Posts by Chuck Curtis
This weekend, Susanna and I, for the most part, finished the mud room half of our project. She repaired and repainted the window sashes and I installed the windows and trim. Okay, so I still have to install the inside stop for the window, but that is a quick project for this evening or tomorrow morning.
Just in time for New Year’s Eve!!
The laundry room half has a little more to do. The sashes aren’t finished, so window and trim will have to wait until 2015. Still, not too bad.
Ah, nothing says “Christmas” like weather in the upper 50’s, rain, and a flood of new electronics that need charging. I know, maybe some year we can try something traditional like snow and an Official Daisy Red Ryder Range Model 1938 Air Rifle BB Gun.
Our current charging station is a box that replaces the faceplate of an outlet and gives 4 USB outlets and 8 plugs, and a place for one or maybe two iPods to sit (off the counter). But we are now a house with four phones, three iPods and three iPads. So, now the corner of the kitchen counter with the charging station is a muddle of charging wires and expensive electronic devices. A brand new iPad is just what you want sitting on the counter next to the coffee machine.
We put an outlet high up on the wall in the laundry room so I could eventually build a charging station. I think that eventually meant “this week.” It will be nothing fancy, built from oak plywood and edged with oak. A fancy solid-wood charging station is on my long term list, but far enough down that it will probably never be built. But what fun is having a workshop if my “honey-build” list isn’t overflowing with projects that may never get finished (until all the things on the other never-ending “honey-you-really-need-to-build-it-before-I-give-up-on-it-and-buy-it” list are built).
We are finally making good progress on the laundry/mud room. And of course, progress means a tired Chuck and Susanna. But it is a good tired.
We had the drywall installed two weeks ago.
Susanna painted the room (Queen Anne Lilac SW021 for the walls – the trim will be Classic Ivory) last weekend. We ordered the pre-finished flooring last weekend as well.
This weekend the two of us spent most of Saturday installing the flooring. Lots of cutting and nailing, but we made it. I finished the last three rows this morning, and stacked the washer and dryer and installed temporary lighting while Susanna painted the back door.
It is finally starting to look like a room. I’m starting to believe that we may have the room done enough for our New Year’s Eve party. I’m planning to install the trim next weekend – it will require making new window sills (or repairing the old ones). Susanna is working hard at finishing the window sashes for that room.
Eventually I’ll put a sink and cabinets next to the dryer and build cubbies/organizers for the mud room portion of the room. But not before next year.
We are making progress in the mud room/laundry room. Over the weekend we decided that we wanted it to be a single larger room, vice two small rooms. That way we don’t have to decide right now where the division between the laundry room and mud room will be. If in the future we want a wall, we can always add a wall.
I have the insulation in, the wiring and plumbing done, the subfloor installed and the walls cleaned up from old nails and lath. Tomorrow (hopefully) the drywall contractor will show up, and we should have walls done by the weekend. Our next step will be to pick out a hardwood floor and new lights for the space. I’m hoping that the next picture will be of a much closer to completed room.