January 19, 2012

Déjà Vu

Our favorite saying around here is...

"Anything that can be done, can be done again!"

But in this case, or shall I say "staircase" we are doing it again, but not redoing it his time.

"what the hell is he talking about???" 

Staircase number two or Déjà Vu! The center hall awaits its plaster walls, but this can't be done until the second staircase (the stairs from the second floor to the third floor) is disassembled, stripped of all it's paint and finishes, sanded, sanded, sanded, primed, filled, painted, new treads and trim installed, and the banister reassembled. Whew! what a load of work! We have already done this once before with the main staircase, and now we are doing it all again. Yeah! what fun! (there seems to be a lot of exclamation points in my writing today, I guess I am being very expressive!) 

Take it apart, strip it and sand it...

Stripped and ready for sanding. Bondo applied to the steps where deep gouges existed.

Kind of pretty. Bare and naked old growth redwood.

Let the priming begin.

All primed and ready for filling.


Nail holes are next and it will be at least three weeks before we can move onto plaster work. But it is exciting to be up this high in the house and working away.

Last weekend found us in the first of the guest bathrooms installing, or attempting to and failing numerous times, an antique sink. The sink was purchased from the same lady we bought the marble fireplace from, and although the purchase price was a song, there are certainly reasons I would not recommend this. First would be the lack of any clear and present hardware for mounting the unit to the wall. The sink is over one hundred years old, and what ever means of mounting it once had are long gone and we were left with a trial and error situation. Scheme and plan and prepare we did, but every turn seemed to be a brick wall. After having missing pieces reproduced, tackling the issue of really short people back then, and giving up on the perfect solution to faucets and a drain, we got her in and functional. We will find the perfect nickle finished faucets, and an aged brass drain to match the legs, but for now she gives you water and sends it away.

Rocks from the Russian river became the answer to the height problem.

In this shot you really see the need for a brass drain.

Crazy chicken legs, they are kind of funny!

And now a word from our sponsor

If you need your old lighting revived and redone, refinished and rewired, reworked or recast, or simply re-anything, Be sure to call Paul Ivazes of Qualitylighting.net.

Paul has returned to us the light fixture I wrote about in my October 5th post (read it by clicking here). This Renascence Revival gas light fixture definitely has a colored past, but is truly beautiful to behold. It now hangs proudly in the Library/Drawing room, hmmmm.... we have no books in there nor have I put pencil to paper, hmmmmmm, but when we do, or if I do, I will have amazing light from which to read, or draw, or draw about reading, or read about drawing, or simply sit and drink vodka.


The spur shaped stars give it a touch of the old west.



This weekend we will be back on the second floor working our butts off. So if you happen to ring the bell of give us a call, wait a moment or two so we will have a chance to get down to the first floor, because as of this date, there is still not a butler in this house, exclamation point, exclamation point, exclamation point!

A quick parting shot for today.... as I came down the stairs from taking pictures of the second staircase I was struck by this view...


Many are asking so.... the tile came from Lundi at Villa Lagoon tile, click here to visit.

#bobvila


16 comments:

  1. It is amazing what you are doing with your home. I love the attention to detail. I haven't posted before because all I could manage was WOW! I thank you for sharing with us your progress, which reminds me I have to go clean my garage so I can work on some home projects.

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  2. Such an incredible labor of love, my dear friends! It's amazing that the place is coming together, little by little, inch by inch! I'm totally with you, as our place is moving along, too! Insulation in and drywall going up this week! YAY!! Thank you, Mother Nature, for holding off on the white stuff for as long as you can... getting a little dusting tonite... Love reading your stuff, guys... Miss you, Millie

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  3. The view from the second floor looking down to the tile is SO BEAUTIFUL!!! i would never think to do that tile but it looks great! I like the colors in the bathroom and the tile in there too! you are gifted. I hope you help me with my house someday!

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  4. Exciting progress, as usual! I would love to come read about drawing, or draw about reading when that room is ready. Vodka's not my sip of choice, but would a nice tawny port fit the circumstances? Love to follow your journey.

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  5. Love the Chicken Legs! Next time I'm running by, I'm gonna knock on the door! Amazing!

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  6. Awesome, awesome, awesome. Notice how much better constructed your staircase is than anything you can buy today. What covers up the white primer? More paint? New treads? Both? I guess what I really want to know is - will the second story staircase look the same as the first one when it's finished? All looks brilliant anyway, if utterly exhausting.

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    Replies
    1. Hey John
      The second staircase will indeed match the other one, off white high gloss enamel, walnut treads and trim.
      and yes it is exhausting!
      :)

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  7. Absolutely amazing and utterly & creatively astounding! Go boys! Go!
    Jan

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  8. 1st viewing of 227 N. St, spectacular! Your Christmas table is one of my favorites!
    Cousin Laurie

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  9. I read your blog all the time Mark. You and Phillip have done so much. Your home is so Beautiful..I hope Fran comes out so we can come up...Think of you both often.. Hope your eye is a lot better Mark...
    Donna

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  10. Keep them coming...we are truly happy to see them. LOVE LOVE LOVE the house......and the two of you.
    David in Atlanta

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  11. Amazing!
    Patti in Oregon

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  12. The entry is so beautiful....what a difference since I last saw it. The stairs and specially the tiles are spectacular.
    As for the little sink the legs are perfect and I'm sure you'll find/do the right thing with the pipes.
    Chandelier is reminiscent of "early saloon/french brothel" enrobed in red velvet where "Renda La Rue" aka "Reine de la rue" used to rule!!!!!!
    What an incredibly beautiful job you both are doing. Maurice

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  13. Look that this floor task work process information really good. I have like such the floor,wall and so on.

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  14. Mark... we need our 227 North Street fix! (Sorry - sad but true!) JT

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