Kate's Renovation: Part One

It's been a looong time since we last wrote something here, and I wish I had more than the usual excuses, but I won't bore you with them. If you follow Susie and I on Instagram, you've seen that our daily life is filled with more clients than ever and after our day job ends, Susie goes home to kids who are growing up too fast and now I go home to a baby of my own... a fixer-upper.

If you do happen to follow me, you've seen that in 2014 I got married. And in 2015, we turned our attention towards finding a house. My husband and I have always talked about finding a home that would need lots of work. For me, it's always been a dream to rehab a home and work on my own project. For my husband, his desire to spend wisely in real estate dovetailed nicely with his willingness to work hard (probably much harder than he anticipated).. 

I can't go forward without first giving you a little bit of background in to the Seattle real estate market, because it helps add context to the crazy situation we entered in to when we eventually found our house. Bear with me on this wordy post, I swear I'll get to the photos soon, but without some of this you will think we are even crazier than you're bound to think we already are.

After getting the go-ahead from lenders, we found ourselves in one of the craziest booms that Seattle has ever seen, with some of the lowest inventory on record. We attempted to purchase a couple homes, but found ourselves in what's become a typical scenario here: Pre-inspections in order to submit qualified offers (with no contingencies) on one review date. Buyers are usually one of many (in our case 10 other offers was typical) and the winner was always the all cash buyer who had offered much more than asking. It's not uncommon for a house to go for $100,000 over asking right now. 

As you could imagine, the combination of all those factors gave us a feeling of moderate desperation. On one hand, we loved our apartment. On the other, we were going stir-crazy in 575 (well laid-out and charming) square feet. One day in June, my husband called and simultaneously sent me a link to a home on Craigslist. It turns out that he had been periodically checking the property postings and a home he had seen months earlier had been "re-listed," but this time for much less. Now, it was actually in our wheelhouse. 

What he'd sent me was a listing for a 1924 Colonial Revival in one of Seattle's best neighborhoods. The listing had 4 photos and little else for information, but we immediately called the seller to set up an appointment. I've probably glossed over the fact that my husband had been checking Craigslist, and I should have been more hesitant, but the fact of the matter is that he has bought and sold so much over Craigslist in the near-decade that we've been together, that it only seemed too fitting. OF COURSE he was checking Craigslist, I should have known he would be. 

"Listing" Photo

The listing was unusual, however. The seller requested no real estate agents and the photos of the interior showed a less than well-kept home. When we arrived, it only became more clear that we were dealing with the unusual situation of a young man selling the home of recently-passed parents, one of whom had spent their later years dealing with a hoarding disorder. A bunch of other issues played in to the current state of the house and I'm sure the photos I'm including here can speak for themselves since I'd rather not air their laundry. I actually arrived before Hans and when he walked in and looked at my face, he mistook the expression for disgust -- another waste of time. And well.. disgust may have been present, but it was hidden behind what was actually the crazy look in my eyes that said "I WANT THIS HOUSE." 

At the end of the day, we had an awesome real estate attorney who helped protect us through the sale, which dragged on for longer than normal and almost fell through a few times. It was not an enjoyable process or one at all similar to what I pictured when thinking about buying our first home.

We also decided during the process that if it helped us get the house, we would let the current owner leave whatever he wasn't able to dispose of... wouldn't you know, that was just about everything. Although we're told by neighbors that truckloads had been taken out in order to get the house ready for listing. I've heard a few people use the expression "narrow passageways" which makes me grateful for the condition we got it in, despite it all.

"Listing" Photo

"Listing" Photo

The above photos were included in the ad, with one more of the backside of the house.

Here are some more that I took that day and on the day we took possession:

Because the sale had gotten delayed, we ended up closing on the house while we were in Europe for a summer vacation. Not ideal, but thankfully we kept in touch with everyone well enough to make sure things were progressing well and we gave my mom power of attorney to sign the paperwork, since we wouldn't be near a U.S. Consulate. 

On August 2nd, we turned the key as owners. We knew we'd be walking in to a disaster, but neither of us were prepared for the extent of it. In fairness, it had all been there when we bought it... it's just that nothing left in the 2 months we'd been waiting to take possession. Even the rotting food in the broken fridge and the bed sheets on the (now deflated) air mattress. 

Master Bedroom (Pringles included with sale)

Front Bedroom
(That's a bed. Someone had been sleeping here...)

Upstairs 3/4 Bath

The Basement

The Kitchen (notice the hand print on the cabinets...)

The Kitchen

Two-part powder off the breakfast room. 

Breakfast Room: Some of you might recall a photo I posted to instagram of house hunting with a photo of a sharps container near my feet filled with hypodermics? That container is about 12" from where I took this photo. 

The Dining Room

The Dining Room

Basement Bath - the only one with a shower and the only 'update' to the house as far as we can tell.

This pile (which actually filled most of the backyard and stood about 10' tall was the result of our first DAY of cleaning. We've since taken tons (literally) to the dump with multiple dumpsters hauling it away.

View from the upstairs landing. The trees have actually been cut a bit since so you can see more of  Lake Washington. From the master, the view is better. Can't believe we bought a house with a view... takes the sting out of leaving Lake Union. 

Backyard, facing the side

For the sake of breaking this up and organizing my thoughts, I'm ending it here. I'll focus on the revisions and the floorplans in the next post. I think this one could go on forever if I don't stop myself at what feels like a good spot.

But to give you some insight in to what's to come and what has been, this project covers everything. It might not have started out that way when we bought the house, but like so many restorations, it's turned into a tip-to-tail rehab of a house in much need of updates. We're replacing windows, converting the HVAC, restoring floors, replacing ALL the plumbing, replacing ALL the knob and tube, expanding kitchens, adding bathrooms, finding new uses for spaces and we're doing it ourselves.

Did I meniton that? Aside from hiring out a few small things that make absolute sense to not compromise the integrity and quality of this house, you're looking at the contractors.

As-builts and reno plans next time.

-Kate

Hilarious...

Hilarious that our last post was in September and hilarious that we always tell ourselves we'll be better bloggers. I won't kid around, finding time to blog is hard. Everyone says it, but it couldn't be more true.

But... I'm in the mood to be a better blogger, better creative person and better business owner. AND, yesterday I pulled my head up out of my little sandy hole and realized that Friday is VALENTINE'S DAY.

WHAT?!

Wasn't it just Christmas? And before that... wasn't it just Valentine's Day? I won't even act like I was alone in forgetting it... especially since had you seen us at 2:30pm yesterday burning rubber in to the drugstore parking lot to buy last-minute Valentines for Susie's youngest... you'd gather that we haven't given much thought to the holiday.

But we're getting in the spirit  by digging through our virtual stacks of images and relishing in some of our favorite rooms that used pink. And then we got even crazier (yes, crazy) and went off topic in to clothes and other beautiful things. I'm a sucker for some of the Valentine's-inspired things in stores too (have you seen the adorable bowls at West Elm?).

In all honesty (as if you can't already tell), I'm not much for this holiday, but pinks like these are something I can really get behind...

Ending on that good Marchesa note... 

All the best,

Kate

We're Alive.

I feel like we should just get that on the table, because once again, we've gone dark. Somehow, you blink your eyes and months have gone by. I don't think we're proud of that, but the nice thing about blogging is the ability to come back and catch up.

Maybe it goes without saying, but Susie and I are coming off of one of the crazier summers that we've ever had. In addition to balancing family and friends, our business had a great summer. I think we both feel very tired as we roll in to fall -- in fact the last couple days have been very dreary and we're feeling like without the kick in the pants of the sun, we both are needing some big cups of coffee to get by.

I think the best way to get through summer is with photos, since after all, this job is visual.

 Demolition at one of our projects began in the middle of June. There is much more to be told about this project, but needless to say, it kept us busy. 

Which led to lots of cocktails... in this case homemade basil gimlets from an episode of Barefoot Contessa that I managed to catch. AND a basil plant that I managed to keep alive all summer. Best $3.99 ever. 

Countertop installation in a bathroom we reconfigured and started from scratch on.  This particular stone was amazing. A small amount of crystals in the marble kept it feeling young and playful.

 One of our finished bathrooms -- this one was for a little boy complete with a custom shagreen bench for bathtime and a shower curtain that feels more like draperies than the usual fix. 

 Breakfast table in the process of being styled. These chairs were vintage and so incredible. They make for the perfect chair to sit at for long casual meals with friends.

 One of our favorite chandeliers ever before it came to its "forever home" in our client's entry. This one was a real miracle to pull off since the normal lead time is 14 weeks. Needless to say, we breathed a big sigh of relief when it was installed safely -- agate doesn't take kindly to rough treatment. 

 We doubled as shipping and receiving as box after box came through our door. We spent so much time breaking down boxes in order to make room for new items. Our nightly routine consisted of jobsite visits and and pouring a glass of wine as we ripped apart boxes and sorted deliveries. 

This art is serving as inspiration for one of our projects as we work on the main floor of a Seattle craftsman home. Strong greens and neutrals will make an appearance. 

Laying down the beginnings of this laundry room floor. The end product has amazing drying racks that pull-out from the lower cupboards and pull-out laundry baskets. This is a laundry room to envy and we're pretty proud of it. 

 Soup to nuts, this one was a total reno. We'll post before pictures sometime, but it started as something completely different -- let's just say that marble herringbone floors were not in this house a few weeks before. This photo was snapped mid-install.

 One of our client's favorite spots. And really, we'd be lying if we said we haven't enjoyed a margarita on these sofas.

 One of our projects on the day we took possession. Such a beautiful property that has since gotten some much needed attention to the front entry and approach. 

... A reference photo for us as we worked to bring this room to reality.

 One of our most favorite wallpapers EVER and the rest of the powder is even better. Antique mirror, Waterworks and bone top it off.

 I pinch myself when we get to work with clients on their dishware. I could have just keeled over with excitement while selecting this pattern.

 Coming along. This has got to be one of our favorite designs for an island leg. A small fillet detail wraps the island with such delicacy.

 Do you recognize this one? It's still in progress because we were still moving our clients in and the barstools are temporary while the factory in Paris enjoys their August vacation. What can you do when you're dealing with European vacation schedules? Improvise.

 Snapped a quickie in bad light to keep track of our install. Sometimes I find the best way make a list is with my phone. I pity the person who thinks they'll find "interesting" photos on my phone. I mean, a limited audience might be pleased to come across it, the rest might think I have an odd fetish for furniture, light fixtures and people holding things up for me. 

Needless to say,  we consumed a lot of makeshift meals and fast food this summer. It was not a banner year for swimsuits, but honestly, we didn't have an opportunity to even think about "summer" until it was nearly over. So we drank. And emailed and tried to do that in the right order. Responsibly.

 Installation day for two Dennis & Leen sofas. These were almost too hard to leave behind.

 The most gorgeous original malachite custom wallpaper by one of our most favorite artists. She makes us want to giggle so much that it's almost hard to get anything done. But when we leave her alone she makes beautiful things like this. 

 THIS is why we insisted on a wall of sliders. The view in this house is incredible and opening it up to the waterfront makes it all completely worth it. We can't wait to see the kitchen go in any day. 

 In between just a few things, I managed to get away for the sailing trip I had written about and got in some fishing... or really, reading. However, I'm a hell of a fillet-er, not to mention doing it on the side of a boat is no easy task. Our trip was beautiful and while I was gone, Susie escaped to Mexico with her family. Much needed R&R. 

 Captivating construction shot, I know.  But when we get to enjoy the fruits of a better layout, seeing plumbing lines move to better spots is pure heaven. 

 Isn't this gate amazing? I snooped on this house as I walked to a Sunday morning post-wedding brunch on San Juan Island. Roche Harbour has some amazing houses, but this one has to go down as an absolute favorite.

 Finishing out a master bath re-decorating project with one heck of a cushion. I would camp out in here while I waited for my counterpart to be ready. 

That's just the start of it, but overall it was a pretty epic summer. We managed to cram it all in, but now we're left with the start of school and as soon as Labor Day rolled around, the rain came back. I think we'll still have a few more days of nice weather , but the good news is it makes sitting at our desks doing paperwork not quite as painful. 

Enjoy your Thursday. 

Kate