natalie & michael make house

The kitchen

2011-12-23T08:01:00.000-08:00

more photos to come.

Our summer farm

2011-03-07T20:26:00.000-08:00

Now that it's almost past winter here's a retrospective of our last summer's garden. Perhaps it will be a push for you to order those seeds.

Our muscles are sore from shoveling dirt

2010-04-19T12:40:00.000-07:00

Living room vs living room

2010-04-02T13:13:00.000-07:00

Here's a few old versus new shots:

Reminder

2010-03-11T10:13:00.000-08:00

In the midst of remodeling, tearing down, throwing out and rebuilding at times it's easy to forget why.

Why we give up weekends, energy and boatloads of money for a building. We forget the reasoning behind building a place of our own. So as a reminder to both you and I…

Remember: We do it all for love.

Close-ups on the bathroom

2010-02-15T07:49:00.000-08:00

I just installed the sink which is fantastic. We brushed our teeth in it last night. Here are further details. As you'll notice we put the vote out and went with a pocket door. It just suited the site better.
Oh and an aside comment I built the counter top for the sink... Oh the prowess, the skill. it makes my heart faint.

Downstairs Bathroom

2010-02-04T11:12:00.000-08:00

Hey did you know there is dirt underneath your house? Crazy.

Our Bathroom

2010-02-04T09:42:00.000-08:00

So I took a shower for the first time in my new bathroom. That was the greatest shower I have ever taken. It was a shower to wash off the paint, the drywall dust, the saw dust, the grout, the mortar, the tile shavings, and all the dirt and sweat of building a bathroom from the studs up with my own hands. An amazing shower.

special thanks goes to William for laying the tile and good jokes, Scott for tireless labor and a boost of encouragement, and of course Evan and Alex for feeding us and sheltering us when we lived without the basic necessity of a bathroom.

my dining room is a shop

2010-01-13T07:37:00.000-08:00

The tools are currently living in our unfinished messy dining room. I love it because I have quick access to everything. Natalie hates it because it's a mess. oh look at us we're like an old married couple hahahahahaha

Its been a while

2010-01-13T07:24:00.000-08:00

My goal was to be more thorough with these posts as well as offer insight into the remodeling experience. Which I will do, soon. Currently the house leaves me no energy though. This last month has been pretty bad to sum up: The pipes were out of code the sewage was leaky and all messed up. everything was done wrong by the previous owners and must be redone.
We swallowed that news and got to work. We tore out our other bathroom and moved into our friends house for the weekend. But the plumbing did not get finished in that time. Thankfully our friends were overly hospitable and let us stay for not 1 but 2 and a half weeks. You two are so kind.
meanwhile you'd think this would be enough time to get the plumbing finished, but here we are over a month later and we have 1 bathroom halfway installed and i think my hair has gone gray permanently.

Energy boost

2009-12-29T09:07:00.000-08:00

greatest thing. my black and decker firestorm bit the dust. So wimpy so weak no battery life. is finally replaced by the mighty beast released by milwaukee. This beast is so fast so powerful and half the size/weight of my old drill. So good.

Toilets

2009-11-13T06:37:00.000-08:00

funny thing happened after that last post. In our only bathroom the toilet was a little sluggish on the flush. So of course rather than call on a plumber (read: expert) Michael (read: genius. read: sarcasm) decides to take it on himself. After an entire weekend spent with the snake, switching out toilets, three wax rings, two plungers and this crazy pressurized spray clog release as seen on TV thing, we are left with a clogged toilet that then backed up into the shower. Hooray. We break down, call The Plumbing Doctor (read: expert) and he is the nicest guy with all the right tools who fixes it right away. After that fix he looks around the house declares the rest of the plumbing completely out of code and gives us a fair estimate on repairs and we are set. If we ever write a book about remodeling it will be called Anything but Plumbing.

Gutters

2009-10-30T09:23:00.001-07:00

My dad will never claim to be a great handyman. But my sister, brother and I we know the truth... we saw him fix the mower, the roof, the door, the attic, the car, that squeaky step and even build a desk. Every fall, religiously, he would clean out the gutters. Scraping out the mucky leaves he'd complain about this loathesome task but I knew there was a deep love in those activities. He would often turn to me and say:
"Michael, sometimes it's better to just pay the money and hire an expert…" he would pause and laugh. "Sometimes, it's just not worth the hassle."
The funny thing about this statement is that every time he said this he was in the middle of one of jobs doing it himself.
I would add this conditional to his statement:
Sometimes, it's better to just pay the money and hire an expert. But, sometimes, it's better if you roll up your sleeves and struggle through and teach your hand how to do the job.

Bathroom Tearout

2009-10-22T13:31:00.001-07:00

I want this out there for everyone to know and realize as honest truth: Natalie and I are Monsters. Bathrooms don't stand a chance against us.

Bathroom Sketch

2009-10-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

proposed bathroom:

little pieces of normal

2009-10-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

The kitchen (although the cabinets are dumpy) is our current normal zone. My dad did an excellent job painting the walls this beautifully soft yellow. Natalie hung the shelves. We find in the spaces a haven from all the work and all the dust. A place where we eat and enjoy company. Without zones of normalcy I would go crazy.

This whole DIY thing really takes a long time

2009-10-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

When Natalie and I began this project (we are almost two months in now) we had lists and dates of when different projects would be finished. Of course prior to move in we were going to have everything painted. Sure. Apparently you need walls to paint walls so here we are WAY behind schedule and beginning to accept the time that it takes to create a home.

Attack Cat

2009-10-08T13:36:00.000-07:00

Our life is a little upended. Everything is still in boxes and Natalie is having to follow me around the house with a broom. There are footprints everywhere, and if you know Natalie and I you know that it's quite easy to distinguish my monster feet from her pixie size toes.

Mine aren't the only footprints around though. Maceo, our cat, used to have white legs... they are currently grey. He walks around the house lost, confused and dirty. The meows are constant and pleading. Thankfully he is strong and is adapting to his strange new place. I am of course still waiting for him to help me put up the ceiling, you know "carry your weight around here"

Pocket doors or Sliding barn doors?

2009-09-17T12:09:00.001-07:00

Which one for the main bathroom? The picture for the sliding barn door is more flattering (apartment therapy) but functionality wise I am uncertain which one would suit our little home better.

Moroccan decoration

2009-09-17T08:04:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking we wrap the entire house in this patternwork. its amazing

Drywall and electricity

2009-09-11T14:24:00.000-07:00

I've been redoing the drywall in the office. During this pulling down of the old and putting up of the new I've been redoing some of the electric work. I find both of these processes almost soothing in their methodicalness. its like a lullaby for my soul or something.

Blow Job

2009-09-11T13:50:00.000-07:00

We picked up this cellulose insulation from the Green Depot over on Pulaski and Diversey. National Fiber Cel-Pak Cellulose Insulation Made from 100% recycled newspapers. Normally the stuff you pick up from Green Depot lives on the expensive side of life but for $7 a bale its a nice deal. We rented the hopper from them and went to town. Here's a shot of Evan putting in the insulation:

We Closed

2009-09-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

Natalie and I are homeowners. we are completely excited/exhausted/overwhelmed/industrious/energetic and on it. we are making this house happen.

We sat down in a small office for about 5 hours and signed 2 inches of paperwork. Get a good lawyer one you trust and can stand listening to for 5 hours straight as they decipher all the terrible real estate jargon.

we had champions working with us for this house.

Purgatory

2009-08-23T13:52:00.000-07:00

We are two days from closing... I can't sleep I can't focus. I feel like a child the day before his birthday eager with anticipation constantly asking the time constantly wondering whether it's tomorrow or not. Except that this child also has the small fear building underneath him that he won't get a birthday this year that he'll get to tomorrow and they'll inspect the birthday cake and find a flaw in the frosting and toss it out the window or mom will find the birth certificate and realize: "Sorry son your birthday was actually last week guess we'll have to wait until next year to celebrate, too bad."

I want my birthday house.

collage views of the house

2009-08-05T09:32:00.001-07:00

Living room. Note gorgeous mirrored wall on the right

Kitchen. Not a fan of red.

Dining Room. The chandelier has got to go.

Shou Sugi Ban

2009-08-04T16:33:00.000-07:00

A great post on shou-sugi-ban. (burnt cedar/cypress boards)

office wall

2009-08-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

replace a wall with a bookshelf. Is this a bookwall or a wallshelf?

current wall

The real stuff

2009-08-04T15:30:00.000-07:00

We have posted on ideas and notions that we have about the space we live in. We have put up pictures of how people have made their spaces beautiful. Now, it is our turn. Of course a house is a journey and every journey has its beginnings.

We begin here...

Laundry Room

2009-07-17T14:16:00.000-07:00

Entry way

2009-07-17T14:14:00.001-07:00

Images that make me smile.

2009-07-17T14:07:00.000-07:00

Thank you Martha.

a few fine details

2009-07-17T14:05:00.000-07:00

how to make a temporary wall

2009-07-17T12:40:00.000-07:00

we found this idea in Dwell covering Cat Macleod and Michael Bellemo's Australian home. Full of wonderful ideas one of which is creating a thin woven wall. see enclosed picture:

Walls and drawers

2009-07-14T21:13:00.000-07:00

Mas

2009-07-14T21:10:00.000-07:00

More inspiring objects

Nakashima Chair

2009-07-14T21:08:00.000-07:00

My hope is that everything we do exists in this manner and knows itself in this way.

Inspiration

2009-07-14T21:02:00.000-07:00

We see these objects as inspriation towards a certain aesthetic.

Core-Ten

2009-07-14T21:00:00.000-07:00

Core-ten (a steel that rusts immediately to seal itself from weathering) meets grayed wooden barn. Gorgeous

Built in the wall shelves

2009-07-14T20:58:00.000-07:00

IKEA bathroom.

2009-07-14T12:26:00.000-07:00

IKEA always tears me in half morally. i love cheap furniture. i love love good looking cheap furniture. i hate when my chair falls in two pieces due to its high formaldehyde/cheap pressboard/low wage construction/expendable consumerist support. But i do believe they've been getting better.

ONTO IKEA BATHROOM. DUN DUN DUUUUUN!

The Molger Bench

$39.99

The Molger Stool

$29.99

I love this little guy.

Molger wall shelf

$4.99 steal

APELSKÄR

Sink faucet with strainer

$69.99

I couldn't find the fancy medicine cabinet or the sink i like. but there's a start.

bathroom ideas

2009-07-13T05:38:00.001-07:00

these sinks are more than sinks they are the place i lean on; i find myself with sinks every day. they hold my hopes, dreams, aspirations and saliva. viva sinks...

kitchen cupboards

2009-07-13T05:37:00.001-07:00

These cabinets are fantastic. I believe they are flat-packed.

what to do if your floors are all tore up

2009-07-12T14:35:00.000-07:00

we found this on design sponge. great treatment could use some finessing through the execution.

fiber cement siding

2009-07-10T08:47:00.000-07:00

This looks nice for a durable siding.

We are approved

2009-07-10T08:31:00.000-07:00

Closing date is drawing nigh. We have a small amount of paperwork left and then we are there we will be owning a house, crazy.

3522 W. Lyndale Floor Plans

2009-06-01T15:07:00.000-07:00

These are the floor plans for the Lyndale house. We are still waiting for the seller's bank to approve our offer. They are in the "2nd tier" of their decision making process. Hopefully we won't be waiting another 2 months for this to become a reality for us!

Solar House

2009-05-28T09:09:00.001-07:00

This guy built a house that runs on solar power. very descriptive site.

Stucco Siding + Wooden slats

2009-05-11T19:47:00.000-07:00

I found this in Minneapolis. I really like the interaction found between the seamless textured Stucco as it meets the warm, richness of the wood.

Kitchen Cabinets

2009-05-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

The kitchen will be eggshell white
(we have the perfect eggshell waiting for color matching).
The cabinets, we have decided, should be an assorted sort found at reclamation centers, craigslist, and alleys. We will paint this sorted sundry Celadon color matched from a Japanese hand thrown vessel. The doors will be replaced and crafted by Hand in Hand Design (a local design firm that we just love) out of Catalpa wood sourced from here in Illinois.

Shot-Trot

2009-05-08T07:54:00.000-07:00

http://www.dwell.com/articles/the-lowest-utility-bill-on-the-block.html

Bedroom

2009-05-06T13:37:00.000-07:00

Great way to deal with a slanting ceiling.

Bunks and Coves

2009-05-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

This will be the guest room. Little cocoons for our friends

Stairs

2009-04-12T17:45:00.000-07:00

Cabinets and Drawers

2009-04-10T17:21:00.000-07:00

Cabinets:
I have never been a fan of OSB but for sturdy rough doors for our studio I think I will make an exception.

Siding

2009-04-10T16:49:00.001-07:00

We love the idea of cedar shingles.

Bathtub

2009-04-10T16:44:00.000-07:00

Clawfoot tub or a newer rendition? choices choices

Thanks Dwell and Ace Hotel

Seller Accepts Bid

2009-04-10T16:31:00.000-07:00

We have been jumping up and down for about two days now. Now we wait to hear from the Seller's bank. So we wait

We love Apron Sinks

2009-04-10T15:49:00.000-07:00

Apron sink/Farm sink/Deep ceramic sink Call it what you will, we love them.

We put in a bid!

2009-04-02T15:08:00.000-07:00

The new love of our lives in at 3522 W. Lyndale. It's lovely and perfect for what we want to be doing with a house. I will post some images of the floor plan soon.

We put in a bid yesterday, and now we wait to see if it will be accepted or not...keep your fingers crossed.

Moving right along

2009-04-02T15:04:00.000-07:00

So, the Drake house (below) turned out to be quite interesting.

The first floor is lovely, a lot of potential. The listing calls it a one story house.

The second floor (yes, that's right folks) is mid-renovation. But, it has doors already in place. No walls, but it has doors. No working windows, but it has doors. Important things those doors.
The yard is nice and again, the house has potential. It's a back-up option for us though....

Little guy over in palmer square

2009-03-11T11:56:00.000-07:00

look at this little guy

Interior of 1216

2009-03-02T08:38:00.000-08:00

i can do this. I swear. I just need to roll up my sleeves.

1216 n campbell

2009-02-22T18:09:00.001-08:00

we love this house but... it's scary and requires complete overhaul. we have to tear out everything and put a new everything inside it. to be honest im unsure that i have the energy.

we saw too many houses today

2009-02-22T17:55:00.000-08:00

starting at 10 this morning we ran the gamut. over 9 houses in 4 hours i think we did well. at every place we began looking up at it, holding our breath's as we entered through the doorway. thats when the planning begins at every doorway we start over in our minds: strip the wood there, tear that down, remove that wall, put a wall there, giant staircase there, i want this wall in yellow, we can put a garden back here, and of course (reiterating) tear that down. here are few of those houses and here are those plans.