69. Lots of Woodwork

It seems like every week lately something gets knocked off the to-do list that has been on there for a lo-o-o-ng time.  We just sort of sit back and say "what do you want to work on now?"  Nothing is urgent, nothing has precedence, but certain factors do help us decide.  One that I love is the next question: "what project do we already have materials for?"  There is stuff laying around that house that I had every intention of using months ago, but got side tracked by one emergency or another - stacks of lumber, miscellaneous hardware, etc.  By using it now we are cleaning up the place, as well as saving money by not buying much in the way of new materials. The fact that Dave works at a trim and door company doesn't hurt either... he has picked up a lot of stuff free or at cost and has saved us hundreds of dollars.

Here's a big one:  the box beam over the bar wall in the kitchen.  The dining room and living room have these great box beams I've mentioned before - I'm planning to paint them all white with that beautiful sky blue in between.  Well the kitchen got torn apart, and when it was put back together, there were two gaping holes remaining, that would eventually be covered by this beam.  Besides being icky to look at, it's not very energy-efficient to air condition a space with such a big opening into the roof crawl space. 

Now, if you had asked about that beam earlier, I would have told you, "don't worry, I'll figure it out when I get to it".  I didn't really know I was going to have a professional trim carpenter on staff one day - but that's the way it worked out!  I'm glad I didn't try to do it myself - I'm ok at rough framing, and great at painting and a few other things - but trim work takes so much patience, I usually zoom along and afterward have to comfort myself and say  "well, at least it's done".  Here Dave is putting up supports for the beam, like he's done it a thousand times before (I think maybe he has).  We put some construction adhesive on each piece and he is toe-nailing them in place with a finish nailer.

This kind of thing is becoming a tradition - we've been scribing little notes all over the place, and Dave surprised me with this one - it is already all covered up but I know it's there underneath that beautiful beam.  At least I know he loves me 141 7/8 worth!

Here is the completed beam, which so beautifully matches the ones already existing in the dining room.  That stupid wire that has been dangling there since who-knows-when I finished the kitchen wiring, is for the light that will hang over the bar.

Here is the view looking back into the kitchen, and you can see some more work that we did - the trim around the kitchen ceiling, and that window is finally finished out!

I'm always learning something watching Dave work - here he is building a box that will slide in the pass-through rough opening.  By doing it this way he can assure that it is square.  I would have started nailing up boards in place, shimming stuff like crazy to get it level etc. - this thing slipped right in and done!

I love this little pass through.  I remember when the idea hit me - one day before I had AC and the breeze was blowing through the house.  The other side is the staircase landing, and I can set things on the ledge or throw laundry through to go upstairs on the next trip.  It is also handy for passing kitty food to each other when it's time to give Miss Dee Dee some num-nums upstairs (what, you put away the barf bag?  Not a good idea). 

Who is Dee Dee you might ask?  Well here she is - she has been Dave's kitty for 16 years and now she loves me too.  When we go to Daytona the dogs are in the back seat and Dee Dee rides in her crate on my lap, and when we get there she has her own room upstairs.  I know what else you might ask - well let me tell you she has no problems with Rufus and Roscoe.  Rufus already knows that kitties are sometimes prickly so he pretty much ignores her.  Roscoe has taken a submissive position - he is very curious, but she just stares him down and as big as he is he has to look away.  She has experience with dogs and they don't worry her one bit.

This is a gift... the kind I really love!  The house originally had solid wood 5-panel doors, like this one.  But two of them had been replaced with "builder's special" hollow 6-panel doors that didn't match at all.  I would have never bothered to replace them but it did bother Dave, and he managed to score a couple of beauties from work for us, and here is one of them installed on the downstairs bathroom.  I am so happy with it and love the way it looks.  It is so nice to have someone at my side that adds so much to the project without asking for anything in return.  PS that knob will eventually be replaced as well, after we paint.

Lastly, a little teaser about colors.  We are itching to paint, inside and out, and are working away to get to the point where painting is NEXT on the list.  That being said, I haven't even decided on colors yet.  I'm narrowing it down - there are a few hints here... I will be sure to let you know when I have made a final decision.