Hearth and Home

The Nest was built in 1915, over one hundred years ago. I like to think of everything this house has seen: women's suffrage, the end of prohibition, The Great Depression, World War II, the Civil Rights Movement, Rock and Roll, the invention of radios, then computers, then the Internet, 9/11, Marriage Equality, and so so much more. The people who have lived inside these walls over the years surely had a variety of worries, challenges, loves, and accomplishments. But there was at least one constant. Year after year, evening after evening, someone bustled about in the kitchen to prepare home cooked meals, infused with love and care, and placed platters of food on the table under this chandelier. There is comfort to be had there, despite the turmoil we are experiencing these days. Throughout history there has been political and social discord, and there have been people who stood on the side of love, and there have been home cooked meals for us to gather around to find strength and support. 

I was thrilled to have the dining room renovation completed just in time to host Thanksgiving here for the first time! It was a bit of a close finish, with the finishing touches going up just a few days before game time. It was a huuuge undertaking and took over 60 hours spread over many weekends. 

The before picture below doesn't truly capture the state of things pre-renovation. In fact, it actually looks quite fresh and lovely here! This photo was taken immediately after we ran the chandelier crystals through the dishwasher to clear away the dusty yellow residue. Look closely and you can see the oddly matched neutral wallpaper which was peeling away from the wall in many places. The trim was yellowed with nicotine and every nook and cranny was dusty and in need of love. 

Before!

First things first, the wallpaper needed to be removed. I used a steam cleaner to remove the paper in sheets. Very satisfying! And then I used a sponge and a big bucket of hot water to clear away all the remaining glue and paper residue. 

There were still a few lingering holes from the electricians work last year, so I used joint compound to patch them up. Once the walls were bare plaster, they needed to be sanded and then primed. The ceiling got three coats of flat white paint and I discovered about a dozen muscles in my arms and shoulders that I didn't know existed before. Good times!

Primed and ready for action

Then the trim got three coats of white semigloss paint. Special shout out to Sophie, Xander, and Michaela who all pitched in and got down and dirty for some solid painting parties. (so bummed I don't have photos!) Michaela texted me three days later to tell me she was still finding paint in her hair. That's a true friend!

Notice the contrast of the newly painted mantle with the unfinished china cabinet!

Sweat Equity Sunday

The tools of the trade

Finally the "prep" phase was complete and it was time to make the color selection. I chose three green options and two different whites from the huge Benjamin Moore color book, sure that one of them would be perfect. I picked up samples of each at the local Ace (my home away from home), got them home and slapped em up on the wall. I hated all three greens once I saw them in true daylight! Colors often look different in natural versus artificial light, and apparently green hues appear more variable than other colors like blue and gray. I went back to the store for more samples, not cheap, but way better than ending up with a color that stinks.

I ended up using Linen White above the picture rail and Liberty Green below. There was one final day of work to complete the three coats of wall paint and do a full clean up and the job was done! Except for the finishing touch: the birch mural for Simon. 

Panorama View

Jute Rug, inspired by Sophie

Josephine the Fiddle Leaf Fig, still hanging on

Spot the critters (hint, there are 5)

Simon LOVES his new digs

What better way to celebrate the completion of the dining room than with a lovely Thanksgiving meal with friends and family. Cheers to many more cozy meals with loved ones in this room!

Eva, Emmanuel, Dad, and Mom. Ready for a feast!

The Cutest Mouse Trap

We've been pretty much pest free here at the Nest (except for one episode with a brave squirrel). But last month, like clockwork, on the day the first signs of the New England Autumn began to creep in, we discovered an unwelcome visitor. One evening I walked into the kitchen and saw a mouse run across the counter. I turned on my heels and went right to my laptop to pull up Amazon Prime where I ordered some friendly traps. Two day shipping. As I was shopping the selection of friendly traps, I noticed that the package of three traps was only a few dollars more than the single trap. So I clicked the triple pack. The traps couldn't arrive fast enough. Now I'm not really squeamish, but when I felt a mouse run across my FOOT while doing dishes later that night I almost did a backflip. I wanted this guy OUT.

Of course Murphy's Law was at play and exactly two days later I had house guests- my dear friends from childhood, Jasmine and Corinne. They live in different cities and were staying at my place for the weekend to celebrate our bestie Kate's fabulous wedding. 

I was giving Jasmine the grand tour soon after she arrived. We checked out the library, the lovely bathroom, then on to the kitchen where I flipped on the light and saw a little guy scurrying across the stove. "OooooH NO!" I yelped. Luckily my Amazon package had arrived that day. So we immediately put out the trap with some fresh ground organic unsalted peanut butter. Only the best for The Nest's interlopers. So the guests and I settled in to catch up.

It wasn't long before we heard a few tap tap tap sounds. When I flipped the light on in the kitchen there was one mouse in the trap, and another mouse looking at him from the outside! I was immediately glad I got the three pack! We set another trap and within two hours there were THREE more baby mice in the trap. I sent that group to Medford with my pal Sophie. Then I caught another one that night and released it in Dedham the next morning. I set the traps out every day and averaged a mouse per day for the next 5 days. 

I also soaked cotton balls with Peppermint oil and placed them around the kitchen. Apparently Peppermint is a mouse repellant. And it also smells like candy canes. 

Sometime in the middle of this mess, I was chatting with my mom who suggested nature's most adorable mouse trap: a kitty! I've always wanted one but it never really seemed like the right time before. All of a sudden, it seemed like the perfect time. 

I started searching for my new fur baby immediately. I applied to three different local shelters. The application process was actually quite thorough including a reference check and lots of questions about my pet owning history. Just about a week later I met Sweet Clarissa at The Kitty Connection in Medford. I pet Clarissa a few times and then sat myself down on the stairs. She jumped right into my lap and hunkered down. I guess you could say she chose me!

She had to be kept in a safe room for a few days when she first came home. It was clear that she knew she landed in a safe place. She didn't stop purring for the first three days! She was so curious to come out and explore the rest of the house. By the end of the week I just had to let her have free reign of the place. 

Clarissa has been settling in nicely. Still very happy to cuddle, but also becoming more playful as she gets more comfortable. She has brought such  great joy to The Nest! She hasn't caught any mice, but the sightings seem to have ceased, thank goodness!

Every Nest Needs a Throne

The Bathroom Remodel. The biggest and hairiest project to date. But we survived! And I get to gaze at this beauty every day! The bathroom is arguably the most important room in the house, because let's face it, you can eat or sleep anywhere, but when it comes to bathroom activities... You get my drift.
Judging from the style of the features, the former bathroom had probably last been remodeled in the 60's. Pink tile, drop ceiling, a "cozy" enclosed shower space, all hallmarks of the time. There was probably a time when that bathroom was sparkling clean and modern, but by the time we moved in the linoleum floor was peeling up and the subfloor showed signs of rot, the tile was falling off the walls, the medicine cabinet was rusty and the lighting was jaundiced and depressing. It was time for a change.



Bill had the job planned out like clockwork. It was crucial that we stay on schedule so each phase of the job would be ready for the plumbing and tile contractors. Plus we wanted to spend as little time as possible without a working bathroom. I ordered all the fixtures from my homegirl Kourtney Miller at Build.com. The choices were endless and she was super helpful with the selection process. I don't know who was more excited, me or her, when I settled on my amazing rain shower head and wand set up. The parts began arriving a few weeks before the job. I never knew I could be so in love with a faucet!

We started on a Friday the 13th, fully gutting the place. We took one last look at it then Bill started by pulling out the toilet and sink vanity. The drop ceiling came down. The linoleum got pulled up and cracked into pieces. We used a hammer to crack the tiles off the walls. And I carried huge pieces of wall covered in ceramic tile and all kinds of craziness down to the back yard.

By day's end there was nothing left but the bathtub.




This also marked the beginning of 8 days without a working shower or toilet! Yes. That's right. We had to get creative by grabbing an occasional shower at the gym and taking daily walks to whole foods around the corner to "powder our noses".





The next day, Derron and Mike showed up to do the rough plumbing (you might remember them from the Washer and Dryer saga). Mike had just been in a bad car accident a few days before, so he showed up with a bruised nose. He didn't even take a day off after the wreck! He toiled away for the day and had the place ready for us to install cement board the next morning.




We spent the entire day installing cement board. I mostly took care of the apprentice work, lugging tools, cleaning up debris, and steadying materials while Bill did the skilled work. But I also got to do my share of installing screws in the cement board. I was actually thrilled to get a "real" job. But it wasn't easy. I had to press my whole body weight into the impact driver to sink the screws. What I lack in brute strength, I make up for in sheer determination! The next day when I changed for yoga I noticed a football size bruise down the center of my chest. I felt pretty badass.





We installed the last bit of cement board at 6AM on Monday morning before rushing off to work, just in time for Vasil from CB Tile (owned by Bill's friend Chris Brand) to arrive to start laying the tile. He worked all week long, first cutting and laying the tile to make a regular pattern. Much more mathmatically complex than I ever realized before! And then grouting his work. Allowing it to set. And then laying more tile. He did a fantastic job!



Next we were ready for finish plumbing (and also ready to get our toilet and shower back in working order!). Dana, another good friend of Bill swooped in and took care of the finish plumbing. He squeezed us in right before having to go to a wedding later that night.



But first, there was an emergency trip to home depot because I had ordered the wrong style faucet for the sink! Quick decision making has never been my strong suit, so there was also a frantic text to my group of gal pals, including my very own design coach Liz Martin of Charleston Weekender, to help me make a final selection.

Dana worked for hours, and the bathroom was really starting to come together. I could almost feel my first shower!! He was just about to leave when we discovered..... the toilet tank was cracked. We would need to replace it!

Dana had to rush off to get to the wedding, so Bill and I piled into his van and drove to Home Depot to pick up a new toilet. An unplanned journey at the most inconvenient time: Saturday afternoon. We fought through traffic and alternated between grumbling and trying to keep each other's spirits up about the whole business. After all, we were so close to having the bathroom back in working order. So close! We grabbed the box that looked the least dinged up and hopped back in the van.



We got home and opened the box.... only to discover that the toilet was shattered inside the box! We barely said a word, hopped back into the van, headed back to Home Depot, and swapped it out for a toilet that was in one piece! Since this was my THIRD TRIP to Home Depot in one day, Bill said I earned my Contractor Brown Belt. Bill installed the throne when we got back and finally did the honors of the FIRST FLUSH! Hooray!

Next Bill went to work on the finish carpentry. He installed a drywall ceiling and walls and beadboard and chair rail. The intricate carpentry is a labor of love. He did lots of sanding, and I did lots of vaccuuming.



Every day it looked more and more fresh and beautiful. Then we were ready for finish painting. I had a vision in my mind, but debated back and forth about whether it would be too dark and make the room feel small. So I bought four different blue samples to try before settling on Silvery Blue by Benjamin Moore. Completely different from my original vision, but I couldn't be happier.

The gorgeous medicine cabinet went in. Mom and I painted the radiator a brilliant shiny white.




Bill installed some small shelves for storage. And I hung some art and, of course, a house plant. And it was complete!

 


The whole project only took about 6 weeks in total. But we definitely busted our butts the whole time. Spending time in the bathroom went from uncomfortable to luxurious and now I have to work to conjure up the memory of the old and broken down pink tile and dusty nooks and crannies. Bill and I have definitely been known to enjoy a glass of wine reclining in the bathroom, we alternate who gets to sit on the toilet seat and who perches on the edge of the tub.

The Before and After Pics are pretty incredible!

The Nest Gets a Winter Coat... In July

There's a long story and a short story here. Kind of like a Choose Your Own Adventure novel...

First the short story:

The Nest got a winter coat this week! After a rocky road (see "long story" below), the weatherization job was finally completed. I had been in touch with Schuyler at EAI for a few weeks and she was fantastic. She was very patient and accommodating, I could tell she wanted the job-well-done as much as I did. Finally the big day came, and Andrew arrived with his crew right on time. 

We did a walkthrough of the house and found a handful of holes in the horse hair plaster leftover from the electrician's work. Andrew used a foam gun to quickly fill them so the insulation would stay put in the bays between the interior and exterior walls. 

They brought a truck with a huge hose, kind of like a dryer output hose, and bales of recycled newspaper. They removed panels of the vinyl siding and drilled holes in the old shingles. Then they aimed the cellulose into the holes and packed the walls. It was loud! 

The guys were here for two long hot days. That is tough work! They even did their best not to trample my flowers. It was a big crew, one of the guys was Andrew's brother! 

And now I'm looking forward to a cozy insulated winter... But first we intend to make the absolute MOST out of the precious New England Summer. 

Ok, now... The Long Story:

Remember way back when I had an energy audit with Next Step Living through the MassSave program? One of the benefits was the weatherization (insulation installation, say that three times fast) subsidy. But first I had to "remediate" the knob and tube electrical wiring. That took months. But I still held out hope that I could get the work completed before the very cold months. But then I discovered that my oven (or lack there of) was a barrier. So I got an oven (which was a saga in and of itself. Finally I was ready to book the project. When I called Next Step Living, they said they'd be happy to schedule the work, but it would have to wait till spring. Vinyl siding becomes more brittle in the cold and they didn't want to risk cracks. So, I got the date on the books. April 29. 

Next Step Living and Hanscom Credit Union helped me arrange the very attractive 0%APR for 7 years loan that is part of the MassSave program. And oddly, they required me to pay for the work in advance. Now, if this was any other contractor I would have scoffed, and offered a third on booking, a third at halfway done, and a third on completion, as is customary and smart for all involved. But since it was a government program, I shrugged and signed on the dotted line. Never again. 

I thought we were all set, and I patiently waited. I had to start paying off the loan the next month even though the work was in the distant future. But it was ok with me, the job was finally going to be done! (Eventually!) But then one Friday in March I got an automated voicemail from Next Step Living. I also got this email:

My jaw hit the floor. And I gave out a whimper. They went under. I was shocked! And then I called the number. A very nice person helped me get my name on some kind of "list" and let me know it would be taken care of. 

Then began months of back and forth. Finally the very professional, very cold "Matt" from The Legal Department at MassSave called.  He let me know that since Next Step had already cashed my check when they closed their doors there was nothing they could do. They suggested I contact a lawyer. 

Oh hell no. 

I called the front lines of the MassSave Program and "registered my displeasure". I called my real estate attorney, Nicole Stark, and she gave me a crash course in consumer law. She suggested I call the Attorney General. I did. I also called and emailed my town representative Sean Garballey. 

I reached out for help, found out how to take actions that were in my control, but also tried to relate to the situation neutrally, I only lost a few hours of sleep over it, and I tried to keep the faith that all would work out in the end. 

I'm not sure if it was one of my "strongly worded letters" that made the difference, but I have to believe it was one of those Horton Hears a Who situations.

They called again and let you know they were going to get the project funded. I called Schuyler to book right away. 

Finally!! The Nest got outfitted with a cozy, recycled newspaper winter coat!

Sunshine Windows!

The blog has been quiet for the past few months, but make no mistake, that does not mean that the work has slowed down at The Nest. We just haven't actually FINISHED anything recently! But that's all about to change. Stay tuned for a few BIG projects that we are finally wrapping up in the next few weeks. (Thank goodness!)

The Nest is outfitted with a total of 33 windows in the living spaces. All single pane glass, wood frames, weighted system, and 100 years old! Fighting them open or closed was always a commitment. And it was immediately clear that they didn't do a very good job of keeping the inside in, and the outside out. Many of them were missing screens or storms or even whole panes of glass. I was gung ho to replace them all right off the bat, so I had four different Replacement Window Contractors give me bids.... when I saw the price tag I realized it would have to wait a bit. 

I was SO CLOSE to going ahead with the project despite the cost. I had even signed an agreement with Next Step Living, a MassSave contractor, to do the job. Something fell through with my HEAT loan application though and looking back it was a blessing in disguise. Next Step Living has since gone under and I'm currently in a legal situation with the MassSave program to recoup my losses associated with a different project. No bueno!

look out below!

So we had to weather the winter with the vintage windows. Bill was able to replace the missing panes of glass. And, you might remember from #NewWindows2016, my mom and I caulked all the them shut when we started to feel the North Wind make herself at home in our living room. Between the caulking and plastic seals, we made it through the winter. There were still a few exciting moments though, like the day I went to work on a Sunday and got a text from Bill saying that one of the storm windows blew right off the house and landed in the EXACT spot where my car would have been parked if I was home. Close call!

Bill dug up one of his old contacts: Sunshine Window Company out of Reading. They gave us the best quote by tens of thousands of dollars. Bill had worked with them 10 years ago and we were happy they were still in business (always a good sign!) We researched the product they used and felt good about it. Finally, almost a year after starting to research the window project, I was ready to go for it. But only for one unit. The tenants have to come first. 

So, last Saturday, Feng and Sing (father and son) showed up with a pickup truck full of vinyl replacement windows. The got to work right away, pulling out the old windows and installing the crystal clear new ones. They made it look so easy! We had fun chatting with them, even though Feng's accent made it a bit challenging to understand. They guy clearly knows his stuff. By 5pm they were wrapping up to go home. 

And WOW, the windows look gorgeous! Crystal clear and so easy to operate. The tenants get to enjoy them now, and I am REALLY looking forward to when I can save enough to spring for ours.

But like any Nest story, this one is not without a final comical twist or turn. Less than one week after the windows went in, Bill heard a knock on the door. It was the tenants. They noticed a tear in one of the screens in their kitchen and food was strewn about the room. A squirrel had noticed a loaf of bread on the table and ripped its way through our brand new screen!! The squirrel eventually escaped the house and apparently re-screening a screen is not a huge deal. But come on! As if running across the roof sounding like they are wearing stilettos isn't enough! 

Do One Thing at a Time, or....

It was a hot July day and we were standing outside The Nest talking to Tony, the leathery retired contractor turned home inspector. He gave us the sage advice to "do one thing at a time" among other gems of wisdom, like: "it's been here for 100 years. It's not going anywhere" and "you two, you're gonna have words" Truth. On all counts.

Well, I started out taking his advice, tackling one large project at a time. But sooner or later I started seeing the tips of ice burgs and had to move along to keep up momentum. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. But that leaves a lot of things partway done and a month long silence on the blog!

At the moment, the nearest thing to being done is the front hall. An under appreciated room in most houses in my opinion. But trust me, it's more complicated than it looks!

First we had to patch large holes where the electricians' fed Romex through the walls and ceilings. The ceiling was falling down in one area. So Bill needed to build up the angular ceiling and plaster over it in three layers to get everything up to snuff.

note the hole in the ceiling!

lots and lots of trim

a well loved staircase, in need of an update!

Then it was ready for paint. The front hall actually has very little wall space. It's mostly trim! So I spent an entire weekend on just this part of the project. First I sanded to surface of the old yellowed and chipped paint. Then I cleaned the dust off of all the trim and the floor. I masked the floor around the base of each baluster (there are a lot of those). And then I got to work with my old pal, white semigloss trim paint. It took over 20 hours for just this phase of the project! Since we are planning on refinishing the floors in the future, I wasn't meticulous about wiping up little white paint splatters (which are inevitable). So I have to live with them until the floors are redone.

trim paint complete, we live in a construction site!

Once the trim was completely dry, Bill painted the ceilings and the walls. I chose the color "Amethyst Sky" as a nod to my favorite crystal. It's basically a grown up version of my childhood bedroom wall color!




Finally it was time to paint the radiator. GOLD of course! But don't worry, I won't paint every single radiator in the house gold ;)

As a finishing touch, I placed a gold pineapple on the tall table in the corner of the landing. A pineapple is an traditional American symbol for "Welcome"!

Welcome!

Truly, the photos of this odd shaped oddly lit space do not do it justice. We need to hang some art and put some finishing touches in the space (stained glass window hanging is coming soon). But since it's so hard to get the full effect through the photos, you should just come visit so you can see it in person!

The front hall was complete just in time for our New Years Eve open house party. We were so excited to welcome so many of our friends and loved ones to see how far we've come. Of course, I didn't take enough photos.

My yoga friend Jeanette

Sweet Neighbors: Effie and Cindy

More fabulous Neighbors: Mimi, Jen, Meg, Cindy, and Ben

Dear Melissa, who helped me clean the house the very first week
we lived here. It's come a long way since then!

Family Friend Alan who has known me since birth

Some of my besties, Becky and Sophie

The day after the party Bill and I basked in all the love from our friends. We left the mess for most of the New Years Weekend and drank Champagne in bed while watching Mad Men on Netflix. We earned this rest! The following weekend we went to Newport for our birthday celebration (my bday is Jan 9 and his is the 10th, crazy right!?). And we've had a lull in reno work and enjoyed just being in our home!

Newport Cliff Walk