Salvage Warehouse Finds

Another score day at Houston's Historic Salvage Warehouse! I really think what they're doing is phenomenal because they not only save vintage architectural pieces, but because they make it possible for people like myself to rehab Houston's precious historic houses.

Here's what I picked up today:

A Kohler cast iron bar and porcelein bar sink for $60

I think I'll build a metal base for it and use it in the bathroom to highlight the industrial/vintage medical theme I'm shooting for

A vintage door for $40, which was marked down because the glass was cracked. I plan to replace the glass with frosted tempered glass and have "Lavatory"written on it, for use as a unique and fun bathroom door.

Sleeping Porch: More Windows Uncovered!

Got 2 more windows uncovered! The first 3 windows I uncovered were boarded up in plywood that was painted barbie doll pink. The next 2 were behind a small closet that had been framed into the room.

Here's a before shot from the day of the inspection:

Sleeping Porch: The Remains of the Closet

Someone had built a closet into the sleeping porch some years ago:

Before I moved in, showing the closet on the right

I wasn't too crazy about it. It made the room seem narrow and most of the storage in the closet wasn't accessible. Plus, it was built to fit clothes for a child, so adult clothes didn't fit well into it, at least not with the door closed. Those factors alone were enough to encourage me to remove it, but the icing on the cake was that there were likely 2 large original windows hidden behind it (there were). I also was suspicious that the closet was lodging a roach nest (it was). The closet had to go.

What was left of it after demolition:

Old Pics from the Seller's Family

The original fireplace mantel and windows. The windows are intact but unaccessible and the fireplace mantel and brick was removed to install the living room built-ins. Unfortunately the weight of the new built-ins has caused one of the joists to crack. 

The dining room, looking into the kitchen

This shows the original columns that were on the house, before they were replaced with brick

The original front door and an original window are visible here. You can also see the original door casing, which has since been replaced with bellyband and the rosettes

The master bedroom

The custom cabinets in the kitchen that the seller installed (he was a carpenter). This was before they painted them pink. The crown molding has since been replaced with dented moldings. They later replaced the upper cabinet doors with a frosted glass that had roses on it

Kitchen Hardwoods: The Saga Continues

Oh.
More.

Living room Progress

The living room is setup!

Guest Bedroom: Hardwoods Uncovered

but unfortunately some spots are missing

Ok. Maybe a lot of spots.

Make no mistake. It took a lot of work to get all the paper adhesive scraped up off this floor

Kitchen Hardwoods: Halfway mark?

Kitchen Hardwoods: Still Chugging Away

Little birdies go to heaven too

There's a hole in my bathroom wall where the vent used to be.

So today I came home, went to the bathroom, and happened to notice that there were feathers around my feet.

Not just one or two feathers. Like a whole bunch.

and that's when I realized this must have something to do with a very unlucky bird who was trying to get out of the cold, only to run into two very friendly, very playful bengals that both like things that fly. Particularly chirping things that fly.

Clearly, it did not end well for the bird, which I spotted on the dining room floor.

It seemed like an awful lot of feathers for such a little bird.
and it was.

His buddy was laid to rest on the kitchen floor, next to a bengal, sleeping peacefully next to it after a long day of chasing flying toys.

Dad says "the cats must love this house! Live treats!"
Indeed.

Salvage Warehouse Finds

Great luck today at Houston's Historic Salvage Warehouse!

An apron-front kitchen sink for $125, with faucet and disposal attached

...which I had some trouble getting out of the car:

 

A bathroom mirror for $99

A toilet for $30

A matching pedestal sink and some cool vents salvaged from a wine cellar

A zebra planter for the garden

Isn't it just too cute?!

Hiding in the Tree Stump

Found this little dude hiding in a tree stump in my front yard. It wasn't until after I'd taken the photo and looked back at it that I saw his girlfriend hiding in the shadows behind him! *squeals*

Kitchen Hardwoods: Day 2 of Goo Scraping

Here's how it goes:

1. Wet the floor

2. Let it soak in for 5 minutes

3. Pick up that magical bent handle scraper and a dustpan

4. Start scraping goo 

5. Attempt not to jab the floor

6. Dammit, you jabbed the floor.

7. Push goo off of sludgepan.

8. Take a breather from the respirator. Don't bother removing it over the kitchen sink. The sweat that pours out will just prep another area for goo scraping. 

9. Sharpen scraper.

10. Ice right hand, which is crippled from holding the scraper. Note to self: see orthopedic hand specialist about the trigger finger this has triggered

11. Repeat previous 10 steps 174,956 times for 4.5 months

Got the area cleared out and most of the sheet linoleum up last night:

A close-up shot of the felt and adhesive that will have to be scraped off:

Sanding sounded like a great option at first, until I learned that the adhesive will just melt and goo up the sanding pads. No wonder the hardwoods guys wanted to have nothing to do with this.

Tuscan Tan circa 1964

The saga of the kitchen floors continues. This layer is sheet linoleum with a green felt backing. The pattern was called Tuscan Tan, circa 1964.

Kitchen Hardwoods: The Goo and the Bad

So here's where it's at:

Bit-by-bit I'm lifting up the sheet linoleum. The green stuff is felt that's adhered to the floor with adhesive. Since I don't have a circular saw yet, I'm improvising with a reciprocating saw to cut the plywood from around the base cabinets.

*sigh* 
Someday the hardwoods will be stunning.
That day is just not today.

Kitchen Hardwoods: Crumbling Linoleum

Here's a shot of the crumbling sheet linoleum that needs to be removed from the kitchen floor:

Clearly there was some water damage here. I sure hope it's not coming from the shower on the other side of the wall.

edit: indeed it was coming from the shower :(