This Old House - Part II The Fireplace

Time and tide wait for no man, I've been told. With the winter weather swirling around, threatening to chill us - should we dare to venture outside - indoor projects become more interesting.

Ron has been wanting to "zoosh" up the fireplace since I offered up an off-hand question about it possibly looking better painted white. He's generally not one to let moss grow on him and we went on a jaunt to our local Kent store to see what could be done. An hour later, we left with trim, paint and a couple of odds and sods. (Side note: we love Kent. The staff are always helpful, they've given us tons of advice (and parts - but that's a whole other story) for free! Use them, if they're in your 'hood. It's a good Canadian company.)

Original fireplace

Probably the funniest thing about this endeavour is that we don't have a car. Add to that the fact that lunch had long passed and we hadn't eaten...well, you have the makings for odd circumstances. We marched (dubiously, I confess) into a local restaurant called Kelsey's Roadhouse. (It's a chain, not surprisingly, but we weren't convinced, just by the clientele seated in the window...it reminded us of the mushy-vegetable restaurant in Courtenay, in the Comox Valley.) Be that as it may, we ventured in, and were met by very friendly staff. No one seemed non-plussed about our 8 foot lengths of trim and other accoutrements. They treated us very well and made sure that everything was top notch. We were pleased with the service and the food, no mushy vegetables to be found.

Some of the lumber in question

The bus driver was more dubious, as we boarded the #51 Greenline to head home. Of course we promised not to accost anyone with our decorative trim and behaved like this happened all the time. The trip was unremarkable, no heads were coshed.

Anyhow, a few days after Christmas, Ron decided it was time to tackle our next improvement project.

Chair rail molding

He added trim around the upper mantle, columns and medallions and then sanded the wood. I tack ragged, filled nail holes and helped to paint. 

Embellishments are important

Of course, we're quite pleased with the result. We feel that it just looks more finished and like is was meant to be there, instead of added as an afterthought. Some people might be horrified that we covered up the natural wood, but with so much wood floor, we figured it wasn't an unpardonable sin.

Almost finished product

 

A bit of the details

What's next? Maybe painting the kitchen, or our master bedroom, or even the guest bedroom. There should be enough to keep us busy over the winter.

Poverty - A story of home ownership

Okay, I admit that the post title is pretty bleak, but we really shouldn't have anything to complain about. It's not like the majority of things we've had to pay for were unknown. Sure, we've spent more on the rental suite than we planned, but we both knew expenses would exceed what we anticipated, and we're hoping that it pays off in the long run.

It's not just about the house...

Patio stuff...who woulda thought to budget for that?

 

For any of you out there that aren't home owners, there are lots of unexpected costs. Not only are there legal fees, inspection fees, property transfer taxes and the lot, no one ever plans for the extras. Things like furniture...that little items, like the exact right table for that quirky little corner, or the perfect paint colour. I could rhapsodise over the "little" things. Electrical work, exterior painting, coffee tables, a new TV.

Of course, you don't NEED many of those things (except electricity...why have a dining room, if there isn't any light?). We've learned along the way, that it's better to invest in good quality furniture than dropping several hundred dollars on a mid-range sofa every 3-5 years, that solid wood for dining tables is better than MDF, at least, more often than not. Does that mean that we're always prepared for the unexpected? That we over budget and under spend? Hells 2 the no.

Never framed something, better learn!

Great you have a lawnmower, but you need a snowblower!

Ran out of gas...in minus 25...no problem

 Home ownership (particularly a house over 100 years) is not for the faint of heart or light of pocket book. (Oh well, fake it 'til you make it, am I right?)

Our summer is pretty well laid out for us...exterior repair (window sills and other wood works), exterior paintintg some minor glazing..yup, some of our sun porch windows need reglazing. Plus the bug screens that need replacing and general cleaning, tidying, gutter cleaning and trim work...we're in for a long summer full of work, expenditures and (hopefully) a truly beautiful house at the end of it. (As MasterCard says "priceless"!)

 

 

 Is it worth it? Yeah, usually, with some prudent decisions and damned good luck. Is it for everyone? No. Houses are la bit like children, they need stuff. They need love and maintenance, they need limits and a certain fatalistic calm. Generally, we enjoy it, with all the headaches, endless requirements for money and attention. Just don't get into it without realizing the dedication required.