Windsor Terrace Reno

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February 19, 2007

Too busy even at a snails pace...

I sometimes wonder how I managed to get everything done when I actually had things happening. That doesn't make much sense but the past month has been one giant game of so much to do, so little to show for it. We havent made much forward progress toward actually getting the big parts of the reno underway but we are forever running around on small tasks and errands (limestone related or not)...without much time for any rest. Of course, we are both working hard to pay for all this so that probably has a lot to do with it.

Over the past few months, we've been working with a very smart and patient architect who has done a lot in the first steps of making this dump a home. (yes, a brownstoner reco - thanks very much!) So we have a tree's worth of drawings of all kinds. They are extremely exciting for us but are extremely boring to look at if you haven't been inside the house. So Ill spare you from those.

As we get closer to making the package "final", there were a lot of finishing items that of concern to me that I wasn't describing correctly. So rather than make Mr. Architect crazy with another round of changes trying to pinpoint what I mean, I did some drawings to send to him. Not that he cares what color I paint the bathroom or what kind of towel bar we use, but I did that stuff for me. I need to keep my ideas organized.

On the backside of these drawings are some price estimates for the materials. Oh-vey. Without factoring the skilled labor, Im already in deep. Not that Im surprised - we've renovated before and I know what things cost. But I suppose its adding it all together for such a major project is overwelming. (not to mention that Im consistently picking stuff that is entirely too expensive).

Ok, enough complaining. Here is what Im thinking for our hall bathroom.

To refresh, here is what it looks like now

And what I have in mind for the after:

same thing but with some of the finish materials filled in

The plan is to move the clawfoot tub that is in the second floor bathroom down here. We thought we were going to have to refinish it but Mr. Architect says we might not have to. (Yippeee!).

The plan is also to add a master bath and closet area on the top floor. Its not a bathroom now so no fun before photos to mock.

The ideal after (this is back and front wall)

The color got a bit distorted...the green should be a greyish shade..not this minty color. Close enough.

Also did a drawing of the millwork we will eventually add in the "music room" (that sort of strange middle room between what will be our living room and dining room). We are havingthis built out for two reasons. One, we love the leaded glass doors that are in the built in hutch on the garden floor. B/c we are adding a doorway there, we have to rip that built in out but we'd like to put those door to good use. Yes, they are cracked in two places...but thats okay.

Reason two, we need some first floor display storage for books, photos, various crap. This middle room is a bit of a mystery to us so its a good place for storage and display. We had a similar unit built in our current home and I love it.

No fun idea board to go with this one. I think we are going to have to paint it since I can't imagine matching the existing wood of the doors to new wood without going completely insane. And since it isnt original, I think painting will get it to blend in a bit better (so the focus is on the original woodwork we will have stripped after many years of inhaling lead paint chips and toxic stripper fumes).

Anyway....thats my renovation porn for the day. I still have to do this drawing for the other bathrooms. I planned to do it this weekend but you know how time gets away from you? Well, it got away again.

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Comments

The Front room of your parlor floor was probably the Men's Parlor, the mysterious middle room was the Formal dining room (used for entertaining, the family dining room was down on the garden level in the front where your taking the doors from the china cabinet). And the Rear room was the Women's Parlor. At least that is how the traditional brownstone townhouses were designed.

Posted by: tom at February 20, 2007 12:07 PM

Nice choices. I wonder if the marble is worth the expense personally though. You can get the same effect from ceramic subway tiles and still have a lot of marble on the floors and the sink basin.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 20, 2007 6:55 PM

Thanks Tom. I didnt realize there was a Womens and Mens Parlor configuration..interesting how the early century brooklynites didnt like to mingle intersex. I don't think the middle room was a dining room though, its not really big enough to hold table and chairs. Other people have told me it was a "music room" that was meant for entertaining guests although I dont see why you cant play music in the parlor. Since we are both tone deaf, we don't have much use for a music room.

Anon - The marble would just be for the downstairs bath. (ceramic subway tile upstairs) It seems crazy but the cost of flat, period appropriate, subway tile is more than TWICE the cost of the marble!! So my compromise is to use the cheapo subways upstairs and the flat marble tile downstairs. Of course, this is idea now pre construction..maybe once we get the final estimates, I might be switching over to the 22 cent home depot squares :)

Posted by: Anonymous at February 20, 2007 7:14 PM

Hey! I'm a 22 cent Home Depot square!

Posted by: 22 cent square at February 21, 2007 3:39 PM

Sorry 22 - I hate you :)

Posted by: Mrs. Limestone at February 21, 2007 5:50 PM

A & K tile has some nice flat 3 x 6 subway tiles in a variety of colors and matte or flat finishes for each. Where do you get the marble that is not so expensive that comes in 3 x 6 rectangles?

Posted by: Anonymous at February 21, 2007 7:05 PM

Its not a flat finish in terms of glaze, I want a flat tile. I can't figure out why a completely squared off tile would be so much more than a slightly eased edge but it is. The look is very different..at least to me.

(A&K even went so far as to tell me that completely flat didnt exist!! I hate when salepeople don't know their own products)

So its not the marble tile is so cheap but that the flat ceramic tile is so expensive. Excluding the base and trim which are a lot more, the flat tile is something like $15/sq foot!!

Posted by: Mrs.Limestone at February 21, 2007 7:55 PM

Mrs. Limestone, you should read Mr. B's past posts about moving a clawfoot tug between floors (he was moving his upstairs) - just a head's up that you'll need some burly, flexible workers.

Posted by: Archiefina at February 24, 2007 12:47 PM

Meant to say clawfoot "tub" - although moving a tug between floors would likely pose equal challenges!

Posted by: Archiefina at February 24, 2007 12:48 PM

Dear Windsor Terrace: what's the manufacturer of those flat subway tiles you were thinking of getting? Thanks.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 24, 2007 4:35 PM

Thanks Archie. I imagine its not an easy job but I won't be tackling the move alone :)

Anon: Subway Ceramics make the flat subway tile.

Posted by: Mrs. Limestone at February 24, 2007 10:24 PM

Thanks Mrs. Limestone - is the quote you got the architect's price for the tiles? I am going to
call them tomorrow to buy from them directly.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 25, 2007 6:27 PM

Subway Ceramics doesnt sell to the public nor do they release the prices. The price I have is what someone has told me but its way beyond what i want to spend so I never spent much time looking into it.

Posted by: Mrs.L at February 26, 2007 3:13 PM

Mrs. Limestone: wanna talk offline (if you really
are interested in the tiles)? You can call me
at 917-806-0750. Thanks.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 26, 2007 5:43 PM

Hey, when the hell did you post all this?! I thought I'd been keeping up!

Naturally I love your design ideas. I was going to ask the same thing about the marble (are you sure it's worth the expense) but I see your point about using the "fancy" material downstairs and then the subway tile upstairs. That's actually a period appropriate way to go about it--even though as you explained, the marble isn't as expensive as the flat subway tile.

The one thing I would say, though, is that you may have a hard time getting the color of the marble just right. I found that I was very disappointed in some boxes of the marble tile (the cheapest!!) that we used on our master bath floors and shower walls. Some were very light almost like that gorgeous white marble, some were quite grey, and some had crazy graining patterns that were totally different from all the rest. It was a bitch and a half to assemble a floor that didn't look all that much like a crazy quilt. I made them rip out tiles at least three times before it was passable.

So basically what I am saying is that the overall look of the marble has the potential to turn out much GRAYER than I think you might want.

Longest comment ever. Sorry.

Posted by: Cynthia at February 27, 2007 4:59 PM

Anon - I was about to call but I dont even know who to ask for. Can you email me at BkLimestoner@aol.com ?

Cynthia - thanks for the marble tip. I actually LURVE your bathroom so it might be one of those things only a homeowner sees the problem in. I know any natural stone has variation so I *THINK* Im okay with that. Particularily since the tiles are small (3x6), I think the variation will be a nice twist on the traditional subway tile pattern. I hope Im not posting my regrets about it when it finally goes up :)

Posted by: Mrs.Limestone at February 28, 2007 11:40 AM

I'm impressed by your sketches -- did you do them by hand?! How nice to be able to communicate your vision to others....my tends to stay in my head, which is frustrating.

Posted by: Anonymous at March 2, 2007 4:26 PM

hi there, your plans look amazing. good luck with everything. would you be able to recommend your architect? thanks very much, jen

Posted by: Jen at April 12, 2007 8:58 PM