Sunday, November 12, 2006

 

Do You Know This House?

One of the neatest that can happen if you're a toiling-away restovator is if finding someone else like-minded. I really like the fence. Just a few months ago, this was a nicely-maintained but otherwise Home-Depoted house up for sale. Anyone recognize this house?


 

I finally have a place to go...

I've been very busy with work lately but I have had some time to button up the big stuff on the bathroom and now it's just down to "punchlist" details. I was looking at the finished product and noticed something very interesting: I'm doing a much better job on this one than the guest bathroom. I don't know if that's just because it's my personal bathroom and not the guest one. However, I will say this, if you're a n00b DIYer, work on the rooms you care about the least or plan to re-remodel first as a lot of this stuff will be a learning experience and the second you're done you'll have thought of a myriad of ways you could have done it better.

Main Pic
I feel like there should be some shelves, pictures, or something above the toilet but quite frankly, I really like the cleanliness of there being nothing. The paint color is warm grey (Dolphin Fin); I'm using Behr paints' new(ish) flat enamel product. It's the same color I used in the other bathroom and I like it there but I really like it in here. And no, there's no dirt on the camera lens, one of my screw anchor hole patches didn't take entirely.

Cabinet Knobs
I believe these may be the original knobs. Anyhow, I'm surprised (shocked, actually) that the chrome plating is still in such good shape since it's been in a bathroom with lots of moisture. Of the three, only one had signifcant pitting and the other two (pictured) cleaned up quite nicely.

Door Jamb
One thing very unique about Cliff May houses are the door jambs. Most houses have big door jambs and casings that go on the outside of the wall. In most Cliff Mays the jambs are set into the wall. The effect is much sleeker, but a pain to paint since the paint line is very exposed and has to be pretty close to perfect.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

 

The Battle of Midway

Most people know Midway as the small atoll in the Pacific that represent one of the largest naval battles of WWII. However, there's also a Midway Island known to many DIYers. It's the place in the middle of project where everything is torn up and it's a huge battle to get it finished.

I think I'm suffering from multiple personality disorder, too. I'm both the anal-retentive customer from Hell and the annoyed contractor -- all in one. I even made myself a little "punch list" of the work items I wasn't satisfied with. :)

Anyhow, it is starting to take shape and I'm discovering the blue wasn't such a horrible color; it was just a bit much on all four walls and the ceiling. But I like the Behr "Dolphin Fin" a lot better. The white ceiling makes a big difference too.

I've also been cleaning up some of the hardware like the cabinet door pulls and the hinges. It should be fun. I'll be sure so some really nice photos when the bathroom painting is complete.

Thursday, November 02, 2006

 

Back in the Swing...

I admit it, I've been a lazy bum these last few months. You get to a point, and even the most dedicated of restovators reach it, where the thought of sanding, priming, and painting another Smurfey-blue window or door just makes me sick to my stomach.

Also, there's a point where you've captured most of the low-hanging fruit. The easy / fun (I hardly distinguish a difference anymore) projects are done and it's time to get serious. Or so I thought. About a month ago (around my birthday) I started to think more and more about the house. So after a summer of BBQs and beer I'm back at it.

I also had a really nice time visiting a couple in Pomona who also own a Cliff May. There's actually a neighborhood of about 60 houses out there and they're actually affordable (at least by SoCal standards).

Okay...ON TO THE CARNAGE! I decided to embark on a light redo of my master
bathroom. These previous owners were, shock, big fans of the color blue. I've been living in a periwinkle wonderland of self-sanitation I'm in the middle of demo and stuff. So enjoy the carnage:


Okay, so maybe there isn't a ton of carnage. But I found some really cool hinges being used to hold on the linen cabinet doors:


BUT WAIT....THERE'S MORE!

Okay, I put this at the bottom because it's not exactly something I want to advertise just yet. Cliff May built between 11,000 and 19,000 homes (depending on how you estimate) around the country. Wouldn't it be great if there was a registry of houses, neighborhoods, and owners? There will be...


Cliff May Registry



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