Stair Railing

We have finally gotten around to install the stair railing.  All the years of people living in this house and never a railing to be had.

Lots of detail work required for this project, and many coats of paint on those troublesome spindles and the two end newels.  Above photo is of the newels and top rail and bottom shoe rail.

Here Albert is spacing the spindles.

Here is the bottom shoe rail with one fillet installed on the left side.  Each rail, top and bottom, had to have these added for a proper finished look.

Neeka approves.

 

Plumbing and the New Kitchen Door

Just a couple photos today, this one of the upstairs bathroom at the top of the stairs.  Nice and shiny but I may regret all that white!

And we have hung the permanent kitchen door. I  painted it the accent color of the house, same as the the dining room door onto the deck.   

The Beginning of the End

As the saying goes, the plumber is the first to arrive and the last to go.  We have reached the stage of asking the plumber back to install the fixtures.  Here Albert is cutting out the Formica for the installation of the kitchen sink.

Just a little taste of how much sawdust is incurred during a house renovation!

And of course there has to be a "little problem" at every stage.  This is where the dishwasher is to be placed and secured to the inner walls of its cubbyhole.  Blocking needed to be installed for the screws to have a place to go besides just the thin walls of the cabinet.

This is the upstairs bathroom sink and refurbished cabinet in the room that used to be Thurston's.  

Up-close shot of the sink which we purchased second-hand and the nice new faucets. Tomorrow the plumber will return to finish up with the rest of the fixtures. ( no photos of the toilets, yet!)

Our Blue Star finds its home.

With the tile being completed in the kitchen, it is time to move in our range with the help of this appliance "sled".  

This appliance mover acts like a hover-craft, using compressed air to inflate the two rectangular pieces which have been slid under the stove.

Turn it on, and they inflate and are able to lift up to 800 pounds with ease.  No scratching the floor or hurting
the back!

Deflate the pads and slide them back out and you are done.

Our Blue Star Range.

Kitchen Tile

Tom has returned to put in the kitchen backsplash now that the cabinets and formica have been installed.

We chose a simple small subway tile in off white which complements the soft green counter top and the dark walnut cabinets.

The sink will be placed here to the right of the dishwasher and beneath my farmhouse style tiles I found in an antique store years ago.

Appropriate, don't you think!

Albert and my brother Paul resting after moving in the kitchen stove, clawfoot tub, and refrigerator.  Thanks again for the extra muscle, Paul!

While the appliances were being moved in, I finished up painting the exterior door to the North.  The porch post does not look so out of place now that the door matches it in color.

And a shot of some of the foundation plantings we have placed, here on the South side.

Walnut Cabinets

Today the custom made walnut cabinets began to be installed in the kitchen.
Albert is doing some last minute patching on the floor where the stove will be placed.

Gary the cabinet maker also does his own installing.  This cabinet is where the kitchen sink will be placed.

A dishwasher will be in the first cabinet, then the sink, followed by a three drawer set.  The lower drawers will be finished tomorrow, however the doors will not be installed for a few more days.  

You can see where the stove will sit.  The wire dangling out is for the hood fan.

A five drawer set for the peninsula.

This is looking into the kitchen from the dining room.  The shelving to the right will be kept open, no door on it .

 

Concrete Work

Lots of pictures to post documenting the concrete work that has been done at Pioneer House.  Here is a shot of the forms for the walkway to the formal entry on the South side.

For the kitchen entry on the North side, we are putting in a larger patio and connecting the deck and the driveway with three foot sidewalks.

A little bend in the sidewalk to keep close to the flower bed.

Here are the steps formed up with lots of heavy debris filling the middle of them.  Less concrete cost that way.

The concrete for the steps is kept a bit drier so it will keep its form better while being shoveled into the step forms.  Not your typical flowing concrete as it is for the sidewalks.

Smoothing out the walkway in front of the deck.

Working on those steps before the rest of the concrete is poured.

 

Ah, looking good!

And a few stepping stones made out of the leftover concrete.

 

The extra wide walkway on the South side.

And the finished, broom swept concrete.  Forms will come off tomorrow and hopefully we will not find too many wild footprints in the morning.