Projects on Tap for 2020

With the launch of Season 3 of True Tales From Old Houses and coordinating the newsletter for The Year of the Window, everything around here has been a little chaotic during week one of 2020. Informally, Andy and I have been thinking about the BHH budget this year. Thankfully, the house does not need anything as expensive as the chimney rebuild we paid for in 2019. Of course, I know that could all change in one hot second.

I separated the lists into two sections–projects likely to happen and bonus projects. As usual, we might shift some tasks around if our priorities change, but here’s the short version:

Projects Likely to Happen

• Windows
• Foundation – A few spots need repointing
• Entry Hall – Finish the painting, moulding, and add artwork
• Main Bedroom – Maybe? This would take a full overhaul.
• Finish the Front Door (No, really!) – Repair and re-install the French-style screen doors–again!
• Front Porch Ceiling – Part of it is collapsing after the ice dam damage in 2015.
• Office Storage and Organization
• One Room Challenge – Maybe in the fall

Possible Bonus Projects

• Guest Bath
• Landscaping
• Support posts in the basement
• Tear down the kitchen chimney to the roofline/ repair roof

Now, for the extended version. Some of the items on the list require an explanation.

The Foundation

BHH has a lovely stone foundation that is in very good shape overall. Past owners stayed on top of the maintenance, and we are fortunate. Now, it’s my turn to fix some spots with crumbling mortar and seal some cracks.

Entry Hall

We made some progress in the entry hall at the end of last year. Thanks to Spoonflower, we have new wallpaper.

Although I started painting the woodwork, I need to finish. Yes, I owe you an update on the colors! I also want to paint the ceiling, finish the crown moulding, and add shoe moulding too. For the whole design scheme to come together, I plan to add large-scale artwork. It’s not easy to find something that coordinates with the level of crazy in this William Morris print wallpaper. Currently, I am considering simple abstracts or decorative mirrors, but this is not my area of expertise. Shoot me some links if you think of something that might look perfect.

Our Bedroom

Six years in, and we have yet to lift a finger in this room.

Maybe this is our year? If so, the tentative plan is for the fall One Room Challenge. This room needs…everything.

The Front Door

The front door has been my nemesis since the day we moved into BHH. During 2019, I finally solved the sagging problem, and I put on my big girl pants and painted the door instead of staining it.

About two days after I finished painting, a strong wind blew one of the outer screen/storm doors off the house. The force snapped two of the original cast-iron hinges right in half! I’m back to square one there.

We added a gorgeous new lockset. It has taken three tries to get the proper mortise cylinder length, but we have it now. There is nothing about that on the blog yet because we haven’t finished installing all of the parts.

The Front Porch Ceiling

Five years ago, our entire region plunged into temperatures that stayed below freezing for almost six weeks. So many houses suffered damage from ice dams, and BHH did too.

They don’t build ’em like they use to, so BHH healed nicely once the temps warmed up permanently, and the de-humidifiers did their job. However, the living room ceiling did collapse in one spot, and so did an area on the front porch.

We have a lot of tongue and groove in the basement that we can salvage for the repair. Then, the whole porch ceiling needs a fresh coat of paint.

Office Storage and Organization

I still love the new laundry/office combo, but that one little cabinet just isn’t cutting it. I’m thinking of going vertical in here and adding a few more custom items too.

The One Room Challenge

After eight rounds, I’m going to sit on the bench during spring 2020. My plate is full. It’s Thanksgiving dinner full, not weeknight dinner full. I reserve the right to change my mind, but unless something shifts, I don’t see it happening.

I do plan on jumping back in during the fall, maybe with our bedroom project, as long as it’s smoother sailing around here.

Possible Bonus Projects

The Guest Bath

Backstory: A couple of years ago, I gave this little bathroom a lot of paint and polish and wallpaper.

That same year, Andy and I got a bid for a significant overhaul of the scary bathroom. It was out of our budget, so we gave it a facelift instead.

Now, both bathrooms look pretty. However, considering life in modern times, we still need a second shower with a low lip.

The other day it hit me, why don’t we take the cramped clawfoot out of the guest bathroom and turn it into a shower instead? We wouldn’t have to move any plumbing, and a shower would fit much better in that tiny bathroom. No one even uses that clawfoot except Millie. That’s where we bathe her.

The grand plans for BHH include converting one of the bedrooms into an en suite for the main bedroom, and we can save the tub for that renovation.

Andy is entirely on board with this idea, but I haven’t collected any bids. Two kids are getting braces this year, and there are college bills too. I am only marginally convinced we can swing it.

Landscaping

After the front door, landscaping is my second archenemy. I do not know what I am doing. Yes, you heard me say that. At this point, I think I need a pro. I’m considering hiring a local landscaping architect to plan everything, and we can do the labor.

Support Posts in the Basement

All of the supports in the basement are brick, and they are spalling pretty badly. At the very least, I will have someone here to look at them and offer a bid. If the situation is dire, we will have to shift our priorities.

Tear Down The Kitchen Chimney

Last year, during the big chimney rebuild, I finally got a good look at the roof.

It confirmed what we already knew. The chimney on the left is in terrible shape. I believe that it used to serve a cookstove in the kitchen, but now it vents the water heater and maybe one toilet. Rather than rebuilding, it would be less expensive to remove it altogether, add new vents, and repair the roof instead. That chimney will never fulfill its original purpose again, and I do not have any qualms about not keeping it intact. Finally, a no-brainer restore or renovate? answer. Those don’t come around very often.

That’s it! I have no idea how it compares to last year’s list because I am not even going to look. I’m calling it living in the present, but truthfully, I just don’t want to know what I missed. Not knowing feels better.