We discussed painting the doors pure white, but the wood was so pleasant looking I went with a water based English Oak stain which a bit more on the yellow side, away from red. Since the colors upstairs focus on light yellows to enhance their sunny quality and secure feeling I feel this is a good match.
After I used the orbital sander to sand the surfaces of the doors, I directly applied the stain, and it went on evenly and looks great. Next step is to varnish the completed doors, and their new frames, as Warren the carpenter now has all his tools and can complete the outer frames and soon move downstairs to do the last two doors, one is a French style enclosure for a small closet.
I shot the "before" photos on Friday - better late than never!
I am finding I really like working on interior design to increase the value of a house and stage it for sale. The estimated increase in value is approximately $31,000. just by cleaning, painting, updating, and completing existing rooms, with curtains and appropriate furniture. Pretty impressive for a little more than a month’s work! The reason I believe this is because a friend of the carpenter has decided he and his wife would like to purchase the house! We will see if they get their funding.
Everyone is saying that it would have been nice to do this work and design prior to moving in, because all these wonderful changes would have been fun to enjoy. But enjoyment is not the same as money at stake and let's face it money is a real motivating factor to getting something accomplished.
What is surprising to me is that many people, even in business, do not understand that the grace of presentation can enhance and add value to just about any experience - a diner can be a lot more fun to eat at when the decor is fun and the place is simply really clean. A house is more fun to live in when it looks good and functions. Lighting is absolutely essential for livability and being able to control the amount of light is a component of that. Kids have to be able to see their materials to study and learn.
We have decided to locate another twin bed and give away the sleigh bed that is there because of the amount of work required to sand and paint it (kids marked it up and carved into it). No one has to actually sleep on the staged twin bed, it just needs to hold body weight and resemble a bed enough to show how it will look. A basic hollywood frame with some kind of handmade and painted headboard will work fine.
Painting and reworking an existing old pine chest of drawers is half complete, in a pure white paint, it is requiring filling from where kids knocked holes in it and sanding and 3 complete coats of semi-gloss, but it will wind up looking like a million dollars. I’ll be using the ol' soap on the wooden runners trick to get the drawers to slide easily.
We have the pillows, pillow covers, sheets with a delicate bouquet floral print, quilts, and modern fabrics and I can hardly wait to get the sanding and painting, and new fixtures installed, and wallpaper hung so the staging can begin.
I have found that goggles that do not allow particles in to my eyes work best for sanding as there is so much to be accomplished. I had corrective eye surgery and the small particles are too much!
Meanwhile I am still caring for Jeanette's Parrot, Petra, at my place. Petra misses the activity of Jeanette's place mightily so I will be returning her until painting in the dining and living room starts. I had no idea Parrots could "speak" so loudly.
When I was advising someone over the phone about web development she started "speaking" so loudly I had to remove her to the far bedroom and close the door. All she wants is some attention. I am so quiet, and love peace so much that I am a poor companion for a parrot of her outgoing nature.
Most of Jeanette’s stuff has gone into the transfer units sitting out front, so the house is becoming emptier on a daily basis. She has decided to visit Costa Rica and visit my old friend from Fairbanks, John Forbes who is planning on subdividing a property he purchased down there. His site is Costricajournal.com.
If Jeanette likes it she will move there – a vacation is a great reward for selling a house!
Renovation
Seattle
