Hallway haters - help me understand
DLM2000-GW
10 years ago
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LawPaw
10 years agovirgilcarter
10 years agoRelated Discussions
Rutt-roh ceiling fan haters, bad news for you
Comments (29)I designed our house 3 years ago, based on the 18-yr old Colonal we *had* been living in. It had a cathedral ceiling in FR, also a wood stove, but was horribly hard to heat/cool even with the ceiling fan. So no cathedral ceilings in new house (8ft ceilings, though I admit the FR ceiling seems low but I guess I got used to higher). We added ceiling fans in all the BRs since there was no AC (we put window units in MBR, kitchen, and loft over the garage open to FR trying to make it usable). So new house we put ceiling fans in all BRs, study, and FR (where we *were* going to put a woodstove but now seems too small and also chimney would be too close to master bath window). We had a large kitchen in the old house but the eat-in part was in front of large doorway to FR and other side of peninsula so we just couldn't seem to make a table work. Only 3ft of counterspace to left of stove, 2 ft to right of fridge (which is where we put the MW so I have no landing zone). I ended up putting a MW cart in the middle just to have landing zone/prep area. So new kitchen has large island for prep and eating (peninsula only sat 3). Garage had 8 ft doors and was shallow, with stairs into FR so we had no room for storage, could barely fit Explorer on non-stair side, and I often banged mirrors. So new garage is bigger with 9ft doors and a door into the backyard. We had a bath off the master that we had remodeled to put in 2 sinks and a whirlpool tub. I found I didn't use the jets that much, DH used the shower down the hall, so new house has a non-jetted tub and a 4ft shower. Can't wait to get tile and faucets in so we can use them! DH had used the loft as an office until DD was born, then it became guest room. So when I modfied the stock plan that had 4 BRs we made the closet i the smallest BR the attic stairs (old house had hatch in DD's closet, not even pulldown stairs so really no attic storage). DD used it as a BR (and we put the antique furniture in 2nd largest BR) until she moved out of a toddler bed and then she moved into the larger BR. DH is still trying to set up the office, but at least we have all (but one that's in Ds's room) the bookcases from the old house in there. Never could get into home theater since we're not big TV viewers and didn't want to dedicate sf to that, but after having TV in FR at first, then LR in old house, I decided new house was going to have FR totally open to kitchen so could watch little one (had big doorway in old house but still a blind spot) and that the LR was going to be capable of being closed off for TV viewing since old LR was near stairs and open to foyer, TV too loud for sleeping kids. We also plan on staying in this house forever, so with French doors the idea was that LR could become MBR when we get too decrepit to handle stairs. The old house had PR off foyer (near kitchen) with a laundry closet - I decided to have a mudroom/laundry and change builder's stock plan (that looked like my old house, but PR/laundry b/t garage and kitchen) to put the PR in the large open foyer with coat closet opposite. Since the PR is on the LR side we can expand the PR to make it a full bath, and if we close off the hall b/t the closet and PR we could have a good sized "stand in" closet (6x7), though you would then have to walk through the DR to get into the kitchen (or could make closet smaller and lose my pantry). We have vinyl siding (after living 15 yrs with cedar that had to be powerwashed and stained every 3 years or so). The porch (not screened) has a Trex deck instead of the pressure-treated that required yearly maintenance. I built 40ft of stone wall under the porch to hide the supports, and will add more around the flowerbeds and walkway. I'm also thinking of building retaining walls down the sloped from the front yard to the basement door, to make mowing unnecessary and control erosion. Luckily, we have plenty of stone. We're still trying to figure out what to do outside our back sliding glass door - whether it's an outdoor "LR" or not, we would like to make it more than just a deck and a gas grill, since we also have a lot of wood and enjoy sitting around the fire with family and friends. I'm also trying to furnish the front porch with comfortable pieces so we can sit out there and enjoy the view and the sunsets. Like the Tim McGraw song Where the Green Grass Grows we "point our rocking chairs towards the west." I know I'm not going in order but we also chose to make this house as energy-efficient as the upgraded modular specs would allow (so no SIPS but upgraded insulation and windows), and put in a geothermal heating system with a desuperheater for hot water so that we don't have to depend on (or pay for) fossil fuel. Landscaping - what's that LOL? So we didn't design our house based on what we thought the "hot new trends" would be 3-5 yrs later, we designed it with our family and lifestyle in mind, within our budget, and trying to incorporate "lessons learned" from all the other places we've lived. In the case of "landscaping" and "outdoor living" doing all the work (so far) ourselves and with materials we have on hand. Of course if we add a sunroom or deck we'll have to buy materials and will probably hire out at least part of the job....See MoreHelp me arrange the 'front hall' area of my living room
Comments (16)Caminne, that is a BRILLIANT idea, because I definitely need as much bookcase space as I can squeeze into every room, and at the moment there are no built-ins. Now, les917 cautioned against putting something just to the left of the door as you come in (i.e. on the living-room side of the door), to avoid cramping people (or dogs) as they step around the door, which I think it good advice. But if you look at my floorplan, you can see that there's quite a bit of space between the front door and the front wall windows. Floorplan: I think it should be possible to put a bookcase so it more or less lines up with the left side of the entrance to the dining room, which is about where I'd want the living room rug to end and the entryway rug to start. (Not describing this too well, but will try to photoshop a furniture-arranging floorplan soon.) In any case, I think that would leave plenty of clearance to get around the door - more clearance than you'd have in the entry to most historic rowhouses around here, anyway. That would preclude using the big desk as a sofa-table-type room divider, but I think it would solve two serious storage problems at once. I wonder if it would even be possible to have two bookcases back to back, with one facing the living room for books and the other offering baskets for leashes and mittens and whatnot on the door side. I'm thinking maybe about 36" high - high enough to make a divider, but low enough not to block light and to make it easy to put things down on top of. Hmm.......See MoreTo my haters out there:
Comments (20)Hi Pause, Sometimes dogs put their paws into doo-doo, whether of their own depository or those of another dog (or, not to be catty? - a cat?). Especially true of active dogs. Sometimes in such situations it's a good idea to go for a swim (in the river - not the local pool, please). or ... sometimes it's up to their caregiver to make the paws more presentable. Some - not many, I think - may clean their paws by giving them a lickin. Not having tried that, myself, perhaps I should not offer an opinion as to the wisdom of using such a method. But I've been known to express an opinion, here, myself ... and sometimes on rather controversial subjects (including either or both religion and politics). I usually try to offer them in a non-confrontational way ... and not get my underwear (of the slip-prone variety) tied into a knot if some rather snarky reply/ies may be forthcoming. Actually ... in such situation(s), I've found that others often come to my defence, suggesting that perhaps my ideas were rather different than may have appeared at first blush ... or were meant in a different way (as many have come to know me at some depth and familiar with my [attempts at] humour). Sometimes it's a good idea not to take ourselves too seriously. And ... Dad, who's been dead for more years than there were difference in our ages, offered some advice to me many years ago which has guided me on different occasions, that when I find something of less than major consequence is bothering me substantially .... often it's a good idea to let it roll off of me like water off of a duck's back. Not the end of the world, right? ole joyfuelled...See MoreNeed help understanding LINOLEUM how it holds up, feels under feet.
Comments (9)https://www.thisoldhouse.com/ideas/all-about-vinyl-flooring -- If you can enter this link into a new tab window and look at it, than as you are reading find the 3rd photograph(vinyl type sheet) in this story scrolling down(actual photograph, not the sketched design)you will see an entry with a wood bench inside a home. This product has been installed in a break room area about 5 years ago now. In this breakroom/kitchen area are all appliances and about 20 chairs on rollers --around 4 or 5 kitchen tables. The room is about 35 feet long and 20 feet wide with kitchen cabinets on 2 sides, all appliances, etc etc etc....This break area is shared by some 100 employees every day from 7am to 6pm or later, and includes a kitchen sink, dishwasher, multiple kinds and sizes of ovens, a cooktop, a soft drink dispenser, 2 commercial coffee makers, an ice machine and water dispenser, huge refrigerator.....This product is in perfect shape as nice as it is now, and was new. It looks like new. It is very soft and very quiet to walk on. It has a cushion thickness to it. I highly recommend this product, even more than a wood look vinyl floor, because it is quiet, durable, cushioned and even tho it is a tile shape, rather than a roll with one seam, in the room across the width, it is holding up very well. DO put cushioned mats or rugs near sink/dishwasher and range, just so you can gain that extra protection in case the knife gets dropped on the surface, but...that said, there is none of that in this room. Enjoy searching for the colors combo you like most. It may be the larger size, such as 15 inch square? It is very attractive, too....See Moredebrak2008
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