Burns Organic Modern Furniture Experience

exterior entry
When we first visited the house, gutters were overflowing, moss was growing on the roof, leaf litter was everywhere, and a stack of phone books blocked the front door.
January 1st 2008

exterior entry
House has been power sprayed and painters are prepping for paint.
July 12th, 2008

entry stair
The space that links upstairs to down
January 1st 2008

entry stair
A new wall, paint, sanding, and a lot of love.
December 23rd 2008

bathroom
The biggest issue; the floor sloped up 2 1/2" from the door. Nobody really ever fixed the problem, just added to it. Gotta love the '80's pink grout and gold fixtures.
January 1st 2008

bathroom
So we figured if you're gonna have pink grout, just go all the way.
Floors are heated tile. Shower surround and tub base are frosted glass mosaic. The soaking tub can fit two up to the chin. Ceiling is now vaulted. Windows were replaced and raised to modesty height, with frosted glazing on the lower pane and clear blue sky in the upper pane. And of course, a disco ball.
December 22nd 2008

parlor
Hotel curtains and a dog couch, and the ceiling fixture hanging from wires.
January 1st 2008

parlor
Good things come with time (and blood, sweat, and tears).
January 28th 2008

master bedroom
With chimney removed and hole patched, floor sanding is underway.
September 8th 2008

basement framing under kitchen
'Waffle Framing': nails, blocking, and shimming... oh, my.
(And just where do all those wires go?)
Look out for those face height bulbs on pull chains! EEK!
January 1st 2008

basement framing under kitchen
Sister studs in place (with lots of jacking, hammering, cursing, and prayers).
New fluorescent lights tucked up between the joists spaces, and all on one switch.
Many 'thank you's to Mark Perry and Tom Stanley for teaching me the
basics of electrical wiring. Good to know.
July 12th, 2008

exterior
Engulfed by blooms in the spring.
Elm on the left. Chestnut on the right
May 18th 2008

A few things we've learned:

1. Get a good set of plans and follow them as closely as possible. Keep a designer around to help with changes.

2. Hire a contractor, or expect to be present whenever someone is doing work on site. Questions come up that someone with overall project knowledge will need to answer.

3. Get a permit. It's really easy and sets everyone's minds at ease. Think of it as professional help for less than 1% of the project costs. Your homeowners and appraisers will appreciate it too.

4. Remodeling is a Rabbit Hole, how far do you want to go down? Have a budget and contingency. Stick to it. Finish the project.

5. Pick materials early and order extra. Even better, buy locally, even if the initial cost is a little more. It's much easier than playing internet games with retailers.

6. 2x4's and 4x4's are like popcorn. They are cheap and get used up quickly.

7. Demo 18" past where you think you'll need to. Otherwise, you'll probably end up doing it later.

8. Invite lots of friends to see the progress. They have good ideas, contacts, and encouragement for free.

9. Take pictures before you start. Lots of them. They're good encouragement when you're in the middle of chaos.

10. If you can afford it, live somewhere else during the construction. Life without a kitchen, bathroom, electricity, heat, and a toilet isn't much fun (so other people tell me).

Existing conditions. Our shopping list was short: a wrap around porch, detached garage, room to grow a family, and near the Hawthorne district of Portland. Unfortunately, 'in perfect shape' was not on our list. And like all home owners we have scope creep.	Work in Process. When we purchased the house we knew we would want to replace the bathroom and paint the interior and exterior surfaces before moving in. The kitchen could wait. The bathroom remodel has involved tearing the east side of the house down to the studs and leveling the floor, or as we like to say, 'level enough'.
exterior entry When we first visited the house, gutters were overflowing, moss was growing on the roof, leaf litter was everywhere, and a stack of phone books blocked the front door. January 1st 2008	exterior entry House has been power sprayed and painters are prepping for paint. July 12th, 2008
entry stair The space that links upstairs to down January 1st 2008	entry stair A new wall, paint, sanding, and a lot of love. December 23rd 2008
bathroom The biggest issue; the floor sloped up 2 1/2" from the door. Nobody really ever fixed the problem, just added to it. Gotta love the '80's pink grout and gold fixtures. January 1st 2008	bathroom So we figured if you're gonna have pink grout, just go all the way. Floors are heated tile. Shower surround and tub base are frosted glass mosaic. The soaking tub can fit two up to the chin. Ceiling is now vaulted. Windows were replaced and raised to modesty height, with frosted glazing on the lower pane and clear blue sky in the upper pane. And of course, a disco ball. December 22nd 2008
kitchen below bathroom Cabinets from the Rebuilding Center... went back to the Rebuilding Center. January 1st 2008	kitchen below bathroom Complete excavation required. With drywall replaced and floors patched, we're hoping for cabinets and appliances by Spring '09. September 8th 2008
kitchen & dining The purple wall separated kitchen from dining. January 1st 2008	kitchen & dining Purple wall is gone, and a 5'x5' hole in the floor is patched perfectly. September 8th 2008
parlor Hotel curtains and a dog couch, and the ceiling fixture hanging from wires. January 1st 2008	parlor Good things come with time (and blood, sweat, and tears). January 28th 2008
living room January 1st 2008	living room May18th 2008
powder room Paint sampling and a broken toilet. January 1st 2008	powder room Simple pleasures: one color and a working toilet. February 1st 2008
master bedroom Obsolete brick chimney needed removal or repair. January 1st 2008	master bedroom With chimney removed and hole patched, floor sanding is underway. September 8th 2008
guest room Formerly known as the blue room... with multiple shades of blue. Paint stripper used liberally on trim and left to dry. January 1st 2008	guest room Lots of sanding, lots of primer, and paint. Paint from Metro Paint - recycled, non voc, and $10 a gallon. May1st 2008
trim 100 years of abuse... January 1st 2008	trim ...and a little love. May1st 2008
basement framing under kitchen 'Waffle Framing': nails, blocking, and shimming... oh, my. (And just where do all those wires go?) Look out for those face height bulbs on pull chains! EEK! January 1st 2008	basement framing under kitchen Sister studs in place (with lots of jacking, hammering, cursing, and prayers). New fluorescent lights tucked up between the joists spaces, and all on one switch. Many 'thank you's to Mark Perry and Tom Stanley for teaching me the basics of electrical wiring. Good to know. July 12th, 2008
basement shoring under kitchen Shoring in process. 18 temporary posts at basement level and an additional 12 at kitchen level, five months of working in the evenings, and a lot of patience to get the east wing 'leveled' back up. (White posts are original. Most of them were sitting on concrete or broken soggy bricks. Each area can be raised only 1/8" in 24 hours, or expect to see broken windows, stuck doors, and compromised stability. May 1st 2008	basement footings under kitchen New posts and footings in place. A slab will be poured over existing 1" 'rat slab', level with the tops of the new footings. Galvanized 1" high post anchors hold posts off the footings/slabs to prevent dry rot. Jenny and I hand mixed and poured the footings in one evening. July 12th, 2008
exterior Beautiful views and plenty of light in the winter. January 1st 2008	exterior Engulfed by blooms in the spring. Elm on the left. Chestnut on the right May 18th 2008
People and Places: Real Estate and Financing: Heather Williams at Bridgetown Realty - Organized home inspections, property searches, contractors, and the overall process. Andrea Moore at Northwest Mortgage Group - Assisted with loan processing and approval. Lumber and Supplies: Ace and True Value Hardware - Still the local hardware store when you're in a pinch and need a bobblenut or leiderhosen. Parr Lumber - The same cost as the orange box, with far superior quality and less hassle. Use your local lumber yard. Rebuilding Center - Source for used building materials. Great for temporary shoring. Ted's Tool Shed - Broad selection of used tools. Electrical: Platt Electrical - Local electrical supply. Use your local electrical supply. Plumbing: Ron Zach - Plumbing Installation with ABS sewer line and PEX water supply. Chown Hardware - Provided Plumbing Fixtures by Barclay, Toto, and Duravit. ARP (American Reinforced Plastics, Tacoma, WA) - Japanese Soaking Tub. Paint: Metro Paint - Recycled Paint with limited but appropriate colors. Miller Paint - Paint, primers, and supplies, with knowledgeable, helpful staff. Tile: Paris Brothers Construction - Profession tile installation with an eye for detail.	A few things we've learned: 1. Get a good set of plans and follow them as closely as possible. Keep a designer around to help with changes. 2. Hire a contractor, or expect to be present whenever someone is doing work on site. Questions come up that someone with overall project knowledge will need to answer. 3. Get a permit. It's really easy and sets everyone's minds at ease. Think of it as professional help for less than 1% of the project costs. Your homeowners and appraisers will appreciate it too. 4. Remodeling is a Rabbit Hole, how far do you want to go down? Have a budget and contingency. Stick to it. Finish the project. 5. Pick materials early and order extra. Even better, buy locally, even if the initial cost is a little more. It's much easier than playing internet games with retailers. 6. 2x4's and 4x4's are like popcorn. They are cheap and get used up quickly. 7. Demo 18" past where you think you'll need to. Otherwise, you'll probably end up doing it later. 8. Invite lots of friends to see the progress. They have good ideas, contacts, and encouragement for free. 9. Take pictures before you start. Lots of them. They're good encouragement when you're in the middle of chaos. 10. If you can afford it, live somewhere else during the construction. Life without a kitchen, bathroom, electricity, heat, and a toilet isn't much fun (so other people tell me).