 2006. We had been working with our architect since mid-May and had hoped to get the project underway by the end of the Summer. It was such a nice dream. The reality was that we didn't even apply for permits until late fall. Only after the permits were into the city did we realize that our budget was not going to cover the whole project. We cut about 1/2, resubmitted the drawings and received our permits in mid-December.
The crew from Green Hammer broke ground the week before Christmas, but, due the holiday hoopla, didn't make it much past basic deconstruction until January. Then the snow came. Three snow days in two weeks = a student's dream, a remodeler's nightmare. Concrete can't cure in sub-freezing temperatures, so the project was on hold until the weather cooperated. Since then the guys have been working hyper-speed, and we're not too far behind schedule.

First Floor Plan: Permitted

North is to the top of this drawing. This is a very close approximation of what the final first floor plan will be. Even since these drawings were printed, we've made a few minor changes, including running the south-side deck boards E-W for the whole length of the house past the front entryway.

Highlights include the large french doors opening from the living area onto the West deck; the expanded, open kitchen complete with piano-shaped island, the pop-out pantry/bay-window-seat (East side) and the stair tower (West side). There are lots of nifty little touches like a built-in concrete planter, exposed-brick from the old chimney and the original claw foot, all of which will be better appreciated in person. Come one, come all!

The 1st Concept: If Money Grew on Trees

Originally we'd hoped to do more than we're doing. This seems to be the remodeler's refrain. Luckily we were able to pare-down the project before breaking ground, saving ourselves (and our pocketbooks) a lot of heartache. We reevaluated our goals when figuring out what to cut. Turns out we're not formal enough to require a formal entry, nor do we have enough clothing to require a walk-in closet. The balcony was hard to let go of, but we decided that a larger first-floor deck would compensate. What we kept: The stair tower, complete first-floor remodel, window-seat "bump out" in the kitchen, new flooring and windows throughout, updated siding and roof as well as a re-built front porch.

First Floor Plan: As-Built

As you walk in through the front porch doors, you feel like you're in a hallway. You can kind of see the kitchen, but there's a giant green shelf-thing hanging off the east wall and it's at eye-level. It's impossible to work on the counter tops directly beneath it. The bathroom is as large as the kitchen. The spiral staircase is a charming, if dangerous touch. The back entry way (by the spiral stairs) was added when the stairs went in (ca. 1992). Prior to that it was a bedroom. The rest of the open living space is oddly partitioned and closet spaces are in near-unusable configurations. The solution? Down to the studs and start over!

The Kitchen: Before pt. 2

According to the Country Living Magazine article about our house, this green atrocity was custom made for the owner's fiestaware collection. Custom made, you say? I can't believe that these aren't being sold by the bushel-full at Ikea. What, with the sleek, modern style and functionality.
This "green monster" made it especially difficult to talk and cook at the same time, which was a serious problem as talking and cooking are two of Rachael's favorite pastimes. We came home one day and it was gone. Perhaps it went to tacky-object heaven.

The Staircase: Before

Honestly, who says, "Honey, grey steel is just so passe. How about dark green?" Thank goodness for Craigslist. The staircase, however unsightly, was necessary to link the newer second story to the main floor and basement. Soon: postings of how the stairs were removed (and, presumably, installed.)

The Pantry: Before

Ah, claustrophobic spaces. This one was a gem: a relatively unusable pantry, a bulky-yet-too-small-to-take-a-king-sized-bed-up staircase, and a small useless hallway. This will become a mudroom, storage space and mini-office. The door, through which the light is shining in the photo, will remain. We're building a mini-deck for a recycling center, which will be accessed through this egress.

Dining Area: Before

You'll notice that green was a big theme in this house. Unfortunately it was green as in "the color before blue in the visible light spectrum" and not green as in "eco-friendly." The 9' ceilings were once beautiful unfinished wood, but were defaced with hideous hunter-green paint. The spiral staircase and "green giant" (see The Kitchen: Before pt. 2) matched the ceilings and made the interior of the house feel positively mossy.

The Kitchen: Before

Any of you who spent time in our old house know that we love to cook, eat and entertain. This kitchen, on the built-out former porch, doesn't exactly scream "dinner party." Rachael T kindly relieved us of the fridge and stove, and everything else was donated to the Rebuilding Center or salvaged for other uses. Note: The stylin' Pergo floors. Our concrete guy hauled those off for his cabin. Reduce, Reuse!

East and North Faces: Before

One of the primary reasons we sold our previous house on Liebe Street was the overwhelming upkeep of both the house and the yard. We wanted a smaller, more sustainable house that was closer to things we love (farmer's markets, bike paths, parks, coffee shops) and easier to maintain. We worked with an architect for about 6 months before starting the project, with the ultimate goal of using the small space - 1100 square feet to our old house's 2200 - to best fit our needs. This includes opening up the downstairs floor plan, building a 500 square foot deck on two sides of the house, and updating the kitchen for entertaining.

South Face: Before

The front entry. According to a 1991 article in Country Living Magazine, the house was built from a Sear's kit around 1908. When you visit us, ask to see the article. The house was oozing with kitsch and overflowing with the worst of Antique Row.

The second floor and spiral staircase were added in 1992. Prior to that, the basement's only access was through an outside door on the North side of the house. Notice the mismatched siding on the first and second stories? And while we're on the topic, note the poor choice of building materials on the second floor (closer inspection of the chipped siding along the shingle line revealed a particle/glue composite instead of solid wood). Thankfully, the second floor is otherwise sound, solid construction.

West Face: Before

Our pretty blue casa before deconstruction. The shoddily-built deck was an insult to Justin's deck sensibilities! One reason we bought the house is because of its large, private yard. The house itself had some of the ingredients that we required: a small footprint, two full bedrooms and two full bathrooms, a great Sellwood location, lots of South and West-facing windows, and a double garage that we hope to eventually convert into a studio/shop area. Things we didn't love: The spiral staircase, compartmentalized rooms and lack of insulation. Our cats may have enjoyed taunting the squirrels in the roof, but we we placed those in the "don't love" category as well.