Peeling Back the Onion: More Crappy Infrastructure News

I am reportedly now the proud owner of vintage clay pipe under the Bungalow.  After extensive digging, this weekend I'll own new cast iron piping, that then needs to be inspected by our friends in the City, which means that there is a 10 day delay in pouring cement in the basement.  So - Best Case Scenario - the basement isn't being framed for another week.  UGGGGH.

The basement:

Fortunately, structural work is underway in the rest of the house.  The upstairs bath project was made more extensive last week with the discovery that the roughed - in plumbing was not presently up to code and that some floor joists had been cut.  My favorite thing, though, is that whomever renovated this home last left us a little treat - an old window and crappy insulation - in the wall.

A bonus window.    And super nice framing/insulation.

Prepping for the new steel beam - building the redundant temp supports

So - the landscaping project will be a little smaller, and the carpet selection in the basement will be a little less plush.   But - I won't have to worry about pipes (perhaps laid shortly after the great Chicago fire) cracking under the guest suite.

Update: The Powder Room Final Selections

I posted an earlier note on the powder room - but here, an update on the selections.  It's still a basic update to the existing space - with a decidedly black/white vibe.

Wainscoting - 2/3 of the wall.   Think simple - retail available bead board, painted white (roughly $100):

Wow - wild for me - wall paper on the remaining 1/3 of the wall.  A nod to the London adventure, and budget friendly ($100).  Not too much...:

A pretty, inexpensive traditional white pedestal sink - very similar to this, from hay needle (circa $350); my taps are like those featured, but polished nickel:

Gorgeous sexy sconces in polished nickel (hudson valley, about $150 each):

And - an old fashioned venetian mirror  - very tall and thin - 48x24in, so will rise tall in the space (Wayfair, $400):

Finally - a roman blind in a men's black/white pinstripe:

Finally - there will be a bright print on the wall - some color - I promise!

Progress?! Demo complete!

Permits arrived!  January 7th
Dumpster arrived!  January 10th
All the debris accumulated during upstairs demo removed!  January 12th
Kitchen hauled away to charity!  January 18th
Basement concrete broken up and removed!  January 21st

I'm told actual construction - SOMETHING GOING UP - will begin by end of week.  The team is working hard, but all the Chicago snow and cold temps aren't helping the demo/carry-away program.  Today, the dumpster removal firm came to haul a full load, but the slippery roads made removal too risky given the neighboring cars.

Drawings and permitting took about six weeks, vs the 2-3 committed.  But project Bungalow is now in progress!

Some photos of the mess - I mean the progress!:

Humberto - tearing open that nasty burgundy box - and before the ugly arch was history

Upstairs guest room being torn apart

Opening the stairwell

At one point, this room was ceiling high w/debris

One last look at the jacuzzi tub

The burgundy box - now a memory - next up - dismantling the archway

not much structural change in the master bedroom to come - bead board on the ceiling, paint, new hardwood floors, closet organizers and window treatments to come

View into the basement

The basement - prepped for concrete removal

Remnants of the 130yo chimney

Hello 90's - you now have your archway back!

Soon this hvac system will be a memory

Hey - that's my future laundry room behind that wall!

View into the master bedroom - bath to the right

Record cold temps, and hefty snow make dumpster placement difficult - early Jan

Not to mention - the access problem

Planning: Lighting!

Lighting has been a lot of fun to scout.  I want the lighting to highlight what should be period charm in the new space, but also add some fun touches of "bling" (it isn't a time capsule home, after all!)  My new buddy Jeff @ downtown Chicago Lightology has been a big help in tracking down some of my on-line finds, and suggesting cost-sensitive alternatives when my eyes are getting larger then the wallet.  That said, lighting has not been a big area for savings - not when polished nickel is on the brain!

Here I'll focus on the fixtures vs. the table/floor lamps - which you'll see when the rooms all come together!

Kitchen:  my first lighting purchase was in the kitchen - I bought the pendants (for the peninsula) on sale at Juliska last June, before I'd closed on the house.  They felt like a steal at less than half off ($275 each):

In the work area - I selected the 17 inch Winslow Pendant, from Lightology - in white (photo in stainless) ($300).  It will hang from a very short lead. 

TBD - whether I can work in this milk glass chandelier over the dining table (Wayfair $450):

Living Room:   There is only one fixture - and it's a showshopper for the center of the room.  (Lightology - $2000)

Foyer/Entry Hall:      There will be three of these lovelies (in polished nickel) in the hall - including one suspended from a long chain in the stairwell (circa $320 - Hudson Valley Lighting):

Top of Stairs:  This cloverleaf Chandler Hudson Valley wasn't budget friendly ($375) but is the only ceiling fixture upstairs:

Laundry Room:  Bright and fun from Troy - the middle fixture ($85):

Powder Room:  Sexy little sconces from Hudson Valley for this black/white room ($150 each):

Upstairs Bathroom:    Elegant old-fashioned sconces (Bradford - Hudson Valley $150 each):

TBD for over the bath - Cyan small sconce ($450) - Candelabra 

The only shame - there were so many great fixtures I couldn't fit into my little Bungalow!  (All links are on the Kim Loutzenhiser Pinterest site.)

Planning: The Laundry Room

OK - most folks don't get excited about a laundry/utility room.  But, when revised architectural drawings made clear that this was possible by cheating a bit of space from newly-created basement guest bedroom/walk in closet - I leaped.  Alternatives - laundry vertically on the 2nd floor in a small closet (fear of leaks, desire for full sized units and dedicated space) and in the basement in a wide shallow closet (pretty confined, no sink) were easily discounted with this option - fairly cost neutral given the basement floor was being broken up to accommodate the new bathroom.

Also to keep in mind - I've had less then desirable laundry accommodations the last several years:

• London 1:  centrifuge washer/dryer (one unit) in the kitchen (which was about 6ft by 10 ft!)
• New York:  college-esque basement units or "same day send out"
• London 2:  centrifuge washer/dryer (one unit) under the stairs in the unheated ground floor foyer
• Chicago Apartment: college-esque communal units

So -- I'm disproportionally excited about a laundry/utility room.

Goal for this space:  Airy, light, bright, open-feeling - and functional.  I don't want to put my money here - so the choices will be fairly budget-friendly.

Tile:  ($4/sq foot)  white porcelain rectangular shaped tile with pale, pale grey lines.  It is actually much more white then the photo depicts.

Sink:  ($300) - a deep wide basin.  I'm stealing the faucet from the old kitchen. (free!)

Countertop:  A simple stainless counter - running seamlessly over the washer/dryer and sink basin to create a great workspace - similar to that shown below (houzz):

Shelf:  No expensive cabinetry here - a couple of simple white-painted shelves will run the length of the room, similar to this example (houzz).  I love open shelving, but couldn't make it work in the kitchen.  Here's my shot!

Lighting:  The lighting will be pretty "wow" - but not at a wow price ($85/each).  It's the middle fixture (Troy) below - in that fabulous blue (the blue should be roughly the same color as the accent on the furniture in the basement family room):

The fun accents in the room will be red (detergent container, stool, artwork).  So - the bones will be pale - grey, stainless, white - but with some serious pops of color!

Now off to find my washer and dryer!