Phew – it has been a busy time at the fixer upper. One month ago was the last time I reported to you the changes in the renovation and although they may not seem that monumental, they really do to me.
Our little Spanish señorita is starting to look like a real house again! No more see-through walls and empty spaces.
The bathrooms have been built, the tile is going in and the dry wall is finished. The drywall took quite a while. They took great care with taping and making sure all of the walls were straight and flat. Each drywall coat dried for many days before the next was put on.
We made some important paint color choices for the outside, a pool tile decision and are finalizing the wood flooring.
We have purchased the kitchen and master bath countertops and I am soooo excited about them! We had already purchased two marble slabs for the guest bath because of a screamin’ deal we stumbled upon at Walker Zanger, a spectacular tile and stone company.
In our experience, “screamin’ deal” and home renovation are never used in the same sentence.
The fireplace has been enhanced by adding dimension at the top. We found the perfect tile for around the opening and it is now waiting for a rough wood mantel and paint of course!
The tile floors in the laundry room and bathrooms are being laid and grouted as I type. The outside plastering and roof will go up next and will take a couple of weeks. We ended up having to restucco the entire house because we wanted all of the stucco to match with the new upstairs addition. Additionally, the stucco was very old and really needed an update as well.
Next up for the fixer upper:
The architect has designed super cool Spanish custom gates with unique hinges and hardware. The leaded glass front window will be strengthened and waterproofed. All the finish carpentry will be done soon as well. I can’t wait to see that!
We will fly down next week to choose wall colors and finalize the wood floors. We are getting ready to purchase the appliances too.
More posts about the fixer upper:
The Challenges of Moving Into a New “Old” House
Our Empty Nest Renovation and 6 Months in Seattle
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Suzanne
It looks wonderful, Suzanne! (I do love that old stove in the old kitchen, though). The backsplash tile is wonderful! Can’t wait to see more reveal.
Thank you Betsy. I know the stove was really cool, but I wanted something contemporary. Thank you for reading!
So beautiful!! Love the choices so far and can’t wait to see the final showing! Ps-can I book a room for a week this summer?! Lol!!
Hi Laura – thank you! thank you for your kind words! Of course you can come stay 🙂
Hi Suzanne! Looks like you are making lots of progress and have some exciting choices ahead of you. And I’ll bet you’ll appreciate Southern California weather a lot more when you return. We are all looking forward to your great reveal in the future. ~Kathy
So true Kathy – I always thought I had appreciated the So Cal weather, but I really noticed the difference traveling back and forth. I look forward to walking the dog without a jacket!
Love the backsplash tile! That is a gorgeous detail that will really make a pop in the kitchen. Looks like a fun and challenging project. Good luck!
Thank you Jodi!
I really must know where you got that back splash tile, a serious want in my life right now.
I am sorry to tell you that it is now unavailable but I bet the company has others. I purchased my tile at Mission Tile West in South Pasadena, CA
I too LOVE that backsplash! I am looking for something very similar. Would you mind telling me where you got the tile? Thanks, love all your ideas! You can see that it will be amazing!
Hi Tacy – Thank you! The tile came from Mission Tile West in South Pasadena, CA http://www.missiontilewest.com
Hi Suzanne, love your entire house, but especially the backsplash in your kitchen. I searched on the missiontilewest website and cannot
find that particular tile. Can you tell me the manufacturer and the name of the tile… absolutely beautiful.
Hi! I’ve looked on their site too with no luck! Would LOVE to know the manufacturer! Are the encaustic or porcelain or ceramic?
Wondering if you would tell me the name/brand of tile and distributor? That is beautiful!
I too am dying to know the name and manufacturer of the tile backsplash please.
Please add me to the list of people inquiring about your backsplash tile. I live in So Cal and looking for good tiles that I can see before I buy. You can email me directly if you’d like.
Hi Cherie: I sent you an email with details!
Please add me also about information on the backsplash tile! Thanks
Hi Suzanne, I hate to be another asking about the backsplash tile but I LOVE it. I have looked at the site but see nothing similar. Do you have any additional details that will be helpful.
Thank you
Hi Kim – My advice is to call them and explain what you are trying to find. They have quite a lot of hand made tiles to choose from. Evidently the one I have has been discontinued. I don’t know why.
Suzanne, Can you tell me how you like the honed granite you installed, how it’s holding up, etc. It’s what I’m planning on using in our new home but everything I read says it can stain??? Help, I need an opinion from someone who has it. I just don’t want to make a mistake. Thank you.
Hi Mary: I love it! It does show oils, but I use just a drop of dish soap on a sponge and clean it consistently each day or so. I like the non-shiny look. I would definitely do it again.
[…] The good news is that I did in fact do just that. I had more time to spend with him because we moved in to our “Fixer Upper” which was so much closer to where he lived. I was able see him often and he passed away one […]