zoom in

There was no break between the finishing of the restaurant and jumping into the next renovation.  I needed a break, but I felt this two-family needed me more.  I have a soft spot for a mess of a house with potential, and this one certainly qualified. This is a spacious two-family that was in a little worse shape than shows here.  Truthfully I didn't take enough pictures early on.  I think I was too overwhelmed by the chaos, and zeroing in on specifics was too depressing.  SO, off we go from here which is about the first time I've been able to catch my breath knowing we have stopped the bleeding. I can't call this is a backyard yet, but there have been some changes. A retaining well to separate the parking pad from what will be a yard is now finished. Because the property next door is owned by a family member, we extended the retaining wall and the parking pad across that property too. Next came the sidewalk. Then the parking pad an

Living through a remodel is tough.  If it's a bathroom remodel it's even more painful.  And, if that means a temporary shower in an unfinished basement for the duration of the reconstruction, then it becomes a "put-it-off-as-long-as-possible" project. This particular bathroom has been redecorated over the years, but one thing that never changed was the shower. This is how it looks today.  Still in great shape and still green. There it is behind the wallpaper books.  Freshly installed before anything else was done in the room.  That's my son, enthusiastically helping me get a shot of some potential wallpaper for the room.  (He is 44 now so that makes the shower about 35 year old.)  For all practical purposes, it remains a very usable shower.  Way back then, cost was an issue and I was willing to accept a "close-out" shower in green because...well, because the price was right. I think I got my money out of it.  I considered a new vanity, so