Oh my. Time really does fly by. I remember my Great Aunt Mary telling me that I shouldn’t wish it to move so quickly. Her heavenly 113th birthday was on the anniversary of Pearl Harbor. She was a mighty woman. I named my gallery after her, “Mary Mary Quite Contrary”. I loved that space. I’ll have it again. She gives me the spit-fire I need to take these kinds of projects on. I only wish I could sew like she did. She was a true artisan.
Truth. I thought of making Charles into a B&B, as mentioned before. And I would have incorporated her logo to the project. BUT, city ordinances, etc., convinced me to rethink it. And we are grateful that we have, because we’re going all in on a single-family home that will be all that we want it to be!
Part of the facade appeal is the paint, new porch and all of the “decoration”… we get stares. STARES. Sometimes, folks nearly miss the parked cars on the curb because the double-take stare takes over. That makes me happy. What was an eyesore is now double-take stare-worthy. Such amazing work is happening inside too!
But, the stairs; an evolution and an anticipated reproduction. The original stairway is / will be amazing. Unfortunately, at some point they cut part of the newel and some of balustrades off to square them up for what appears to have been a wall. #insertWTFhere I’ve talked with several companies and woodworkers to determine the verdict of restoration vs. replacement. Jury is in and we need replacement, so now I am hoping that local woodworkers can help me find the right girl/guy/company to replicate the woodwork. Not an easy thing, but I want it to be the same version of what was there… so stay tuned. I know a gal, who knows a guy, who knows a guy who has a company…
And then there is the “how do we get to the basement” question. The foundation was the entry. It’s now closed in, and what will be the back yard has been graded and maintained. SO, the only access to the basement was the original trap door, which will be under the powder room toilet. So, stairs were needed. The new basement will be a fully functioning living space, so it deserved and needed a usable staircase. The discussion was where to put it. Best laid plans placed it in the front of the house, in what will be the forward living room just off the foyer. It is a big space, but a space that is at the end of a long living room space, so it made it a good place to redesign an access to the lower level. Enter stairs #2. This is the Arts & Crafts addition to the house, so we’ll tie in some A&C and Victorian to make it feel like it might have been a thought so many years ago. I have 2 of these reclaimed newel posts to help.
So, we now have a stairway to the basement, with some reclaimed history to add. We have the main staircase project going. And, alas, we have the 3rd story staircase happening. Yes, we are going all the way to the top!
Dan moved the upper staircase to the other side of the hall, and we’ll open it up, adorning it with this beauty, reclaimed from some home in Georgia. Oh… stairs are a lot of work, but they really lead you “somewhere”!
So… it’s been a tough November and now we’re mid-December, but the weather is holding, the bids are nearly secured for electrical, hvac and gutters, work continues, as do the stares, and the stairs are well underway. All 3 sets. Going down, going up, or even up farther, Charles is ascending out of the rubble and toward greater things. We’ll be celebrating the birth of Jesus and the rebirth of this historic home this month. Our best wishes to you and everyone you love. God bless.
Saving Charles 