Slaves of the Vintage House
Blog URL:
http://kithouse.blogspot.com/
House: 1910s possible Sears kit house. Desperately in need of love and restoration.
Slaves: One woman, experienced house restorer; one man, experienced in new construction.
Budget: small.
Floorplan comparison
- Details
- Published on Monday, 26 November 2012
Authors: BMT
Here is another bit of comparison, for those who might want it. This is the floorplan of the house as we are guessing it was originally built, based on what we have found during renovations, compared to the floorplan from the catalog.
Differences:
Differences:
- The tiny foyer was left out. Not uncommon.
- The closet's doors were reversed whenit was
A Little Comparison, a Few Conclusions.
- Details
- Published on Wednesday, 21 November 2012
Authors: BMT
So, today I got out and took a photo of the house from nearly the same angle as the catalog photo. Not quite, but close enough to do an overlay. I need to scoot over about three feet and take another picture, but that has to wait for the camera to recharge. As it was I ended up using the webcam on my tablet and guessing the angle,
...Kitchen in progress, Part 1
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- Published on Wednesday, 08 August 2012
Authors: BMT
So, we decided to change our plans. No Ikea kitchen for us. No prefab cabinets at all. We are going totally custom, and doing it ourselves. ALL of it. Cabinets, sink, 20's style banquette, and built ins.Ikea is too far away to realistically be able to get spare parts, 6000 dollars is a lot to spend for not-quite-fitting cabinets, and a...
Frieze Angst
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- Published on Monday, 23 July 2012
Authors: BMT
Got my frieze paper samples from Bradbury & Bradbury.They are breathtakingly gorgeous. And yet ... None of them is right.
The largest one, Land's End, is so ideally Arts and Crafts and so beautiful that considered spending far more than we had budgeted for this, but I simply can't pretend that it is not too large. And it's a...
Insulation for the WIN!
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- Published on Saturday, 14 July 2012
Authors: BMT
It's been quiet around here, but we've been busy with PeeWee Baseball and summer vacation.Speaking of summer, it has been astonishingly hot. So hot I could barely use my own kitchen, since it would get about 10 degrees hotter in there than outside, if I wasn't cooking (on the highest days, that meant it got to above 115 in there). The...
Blue Greasepencil
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- Published on Tuesday, 15 May 2012
Authors: BMT
Remember the post about the greasepencil mark? Well, we reorganized our salvage lumber, and about eight of the studs (out of one 12' wall!) say "SP1" in black and blue greasepencil. There are also some carpenter's notation (lengths, probably for custom adjustments on site) on one or two pieces, in graphite.Greasepencil is one of the...
Wish me luck!
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- Published on Monday, 14 May 2012
Authors: BMT
Why? Because I might have a line on a foldaway ironing board cabinet, salvaged, in what looks like decent shape. If I can get it, I will mount it as the front of a pull-out broom closet unit. in my redone kitchen.Cross your fingers for me!
...
I have never been so glad to be wrong.
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- Published on Saturday, 12 May 2012
Authors: BMT
What was I wrong about? Well, folks, remember this post? I thought the house wasn't a good match to the Aladdin Sherman from the 1912 catalog because of the measurements I had of the exterior.Those measurements are based on the exterior measurements of the modern remuddled enclosed porch, over the vinyl siding. The vinyl...
It's been quiet, but...
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- Published on Monday, 23 April 2012
Authors: BMT
... that's because we are finally in our house, living here, and we even have internet! We moved in this last weekend, and I have a big backlog of stuff to show you. This is just a preview.Before move in, we finished our bedroom. It's not perfect, we haven't had time to refinish the floor and blend the ex-closet floor into the bedroom...
Research: A possible match
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- Published on Monday, 26 December 2011
Authors: BMT
Well, it looks like my odd little house has even stumped Rose Thornton. That's hard - she knows a lot about kit homes! Her best guess is that she thinks it might - maybe- be a Gordon Van Tine. I have asked her to ask Dale Wolicki if he recognizes that floorplan in his collection, as there are currently no pre-1920 GVT catalogs online.Ho...
