Shop renovation update #5

Last week’s work was all about anything to do with the floor.

I’ll start this post with showing how the space looks after a week’s worth of work on the floor. After alot of hard work, we have a sub-sub floor down. I took this photo late this afternoon as I was in the shop looking around. (Still keeping windows covered with bad curtains to keep interested townfolks out.)

Glenn The Carpenter (GTC) isn’t afraid to deal with what are to me the most discouraging of problems. Like 200+ years of moisture that has caused some of our beefy floor joists and the a couple areas of some sills to deteriorate. He assures me that while it may look bad, it’s not so bad. (famous last words) In fact, some of the floor joists are still biggers than today’s floor joists just because, well, this place was “overbuilt” as GTC likes to say.

Some areas of the plank floor had to be cut away and replaced with glulams. On Tuesday I came home and found a variety of holes cut open and I could look straight down into the basement.

The area in front of the door was particularly in need of repair. Based on some of the old framing, shading on the floor and overall deterioration of the plank floor, chances are very good that when the house was first built the entry had an exposed vestibule of sorts where the floor immediately in front of the door outside was exposed to the elements. So, what does GTC do? He just cuts it out and patches the floor with some glulams. I came home on Wednesday to GTC yelling, “don’t come in!”, as I opened the shop door….because I would have fallen right into the basement. Or down there:

Different angle view looking through floor into the basement.

Entrance to our basement is usually accessed through a door and then down some stairs via our mud-room. Thankfully, GTC cut a hatch in the floor so he can go up and down without having to drag a mess into the house. We’ve decided we’re going to frame a trap door in the shop for direct access to the basement when all is said and done.

This week’s work was also about finalizing the design for the front of the shop and having a visit from an engineer who our architects insisted we had to involve. There were some concern that with new codes and our need to buy hurricane proof storefront windows, we might also have to frame out the whole storefront in STEEL. Ugh. The dollars just kept adding up in my head and lead to much anxiety. Here’s our architect John talking with the engineer.

We ended up with a different solution which does involves some structural panels being built into the wall…but it appears they will be a fraction of the cost of what the steel would have involved.

We have settled on a revised storefront design based on some of the structural requirements. We’ve also settled on some interior specs. While the majority of the shop’s interior will be left wide open, we are adding a new bathroom and a small kitchenette, and the architects have included what will be likely area for some sort of reception desk for our eventual hobby!

But again, alot of good progress this past week. Next week is all about the basement. We’ve decided since things are still relatively “opened up” we are going to add some support in the basement for the floor joists and likely poor a cement floor. We have a dirt basement floor that we covered with vapor barriers a few years back. But we may poor what is called a “rat-floor”, in the biz.

Shop renovation update #4

We’re still at the dirty work phase. In fact, by the looks of things, I think we’re going to be here for some time. Big loud sigh.

I should know better after so many years of projects.

Watching one whole side of the house sway back and forth in an unexpected storm back in 2000 after we’d cut away the sill and jacked up the walls and excavated down to the dirt seems like childs play to me right now.

It’s that old house “well, we won’t really know ’til we open up the walls” line of thinking that always gives me a knot in my stomach, or more accurately — knot in my wallet. This week it happens to be, “well, we won’t really know until we pull up the floor.”

The storefront walls and ceiling are pretty much gutted. And starting this past Monday, Glenn The Carpenter (GTC) started taking the floor apart. The old black and white linoleum tile floor (for the record I love original linoleum…but these had to come out to get to the floor(s) underneath), sits on top of a subfloor, which sits on top of what was probaby a gorgeous tongue & groove wood floor, which sits on top of strapping, which sits on top of the original three inch thick massive plank floor. Add 200 years worth of nails…which GTC reminds me of every time he tells me he’s had to get another new saw blade because the nails ate the last one. It’s not a good thing when he brings home a credit appication from our local hardware store and suggests I open a charge because we’re going to be shopping there often over the next few weeks.

Here are some shots Vince took today of GTC’s floor removal progress.

  

Add in new concerns about “well, we have everything opened up so let’s put some more support in the basement” and I’m wondering about this can of worms. But then I remember how this place is so much a part of us and I fall back into old-house-steward mindset.

(That steward mindset stuck around for about 5 minutes.)

Did I mention there’s the work we’re going to need to do to sure-up some of the massive ceiling timbers/joists before we even begin to think about framing the walls? Three beams/joists will need to be doubled up, or cut back a couple feet, and then we’ll create a “T”, by using some kind of bracket and as equally old looking beams to connect back to the weight bearing sill. I’ve found a blacksmith who is coming to the house on Saturday to take a look at creating some original looking brackets that can be used to make the “T”. If we weren’t exposing the ceiling beams this would not be an issue…but we are…so.

One of the three ceiling beams that will need repair/support is the one pictured below. See the brickwork inside the wall? At one point probably close to when this place was built in 1798, and John Atsatt or some other owner was using the building as a carpenter shop to assist in some part of the whaling ship building process at the shipyards in our backyard, there was a chimney in that wall connected to a fireplace or a stove in this room keeping people warm. And clearly there was some sort of fire based on that beam damage. Glass half full — I’m glad the whole place didn’t burn down.

The way I see it — it’s the same thing as if I was into restoring an old car. Or if Vince was obsessed with collecting something. We’re pretty passionate about bringing this place back to the way it was…and some day soon we’ll make the shop as strong as the rest of the house, and certainly more beautiful than it is today.

Designer spotlight: Lisa Bengtsson

Lisa Bengtsson is from Gnosjö in Southern Sweden. Illustrator/designer/graphic powerhouse — she rose to fame in Sweden and internationally with her whimsical line of wallpapers. Her most popular, Familjen (“The Family” — as seen below), features empty picture frames inviting people to fill them in with their own treasures.

I love this design. I can see using it across the whole back wall of the shop. Here’s a room with the same paper.

What REALLY got me going were some other designs I found on her Website. She has a line of kitchen towels with some of her wonderful illustrations. And being a dachshund owner and lover of all things dachshund, these had Vince and I laughing out loud. Love them!

If these walls could talk

Wasn’t that the name of a show on HGTV sometime ago?

Well, Glenn The Carpenter found this vintage pool ball in the wall as he was finishing up the demolition work on the storefront. I wonder how it got there.

I love the patina…and the #14′s typeface.

Maybe I’ll frame it and hang it in the shop when the project is all said and done.

Shop renovation update #3

This past weekend more progress was made. More ceiling came crumbling down. One wall was gutted to show the over two hundred years worth of different approaches to framing. I need to take some photos of the interior to show the progress. One cool thing is we discovered the remains of an old chimney in one wall, and what appears to have been a fire. A fire that chewed through one of the massive timbers. Gotta talk to the architects about that. Glenn The Carpenter scoffs at the idea of needing advice. He may be right. He’s already sourcing some old beams to make the repair. But speaking of architects, we met late last week with our neighbors Peter & Libby from Turowski Architecture and they presented some design ideas for the front of the shop as well as side elevations. In regards to the front, I think I know which one of the 3 designs below we’ll go with. The top design has a double door which feels very New England general store to me. But then the bottom right design is simpler. Hmmm. Well, more progress…and progress is good.

Shop renovation update #2

We’re making slowwwwwwww progress down in the storefront, aka “the shop”. Between our busy schedules and the architects busy schedules, we’re waiting on some plans and well, there’s nothing imminent pushing us. But, we’re still making progress so that’s good. “Baby steps” as Vince likes to say.

Glenn The Carpenter spent a few hours this saturday taking down more of the ceiling. It is an incredibly dirty job. There is so much debris. It looks like a bomb went off down there. This shot below is after several dump trips and several barrels worth of debris were taken away.

Vince and I spent a couple hours today just sweeping to try and keep up with the debris and dust. Tons of dust. Tons and tons of dust. Thankfully the shop is detached enough from our residence that we’re able to keep the dust at bay.

What’s going to be really exciting is how we decide to restore the ceiling. The beams are amazing. They’ll need to be cleaned up when the whole ceiling is down, but I can’t imagine covering these up ever again. Of course the realities of having to insulate and run electrical and things like that are important, but I’m certain there’s a solution. I bet we can just insulate in between the beams and then either run beautiful shiplapped boards — or plaster. Something tells me we may go the shiplapped route. We’ll see.

For now, here’s a look at a few more feet of the ceiling gone and the beams hidden above the many layers of debris. They’ll be beautiful when all cleaned up.

Progress!

Marimekko tunturipollo

A few weeks back I posted about our trip to NYC for the NYIGF and my purchase at the Marimekko store of their tunturipollo fabric.

We had some curtains made for the upstairs living room as well as roman shades for the adjoining kitchen.

Here are a few (bad) shots of how the curtains look. Need to get in there another day with better light, but for now these will do.

Not used to having anything on these windows, never mind a pretty bold color like this. Interesting to see how much lighter they are during the day when the sun is shining through.

They’re growing on me.

 

Bring on the greenery

We’re just pushing towards Spring (sort of) and here we are today getting a snow storm! Hmm. No snow all winter and then mother nature waits ’til leap day, Feb 29, of all days. Very funny!

Well, snow it will. But soon enough signs of Spring will be all around us.

Back in late August, and lasting until early October, we did a small landscape project here at 10 Water Street. We really never got around to having the season to enjoy it. So I’m looking forward to Spring and Summer so we can use this newly planned space. When you live on a postage stamp style lot like we do, you have to utilize every square inch. And I feel like finally with the new landscaping we’ve done that. We will still likely gravitate to using our second story deck most of the time but it’s just nice to have a place to relax with your feet on the ground.

We ended up rebuilding our entryway into a small deck. Reconfiguring our cobblestone walkway and gate. Planting a boxwood hedge. Adding a nice lush privet hedge around the southern and part of the eastern sides of our property line. And installing a bluestone patio at the bottom of our new entryway/deck that wraps underneath our second story deck – which has created the feel of an outside room. It’ll be fun to see how we use this new space once the weather warms up.

I’ve added some photos below of what the new landscaping looked like as we were finishing it last Fall. The new privet hedge has shed all its leaves this winter but I can’t wait for it to grow, get thicker, and bring back the greenery over the next couple of months. When you live in such a public place like we do the privacy the hedge will provide is very welcome!

Bring on Spring!

Dwarf boxwood hedge and plantings

New small deck off the entrway with privet hedge in the background

Looking north

Storefront shop renovation begins…

Our old house has always had a commercial influence. Built in 1798 as a carpenter/block shop to service the whaling shipyards in its backyard, over the years the house has been all sorts of things from the town post office to dry good shop, dentisit office, bakery and more. When we bought the place we converted it to a private home but kept a portion of the first floor for the storefront. Having rented the storefront to a family member’s real estate business for some time, and then deciding it was time for us to take back the storefront and use it for something we’d enjoy doing, called for some renovations.

The storefront, or “shop”, is really the last part of our house to be renovated. Aside from some new plaster, floor polish and paint, we haven’t done the hard work needed to bring the space back to its glory. As we prepare to open Craft, the time has come to roll up our sleeves and get to work. Which is what we did yesterday. Working with our carpenter Glenn, who doesn’t seem to be intimidated by any old house kind of problem, we started the demolition phase.

We’ve decided to use an architect this time around because we’re bringing the storefront design back to the way it (probably) looked when the house was built. Some old photos from 19th century books on our town give us a glimpse of what the storefront may have looked like. And this photo of our house from the 1930′s is likely consistent with the original design. So this is what we’re shooting for.

1930's

Not yet wanting to take out the heating floor radiators because it’s still pretty cold, we covered  and worked around them for the time being.

Prep work

Our plan is to completely gut the space from the ceiling down to the floor, and redo the bathroom. There are years of layers of walls and flooring. It is going to be a very messy job — 200 years worth of dust and debris.

This weekend’s work was focused on just opening up the north wall and a couple feet of ceiling so the architects can get in this week and take proper measurements. So thats what we did. Here’s carpenter Glenn starting to cut away a small portion of the ceiling.

Carpenter Glenn

Signs of some ornate details from the past were found behind layers of walls.

Plaster relief

One wall and 2 feet of ceiling — just a dent in the work to be done  — created an enormous amount of dust and debris. One saving grace is though the space is connected through our mud room door, it is completely separate from our residence so hopefully we can keep the mess contained. Vince worked hard to keep up with the falling debris.

Shovel-man Vince

As we cut away the ceiling, you begin to see the impressive wood that went into building this place. Since this is a post-and-beam structure, the beams and other wood were likely either cut down in the shipyard, or over in the forests in Rochester and brought to the site via horse. The beams are carved with roman numerals which served as early instruction on the best way to assemble them.

True to this kind of timber framing, the weight of the building is on the gable walls and rests on the corner posts. Timber framing or post-and-beam construction is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs. The methodology comes from making things out of logs and tree trunks without modern saws. Using axes, adzes and draw knives a carpenter could a assemble a building capable of bearing heavy weight without excessive use of interior space given over to vertical support posts. Like this guy:

Man with adz

After some ceiling demo, here’s a corner post. The wood is still as strong as it was 200+ years ago.

Corner post joinery

Here’s a wind brace in the ceiling and that “nail”, or spike, is about 8″ long.

Windbrace & spike

By 3:00 p.m. and after 3 dump trips, we’d gutted the north wall and 2 feet of ceiling. What a hodge podge of framing. But this entire wall will eventually be cut away, reframed and windows replaced…consistent with the original design above.

North wall gutted

Lots more work to go. But a productive start.

NY International Gift Fair

We headed down to NYC last weekend to attend the NYIGF. It was my first time attending and let me just say this—you have to give yourself a few days to make any headway at this show.

Hello Time Square

We arrived on Saturday around noon. Not all of the exhibit halls were even open yet. Some were opening the next day.

I found some great ideas for Craft as we think about what some of the housewares will be to complement our vintage furniture inventory.

Day two at the show was pretty much spent looking at the furniture vendors. I could have spent all day at the Jonathan Adler and Dwell Studio booths.

Dwell Studio

They don’t encourage you to take photos inside the show (okay, they have signage that explicitly says “no photo taking!”)  so all of mine are of the down-low, odd-angled, thumb-covered variety.

On our way back to our hotel we spent some time in SOHO at the Room & Board store where I wanted to sit on our already ordered new sofa, but yet to have actually tested it out. So we did that and I decided I made the right online purchase. (It arrives Feb 8). Have to say, I am really loving Room & Board. Especially loved this hanging light which I think I’m going to get to go over our dining table.

Before we wrapped up our quick 26-hour visit to NYC, we also made our way to the new Marimekko store at 200 Fifth Avenue (and 23rd). I am going to write more about my love of all things Marimekko in another post soon.

But since we have been looking for some new fabric to have curtains made for our upstairs living room, as I looked over the racks of inspiring Marimekko fabrics, this fabric below jumped out at me immediately. It’s called “Tunturipollo”. And as I waited for them to find a full bolt for us, two of the sales girls came by to tell me it’s their store’s most coveted fabric and I had very good taste. Well, howdayalikethat.

The new fabric is already in the hands of our very capable curtainmaker Melinda and hopefully in about a month’s time we’ll have new living room drapes and some roman shades for the kitchen.

We also bought a new shower curtain in a classic Unikko pattern. It’s blue and makes our blue bathroom even more blue.

We stayed in Times Square at the Westin instead of our usual Crosby Street Hotel in SOHO. But we had a beautiful corner room that looked down onto the New York Times headquarter building. Here’s a shot of the top of their building and what I can only imagine is their executive terrace. Nice!

NY Times Headquarters

All in all, we had a fun-filled weekend in NYC. And I can’t wait to go back soon.