The Power of Love...

I fall in love with The Old Girls over... and over... and over...  For those of you who don't know, The Old Girls are our multi-family treasures in the National Historic Districts where we live.  This one is a duplex built in the 20s.  People frequently ask if they were originally single family; the answer is no.

There were some amazingly elegant duplexes and fourplexes built in Tyler during the early days of its growth... and the oil boom....

Then, there was the decline of this wonderful old neighborhood, just as in many others across our country.  Revitalization slowly began in the late 70s.

Even after the revitalization of this area and the designation as historic districts, the multifamily properties often languished... disdained by neighboring homeowners and bled out by uncaring investors.  I hated them too... however, I've always believed if you don't like something, you need to work to do something about it or quit your 'fussing'.  ;)

So, six years ago, this was our first Old Girl to "bring back".  The floors were sagging and covered in filthy carpet... the walls had cheap paneling... what paint there was was curled and flaked... F.I.L.T.H... and neglect. 

But her ailing bones were magnificent.

While we did have to add these things to modernize the kitchen, there are still the original cabinets, sink and countertop (had to add dishwasher... who wants to wash the dishes)... 

My one regret was the choice of this vinyl for the kitchen, bath and utility room.  Still hate it.

We had to replace the sink and toilet, but retained the tub and added subway tile for the shower surround.  We almost always add beadboard to the baths along with the sheetrock.

We added crown molding to every room (I cannot have rooms without crown molding), sheetrock to the walls, ripped out the carpets and had the floors stained and refinished.  We won't talk about the jacking up of the floors and adding piers or the plumbing issues or the electrical work.  ;)

As Evan and I walked through it last week getting ready to lease it again, he said he STILL can't believe how it used to look and how it does now... I just fall in love all over again...

Such a sweet, young couple... full of hope and dreams... bright and shiny stars... moved in this past weekend.  We have been so blessed by the people we have met and by the honor of being caretakers for these beautiful Old Girls. 

The power of love is a good thing.

blessings ~ tanna

Kitchen Makeover - $30 Backsplash

This is Part 2 of the 70s Weekender Makeover, posted in November (here).   I wasn't going to do this post yet... because I still haven't replaced all the lighting and plugs!  I'll have to do another post to show what a big difference lighting can make. 

This is the before.

Another AFTER.  Please note, there are no decorating skills.  LOL! Just function.  We replaced the flooring throughout with engineered hardwoods.  Those and the granite were the 'big bang' elements.  You can find discounted prices, when they have only one slab of a particular section of granite (and you can fit your pieces from it as we were able to do).

Now, for the $30 backsplash.

After looking at tons of different tile possibilities (I was hankering for glass subway or marble), I realized that any of the patterns took away from the granite.

I fell back to a very cost effective solution I have used in my Old Girls.  You can buy this beadboard for $11.88 at Lowe's.  I needed two packages, some screen mold, $6.08, and some liquid nails.

You can see all the tile considerations... LOL.

I have a friend next door with a table saw, which makes cutting these pieces a snap.

You could use a jigsaw for all the cuts.  Remember to measure twice, cut once!!  And, be careful.

Once the pieces are all cut, use a caulk gun and the liquid nails to secure them to the wall.  Use finishing nails to place the screen mold (not pictured here), caulk the seams and paint.  There you go.  A beadboard backsplash for (in this case) $30. 

Joining Kim:

Happy Projects and blessings to all!

tanna

70s Weekender Makeover - An Odd Thanksgiving Edition

The sight of our Little Men arriving for a holiday stay was my "5-4-3-2-1- put your tools down!" signal to stop my remodel project!  What is done is done... what isn't, will have to wait until after the holidays.

I will share some of the project with you today as I give THANKS that this little family arrived safely.

Sorry this is such a bad photo...

We bought our 70s-model weekender this past summer for a near song. It was stuck in the seventies and even though it had had some updates by the previous owner... they were not updates that brought it up to speed. 

The first thing that had to go was the header between these two built-ins.  It just held the whole thing down in  my opinion.  I wanted it opened up, brightened up and cleaned up!

I had crown moulding added to the top of the shelves and around the room.  My favorite elements in a room tend to be the crown moulding and the hardwoods.  The carpet had to go, too.  The floors were put in by people Lumbar Liquidators sent.  Would NOT use them again.  We chose an engineered hardwood in a Tobacco Road stain.  I wanted some variation and movement in the color.  Evan and I both immediately liked this wood.

I do love the stain and the look of the floor.  But, if I had it to do over, I would stick with the floor guy I use with my Old Girls.  I just had to want something a little more 'exotic' this time.

Now, this is not a post about decorating!!  LOL!  This stuff all was hurriedly thrown in place to get ready for the Little Men.  I was still doing a backspash earlier this week.

And, admittedly... I am not a good decorator like my friend, Kim at Savvy Southern Style or so many of my other blog friends... I am more of a 'bones of the place' kind of decorator (just like I was an orthopaedic nurse... not a plastic sugrery nurse... So, please don't judge me by my decorating!  LOL!)

This is during the process... you can immediately see the difference pulling out that header from one built-in to the other makes!   The 'popcorn' acoustic ceiling was removed.  I use very little texture (the Old Girls never have much... so, I've come to appreciate their smoother, simpler appearance).  Sheetrock replaced the old paneling and you can see the crown added to the built-ins.

Still need to find an area rug and do my small bit toward decorating, but all of that will come.  I have no idea why they placed the two ceiling fans where they did. My best solution was to add two more to balance it out and give lots of light. Plus, in the nicer weather the windows will be open and fans will be running! 

Painting the cabinets and using a light neutral color, Wool Skein (knitting attachment, you know) by Sherwin Williams, for the walls really helped lighten up the place, too. 

Yes, the drapes still need to be pressed -- again, not a decorator post.  LOL!

My favorite change was opening up this space above the fireplace.  I am used to seing the changes made by the paint, the hardwoods, the lighting... but, my Old Girls have never needed 'opening up.'  LOL!  So, this relatively Young Girl has had a freshening and I look forward to enjoying the new cleaner, brighter, lighter version.  I'll share more on the kitchen soon. 

I clung fiercely to the 'Norman Rockwell Family' dream for years...  Scrapped and fought and worked and tried to create it every year in every way I could.  Truth is, we don't have it (at least not in all ways... or in all the times).  But, what we do have is good.  Very good.

We shared an EARLY morning breakfast with our Little Men before they headed off to other family commitments for the day.  Then we headed home... where I did my Thanksgiving phone calls, turned on my electric blanket and piled into bed for a long four hour nap.  Rest was a real treat. 

Evan and I shared a frozen pizza; he is watching football and I am about to catch up on my blog reading.  My heart is full and I am so very thankful for all the many blessings we enjoy. 

Would I still like Norman Rockwell?  You know I would.  But today, I think I am finally okay not having that 'dream'.   Acceptance is a good thing (I know if I keep saying that to myself, one day it will really, really, really sink in).

;)

Today, I have offered and will continue to offer a special thanks to God for my blog friends.  You all enrich my life in ways I could never have imagined (a special thanks to Dotsie, for the flea reminder).  Thank you, too.

I am linking this to Kim's Wow Us Wednesdays (late).  She is such an amazing blog person and blog friend (always makes me feel like such a slacker by how much she gets done AND blogs!).  Thank you, Kim.

blessings to all ~

tanna

First Bloom

First waterlily bloom of 2011

 

I was going to try to post this yesterday, but the week continued to throw its curve balls.  An early morning call from the floor guys (refinishing the original hardwoods in a unit of one of The Old Girls) had me adjusting to a budget and schedule change.  Seems there are always surprises when you renovate.

This particular surprise was a hole in each of the bedroom floors the size of a full sheet of plywood... well, not a hole exactly, since the plywood was there... but the hardwood had been "replaced" with plywood, subsequent to some repair in the past, and covered with carpet.  This required the adjustment for cost of repairing the holes (large project) and staining the floors as well as sanding and coating with polyurethane.  Cha-ching.  I could have opted to just cover them up again with carpet, but my goal is to get them back to their original glory.  So, we are another week behind on finishing... and over the initial budget.  Life in the lovin'-The-Old-Girls stlye.

At any rate, we had our first waterlily bloom this week!!  And, the Fish Boys are growing and enjoying the warmer weather.

I, myself, enjoyed some sunshine and a Coke Zero earlier today right in this spot.  I was celebrating finishing a report for the Historic Tyler on Tour committee!  yea!  Still have one more report before passing on all my duties to the next in line.
 

Hope you are having a swimmingly fine weekend!! 

blessings ~ tanna

Joining Kim's Savvy Southern Style Before and After Party

We live in a 1917 (we've been told 1917 and 1913; there is some research to be done some day when there is time) Craftsman Bungalow.  Her name is Tallulah and we love living here.  The streets are still brick; the porches are still easy sitting and the East Texas beauty still surrounds us.

In the beginning...

                         

We ripped up the emerald green plush carpet and found paint, tin nailed down over large holes and what would look like hopelessly ruined heart pine floors.  Come in: The Floor Guys.  Sand.  Stain.  Polyurethane.  Incredible transformation.  Like dummies, we did this BEFORE we painted.  Lesson learned.

This is the After.  I wanted very simple and clean lines.  The bed is mesquite.  It was custom made for a woman in Dallas and then it wouldn't fit into her house.  The platform is one piece and very large.  Heavy.  Heavy.  Heavy.  The dresser on the left is my favorite piece of furniture we have.  It was a floor sample that I had been admiring for months at Restoration Hardware years ago.  I STILL love it.  The ceiling fan and fixture are VERY OLD.  I'm not sure they were original to the house, but the fan still works like a charm (go Hunter).

The giant amoire: an essential in an older home with limited closet space!

The windows are fabulous.  Most of the panes are the original wavy glass.  I would never even consider changing them out.

The bedside tables came from The Canton Trades Day.  A touch of Oriental.  The lamps, I don't know what style they are, but I liked them.

This is just for Kim at Savvy Southern Style and her Before and After Party. 

The Old Girls--A Labor of Love

Here is the latest progress on one of our Old Girls, a small collection of historic (OLD) multi-family properties.  We have had this one for not quite three years and we have finally gotten to her exterior. 

Here is her "before" exterior.

Here is the "after", that is the after BEFORE we worked on the landscaping yesterday.

Yesterday, we planted azaleas and sweet potato vines...  Thanks to one of our great tenants, Paul, who had the strength to dig up the snarly, scraggly, old holly bushes and roots!  The rocks were donated by a friend of ours who was changing their landscaping.  She is starting to look as good on the outside as she deserves.

Here are a few photos from the interior of one of the four apartments. 

The building is about 4800 square feet, with each unit consisiting of a living room, dining room, kitchen, bedroom, bath and "bonus" room that has been used as a second bedroom, an office, an art studio and a yoga room since we have had it.

I can imagine that in its day, this was a fine old apartment building. 

There is so much character in the Old Girls and I love them every one.

If you are interested in seeing a before and after of another of the interior units see this post.

I say, find one, love one, save one!  ;)